Mother Teresa: Influence and Relationship with Pope John Paul II

Mother Teresa's Expanding Influence

• The Nobel Peace Prize brought increased media attention and recognition from religious and political leaders to Mother Teresa.
• People from various countries wrote letters of gratitude to her, often addressed simply to "Mother Teresa, India."
• Her ministry expanded beyond the Motijhil slum to address physical and spiritual poverty in numerous countries.

Relationship with Pope John Paul II

• Mother Teresa had relationships with Popes John XXIII and Paul VI, but Pope John Paul II immediately recognized her value as an emissary of Christ's love.
• Both Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II came from poor families, lost a parent early, were raised devoutly, discovered their vocations young, and came from Soviet-style communist homelands.
• They shared a love for God and humanity and a special reverence for Mary.
• Their relationship became close, marked by mutual respect, trust, and occasional joking.
• Pope John Paul II displayed esteem and affection for Mother Teresa during his 1986 visit to the Kalighat, which she considered the happiest day of her life.

Missions in Rome and Lebanon

• John Paul II commissioned Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity to establish a second mission in Rome for the homeless.
• A Vatican-funded dormitory and kitchen near the Holy Office provided food and shelter for thousands daily.
• The mission welcomed tramps and vagabonds of all faiths, aiming to prevent people from sleeping under bridges or at railway stations.
• In 1982, Pope John Paul II asked Mother Teresa to serve as his personal emissary in Lebanon amidst a civil war.

Intervention in Beirut and Bhopal

• In Beirut, Mother Teresa negotiated a cease-fire to evacuate nearly 40 developmentally challenged children from a damaged Muslim hospice, which was actually a refuge, hit by Israeli bombs to a Red Cross camp.
• In 1984, she traveled to Bhopal, India, after a gas leak at a Union Carbide pesticide factory killed over 16,000 people, leading to temporary and permanent harm to the victims.
• Mother Teresa's arrival in Bhopal drew attention to the disaster, prompting increased government and Western aid.

Efforts in Other Areas

• In 1985, she traveled to Ethiopia to address the widespread famine.
• In 1986, she went to Ukraine after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster to provide relief and raise awareness about nuclear energy hazards, for which the Soviet Union awarded her the Gold Medal of Peace.

Care for AIDS Patients

• Mother Teresa recognized AIDS as the "new leprosy of the West" and dedicated resources to caring for AIDS patients.
• She opened a hospice in Greenwich Village in 1985, initially housing Sing Sing prison inmates.
• With support from Archbishop James Hickey, she established the "Gift of Peace" hospice in Washington, D.C., in 1986, despite initial opposition from local residents.
• Missionaries of Charity hospices were opened in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, and regions of Africa heavily affected by the AIDS epidemic.

Opposition to Abortion

• Mother Teresa was a vocal opponent of abortion, viewing it as the "worst evil and the greatest enemy of peace."
• She established orphanages to discourage abortion by offering to take in newborn infants.
• Her stance on abortion faced criticism, with some arguing that it was insensitive to the poverty in developing nations.

Criticisms and Controversies

• Mother Teresa faced criticism for her opposition to birth control, acceptance of money from dubious sources, and perceived cozying up to political dictators.
• Christopher Hitchens accused her of being a "conjuror" and "trickster" focused on proselytization rather than genuine aid.
• Some critics argued that the Missionaries of Charity provided inadequate medical care and focused on death over healing.
• Her failure to condemn the communist regime in Albania was also criticized.

Defense of Her Approach

• Mother Teresa maintained that her order was not a relief agency and should not be judged by those standards.
• She emphasized the importance of individual acts of love and mercy over large-scale social reforms.
• She said that she did not condemn those who struggled for justice, but that the Missionaries of Charity had chosen the works of mercy.
• Mother Teresa believed in offering peace to both the poor and the wealthy, accepting donations from various sources without judgment.

Final Years

• Mother Teresa continued her travels, spreading her message of peace.
• On seeing a film that was critical of her, rather than defend herself publicly, she asked for prayers for the filmmaker.