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| {{Infobox Person | |||
| | name = Mother Teresa | |||
| | image = Mother Teresa.jpg | |||
| | image_size = 200px | |||
| | caption = Mother Teresa in 1988 | |||
| | dead = yes | |||
| | birth_date = {{birth date|1910|8|26|mf=y}} | |||
| | birth_place = ], ] (now ]) | |||
| | death_date = {{death date and age|1997|9|5|1910|8|26|mf=y}} | |||
| | death_place = ], ] | |||
| | occupation = Roman Catholic nun, humanitarian<ref>PBS Online Newshour (Sept. 5, 1997)., www.pbs.org. Retrieved August, 2007</ref> | |||
| |Awards/Honours=],1979,],] | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Mother Teresa''' (born '''Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu''' {{IPA2|ˈagnɛs gɔnˈʤa bɔˈjaʤiu}}) (], ] – ], ]), was a ] ] who founded the ] and won the ] in 1979 for her ] work. For over forty years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying in ] (Calcutta), ]. | |||
| As the Missionaries of Charity grew under Mother Teresa's leadership, they expanded their ministry to other countries. By the 1970s she had become internationally famed as a humanitarian and advocate for the poor and helpless, due in part to a ], and book, ''Something Beautiful for God'' by ]. Following her death she was ] by ] and given the title '''Blessed Teresa of Calcutta'''.<ref>Associate Press. (], ]). ". ]. Retrieved ], ].</ref><ref>"". (2007). '']''. Retrieved ], ].</ref> | |||
| == Early life == | |||
| Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born on ], ], in ], which today is capital of the ].<ref name=MToC>(2002). "". ''Vatican News Service''. Retrieved ], ]. Although some sources state that she was 10 when her father died, in an interview with her brother, the Vatican documents her age at the time as "about eight".</ref> | |||
| She was the youngest of the children of an ] family from ], born to Nikola and Drane Bojaxhiu. Nikola was involved in the politics of the day and devoted to the ]. After a political meeting he fell ill and died. Agnes at the time was about eight years old.<ref name=MToC /> After her father's death she was raised as a Roman Catholic by her mother. According to a biography by Joan Graff Clucas, during her early years, Agnes was fascinated by stories of the lives of ] and their service, and by the time she was twelve, she was convinced that she should commit herself to a religious life.<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 24. ].</ref>She left her home at age 18 to join the ] as a missionary. Agnes would never again set eyes on her mother or sister.<ref>Sharn, Lori (], ]). "". '']''. Retrieved ], ]</ref> | |||
| Agnes initially went to the ] in ], ] in order to learn English, which was the language the Sisters of Loreto used when instructing school children in India.<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 28-29. ].</ref> Arriving in India in 1929, she began her ] in ], near the Himalayan mountains.<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 31. ].</ref> She took her first ] as a nun on ], ]. At that time she chose the name Teresa after the ].<ref>Sebba, Anne (1997).''Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image''. New York. Doubleday, p.35. ].</ref> She took her solemn vows on ], ], while serving as a teacher at the Loreto convent school in eastern Calcutta.<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 32. ].</ref><ref>Spink, Kathryn (1997). ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York. HarperCollins, pp.16. ].</ref> | |||
| Although Teresa enjoyed teaching at the school she was increasingly disturbed by the poverty surrounding her in Calcutta.<ref>Spink, Kathryn (1997). ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York. HarperCollins, pp.18-21. ].</ref> A famine | |||
| in 1943 brought misery and death to the city; and the outbreak of Hindu/Muslim violence in August 1946 plunged the city into despair and horror.<ref>Spink, Kathryn (1997). ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York. HarperCollins, pp.18, 21-22. ].</ref> | |||
| ==Missionaries of Charity== | |||
| On ], ], Teresa experienced what she later described as "the call within the call" while traveling to the Loreto convent in ] for her annual retreat. "I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them. It was an order. To fail would have been to break the faith."<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 35. ].</ref> She began her missionary work with the poor in 1948, replacing her traditional Loreto habit with a simple white cotton ''chira'' decorated with a blue border and then venturing out into the slums."<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 39. ].</ref> Initially she started a school in Motijhil; shortly thereafter, she started tending to the needs of the destitute and starving.<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 48-49. ].</ref> Her efforts quickly caught the attention of Indian officials, including the Prime Minister, who expressed his appreciation.<ref>Williams, Paul (2002). ''Mother Teresa''. Indianapolis. Alpha Books, p. 57. ].</ref> | |||
| Teresa wrote in her diary that her first year was fraught with difficulties. She had no income and had to resort to begging for food and supplies. Teresa experienced doubt, loneliness and the temptation to return to the comfort of convent life during these early months. She recorded in her diary: | |||
| {{cquote|Our Lord wants me to be a free nun covered with the poverty of the cross. Today I learned a good lesson. The poverty of the poor must be so hard for them. While looking for a home I walked and walked till my arms and legs ached. I thought how much they must ache in body and soul, looking for a home, food and health. Then the comfort of Loreto came to tempt me. 'You have only to say the word and all that will be yours again,' the Tempter kept on saying ... Of free choice, my God, and out of love for you, I desire to remain and do whatever be your Holy will in my regard. I did not let a single tear come.<ref>Spink, Kathryn (1997). ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York. HarperCollins, pp.37. ].</ref>}} | |||
| ] | |||
| Teresa received ] permission on ], ] to start the diocesan congregation that would become the ].<ref>Williams, Paul (2002). ''Mother Teresa''. Indianapolis. Alpha Books, p. 62. ].</ref> Its mission was to care for, in her own words, "the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the ], all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone." It began as a small order with 13 members in ]; today it has more than 4,000 ]s running ], ] ], and charity centers worldwide, and caring for refugees, the blind, disabled, aged, alcoholics, the poor and homeless, and victims of floods, epidemics, and famine.<ref>Spink, Kathryn (1997). ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York. HarperCollins, pp.284. ].</ref> | |||
| In 1952 Mother Teresa opened the first Home for the Dying in space made available by the City of ]. With the help of Indian officials she converted an abandoned ] temple into the ], a free ] for the poor. She renamed it Kalighat, the Home of the Pure Heart (Nirmal Hriday).<ref>Sebba, Anne (1997).''Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image''. New York. Doubleday, pp. 58–60. ].</ref> Those brought to the home received medical attention and were afforded the opportunity to die with dignity, according to the rituals of their faith; Muslims were read the Quran, Hindus received water from the Ganges, and Catholics received the Last Rites.<ref name=Spink55>Spink, Kathryn (1997). ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York. HarperCollins, pp.55. ].</ref> "A beautiful death," she said, "is for people who lived like animals to die like angels — loved and wanted."<ref name=Spink55 /> | |||
| Mother Teresa soon opened a home for those suffering from Hansen's disease, commonly known as leprosy, and called the hospice Shanti Nagar (City of Peace).<ref>Sebba, Anne (1997).''Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image''. New York. Doubleday, pp. 62-63. ].</ref> The ] also established several leprosy outreach clinics throughout Calcutta, providing medication, bandages and food. | |||
| As the ] took in increasing numbers of lost children, Mother Teresa felt the need to create a home for them. In 1955 she opened the Nirmala Shishu Bhavan, the Children's Home of the Immaculate Heart, as a haven for orphans and homeless youth.<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 58-59. ].</ref> | |||
| The order soon began to attract both recruits and charitable donations, and by the 1960s had opened ], ], and ] houses all over ]. Mother Teresa then expanded the order internationally, with new homes opening throughout the globe. The order's first house outside India was in ], opened in 1965 with five ].<ref>Spink, Kathryn (1997). ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York. ], pp.82. ].</ref> Others followed in ], ], and ] in 1968; during the 1970s the order would open houses and foundations in dozens of countries in ], ], ], and the ].<ref>Spink, Kathryn (1997). ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York. ], pp.286-287. ].</ref> | |||
| Despite Mother Teresa's success in growing the Missionaries of Charity' worldwide, both the philosophy behind her approach and its implementation have faced some criticism. Whilst noting how little evidence Mother Teresa's critics were able to find against her, ] writes that Mother Teresa limited herself only to keeping people alive rather than tackling poverty itself.<ref>Scott, David ''A Revolution of Love: The Meaning of Mother Teresa'' Chicago, Loyola Press, 2005. ISBN 0829420312 "She deals only with the disease (of poverty), but not with preventing it, but people in the West continue to give her money"</ref> She has also been criticized for her view on suffering: According to an article in the ], it was her opinion that suffering would bring people closer to Jesus.<ref>{{Citation |last=Byfield |first=Ted |title=If the real world knew the real Mother Teresa there would be a lot less adulation |periodical=Alberta Report/Newsmagazine |date=October 20, 1997 |volume=24 |issue=45}}</ref> On the more practical level, the quality of care offered to terminally ill patients in the Homes for the Dying has been criticised in both '']'' and the '']'', which reported poor living conditions, such as using cold baths for all patients, reusing hypodermic needles and an anti-materialist approach that precluded the use of systematic diagnosis.<ref name=BMJ>Loudon, Mary. (1996), Book Review, ''BMJ'' vol.312, no.7022, 6 January 2006, pp.64-5. Retrieved ] ]</ref> | |||
| ==International charity== | |||
| In 1982, at the height of the siege in Beirut, Mother Teresa rescued 37 children trapped in a front line hospital by brokering a temporary cease-fire between the Israeli army and Palestinian guerrillas.<ref>CNN Staff, "Mother Teresa: A Profile", retrieved from on ], ]</ref> Accompanied by Red Cross workers, she traveled through the war zone to the devastated hospital to evacuate the young patients.<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 17. ].</ref> | |||
| When the walls of Eastern Europe collapsed, she expanded her efforts to Communist countries that had previously rejected the Missionaries of Charity, embarking on dozens of projects. She was undeterred by criticism about her firm stand against ] and ] stating, "No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work." | |||
| Mother Teresa traveled to assist and minister to the hungry in ], radiation victims at ], and earthquake victims in ].<ref>Cooper, Kenneth J. (], ]). "". '']''. Retrieved ], ]</ref><ref>(], ]) "". ''Eternal Word Television Network''. Retrieved ] ].</ref><ref>. Describes how Mother Teresa journeyed to Armenia in December 1988 following the great earthquake. She and her order established an orphanage there. Retrieved ], ].</ref> In 1991, Mother Teresa returned for the first time to her homeland and opened a Missionaries of Charity Brothers home in ], ]. | |||
| By 1996, she was operating 517 missions in more than 100 countries.<ref>Williams, Paul (2002).''Mother Teresa''. Indianapolis. Alpha Books, pp. 199–204. ].</ref> Over the years, Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity grew from twelve to thousands serving the "poorest of the poor" in 450 centers around the world. The first Missionaries of Charity home in the ] was established in the ], ]; by 1984 the order operated nineteen establishments throughout the country.<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 104. ].</ref> | |||
| The spending of the charity money received has been criticized by some. Both ] and the '']'' have said that money that was donated with the intention of it being spent on the keeping of the poor was spent on other projects instead. <ref>Hitchens, Christopher (], ]). "". ''Slate Magazine''. Retrieved ], ].</ref> | |||
| == Deteriorating health and death == | |||
| Mother Teresa suffered a heart attack in ] during 1983, while visiting ]. After a second attack in 1989, she received a ]. In 1991, after a battle with ] while in ], she suffered further heart problems. She offered to resign her position as head of the Missionaries of Charity. However, the nuns of the order, in a secret ballot, voted for her to stay. Mother Teresa agreed to continue her work as head of the order. | |||
| In April 1996, Mother Teresa fell and broke her ]. In August of that year she suffered from ] and failure of the left ] ]. She underwent ], but it was clear that her health was declining. On ], ], she stepped down from the head of Missionaries of Charity and died on ],], nine days after her 87th birthday. | |||
| The Archbishop of Calcutta, Henry Sebastian D'Souza, said he ordered a priest to perform an ] on Mother Teresa with her permission when she was first hospitalized with cardiac problems because he thought she may be under attack by the ].<ref>Bindra, Satinder (], ]). "". '']'' Retrieved ], ].</ref> | |||
| At the time of her death, Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity had over 4,000 sisters, an associated brotherhood of 300 members, and over 100,000 ] volunteers, operating 610 missions in 123 countries. These included hospices and homes for people with ], ] and ], ]s, children's and family counseling programs, orphanages, and schools. | |||
| ==Global recognition and awards== | |||
| ===Reception in India and Asia=== | |||
| Mother Teresa was granted a ] by the ] in gratitude for her services to the poor of all religions in India.<ref>Associated Press (], ]). "". '']''. Retrieved ], ].</ref> In tribute, ], the ] said that she was "a rare and unique individual who lived long for higher purposes. Her life-long devotion to the care of the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged was one of the highest examples of service to our humanity."<ref name=Tribute /> Mother Teresa had first been officially recognised in the region long before her death. In 1962, she was awarded the ] by the Indian government. That same year she received the ]-based ] for International Understanding, given for work in South or East Asia. The citation said that "the Board of Trustees recognizes her merciful cognizance of the abject poor of a foreign land, in whose service she has led a new congregation".<ref>Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (1962) ''Citation for Mother Teresa''.</ref> She continued to receive major Indian rewards in successive decades including, in 1972, the ] Award for International Understanding and, in 1980, India's highest civilian award, the ].<ref name=Frontline /> | |||
| Indian views on Mother Teresa were not uniformly favourable. ], a London-resident but Calcutta-born and -bred critic of hers, reports that "she was not a significant entity in Calcutta in her lifetime". Chatterjee blames Mother Teresa for promoting a negative image of his home city.<ref name=Chatterjee /> Her presence and profile grated in parts of the Indian political world, for she and the ] frequently opposed each other. The ] clashed with Mother Teresa over the Christian ]s, but praised her in death, sending a representative to her funeral. The ], on the other hand, opposed the Government's decision to grant her a state funeral. Its secretary ], said that "her first duty was to the Church and social service was incidental" and accused her of favouring Christians and conducting "secret baptisms" of the dying. ], writing the front page tribute for the Indian fortnightly '']'', dismissed these charges as "patently false" and said that they had "made no impact on the public perception of her work, especially in Calcutta". Although praising her "selfless caring", energy and bravery, Menon was critical of Mother Teresa's public campaigning against abortion and that she claimed to be non-political when doing so.<ref name=Frontline>] , '']'', Vol.14 :: No. 19 :: Sept.20 - Oct. 3,1997 | |||
| </ref> More recently, '']'', an Indian daily, has referred to her as "the Saint of the Gutters", also mentioning calls for "Rome to investigate whether she did anything to alleviate the condition of the poor or just took care of the sick and dying and needed them to further a sentimentally-moral cause".<ref>Victor Banerjee ''A Canopy most fatal'', '']'', Sunday, September 08, 2002.</ref> | |||
| ===Reception in the rest of the world=== | |||
| By the early 1970s, Mother Teresa had become an international celebrity. Her fame can be in large part attributed to the 1969 ] ''Something Beautiful for God'', which was filmed by ] and his 1971 book of the same title. Muggeridge was undergoing a spiritual journey of his own at the time.<ref name=Timecrisis /> During the filming of the documentary, footage taken in poor lighting conditions, particularly the Home for the Dying, was thought unlikely to be of usable quality by the crew. After returning from India, however, the footage was found to be extremely well lit. Muggeridge claimed this was a miracle of "divine light" from Mother Teresa herself.<ref>Sebba, Anne (1997). ''Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image''. New York. Doubleday, pp. 80–84. ].</ref> Others in the crew thought it was due to a new type of ultra-sensitive ] film.<ref>Alpion, Gezmin (2007). ''Mother Teresa: Saint or Celebrity?''. Routledge Press, pp. 9. ].</ref> Muggeridge later converted to Catholicism. | |||
| ] presents Mother Teresa with the ] at a ] ceremony, 1985.]] | |||
| Around this time, the Catholic world began to honour Mother Teresa publicly. In 1971, ] awarded her the first ] Peace Prize, commending her for her work with the poor, display of Christian charity and efforts for peace.<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 81-82. ].</ref> She later received the ] (1976).<ref>''Quad City Times'' staff (], ]). "". ]. Retrieved ], ].</ref> Since her death, Mother Teresa has progressed rapidly along the steps towards ], currently having reached the stage of having been ]. | |||
| Mother Teresa was honored by both governments and civilian organisations. The ] and the ] each repeatedly granted awards, culminating in the ] in 1983, and honorary citizenship of the United States received on ], ]. Mother Teresa's Albanian homeland granted her the Golden Honour of the Nation in 1994.<ref name=Frontline /> Her acceptance of this and another honour granted by the ]an government proved controversial. Mother Teresa attracted criticism, particularly from the ], for implicitly giving support to the ]s, to corrupt businessmen such as ] and ] and even to mainstream politicians on the ] of Western politics, such as ] and ]. In Keating's case she wrote to the judge of his trial asking for clemency to be shown.<ref name=BMJ /> <ref name=Frontline /> | |||
| Universities in both the West and in India granted her ]s.<ref name=Frontline /> Other civilian awards include the ] for promoting humanity, peace and brotherhood among peoples (1978),<ref>, Fondazione Internazionale Balzan, 1978 Balzan Prize | |||
| for Humanity, Peace and Brotherhood among Peoples. Retrieved ] ].</ref> and the ] International Prize (1975).<ref>Jones, Alice & Brown, Jonathan (] ]). "". ''The Independent''. Retrieved ], ].</ref> | |||
| ].]] | |||
| In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the ], "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace." She refused the conventional ceremonial banquet given to laureates, and asked that the $192,000 funds be given to the poor in India,<ref>Locke, Michelle for the '']'' (], ]). "". ''San Franscisco Gate''. Retrieved ], ]</ref> stating that earthly rewards were important only if they helped her help the world's needy. When Mother Teresa received the prize, she was asked, "What can we do to promote world peace?" Her answer was "Go home and love your family." Building upon this theme in her Nobel Lecture, she said: "Around the world, not only in the poor countries, but I found the poverty of the West so much more difficult to remove. When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread, I have satisfied. I have removed that hunger. But a person that is shut out, that feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person that has been thrown out from society - that poverty is so hurtable and so much, and I find that very difficult." More specifically, she singled out abortion as 'the greatest destroyer of peace in the world'. <ref>Mother Teresa (], ]). "". ''NobelPrize.org. Retrieved ], ].</ref> | |||
| Her death was mourned in both secular and religious communities. The former ] ], for example, said: "She is the ]. She is peace in the world."<ref name=Tribute>(] ]) . ''ChristianMemorials.com''. Retrieved ] ].</ref> During her lifetime and after her death, Mother Teresa was consistently found by ] to be the single most widely ] in the U.S., and in 1999 was ranked as the "most admired person of the 20th century" by a poll in the U.S. Notably, Mother Teresa out-polled all other volunteered answers by a wide margin, and was in first place in all major demographic categories except the very young. | |||
| Towards the end of her life, Mother Teresa attracted some negative attention in the Western media. The self-described ] ] has been one of her most active critics in both the United Kingdom and the United States. He was commissioned to co-write and narrate the documentary ''Hell's Angel'' about her for ] after ] encouraged the making of such a program, although Chatterjee was unhappy with the "sensationalist approach" of the final product.<ref name=Chatterjee>Chatterjee, Aroup, Introduction to ''The Final Verdict'' </ref> Hitchens expanded his criticism in a 1995 book, '']''.<ref name=MacIntyre>{{Citation |last=MacIntyre |first=Donal |date=August 22, 2005 |title=|The Squalid Truth Behind the Legacy of Mother Teresa |periodical=New Statesman |volume=134 |issue=4754 |page=24-25}}</ref> | |||
| Chatterjee writes that while she was alive Mother Teresa and her official biographers refused to collaborate with his own investigations and that she also failed to defend herself against critical coverage in the Western press. He gives as examples a report in '']'' in Britain whose "stringent (and quite detailed) attack on conditions in her orphanages ... charges of gross neglect and physical and emotional abuse", and another documentary ''Mother Teresa: Time for Change?'' broadcast in several European countries.<ref name=Chatterjee /> Both Chatterjee and Hitchens have themselves been subject to criticism for their stance, the ] Catholic campaigner ] describing them as "notoriously vicious anti-Catholics" after one particularly provocative program.<ref>Brent Bozell III , ], Friday, June 3, 2005, retrieved 24 August 2007.</ref> | |||
| These two are not Mother Teresa's only critics. The German magazine '']'' published a hostile article on the first anniversary of Mother Teresa's death. The medical press has also published criticism of her, arising from very different outlooks and priorities on patients' needs.<ref name=BMJ /> Other critics include ], a member of the editorial committee of the ], and the Irish-born investigative journalist ].<ref name=MacIntyre /> | |||
| == Spiritual life == | |||
| Analyzing her deeds and achievements, ] asked: "Where did Mother Teresa find the strength and perseverance to place herself completely at the service of others? She found it in prayer and in the silent contemplation of ], his Holy Face, his ]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2003/october/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20031020_pilgrims-mother-teresa_en.html |title=Address Of John Paul II To The Pilgrims Who Had Come To Rome For The Beatification Of Mother Teresa | work='']'' |date=], ] | author=John Paul II | accessdate=2007-03-13}}</ref> | |||
| In his first encyclical '']'', ] mentioned Teresa of Calcutta three times and he also used her life to clarify one of his main points of the encyclical. "In the example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta we have a clear illustration of the fact that time devoted to God in prayer not only does not detract from effective and loving service to our neighbour but is in fact the inexhaustible source of that service."<ref>] (], ]). ''''. (PDF). ], pp.10. Retrieved ] ].</ref> Mother Teresa specified that "It is only by ] and ] that we can cultivate the gift of prayer."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=e9-Jvizc9IUC&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5&dq=mental+prayer&source=web&ots=dqQvjV7q0E&sig=7jADR3Y9qakbaUyq0EugJxpzll0#PPA5,M1 |title=No Greater Love| work=Google Books |date=197 |author=Mother Teresa | accessdate=2007-08-12}}</ref> | |||
| Although there was no direct connection between Mother Teresa's order and the Franciscan orders, she was known as a great admirer of ].<ref name=AmeriCath>"Mother Teresa of Calcutta Pays Tribute to St. Francis of Assisi" on the , retrieved ], ].</ref> Accordingly, her influence and life show influences of Franciscan spirituality. The Sisters of Charity recite the peace prayer of St. Francis every morning during ] and many of the vows and emphasis of her ministry are similar.<ref name=AmeriCath /> St. Francis emphasized poverty, chastity, obedience and submission to Christ. He also devoted much of his own life to service of the poor, especially lepers in the area where he lived. | |||
| Mother Teresa wrote numerous letters to her confessors and superiors over a 66-year period. She had asked that her letters be destroyed, concerned that "people will think more of me -- less of Jesus."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/524638,CST-NWS-mother24.article |title=Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith|accessdate=2007-08-26 |work=Sun Times}}</ref> | |||
| However, despite this request, the correspondences have been compiled in "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light" (Doubleday).<ref name="googligh"> Brian Kolodiejchuk, ''Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light,'' Doubleday, 2007</ref><ref name=Timecrisis>{{cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html|title=Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith|accessdate=2007-08-24 |format= |work=Time}}</ref> In one publicly released letter to a spiritual confidant, the Rev. Michael van der Peet, she wrote, "Jesus has a very special love for you. as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, — Listen and do not hear — the tongue moves but does not speak ... I want you to pray for me — that I let Him have free hand." | |||
| Many news outlets have referred to Mother Teresa's writings as an indication of a "crisis of faith." <ref> {{cite web| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/11/29/wteres29.xml|title = Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith| work=Daily Telegraph | accessdate=2007-08-26}} </ref> However, others have drawn comparisons to the 16th century mystic ] who coined the term the "]" of the soul to describe a particular stage in the growth of some spiritual masters.<ref name=Timecrisis /> The Vatican has indicated that the letters would not affect her path to sainthood. <ref> {{cite web| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/24/wteresa224.xml| title= Mother Teresa's canonisation not at risk| work=Daily Telegraph | accessdate=2007-08-26}} </ref> In fact, the book is edited by the Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk, her ], the official responsible for gathering the evidence for her sanctification.<ref name=Timecrisis /> | |||
| ==Influence in the world== | |||
| The Missionaries of Charity Brothers was founded in 1963, and a contemplative branch of the Sisters followed in 1976. Lay Catholics and non-Catholics were enrolled in the Co-Workers of Mother Teresa, the Sick and Suffering Co-Workers, and the Lay Missionaries of Charity. In answer to the requests of many priests, in 1981 Mother Teresa also began the Corpus Christi Movement for Priests,<ref>. ''Corpus Christi Movement for Priests''. Retrieved ] ].</ref> and in 1984 founded with Fr. Joseph Langford the Missionaries of Charity Fathers<ref>. ''Missionaries of Charity Fathers''. Retrieved ] ].</ref> to combine the beauty of the vocation of the Missionaries of Charity with the resources of the ministerial priesthood. Today, over one million workers worldwide volunteer for the Missionaries of Charity.{{fact|date=September 2007}} | |||
| == Miracle and beatification == | |||
| Following Mother Teresa's death in 1997, the ] began the process of ], the second step towards possible ]. This process requires the documentation of a ] performed from the ] of Mother Teresa. In 2002, the Vatican recognized as a miracle the healing of a ] in the abdomen of an Indian woman, Monica Besra, following the application of a locket containing Mother Teresa's picture. Monica Besra said that a beam of light emanated from the picture, curing the cancerous tumor. Some of Besra's medical staff and, initially, Besra's husband insist that conventional medical treatment eradicated the tumor.<ref>Orr, David (]. ]). . ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved ], ].</ref> Unless dispensed by the Pope, a second ] is required for her to proceed to ]. | |||
| ], a British-born American author, journalist and literary critic, was the only witness called by the ] to give evidence against Mother Teresa's ] and ] process, as the Vatican had abolished the traditional "]" role that filled a similar purpose.<ref name=FIM>Hitchens, Christopher (] ]). "Less than Miraculous". '']''. Volume 24, Number 2.</ref> Hitchens has written that Mother Teresa's own words on poverty proved that "her intention was not to help people", and he alleged that she lied to donors about the use of their contributions. “It was by talking to her that I discovered, and she assured me, that she wasn't working to alleviate poverty,” says Hitchens. “She was working to expand the number of Catholics. She said, ‘I'm not a social worker. I don't do it for this reason. I do it for Christ. I do it for the church.’"<ref>. (] ]). '']''. Retrieved ] ].</ref> | |||
| In the process of examining Teresa's suitability for beatification and canonization, the ] (the Vatican) pored <!-- pore: read or study carefully! --> over a great deal of documentation of published and unpublished criticisms against her life and work. Vatican officials say Hitchens' allegations have been investigated by the agency charged with such matters, the ], and they found no obstacle to Mother Teresa's beatification. Due to the attacks she has received, some Catholic writers have called her a ].<ref>Shaw, Russell. (] ]). , '']''. Retrieved ] ].</ref> | |||
| ==Commemoration== | |||
| ] in ], ].]] | |||
| {{main|Commemorations of Mother Teresa}} | |||
| Mother Teresa inspired a variety of commemorations. She has been memorialized through museums, been named patroness of various churches, and had various structures and roads named after her. | |||
| ==10th anniversary of her death== | |||
| On September 5, 2007, Mother Teresa's feast day, ]'s ] ] said ] for thousands of devotees to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the ] of Mother Teresa (attended by ] and volunteers at Mother House, the headquarters of the ]).<ref></ref> | |||
| == See also == | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| <!-- See ] for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags --> | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | |||
| == Further reading == | |||
| * Alpion, Gezim. ''Mother Teresa: Saint or Celebrity?''. London: Routledge Press, 2007. ISBN 0-415-39247-0 | |||
| * Benenate, Becky and Joseph Durepos (eds). ''Mother Teresa: No Greater Love'' (Fine Communications, 2000) ISBN 1-56731-401-5 | |||
| * {{cite news | |||
| | first=Satinder | |||
| | last=Bindra | |||
| | url= http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/south/09/04/mother.theresa.exorcism/index.html | |||
| | title=Archbishop: Mother Teresa underwent exorcism | |||
| | publisher=].com World | |||
| | date=2001-09-07 | |||
| | accessdate=2006-10-23 | |||
| }} | |||
| * Chatterjee, Aroup. ''Mother Teresa: The Final Verdict'' (Meteor Books, 2003). ISBN 81-88248-00-2, (without pictures). Critical examination of Agnes Bojaxhiu's life and work. | |||
| * Chawla, Navin. ''Mother Teresa''.Rockport, Mass: Element Books, 1996. ISBN 1-85230-911-3 | |||
| * Clucas, Joan. ''Mother Teresa''. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. ISBN 1-55546-855-1 | |||
| * Dwivedi, Brijal. ''Mother Teresa: Woman of the Century'' | |||
| * ]. '']''. London: Verso, 1996. ISBN 1-85984-054-X | |||
| * Le Joly, Edward. ''Mother Teresa of Calcutta''. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983. ISBN 0-06-065217-9 | |||
| * ] ''Something Beautiful for God.'' ISBN 0-06-066043-0 | |||
| * Muntaykkal, T.T. ''Blessed Mother Teresa: Her Journey to Your Heart''. ISBN 1-903650-61-5. ISBN 0-7648-1110-X. . | |||
| * Scott, David. ''A Revolution of Love: The Meaning of Mother Teresa''. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2005. ISBN 0829420312 | |||
| * Sebba, Anne. ''Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image''. New York: Doubleday, 1997. ISBN 0-385-48952-8 | |||
| * Spink, Kathryn. ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. ISBN 0-06-250825-3 | |||
| * Teresa, Mother et al, ''Mother Teresa: In My Own Words''. Gramercy Books, 1997. ISBN 0-517-20169-0 | |||
| * Teresa, Mother & Kolodiejchuk, Brian, ''Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light'', New York: Doubleday, 2007. ISBN 0385520379 | |||
| * Williams, Paul. '' Mother Teresa''. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864278-3 | |||
| * Wüllenweber, Walter. "Nehmen ist seliger denn geben. Mutter Teresa — wo sind ihre Millionen?" ''Stern'' (illustrated German weekly), September 10, 1998. | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| ====General==== | |||
| {{commonscat|Mother Teresa}} | |||
| {{wikiquote}} | |||
| * | |||
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| * ], ]] | |||
| * ] ]] (account of the National Prayer Breakfast speech) | |||
| * {{imdb name|0609336|name=Mother Teresa}} | |||
| * | |||
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| === Criticism === | |||
| * "," by Michael Hakeem, is a review of Christopher Hitchens' ''The Missionary Position''. Published in ''Freethought Today'', August 1996. | |||
| * "" by Christopher Hitchens in '']'', September 1997. | |||
| * "" by Christopher Hitchens 20. October 2003. | |||
| * "" by Donal MacIntyre in the '']'', ], ] <!-- Backup link to author's web site: http://macintyre.com/content/view/533/105/ --> | |||
| * "", '']'' 10. September 1998. | |||
| * ", by Aroup Chatterjee. Meteor Books, India (December 20, 2002) | |||
| * " by Sally Warner | |||
| * " by Susan Shields | |||
| {{start box}} | |||
| {{succession box | before=— | title = ] | years=1950–1997 | after = ]}} | |||
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| {{Nobel Peace Prize Laureates 1976-2000}} | |||
| <!-- Metadata: see ] --> | |||
| {{Persondata | |||
| |NAME= Mother Teresa | |||
| |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu | |||
| |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Christian ], international humanitarian, Nobel Laureate, Roman Catholic nun | |||
| |DATE OF BIRTH= ], ] | |||
| |PLACE OF BIRTH= ], ] (now the city of ], ]) | |||
| |DATE OF DEATH= ], ] (age 87) | |||
| |PLACE OF DEATH= ], ] | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Teresa, Mother}} | |||
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Revision as of 12:56, 25 September 2007
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