Mother Teresa: Good or Evil?

The secrets of her interior darkness & criticism about her actions begs the question: was Mother Teresa good or evil?

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Voiceover by Carl Mason: [email protected]

Number 14 Who Was Mother Teresa?
Mother Theresa was a missionary who founded an international congregation dedicated to helping people in need. She’s often remembered as one of the greatest humanitarians of the 20th century. She was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and, in 2016, she was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Nevertheless, there are a number of controversies regarding the care provided by her congregation and the donations it received. Some of the criticism is aimed at Mother Teresa herself, with allegations of hypocrisy and questions regarding the motivation behind her charity.

Number 13 Early Life
Mother Teresa was born Anjezë Gonxhe on August 26, 1910, to devout Catholic parents of Albanian descent. She was baptized the following day, which she would later refer to as her “true birthday”. She was born in North Macedonia at a time when the region was part of the Ottoman Empire. Teresa became fascinated with the lives of missionaries from a young age. At 18, she joined a congregation called the Sisters of Loreto and moved to Ireland.
Number 12 “Call Within The Call”
In September, 1946, she experienced what she described as a “call within the call” that would change her life forever. Mother Teresa was on a train, bound for a retreat at the foothills of the Himalayas, when, according to her, she received a message. The first year was reportedly hard as she had to beg for food and supplies while fighting off loneliness, doubt and the temptation of returning to the comforts of convent life.
Number 11 Faith
After the reveal of Mother Teresa’s letters, public perception on her legacy changed. Some saw her as a hypocrite while others saw her as more humanized.
Number 10 Missionaries of Charity
The congregation expanded their charity efforts throughout India and beyond. During the 1970s there were already houses and foundations in the US as well as many other countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. Her congregation had begun with 13 members and had grown exponentially under her guidance.
Number 9 Alleged Conversions
For many of those who followed her work Mother Teresa remains the “Saint of the Gutters” - an inspiration and a symbol of quintessential values. Yet, there are others who question the motivation behind her charity work.
Number 8 Global Charity Work
As the Missionaries of Charity congregation grew so did Mother Teresa’s international reach.This wasn’t the only instance of her international charity work.
Number 7 Use of Donations
The Missionaries of Charity at one point received donations amounting to millions of dollars but no one knows for sure how that money was spent. German magazine Stern estimated that less than 7% was used for charity. Author and physician Aroup Chatterjee, who’d briefly worked in one of Teresa’s homes, investigated the financial practices of her congregation.
Number 6 Connections
She cited happier people, less strikes and more jobs even though the press was censored and widespread atrocities were carried out. She spoke in favor for Licio Gelli’s nomination for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Number 5 Recognition and Distinctions
Mother Teresa became a global icon through her charity work and earned numerous awards and distinctions. In the 1960s the Missionaries of Charity were given the Decree of Praise by Pope Paul VI. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, in 1979, and asked that the cost of the laureates’ banquet be donated to the poor in India instead. The following year Mother Teresa was given the Bharat Ratna, or the Jewel of India, the highest distinction given to a civilian. In the US, she received the Order of Merit in the early 1980s and was made an honorary citizen in 1996.
Number 3
In 2002, the Vatican recognized a miracle related to Mother Teresa that had allegedly taken place on the one year anniversary. A second miracle attributed to Teresa was recognized by Pope Francis in 2015.
Number 2 Image
A comprehensive 2013 study from the University of Montreal examined 96% of the literature on Mother Teresa and challenged her legacy. Her image is described as a successful media campaign.