Mother Teresa Trashed By Blind Critics

I try not to depart from a policy to keep this blog centered on stories and articles that directly educate—and motivate—Canadians to take action to defend the unborn.

Sometimes there will be exceptions, and this will be one.

Most readers however will not see this as a great departure from the mission of Vote Life, Canada!, since they recognize that, Mother Teresa, who is the focus of my posting, was, along with John Paul II, arguably the most vocal defender and crusader of the rights of unborn children of the twentieth century.

Today I heard news of a new book which “puts the boot into Mother Teresa of Calcutta and treats her as a sanctimonious celebrity.”

I say “Thank you!” to Sheila Liaugminas who comes to Mother Teresa’s rescue and, referring to the book and the recent review in “Spiked” magazine, she notes “the two of them taken together make an interesting study in the expression of a guilty conscience.”

Sheila introduces her essay with this striking sentence:

Even in a culture suspicious of sanctity it is jarring to hear someone question the ulterior motives of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The very thought is just…odd.

She goes on in various ways to debunk the “skewed reasoning” of Mother Teresa’s critics.

And to correct the Alpion/Derbyshire assessment, Mother Teresa was not so much the highlight of a "new, tolerant and welcoming India" as she was the trailblazer who ushered in a new radical charity.

She refutes the claim that British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge, who in a unique way “discovered” Mother Teresa, came “under her spell,” and cooperated with her so they both would be famous. “This is pure, tendentious speculation,” she exclaims.

In further trashing the “freewheeling psychoanalysis” of Mother Teresa, Sheila continues to put the truth in perspective.

That desire for detachment is not so much foreign to the writers as it is repulsive. They are acutely uncomfortable with humility.

A holy person with radical detachment from the world pricks our conscience, especially as materialism and consumerism dominate more cultures.

…

Altruism for its own sake is practically inconceivable to modern man. It is conveniently suspect in a religious icon who is given the podium at the United Nations, the platform in front of several American presidents and the world stage after winning the Nobel Peace Prize and embraces the opportunity to decry abortion and defend the sanctity and dignity of all human life.

These critics wonder "what made her tick", as if it were not self-evident.

...

No amount of detail is necessary for a life of utter simplicity. Every leper she picked off the street was more significant than even world leaders could see. One of them asked how she could ever measure success in combating poverty and disease in the world by picking up one dying person at a time on the streets of India. Her response was that God didn’t ask us to be successful, only faithful.

She also said this: "We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing."

Thank you, Mother Teresa. As your words, actions and example on earth inspire us to build upon your labours of love, we are confident that your intercession for the unborn of this world continues from heaven.