Pope canonises 6 new Saints

Pope Francis conferred sainthood on six new candidates on Sunday, including two from the Indian state of Kerala: Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Euphrasia Eluvathingal.

Indian pilgrims flocked to St Peter's Square, joining the tens of thousands who gathered to hear Pope Francis announce the new Saints.

Chavara was a Carmelite priest and the founder of two religious congregations in Kerala.

In 1831 he established the men's congregation of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate and in 1866 he founded the first indigenous women's congregation of Carmelites.

He encouraged the education of poor people from lower classes.

He was beatified by John Paul II on 1986.

Euphrasia Eluvathingal was a Carmelite nun, she entered the Carmelite congregation in 1900, which had been founded by Father Chavara some years before.

Although a minority, Christians are numerous in Kerala.