Accusations against Saint Teresa?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Mike_from_NJ said:
there was a story I read where one of the locations of MoC had been given washing machines; yet they remained unopened and unused and Mother Teresa insisted that washing had to be done by hand, despite how much time that would save allowing more time with the suffering. This falls in line with this article where she was able to purchase a building in New York City for 1 dollar , but when told she would need to have an elevator installed by law she declined (seeing an elevator as a sign of wealth).
Click to expand...
I’m familiar with the elevator issue. And her statement was that they didn’t have the money to install the elevator. They weren’t able to do that for a dollar.

And that suggests to me that there may be other reasons for not using the washing machines.
  1. Wear and tear on the clothes. I have a friend living in a third world country right now and her experience is that their method of cleaning is actually much better at doing the job and allows the clothing to last much longer.
  2. Perhaps, like the elevator, there were costs associated with the machines–water, electricity, repair bills, maintenance, lint filters that have to be continually replaced–such that she felt it would be misspending money intended for food and medicine and buildings to house the poor.
My point again is: unless you are in a situation, you don’t really know the whole story. Why are a bunch of people who weren’t there helping those poor people criticizing the one who was there helping them?

I’ll say it again: we would all do better to be contemplating our own answer when God asks the same of us: Why didn’t we do better?
 
neophyte said:
You’re right. Baptism is rather like birthright citizenship in that non-Christians can validly baptise. I guess I just think the term “birthright citizenship” is unfortunately ambiguous, and was responding to that. Sorry.
Click to expand...
No problem.
 
Suffering is not considered “useless” in Catholicism. One can offer up their suffering for the good of others. Offering up our suffering is an act of virtue.
 
Exactly. That is what Catholics believe. Mother Teresa certainly believed it. Those who criticize her tend not to believe it. That is all I was saying.
 
TheLittleLady said:
Suffering is not considered “useless” in Catholicism. One can offer up their suffering for the good of others. Offering up our suffering is an act of virtue.
Click to expand...
I can hardly wait to see an infant suffering from teething to offer up her very considerable pain and suffering and what “good” does it do for others.
 
I’ve never met a Catholic who believes that way. Infants are not mentally developed to understand suffering in the economy of salvation.

When a child is teething, you give them ice or medicines to lessen the pain.
 
TheLittleLady said:
I’ve never met a Catholic who believes that way. Infants are not mentally developed to understand suffering in the economy of salvation.

When a child is teething, you give them ice or medicines to lessen the pain.
Click to expand...
But their suffering is useless and meaningless. It cannot be “offered up”.
 
The human gum tissue has many nerves and it is painful when that flesh is opened by a new tooth. Nature. A parent has a job to comfort their children.
 
I see you are very new here, are you Catholic?

Why the hostility to the idea of redemptive suffering?
 
Parents can also offer up the long nights of holding and comforting a child through teething pain!
 
So if there are some step-parents who raise an orphan, can they offer up the suffering of that child? Or if a caregiver is responsible for the well-being of a patient, can she offer up the patient’s suffering?
 
Have not seen a single poster say that EVERY suffering can be redemptive. If one does not have the mental development to understand, God does not demand the impossible.

What is your faith background?
 
Dont listen to gossip about St. Mother Teresa. . .
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top