Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation, suggested such criticism could be seen as akin to "physical violence" against the Roman Pontiff.

This carries a penalty of excommunication.

But US canon lawyer Ed Peters said provisions in canon law must be interpreted narrowly and physical violence means what it says - physical violence.

While hateful speech is objectively sinful, it is not a canonical crime punishable by excommunication, the canonist said.

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Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi responded to reports in Italian media that she would be canonised before the end of the Holy Year of Mercy.

"It is a working hypothesis, therefore no official confirmation can be given," Fr Lombardi said.

"The cause for Mother Teresa is still underway and it is therefore premature to speak of an already established date for the canonisation," Fr Lombardi said.

Italian media reported that Archbishop Rino Fisichella had told Rome municipal officials that Mother Teresa's canonisation had been set for September 4, 2016.

Archbishop Fisichella is president of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation.

His office is responsible for organising the Holy Year of Mercy declared by Pope Francis which will begin on December 8 this year.

In India, a day before Fr Lombardi's statement, a spokesman for the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church said Mother Teresa would be canonised in September next year.

"As a Christian, I am eagerly waiting for the canonisation of Mother Teresa," church spokesman Paul Thelekat said.

"She has been a mother to millions of Indian especially the poorest of the poor and the underprivileged," he said.

According to an Italian media report, Archbishop Fisichella also told Rome city officials that the relics of St Padre Pio would be brought to Rome from southern Italy for veneration by the faithful, but no date had been set.

This event, plus a canonisation of Mother Teresa, and the Holy Year, would draw massive crowds to Rome, hence the need for municipal planning.

Usually, a second miracle would be needed for Mother Teresa's canonisation to proceed, but Pope Francis has waived this requirement in other cases.

St John Paul II allowed her cause for beatification to proceed without waiting for the usual five years after a candidate's death to elapse.

Mother Teresa, who died in 1997, was beatified in 2003.

The founder of the Missionaries of Charity, she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

Sources

• Catholic Courier
• IB Times
• Image: Catholic News Agency