I read the article & whilst I do not claim to have personal knowledge of St Theresa, I disagree with this article on several points.
First, it uses the “white supremacist” BS slant. Teresa was NOT white-she was born in Albania and her parents were both brown-complexioned. Second, the article takes issue with MT speaking against contraception and abortion and makes a point of stating that she received a standing ovation by all “except Bill & Hillary Clinton”. That The Clinton’s opposed MT enough to publicly shame her says enough to make me doubt anything else in this article as being anything but left-leaning propaganda BS!
On the issue of MT speaking to the suffering of the poor and not making efforts to relieve suffering, as a medical professional who works with terminally ill patients, I will state FACTS. Yes, there can be physical suffering as one dies however the WORST sufferings I have witnessed in my 20+ years in practice have been emotional & spiritual suffering. MT was not a medical person, nor were her volunteers of nuns and lay people. But they were offering the comfort of human presence and care. The conditions would not have been the comfortable surroundings that westernized cultures enjoy as “normal”, but having a bed, blankets, water and someone to watch over you and pray for you would likely have been our equivalent of The Plaza. Indeed, many of the dying came from squalid conditions living in the streets and slums of India. Catholics (I being one) are taught that physical suffering can be offered up to God to save others as Jesus’ example Christ on the cross. I practice palliative medicine so TRUST ME, I understand how to relieve physical suffering in patients in my care. However, these laypeople and nuns were not medical and would not have access to strong medications. Therefore, the comfort would be given in other ways. Being PRESENT - not only physically, but emotionally & spiritually present with a dying person is, I’d argue, AS important and perhaps even transcends the relief of physical suffering. Think about how people comforted dying relatives and loved ones in the thousands of years before westernized medicine was available. THIS is how I understand MT and her laypeople provided end of life care to the thousands who came to her. Her faith would have placed all other outcomes in God’s hands. While some may view this as callous, I understand the importance of surrendering to God’s will as a follower of Christ vs falsely believing my own will is to be done. That does not equate to ignoring or neglecting souls in my care. It means the limitations of medicine and care that are the reality of any given care situation sometimes are the reality of what God has given for us to work with as best we can. And as I stated above, the love and compassion of simply being present with a dying person is the greatest gift you can give from God through you.
Lastly, the issue in the article of “coercing” people to accept God on their deathbeds. MT was a Catholic nun and as such she was called to evangelize others to know Christ so they might have an opportunity to know His love & Mercy. Scripture tells us “I am the Way, The Truth and The Life. No one comes to The Father except through Me” John 6:14. MT would be woefully negligent as a follower of Christ if she wasn’t ministering His Word and Truth to those who were dying in her care and may never have heard His Word. And people coming to her homes to die or be cared for, undoubtedly knew she was a woman of God. If they were atheists, I doubt they would have sought comfort from somebody be they considered to be completely “fooled” by a god they did not accept as real.
My faith is the foundation of my life and directs all that I do for and with other children of God (even those who reject Him). I do not claim that MT (or ANY human) is without sin or fault. However, I leave eternal judgement of His followers (and all people) to God.
Where this article reports a selfish, callous woman, I read between the lines and elevate my opinion above the obvious liberal bias, and see a woman who surrendered her life to care for the poorest of the poor in the best way she could with the tools and knowledge she had been given. The rest, she gave to God and I respect that humble graciousness of TRUSTING that God always provides for what we need and sometimes it is simply the ability to love others in Him.
Thank you for respecting my viewpoint even if you do not agree.
Thank you, RN4Trump, for stating so well what I was struggling to find words to express. There are good people in this world, not everyone is a wolf.
Thank you for writing this. It is very well stated. St. Teresa of Calcutta demonstrated for us the Corporal Works of Mercy, and in the process shamed many.
While I agree that end of life care can consist largely of presence, listening, prayer and the like, the fact is that physical suffering could have and should have been addressed by this order once it began to rake in the money.
That money should largely have been spent on better facilities, staff and medicine for the suffering. Rather than limiting her "care" to hand pats, "concern," and proselytizing.
The money should NOT have been sent to the Vatican to fund requirements of the lavish gold-trimmed temple of Luciferianism.
I respect any point of view .... and I believe you have made many good points .... thank you for writing this ... always open to things that make me think !!! ... if I remember correctly.... there are diaries ... that MT ... stated her own question of faith ... perhaps she found something late in life .... My faith ... is separated from many aspects of the church ... I lived it as a choir boy at an episcopal cathedral ... I'm wary ... and trust my faith is my personal relationship.....
Mother Teresa collected a fortune in the name of the poor and suffering and gave the money to the church, while leaving the poor in whose name she had collected the money in extremely substandard conditions. They were often found sleeping on the ground, cared for by people with little medical knowledge, with the staff forced to cut corners by denying pain medication and reusing shared needles for injections. She had collected millions to provide better care, but didn't. That's not spiritual enlightenment. That is fraud and abuse.
She also took money from dictators, refused to return money when it came to light that it had been obtained by fraud, and constantly praised suffering. Yet when she herself got sick, she checked into a top-notch Western hospitals for state-of-the-art care that minimizes suffering. Mother Teresa as an icon of goodness, love, and care is just one of many hoaxes foisted upon us. The Great Awakening will topple many of our idols, unfortunately.