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{{Infobox Person
| name = Mother Teresa
| of ]. With the help of Indian officials she converted an abandoned ] temple into the ], a free ] for the poor. She renamed it Kalighat, the Home of the Pure Heart (Nirmal Hriday).<ref>Sebba, Anne (1997).''Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image''. New York. Doubleday, pp. 58–60. ].</ref> Those brought to the home received medical attention and were afforded the opportunity to die with dignity, according to the rituals of their faith; Muslims were read the Quran, Hindus received water from the Ganges, and Catholics received the Last Rites.<ref name=Spink55>Spink, Kathryn (1997). ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York. HarperCollins, pp.55. ].</ref> "A beautiful death," she said, "is for people who lived like animals to die like angels — loved and wanted."<ref name=Spink55 />
Mother Teresa soon opened a home for those suffering from Hansen's disease, commonly known as leprosy, and called the hospice Shanti Nagar (City of Peace).<ref>Sebba, Anne (1997).''Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image''. New York. Doubleday, pp. 62-63. ].</ref> The ] also established several leprosy outreach clinics throughout Calcutta, providing medication, bandages and food.srv/inatl/longterm/teresa/stories/funeral0915.htm Mother Teresa Laid to Rest After Multi-Faith Tribute]". '']''. Retrieved ], ]</ref><ref>(], ]) "". ''Eternal Word Television Network''. Retrieved ] ].</ref><ref>. Describes how Mother Teresa journeyed to Armenia in December 1988 following the great earthquake. She and her order established an orphanage there. Retrieved ], ].</ref> In 1991, Mother Teresa returned for the first time to her homeland and opened a Missionaries of Charity Brothers home in ], ].

By 1996, she was operating 517 missions in more than 100 countries.<ref>Williams, Paul (2002).''Mother Teresa''. Indianapolis. Alpha Books, pp. 199–204. ].</ref> Over the years, Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity grew from twelve to thousands serving the "poorest of the poor" in 450 centers around the world. The first Missionaries of Charity home in the ] was established in the ], ]; by 1984 the order operated nineteen establishments throughout the country.<ref>Clucas, 13]], ], she stepped down from the head of Missionaries of Charity and died on ],], nine days after her 87th birthday.

The Archbishop of Calcutta, Henry Sebastian D'Souza, said he ordered a priest to perform an ] on Mother Teresa with her permission when she was first hospitalized with cardiac problems because he thought she may be under attack by the ].<ref>Bindra, Satinder (], ]). "". '']'' Retrieved ], ].</ref>

At the time of her death, Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity had over 4,000 sisters, an associated brotherhood of 300 members, and over 100,000 ] volunteers, operating 610 missions in 123 countries.International Understanding, given for work in South or East Asia. The citation said that "the Board of Trustees recognizes her merciful cognizance of the abject poor of a foreign land, in whose service she has led a new congregation".<ref>Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (1962) ''Citation for Mother Teresa''.</ref> She continued to receive major Indian rewards in successive decades including, in 1972, the ] Award for International Understanding and, in 1980, India's highest civilian award, the ].<ref name=Frontline />

Indian views on Mother Teresa were not uniformly favourable. ], a London-resident but Calcutta-born and -bred critic of hers, reports that "she was not a significant entity in Calcutta in her lifetime". Chatterjee blames Mother Teresa for promoting a negative image of his home city.<ref name=Chatterjee /> Her presence and profile grated in parts of the Indian political world, for she and the ] frequently opposed each other. The ] clashed with Mother Teresa over the Christian ]s, but praised her in death, sending a representative to her funeral. The ], on the other hand, opposed the Government's decision to grant her a state funeral. Its secretary ], said that "her first duty was to the Church and social service was incidental" and accused her of favouring Christians and conducting "secret baptisms" of the dying. ], writing the front page tribute for the Indian fortnightly '']'', dismissed these charges as "patently false" and said that they had "made no impact on the public perception of her work, especially in Calcutta". Although praising her "selfless caring", energy and bravery, Menon was critical of Mother Teresa's public campaigning against abortion and that she claimed to be non-political when doing so.<ref name=Frontline>] , '']'', Vol.14 :: No. 19 :: Sept.20 - Oct. 3,1997
</ref> More recently, '']'', an Indian daily, has referred to her as "the Saint of the Gutters", also mentioning calls for "Rome to investigate whether she did anything to alleviate the condition of the poor or just took care of the sick and dying and needed them to further a sentimentally-moral cause".<ref>Victor Banerjee ''A Canopy most fatal'', '']'', Sunday, September 08, 2002.</ref>

===Reception in the rest of the world===
By the early 1970s, Mother Teresa had become an international celebrity. Her fame can be in large part attributed to the 1969 ] ''Something Beautiful for God'', which was filmed by ] and his 1971 book of the same title. Muggeridge was undergoing a spiritual journey of his own at the time.<ref name=Timecrisis /> During the filming of the documentary, footage taken in poor lighting conditions, particularly the Home for the Dying, was thought unlikely to be of usable quality by the crew. After returning from India, however, the footage was found to be extremely well lit. Muggeridge claimed this was a miracle of "divine light" from Mother Teresa herself.<ref>Sebba, Anne (1997). ''Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image''. New York. Doubleday, pp. 80–84. ].</ref> Others in the crew thought it was due to a new type of ultra-sensitive ] film.<ref>Alpion, Gezmin (2007). ''Mother Teresa: Saint or Celebrity?''. Routledge Press, pp. 9. ].</ref> Muggeridge later converted to Catholicism.

] presents Mother Teresa with the ] at a ] ceremony, 1985.]]

Around this time, the Catholic world began to honour Mother Teresa publicly. In 1971, ] awarded her the first ] Peace Prize, commending her for her work with the poor, display of Christian charity and efforts for peace.<ref>Clucas, Joan Graff. (1988). ''Mother Teresa''. New York. Chelsea House Publications, pp. 81-82. ].</ref> She later received the ] (1976).<ref>''Quad City Times'' staff (], ]). "". ]. Retrieved ], ].</ref> Since her death, Mother Teresa has progressed rapidly along the steps towards ], currently having reached the stage of having been ].

Mother Teresa was honored by both governments and civilian organisations. The ] and the ] each repeatedly granted awards, culminating in the ] in 1983, and honorary citizenship of the United States received on ], ]. Mother Teresa's Albanian homeland granted her the Golden Honour of the Nation in 1994.<ref name=Frontline /> Her acceptance of this and another honour granted by the ]an government proved controversial. Mother Teresa attracted criticism, particularly from the ], for implicitly giving support to the ]s, to corrupt businessmen such as ] and ] and even to mainstream politicians on the ] of Western politics, such as ] and ]. In Keating's case she wrote to the judge of his trial asking for clemency to be shown.<ref name=BMJ /> <ref name=Frontline />

Universities in both the West and in India granted her ]s.<ref name=Frontline /> Other civilian awards include the ] for promoting humanity, peace and brotherhood among peoples (1978),<ref>, Fondazione Internazionale Balzan, 1978 Balzan Prize
for Humanity, Peace and Brotherhood among Peoples. Retrieved ] ].</ref> and the ] International Prize (1975).<ref>Jones, Alice & Brown, Jonathan (] ]). "". ''The Independent''. Retrieved ], ].</ref>

].]]
In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the ], "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace." She refused the conventional ceremonial banquet given to laureates, and asked that the $192,000 funds be given to the poor in India,<ref>Locke, Michelle for the '']'' (], ]). "". ''San Franscisco Gate''. Retrieved ], ]</ref> stating that earthly rewards were important only if they helped her help the world's needy. When Mother Teresa received the prize, she was asked, "What can we do to promote world peace?" Her answer was "Go home and love your family." Building upon this theme in her Nobel Lecture, she said: "Around the world, not only in the poor countries, but I found the poverty of the West so much more difficult to remove. When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread, I have satisfied. I have removed that hunger. But a person that is shut out, that feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person that has been thrown out from society - that poverty is so hurtable and so much, and I find that very difficult." More specifically, she singled out abortion as 'the greatest destroyer of peace in the world'. <ref>Mother Teresa (], ]). "". ''NobelPrize.org. Retrieved ], ].</ref>

Her death was mourned in both secular and religious communities. The former ] ], for example, said: "She is the ]. She is peace in the world."<ref name=Tribute>(] ]) . ''ChristianMemorials.com''. Retrieved ] ].</ref> During her lifetime and after her death, Mother Teresa was consistently found by ] to be the single most widely ] in the U.S., and in 1999 was ranked as the "most admired person of the 20th century" by a poll in the U.S. Notably, Mother Teresa out-polled all other volunteered answers by a wide margin, and was in first place in all major demographic categories except the very young.

Towards the end of her life, Mother Teresa attracted some negative attention in the Western media. The self-described ] ] has been one of her most active critics in both the United Kingdom and the United States. He was commissioned to co-write and narrate the documentary ''Hell's Angel'' about her for ] after ] encouraged the making of such a program, although Chatterjee was unhappy with the "sensationalist approach" of the final product.<ref name=Chatterjee>Chatterjee, Aroup, Introduction to ''The Final Verdict'' </ref> Hitchens expanded his criticism in a 1995 book, '']''.<ref name=MacIntyre>{{Citation |last=MacIntyre |first=Donal |date=August 22, 2005 |title=|The Squalid Truth Behind the Legacy of Mother Teresa |periodical=New Statesman |volume=134 |issue=4754 |page=24-25}}</ref>

Chatterjee writes that while she was alive Mother Teresa and her official biographers refused to collaborate with his own investigations and that she also failed to defend herself against critical coverage in the Western press. He gives as examples a report in '']'' in Britain whose "stringent (and quite detailed) attack on conditions in her orphanages ... charges of gross neglect and physical and emotional abuse", and another documentary ''Mother Teresa: Time for Change?'' broadcast in several European countries.<ref name=Chatterjee /> Both Chatterjee and Hitchens have themselves been subject to criticism for their stance, the ] Catholic campaigner ] describing them as "notoriously vicious anti-Catholics" after one particularly provocative program.<ref>Brent Bozell III , ], Friday, June 3, 2005, retrieved 24 August 2007.</ref>

These two are not Mother Teresa's only critics. The German magazine '']'' published a hostile article on the first anniversary of Mother Teresa's death. The medical press has also published criticism of her, arising from very different outlooks and priorities on patients' needs.<ref name=BMJ /> Other critics include ], a member of the editorial committee of the ], and the Irish-born investigative journalist ].<ref name=MacIntyre />

== Spiritual life ==

Analyzing her deeds and achievements, ] asked: "Where did Mother Teresa find the strength and perseverance to place herself completely at the service of others? She found it in prayer and in the silent contemplation of ], his Holy Face, his ]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2003/october/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20031020_pilgrims-mother-teresa_en.html |title=Address Of John Paul II To The Pilgrims Who Had Come To Rome For The Beatification Of Mother Teresa | work='']'' |date=], ] | author=John Paul II | accessdate=2007-03-13}}</ref>

In his first encyclical '']'', ] mentioned Teresa of Calcutta three times and he also used her life to clarify one of his main points of the encyclical. "In the example of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta we have a clear illustration of the fact that time devoted to God in prayer not only does not detract from effective and loving service to our neighbour but is in fact the inexhaustible source of that service."<ref>] (], ]). ''''. (PDF). ], pp.10. Retrieved ] ].</ref>

Although there was no direct connection between Mother Teresa's order and the Franciscan orders, she was known as a great admirer of ].<ref name=AmeriCath>"Mother Teresa of Calcutta Pays Tribute to St. Francis of Assisi" on the , retrieved ], ].</ref> Accordingly, her influence and life show influences of Franciscan spirituality. The Sisters of Charity recite the peace prayer of St. Francis every morning before breakfast and many of the vows and emphasis of her ministry are similar.<ref name=AmeriCath /> St. Francis emphasized poverty, chastity, obedience and submission to Christ. He also devoted much of his own life to service of the poor, especially lepers in the area where he lived.

Mother Teresa wrote numerous letters to her confessors and superiors over a 66-year period. She had asked that her letters be destroyed, concerned that "people will think more of me -- less of Jesus."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/524638,CST-NWS-mother24.article |title=Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith|accessdate=2007-08-26 |work=Sun Times}}</ref>
However, despite this request, the correspondences have been compiled in "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light" (Doubleday).<ref name="googligh"> Brian Kolodiejchuk, ''Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light,'' Doubleday, 2007</ref><ref name=Timecrisis>{{cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html|title=Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith|accessdate=2007-08-24 |format= |work=Time}}</ref> In one publicly released letter to a spiritual confidant, the Rev. Michael van der Peet, she wrote, "Jesus has a very special love for you. as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, — Listen and do not hear — the tongue moves but does not speak ... I want you to pray for me — that I let Him have free hand."
Many news outlets have referred to Mother Teresa's writings as an indication of a "crisis of faith." <ref> {{cite web| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/11/29/wteres29.xml|title = Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith| work=Daily Telegraph | accessdate=2007-08-26}} </ref> However, others have drawn comparisons to the 16th century mystic ] who coined the term the "]" of the soul to describe a particular stage in the growth of some spiritual masters.<ref name=Timecrisis /> The Vatican has indicated that the letters would not affect her path to sainthood. <ref> {{cite web| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/24/wteresa224.xml| title= Mother Teresa's canonisation not at risk| work=Daily Telegraph | accessdate=2007-08-26}} </ref> In fact, the book is edited by the Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk, her ], the official responsible for gathering the evidence for her sanctification.<ref name=Timecrisis />

==Influence in the world==

Mother Teresa's work inspired other Catholics to affiliate themselves with her order. The Missionaries of Charity Brothers was founded in 1963, and a contemplative branch of the Sisters followed in 1976. Lay Catholics and non-Catholics were enrolled in the Co-Workers of Mother Teresa, the Sick and Suffering Co-Workers, and the Lay Missionaries of Charity. In answer to the requests of many priests, in 1981 Mother Teresa also began the Corpus Christi Movement for Priests,<ref>. ''Corpus Christi Movement for Priests''. Retrieved ] ].</ref> and in 1984 founded with Fr. Joseph Langford the Missionaries of Charity Fathers<ref>. ''Missionaries of Charity Fathers''. Retrieved ] ].</ref> to combine the beauty of the vocation of the Missionaries of Charity with the resources of the ministerial priesthood. Today over one million workers worldwide volunteer for the Missionaries of Charity.

== Miracle and beatification ==

Following Mother Teresa's death in 1997, the ] began the process of ], the second step towards possible ]. This process requires the documentation of a ] performed from the ] of Mother Teresa. In 2002, the Vatican recognized as a miracle the healing of a ] in the abdomen of an Indian woman, Monica Besra, following the application of a locket containing Mother Teresa's picture. Monica Besra said that a beam of light emanated from the picture, curing the cancerous tumor. Some of Besra's medical staff and, initially, Besra's husband insist that conventional medical treatment eradicated the tumor.<ref>Orr, David (]. ]). . ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved ], ].</ref> Unless dispensed by the Pope, a second ] is required for her to proceed to ].

], a British-born American author, journalist and literary critic, was the only witness called by the ] to give evidence against Mother Teresa's ] and ] process, as the Vatican had abolished the traditional "]" role that filled a similar purpose.<ref name=FIM>Hitchens, Christopher (] ]). "Less than Miraculous". '']''. Volume 24, Number 2.</ref> Hitchens has written that Mother Teresa's own words on poverty proved that "her intention was not to help people", and he alleged that she lied to donors about the use of their contributions. “It was by talking to her that I discovered, and she assured me, that she wasn't working to alleviate poverty,” says Hitchens. “She was working to expand the number of Catholics. She said, ‘I'm not a social worker. I don't do it for this reason. I do it for Christ. I do it for the church.’"<ref>. (] ]). '']''. Retrieved ] ].</ref>
In the process of examining Teresa's suitability for beatification and canonization, the ] (the Vatican) pored <!-- pore: read or study carefully! --> over a great deal of documentation of published and unpublished criticisms against her life and work. Vatican officials say Hitchens' allegations have been investigated by the agency charged with such matters, the ], and they found no obstacle to Mother Teresa's beatification. Due to the attacks she has received, some Catholic writers have called her a ].<ref>Shaw, Russell. (] ]). , '']''. Retrieved ] ].</ref>

==Commemoration==
] in ], ].]]

{{main|Commemorations of Mother Teresa}}

Mother Teresa inspired a variety of commemorations. She has been memorialized through museums, been named patroness of various churches, and had various structures and roads named after her.

==10th death anniversary==
On September 5, 2007, Mother Teresa's feast day, ]'s ] ] said ] for thousands of devotees to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the ] of Mother Teresa (attended by ] and volunteers at Mother House, the headquarters of the ]).<ref></ref>

== See also ==
* ]
* ]
* ]

==Notes==
<!-- See ] for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags -->
{{reflist|2}}

== Further reading ==
* Alpion, Gezim. ''Mother Teresa: Saint or Celebrity?''. London: Routledge Press, 2007. ISBN 0-415-39247-0

* Benenate, Becky and Joseph Durepos (eds). ''Mother Teresa: No Greater Love'' (Fine Communications, 2000) ISBN 1-56731-401-5
* {{cite news
| first=Satinder
| last=Bindra
| url= http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/south/09/04/mother.theresa.exorcism/index.html
| title=Archbishop: Mother Teresa underwent exorcism
| publisher=].com World
| date=2001-09-07
| accessdate=2006-10-23
}}
* Chatterjee, Aroup. ''Mother Teresa: The Final Verdict'' (Meteor Books, 2003). ISBN 81-88248-00-2, (without pictures). Critical examination of Agnes Bojaxhiu's life and work.
* Chawla, Navin. ''Mother Teresa''.Rockport, Mass: Element Books, 1996. ISBN 1-85230-911-3
* Clucas, Joan. ''Mother Teresa''. New York: Chelsea House, 1988. ISBN 1-55546-855-1
* Dwivedi, Brijal. ''Mother Teresa: Woman of the Century''
* ]. '']''. London: Verso, 1996. ISBN 1-85984-054-X
* Le Joly, Edward. ''Mother Teresa of Calcutta''. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1983. ISBN 0-06-065217-9
* ] ''Something Beautiful for God.'' ISBN 0-06-066043-0
* Muntaykkal, T.T. ''Blessed Mother Teresa: Her Journey to Your Heart''. ISBN 1-903650-61-5. ISBN 0-7648-1110-X. .
* Scott, David. ''A Revolution of Love: The Meaning of Mother Teresa''. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2005. ISBN 0829420312
* Sebba, Anne. ''Mother Teresa: Beyond the Image''. New York: Doubleday, 1997. ISBN 0-385-48952-8
* Spink, Kathryn. ''Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography''. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. ISBN 0-06-250825-3
* Teresa, Mother et al, ''Mother Teresa: In My Own Words''. Gramercy Books, 1997. ISBN 0-517-20169-0
* Teresa, Mother & Kolodiejchuk, Brian, ''Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light'', New York: Doubleday, 2007. ISBN 0385520379
* Williams, Paul. '' Mother Teresa''. Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN 0-02-864278-3
* Wüllenweber, Walter. "Nehmen ist seliger denn geben. Mutter Teresa — wo sind ihre Millionen?" ''Stern'' (illustrated German weekly), September 10, 1998.

==External links==
====General====
{{commonscat|Mother Teresa}}
{{wikiquote}}
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* ] ]] (account of the National Prayer Breakfast speech)
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=== Criticism ===
* "," by Michael Hakeem, is a review of Christopher Hitchens' ''The Missionary Position''. Published in ''Freethought Today'', August 1996.
* "" by Christopher Hitchens in '']'', September 1997.
* "" by Christopher Hitchens 20. October 2003.
* "" by Donal MacIntyre in the '']'', ], ] <!-- Backup link to author's web site: http://macintyre.com/content/view/533/105/ -->
* "", '']'' 10. September 1998.
* ", by Aroup Chatterjee. Meteor Books, India (December 20, 2002)
* " by Sally Warner
* " by Susan Shields


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{{succession box | before=— | title = ] | years=1950–1997 | after = ]}}
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{{Nobel Peace Prize Laureates 1976-2000}}

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{{Persondata
|NAME= Mother Teresa
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
|SHORT DESCRIPTION= Christian ], international humanitarian, Nobel Laureate, Roman Catholic nun
|DATE OF BIRTH= ], ]
|PLACE OF BIRTH= ], ] (now the city of ], ])
|DATE OF DEATH= ], ] (age 87)
|PLACE OF DEATH= ], ]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Teresa, Mother}}
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