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Traditional Catholic Faith => General Discussion => Topic started by: Francisco on August 27, 2013, 10:42:30 PM
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THE MOTHER TERESA HER CRITICS CHOOSE TO IGNORE
August 26, 2013
Navin B. Chawla
There can be no better reply to muckrakers than her life and her work
A few months ago, a couple of researchers in Canada produced a report entirely critical of Mother Teresa and her work, which predictably found its way into the media. Some of the issues they raised were her "questionable" contacts with dodgy characters such as the Haitian dictator, Jean-Claude Duvalier, her overly dogmatic views on contraception, abortion and divorce, and that she offered rudimentary medical care to the sick and dying in her hospices, instead of setting up a proper hospital in Kolkata. Here, there was a cruel twist to the tale ��that when she herself fell ill, she benefited from the best medical attention on offer.
Putting down roots
Before I answer these accusations, let me encapsulate her life and her work. She was only 18 when she was convinced that her life's vocation lay in her becoming a missionary in far-off India: Skopje, where she was born on August 26, 1910, was so far removed from Bengal that, barring a few Yugoslav Jesuits who fired her young imagination, no one in the small Catholic community would even have known where India lay. Yet, the early seeds of her faith, determination and compassion, nurtured by her widowed mother, impelled her to leave her close-knit family, first for Ireland to join the Loreto Order of teaching nuns, (and also to learn some English), and then by boat to faraway Calcutta, which she would grow to love so much that it would become indistinguishable with her own name. She lived and worked as a Loreto nun for close to 20 years before her true calling once again propelled her to find a way to the street, not as a lay woman but continuing to be an ordained nun. The Vatican itself gave her permission, fantastically for the first time in Church history, to step outside her secure convent into a huge and bewildering city. In 1948, Calcutta's pavements were swarming with teeming millions uprooted by Partition, who now joined the hapless sufferers of the Great Bengal Famine of 1942-43. Here stepped in a 38-year-old nun, now dressed not in the recognisable nun's habit, but a sari similar to what the municipal sweepresses wore, with no companion, no helper and no money.
Confronted with disease, destitution and death all around her at a time (1948) when there was hardly any health-care service to speak of, she did what was to become her hallmark. Finding a man dying in the street, she took him to a public hospital, which refused to admit him, precisely on the grounds that since he was about to die, they would not waste a hospital bed on a life they said they could not save! It was only when she sat before the hospital in a dharna that they relented. The man died a few hours later. It was at this point that she began her search for a place where she could take those people whom hospitals refused; where she could nurse them ��she had some medical training ��and they could at least die being comforted and with some dignity. She begged various authorities and finally, an officer in the Calcutta Municipality gave her a pilgrims' hall adjacent to the Kalighat temple, where she requested the police and municipal authorities to bring her all and any of those dying whom the hospitals refused.
I have been so many times to this hospice at Kalighat, that I did not need to ask Mother Teresa why she had not set up a hospital instead, because I knew that a hospital would tie down all her Sisters to a single establishment, and then who would care for those who fell by the wayside? The infant abandoned on a street, the sick and elderly turned out of their homes, often enough by their own families, the leprosy sufferers or AIDS patients that no one wanted to even go near ��who would look after them? How many of us actually do anything about the desperately poor we see on the streets? We only have to look within us to know that those who are quick to criticise Mother Teresa and her mission, are unable or unwilling to do anything to help with their own hands.
Although staunchly and devoutly Catholic, she reached out to people of all denominations irrespective of their faith, or even the lack of it. She did not believe that conversion was her work. That was god's work, she said. So while she lifted the abandoned baby off a street full of prowling dogs for the sanctuary of her Shishu Bhawan, she would never convert her, because that child would probably be adopted into a nice Hindu household, and such a conversion would then have been a cardinal sin which she would never commit. That is why people of all faiths were so accepting of this diminutive Catholic nun. In my 23 years of close association with her, she never once whispered that perhaps her religion was superior to mine, or through it lay a shorter route to the Divine. Which is also why, when I asked Jyoti Basu, that redoubtable leader of West Bengal, what he, an atheist and communist, could possibly have in common with Mother Teresa for whom god was everything, he replied simply that "we both share a love for the poor."
Her hospitalisation
In the course of researching my biography on Mother Teresa, I asked her why she took money from dodgy characters like Duvalier. Her answer was concise. In charity, she said, everyone had a right to give. How was this different from thousands of people who each day feed the poor? "I have no right to judge them, God alone has that right." And again, "I accept no salary, no grant, no government or church funds, nothing. I do not ask for money. But people have a right to give."
Meanwhile, I researched the Duvalier story. She had set up a small mission in Port-au-Prince, one of the world's most desperately poor places. A day after Mother Teresa visited and left, Duvalier's daughter-in-law went to Mother Teresa's mission and donated 1,000 dollars. It was not, as was reported, a million dollars, but Mother Teresa's reply would still have been the same: if that gives peace to the giver, so be it.
Let me now illustrate a true story of one of Mother Teresa's actual hospitalisations. In 1994, Mother Teresa fell ill in Delhi when she had come to receive an award. She developed high fever and possibly gastro-enteritis. Against her will ("I will be all right by tomorrow"), I rushed her to a large, public hospital, where she was hospitalised for over a week. I stood vigil. She was known to have a cardiac history, and it was up to the cardiology department or the gastro department to "take charge." The sad truth is that no one wanted to, frankly scared she might die on their hands. She sensed this too, pleading with me to take her back to her beloved Kolkata. But she could not possibly have been moved. In those days when there were no mobile phones, the switchboard at the hospital was jammed with enquiries. I not only took almost daily calls from Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Prime Minister's Office, but also from the White House, the Vatican, and chancelleries all over Europe. Ambassadors called frequently. Prime Minister Narasimha Rao offered her treatment anywhere in the world. Finally, not quite recovered in my view, her Sisters took her back to Kolkata. I have to say that the cardiac team was relieved to discharge her! There are other cases of her hospital treatments that I am aware of. If only the Canadian research team had known the reality about her hospitalisations, perhaps they would not have been so uncharitable.
At the Vatican
In her lifetime, Mother Teresa was sometimes described as a "religious imperialist," a handmaiden of the Church's doctrinaire policies on abortion and birth control. These were indeed her views and she was undeterred by such criticism. Yet, she gently but unmistakably left her imprint on the heart of the Vatican itself. Finding in Pope John Paul II a kindred spirit, she cajoled him into literally and metaphorically opening a small door to set up a tiny soup kitchen adjacent to the Pope's grand audience chamber. At 6 p.m. each day, Rome's homeless and hungry continue to be fed by Mother Teresa's Sisters, just a few metres away from the grand Basilica of St. Peter's. At a stroke, this frail nun, indisputably the world's most decorated person, helped to demystify the Vatican's aura of wealth and privilege, serving a daily reminder to the Vatican where its true vocation lay.
(Navin B. Chawla is a former chief election commissioner of India and biographer of Mother Teresa's.) [thehindu.com]
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:incense: :incense: :incense:
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I'm sorry, but where was the defense? I missed it.
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She did not believe that conversion was her work. That was god's work, she said. So while she lifted the abandoned baby off a street full of prowling dogs for the sanctuary of her Shishu Bhawan, she would never convert her, because that child would probably be adopted into a nice Hindu household, and such a conversion would then have been a cardinal sin which she would never commit. That is why people of all faiths were so accepting of this diminutive Catholic nun.
That's no defense, that's the opposite.
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I'm sorry, but where was the defense? I missed it.
"There can be no better reply to muckrakers than her life and her work " says her defender/biographer Navin Chawla.
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She did not believe that conversion was her work. That was god's work, she said. So while she lifted the abandoned baby off a street full of prowling dogs for the sanctuary of her Shishu Bhawan, she would never convert her, because that child would probably be adopted into a nice Hindu household, and such a conversion would then have been a cardinal sin which she would never commit. That is why people of all faiths were so accepting of this diminutive Catholic nun.
That's no defense, that's the opposite.
This is the reason for one of the last moto proprios of Pope Benedict before he resigned
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/docuмents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20121111_caritas_en.html
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I really don't know what you're talking about poche.
Serving the poor and sick has been the basic work of a number of religious orders throughout history. It should not be considered unusual. If it is, then the religious orders in general have a problem, no?
So too, if worldly newspapers make a big deal out of one particular person doing it, they have a reason, and the reasons worldly newspapers choose no?
Sentimentalism is not theology. In fact it's one of the errors of the age to turn it into religion.
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I really don't know what you're talking about poche.
Serving the poor and sick has been the basic work of a number of religious orders throughout history. It should not be considered unusual. If it is, then the religious orders in general have a problem, no?
So too, if worldly newspapers make a big deal out of one particular person doing it, they have a reason, and the reasons worldly newspapers choose no?
Sentimentalism is not theology. In fact it's one of the errors of the age to turn it into religion.
Mother Theresa has also been criticized by some for what they percieve as a kind of indifferentism on her part. the idea of helping the poor in a way that it would be easy to confuse the Church with a social service organization. Pope Benedict wrote that moto proprio in order to clarify that misconception.
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And what particular portion of that docuмent you linked to is pertinent to the quote, and in fact corrected the problem?
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"She did not believe that conversion was her work."
I believe that the docuмent as a whole corrects that notion.
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She died in 1997, the docuмent was issued in 2012.
You believe the whole corrects it. Cite a paragraph or two that corrects it, please.
By the way poche,
'But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no: and that which is over and above these, is of evil.'
Matthew 5:37
Have you read pre-1960 docuмents and noticed the difference yet?
Any read more easily to you perhaps? More simply and clearly?
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All Catholics are called to convert others by word or example.
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Rama Coomaraswamy (a figure every bit as shady, twisted, and perplexing as Malachi Martin) saved some of his correspondence with M. Teresa that does not portray her as very strong on the unchallengeable dogma of the faith.
I believe it's somewhere on Griff Ruby's site, ah here:
www.the-pope.com/mteresa1.rtf̴
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Rama Coomaraswamy (a figure every bit as shady, twisted, and perplexing as Malachi Martin) saved some of his correspondence with M. Teresa that does not portray her as very strong on the unchallengeable dogma of the faith.
I believe it's somewhere on Griff Ruby's site, ah here:
www.the-pope.com/mteresa1.rtf̴
The page could not be found
Can you double check, please Lighthouse?
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She did not believe that conversion was her work. That was god's work, she said. So while she lifted the abandoned baby off a street full of prowling dogs for the sanctuary of her Shishu Bhawan, she would never convert her, because that child would probably be adopted into a nice Hindu household, and such a conversion would then have been a cardinal sin which she would never commit. That is why people of all faiths were so accepting of this diminutive Catholic nun.
That's no defense, that's the opposite.
Conversion of non-Catholics is the work of lay people and Religious.
If that was not the case, I would still be a Protestant and most
likely practicing no religion today.
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Sorry, I couldn't come up with a properly working URL. Try this: Google the six names: Coomaraswamy Rama mother Teresa griff ruby.
This should show an rtf file that you can download.
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Take care of the body and let the soul rot. I don't see how there can be a defense for that.
No mention of her failed exorcisms either.
Anyone who finds a "kindred spirit" in Karol Wojtyla should be a avoided.
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Okay you asked for it.
How about some pictures of this "saint's" life's work?
Maybe that'll make you wonder whether she's a "saint" or not.
Here's one of her worshipping Buddha.
(http://www.traditioninaction.org/RevolutionPhotos/Images/067_Teresa.jpg)
Mother Teresa often said that all souls need to be converted, which appears to be good doctrine if one assumes that the conversion is to the Catholic Faith. But, to the contrary, she said that her goal was “to make the Christian the better Christian, the Muslim a better Muslim, and a Hindu a better Hindu.”
Praying at the tomb of a professed Hindu, that rejected Jesus Christ.
(http://www.traditioninaction.org/bkreviews/ImagesA/A_025_Gandhi.jpg)
Mother Teresa said, “We never try to convert those who receive [aid from Missionaries of Charity] to Christianity but in our work we bear witness to the love of God’s presence and if Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, or agnostics become for this better men - simply better - we will be satisfied” (Mother Teresa: The Case for The Cause, p. 47).
She also believed in some warped notion of "BOD" which was...
In 1990, she spoke at the Vatican. She told an audience of priests, “We call baptism the ticket for St. Peter. She said, “Not one has died without the ticket for St. Peter. We call baptism the ticket for St. Peter because He [God] won’t let them go to heaven without that ticket” (Mother Teresa: The Case for The Cause, p. 126). :stare:
“I love all religions but I am in love with my own. If people become better Hindus, better Muslims, better Buddhists by our acts of love, then there is something else growing there. They come closer and closer to God. When they come closer, they have to choose” (Mother Teresa: The Case for The Cause, p. 47). :shocked:
Oh and she even hands out communion!
(http://www.traditioninaction.org/RevolutionPhotos/Images%20(201-300)/255_TeresaCommunion01.jpg)
The confessor of "Mother Teresa" was a convicted pedophile.
Read here. (http://www.traditioninaction.org/HotTopics/a01r_McGuire_Galitzin.html)
Put that in your pipe and smoke it. :detective:
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Rama Coomaraswamy (a figure every bit as shady, twisted, and perplexing as Malachi Martin) saved some of his correspondence with M. Teresa that does not portray her as very strong on the unchallengeable dogma of the faith.
I believe it's somewhere on Griff Ruby's site, ah here:
www.the-pope.com/mteresa1.rtf̴
Let me help with the link.
Link. (http://www.the-pope.com/mteresa1.rtf)
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Oh boy, this interview with Fr. Coomarswamy is a doozie. "Hurting Jesus" by attending the Traditional Mass. Pius V made "changes" so "Paul VI" should be able to? :stare:
Um, SAINT Pius V didn't change ANYTHING. He codified what was already THERE.
How many times does the modernist respond with "It is not true."
Uh, I don't think that Fr. Coomarswamy would have included, as a very intelligent man, so many "it is not true" statements in such a detailed explanation. Does this author, whoever it is, that "Mother Teresa" asked to write a rebuttal, take Fr. Coomarswamy for a fool, or any reader that might come across this to read themselves?
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Part I - A CORRESPONDENCE WITH MOTHER THERESA
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Part II and III - A CORRESPONDENCE WITH MOTHER THERESA
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so in her opinion communion in the hand is a sacrilege but handling the sacred Species when you're not consecrated as a priest is not a sacrilege?
Kyrie eleison.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, triumph soon!
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
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Mother Teresa said, “We never try to convert those who receive [aid from Missionaries of Charity] to Christianity
If this is true it means that she helped many people with their physical needs but didn't help anyone with their spiritual needs. She didn't do what was important but helped people with what doesn't really matter.
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She died in 1997, the docuмent was issued in 2012.
You believe the whole corrects it. Cite a paragraph or two that corrects it, please.
By the way poche,
'But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no: and that which is over and above these, is of evil.'
Matthew 5:37
Have you read pre-1960 docuмents and noticed the difference yet?
Any read more easily to you perhaps? More simply and clearly?
"The Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia) and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable” (Deus Caritas Est, 25)."
"It is important, however, to keep in mind that “practical activity will always be insufficient, unless it visibly expresses a love for man, a love nourished by an encounter with Christ” (ibid., 34). In carrying out their charitable activity, therefore, the various Catholic organizations should not limit themselves merely to collecting and distributing funds, but should show special concern for individuals in need and exercise a valuable educational function within the Christian community, helping people to appreciate the importance of sharing, respect and love in the spirit of the Gospel of Christ. The Church’s charitable activity at all levels must avoid the risk of becoming just another form of organized social assistance (cf. ibid., 31).
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She died in 1997, the docuмent was issued in 2012.
You believe the whole corrects it. Cite a paragraph or two that corrects it, please.
By the way poche,
'But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no: and that which is over and above these, is of evil.'
Matthew 5:37
Have you read pre-1960 docuмents and noticed the difference yet?
Any read more easily to you perhaps? More simply and clearly?
"The Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia) and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable” (Deus Caritas Est, 25)."
"It is important, however, to keep in mind that “practical activity will always be insufficient, unless it visibly expresses a love for man, a love nourished by an encounter with Christ” (ibid., 34). In carrying out their charitable activity, therefore, the various Catholic organizations should not limit themselves merely to collecting and distributing funds, but should show special concern for individuals in need and exercise a valuable educational function within the Christian community, helping people to appreciate the importance of sharing, respect and love in the spirit of the Gospel of Christ. The Church’s charitable activity at all levels must avoid the risk of becoming just another form of organized social assistance (cf. ibid., 31).
Mother Teresa walked a tightrope in India. A Hindu Fundamentalist αssαssιnαtҽd Mahatma Gandhi, and this type of person has grown stronger, and plays a more dominant role with each passing year.
Even if Mother Teresa did not project Our Lord as prominently as some Traditional Catholics say she should have, her organization is wholly Catholic, and the recipients of her goodwill had the common sense to realise that, and should have asked themselves why such charity is unique to Christianity.
Due to the shortage of missionaries going around the country preaching the Good News, the Church held up the light of Christ via schools, colleges, hospitals,leprosariums and orphanages. Unlike in Africa where the people saw beyond the goodness of such institutions the Goodness of Christ, it has not been the case here.
I once helped gather negative writings on Mother Teresa for a certain group, which I now regret doing. She was a very astute woman in how she operated, but followed the Beatitudes to the letter.
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She died in 1997, the docuмent was issued in 2012.
You believe the whole corrects it. Cite a paragraph or two that corrects it, please.
By the way poche,
'But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no: and that which is over and above these, is of evil.'
Matthew 5:37
Have you read pre-1960 docuмents and noticed the difference yet?
Any read more easily to you perhaps? More simply and clearly?
"The Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia) and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable” (Deus Caritas Est, 25)."
"It is important, however, to keep in mind that “practical activity will always be insufficient, unless it visibly expresses a love for man, a love nourished by an encounter with Christ” (ibid., 34). In carrying out their charitable activity, therefore, the various Catholic organizations should not limit themselves merely to collecting and distributing funds, but should show special concern for individuals in need and exercise a valuable educational function within the Christian community, helping people to appreciate the importance of sharing, respect and love in the spirit of the Gospel of Christ. The Church’s charitable activity at all levels must avoid the risk of becoming just another form of organized social assistance (cf. ibid., 31).
Quoting novus ordo pope's docuмents isn't going to get you very far here. They're rife with moderism and heresy.