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Mother Teresa-the gutter loving “saint”

In the aftermath of all the pomp and ceremony that the Vatican can lavish on this little nun from Albania, I have started researching the merits of such grandiose devotion.

Even though countless millions flowed into her order, while she was alive and especially now as a saintly figurehead, just how much have the big issues of the world changed?

Her thoughtless acceptance of money, no matter where it came from: messianic cult leader, or dictator, raises many uncomfortable questions.

Former nuns of her order, recall collecting countless donations and instead of putting some of this money into helping alleviate some existing condition,watching as it was spent it on opening more convents or religious paraphernalia.

Did not the fundamentalist beliefs that she espoused, contribute to the vicious cycle of abject poverty?

Coincidentally that same, made her an untouchable global icon and in many ways paved her own way to fawning beatification.

I remember when she was parachuted into Ireland in 1992, to make her anti abortion pitch, at such an opportune time in Irish society.

Her meekly croaked words of “give me your children” (sic…rather than having an abortion) declares how at odds she was, with the worlds population explosion and even the basic tenets of supply and demand.

Pointed questions about her churches role in the manufacture of so many unwanted children in the first place were silenced, as her adoring fans basked in her manufactured stage presence.

For an avowed apolitical figure, she absolutely became a willing accomplice and propaganda tool of rigid conservatism. A veritable conservative missile, to be deployed around the world by her staunch supporter Pope John Paul II.

What really annoyed me, was that one proposed San Francisco mission, never actually opened at all, because she wouldn’t allow the city officials, to install an elevator for the disabled.

Even though it was offered free of charge, she could not condone this “extravagance”.

She has been quoted as saying, that the poor and sick people should accept their lot and offer it up, together with the over-lauded and under critiqued suffering of Jesus.

She argued that poor and/or people with disabilities should accept their lot and I think this is the point, where I feel her mask slips just a little.

Its so sad, to think of what existences the disabled lead under her regime!

If they were in physical pain, so what?

Despite the fact, that many of them probably underwent a daily crucifixion, a reality which mysteriously didn’t penetrate her profound mind. Or maybe it did, but in the greater scheme of things, it just didn’t matter enough.

Were the disabled, just trotted out from staring at walls all day, for a photo shoot with this crinkled woman gazing down at them, somehow transmitting her gods love?

She never seemed to compute that her own god, had such a good and short life: filled with good friends, good family,good physical and mental health and a quick ending when times did get rough.

How so many of these people, could only have wished for such a scenario, instead of being told to make further sacrifices, in perpetual admiration of this nonsense.

I think of those, who had no option but to live in her Dickensian grottos. I’m sure they had no “luxuries” such as internet or t.v, always living with the instilled knowledge, that it was either put up with these conditions, look nice and pitiful for the photo’s or else……….

Such conditions as these, which would be jumped on by HIQA in this country (I hope) were not checked or forced to adhere to any standards.

It is interesting to note that in her later years, she attended top clinics all over the world, for her own medical difficulties.

Perhaps my biggest difficulty, is the picture of her when somebody in one of her home’ dies of pain and at a too young age responding “isn’t this a lovely day to meet god”.

That same callous stance, no doubt proved to be just a little bit too hard to apply to herself, when her own body started shutting down and the intervention of top medical centre’ were employed.

What transpired in the wake of here death, was the discovery of numerous letters, written to her confessors, explaining that for 50 years, the iconic Mother Teresa of Calcutta, had zero conviction in and a profound disconnect, from the religious absolutes which she foisted on others, all over the world.

For me, that means that her whole life and aspirations, resided very much in this world!

So what catapults a mere human being, with all their good and bad points, into a forever eulogized and revered Saint?

As pompous as it sounds, this sanctification seems attainable for all of us!

 

 

 

 

Shrewd woman indeed:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/mother-teresa-wasnt-a-saintly-person-she-was-a-shrewd-operator-with-unpalatable-vies-who-knew-how-a7224846.html

What did she do with all the donations?:

http://www.srai.org/mother-teresa-where-are-her-millions/

Stop the Missionaries of Charity Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/missionariesofcharity

Miracles and Critics:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-37241762

Her 50 year lack of belief:

 

 

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