Managers of the iconic Empire State Building (ESB) declined yesterday to commemorate what would have been Mother Teresa's 100th birthday by lighting white and blue bulbs atop the building
Managers of the iconic Empire State Building (ESB) declined yesterday to commemorate what would have been Mother Teresa's 100th birthday by lighting white and blue bulbs atop the building.
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At nightfall, the lights on top of the 102-storey building will instead be red, white and blue in honour of the 90th anniversary of the women's right to vote in the United States, the managers of the tallest building in New York city said.
The lights would represent the colours of Mother Teresa's religious order.
The skyscraper managers have honoured a string of personalities and historic events over the years by changing the colours of the lights atop the building.
The lights were purple and gold for the recent visit of Queen Elizabeth II, red and yellow for the 60th anniversary of the Chinese communist revolution, green for Saint Patrick's Day, blue for Frank Sinatra's eyes, and even yellow honouring The Simpsons -- the animated TV characters.
"The Empire State Building celebrates many cultures and causes in the world community with iconic lightings, and has a tradition of lightings for the religious holidays of Easter, Eid-ul-Fitr, Hanukkah, and Christmas," Malkin said in June.
However, he added, "As a privately owned building, ESB has a specific policy against any other lighting for religious figures or requests by religions and religious organisations."
Mother Teresa admirers were outraged, and vowed to hold a protest at the foot of the building.
However, progressive Catholic activists, including Catholics for Choice, a group that supports abortion rights, supported Malkin's decision.
New York city tabloids linked the event to Malkin's failure on Wednesday to halt construction of a nearby skyscraper. "Saint 1, Empire 0 in 'high' drama -- Teresa's revenge as council OKs rival skyscraper," read the New York Post headline.
Several Times Square billboards were lit in white and blue late yesterday, and blue and white lights have been lit outside Brooklyn city hall since Wednesday honoring the "Saint of the Gutters."
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