Mother Teresa Criticized

Christopher Hitchens is a left wing Jew and atheist who writes very well about political and cultural issues. His brother, Peter inclines to the right and is a writer too. His view of MT seem to be reasonable in the main and based on fact. There is, naturally an agenda. The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa In Theory And Practice is criticised but most reviews are favourable. Of course Antonio Gramsci, the leading intellectual of the communists in Italy regarded Holy Mother Church as his chief enemy. He set about destroying it using rogues and Useful Idiots of one sort or another. This is where Mr Hitchens comes in.

She founded places of refuge for the dying in India but they got no treatment. She got favourable publicity, initially from Malcolm Muggeridge and then very favourable publicity from the media in general.

Christopher Hitchens' criticisms are that:-

• She gave no medical treatment although she had the income from charity which would have made it easy for her

• She was a missionary, trying to convert people to the Faith

• She has an extreme view of the Church's teaching on abortion etc.

• She got first class medical treatment when she was ill.

• Her income is huge

• She has stood up for Doc Duvalier in Haiti

• She has taken money from at least one crook, knowing the money to have been ill gotten

• She is against birth control although she has seen the results at first hand in Calcutta

• Her bank account in New York has about $50 million. There is a lot more in others

• Her order pretends to be poor even though it is not

• She praised Enver Hoxha, the dictator of Albania

• The Church found her difficult to control but backed her when she became a public relations winner

• She thought that it was all right for Princess Diana to get divorced but not the common herd

These points arise from Mr Hitchens interview with Free Inquiry magazine, Volume 16, Number 4. Stating his position is not the same as agreeing with it.

Errors & omissions, broken links, cock ups, over-emphasis, malice [ real or imaginary ] or whatever; if you find any I am open to comment.

Email me at Mike Emery. All financial contributions are cheerfully accepted. If you want to keep it private, use my PGP Key.  Home Page