Mother Teresa, born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, from Skopje, is one of the most recognizable personalities in the field of humanitarian activities in modern times. For millions of people worldwide, she stands for compassion, dedication, and service to the poorest members of society. The Missionaries of Charity organization, founded by her, became the international symbol of help to the abandoned and suffering. Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and was made a saint in 2016 by the Catholic Church.
Nevertheless, this image is accompanied by the long-lasting controversy. A number of journalists, researchers, doctors, and even authors raised questions regarding the authenticity of the picture of Mother Teresa widely known to the world. It has been argued that the legacy of Mother Teresa was created not only through charitable activity but also by the controversial philosophies of poverty, suffering, religion, and humanitarianism.
One of the leading critics of Mother Teresa is the British-American writer Christopher Hitchens. In his book, The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice, as well as in the film Hell’s Angel, Hitchens questioned the unquestionable image of Mother Teresa as the iconic humanitarian.
Firstly, Hitchens asserted that the philosophy of Mother Teresa lacked the necessary concentration on the issue of poverty reduction and accepted the reality of suffering as something that had to have spiritual meaning. Secondly, according to him, suffering of the poor was interpreted through the religious prism as the opportunity to share the suffering of Jesus Christ.
The opponents of this method argued that such approach may imply acceptance of poverty rather than an attempt to eliminate the condition from the lives of people. The aim of any transformational humanitarian movement is education, health system reform, empowering the economy, and other social changes.
The next important criticism came from Dr. Aroup Chatterjee, a physician and writer who studied the work of Missionaries of Charity homes. He said that some of them worked without adequate medical supplies and standards. According to the critics, some of the homes were under-equipped with necessary medical devices, methods, and pain management. They wondered why an organization that got worldwide fame and donations did not create such healthcare facilities that would be similar to the professional medical establishments. The other criticism was the insufficient treatment of sick patients. Critics said that compassion does not imply just giving shelter to the people but should provide them with the best medical help as well. The defenders of Mother Teresa stated that Missionaries of Charity was not supposed to become a modern healthcare system but rather a place for abandoned people to live in dignity and happiness.
Probably one of the most controversial sides of Mother Teresa’s activities was the idea that charity was linked with the process of conversion. Critics, such as Hitchens, believed that the Missionaries of Charity were some kind of missionary activity that would allow converting vulnerable people into Christians while helping them out. They asked whether the activities of the charitable organisation had anything to do with spreading the faith.
Some of the critics used quotes from Mother Teresa on helping people become closer to God to prove that her mission included spreading religious beliefs rather than providing social service. Despite the fact that the Missionaries of Charity deny the accusations of forced conversion and claim that they help everyone irrespective of religion and caste, the controversy is ongoing because of its Catholic nature.
In addition, Mother Teresa was accused of receiving contributions from individuals who were questionable. In their opinion, a person who serves as a moral figure should be cautious in selecting his financial backers. One of the examples often used in relation to Mother Teresa’s actions is her acceptance of money from Charles Keating, an American businessman later charged for being involved in the savings and loan scandal. It was claimed by the critics that such financial backing undermines the image of ethics associated with Mother Teresa’s activities.
According to Hitchens and others, humanitarian organizations need to be very careful with respect to choosing their donors, especially if they present themselves as moral and just. However, those who defend Mother Teresa claim that philanthropic institutions receive funds from various people and do not necessarily approve of all their activities.
Media Creating Mother Teresa as a Humanitarian Icon
There is another aspect of criticism related to the role of the international media in creating Mother Teresa’s world fame. Critics note that the image of a humble nun serving the poor turned into a potent symbol that, in some cases, obscured questions about the efficiency of her organization. According to critics, journalists tended to pay more attention to Mother Teresa’s personality and spirituality than to the organization’s operations.
This way, according to the mentioned argument, Mother Teresa herself became a symbol of charity, which made criticizing the methods used by the organization rather hard, since criticism of her organization seemed like an attack on the principles of compassion and kindness. However, even after the death of Mother Teresa in 1997, the organization has been involved in several controversies.
Thus, in 2018, an employee of a shelter home belonging to the Missionaries of Charity in Ranchi was arrested due to certain allegations related to selling a baby. As a result, critics said that charitable organizations need efficient systems of supervision and control when dealing with vulnerable individuals. However, defenders of the organization said that individual mistakes should not define the whole institution.
The dispute between the proponents and opponents of Mother Teresa is related to the broader issue concerning the essence of charity.According to the followers of the Saint, she provided care and respect to those people who were deprived of both in the society. They insist on the fact that helping a single victim of misery can be extremely valuable.
The opponents of Mother Teresa say that the role of charity is not to comfort victims of social injustice, but to fight against the causes that produce these issues. Poverty, disease, and inequality should be tackled politically, economically, and socially, according to these people.Christopher Hitchens sees Mother Teresa as a charitable organization that deals with the consequences of poverty without taking care of the causes. Mother Teresa is recognized as one of the most controversial humanitarian characters of the recent history.