The Missionary Position Summary

“Is sainthood a reflection of selfless deeds or the result of a well-crafted image?”

1. Media Mythology Built Mother Teresa’s Global Reputation

The world came to know Mother Teresa through a carefully curated narrative rather than objective truth. Her fame began in 1969 when a BBC documentary portrayed her as a saintly figure combating the horrors of poverty in Calcutta. Despite the film’s emotionally gripping content, it exaggerated Calcutta’s conditions, depicting the city as uniquely hellish compared to other global hubs in developing nations.

Key to this documentary’s impact was a so-called “miracle”: unexplained light that appeared in a dim room during filming. The narrator, Malcolm Muggeridge, declared it was divine intervention and attributed it to Teresa. However, the cameraman later revealed the light was a result of Kodak’s innovative film technology, not supernatural phenomena. Despite this, the narrative of sainthood embedded itself in public perception.

This media endorsement launched Mother Teresa as a household name in the West and became the foundation for her saintly legacy. It wasn’t rooted in an analysis of her work’s results but in the emotional pull of an overstated tale about her environment and contributions.

Examples

• BBC’s documentary framing Calcutta as a living hell.
• The fabricated “miracle” involving Kodak film.
• Rising Western adoration after the documentary’s release.

2. Poor Conditions in Her Clinics Challenged Perceptions of Aid

Far from being oases of hope, the medical facilities under Mother Teresa’s care reportedly lacked basic standards of care. Dr. Robin Fox, after visiting her Calcutta center in 1994, described it as primitive. It operated with minimal medical equipment, offered basic drugs like paracetamol, and nuns lacked proper qualifications to diagnose or transfer critical patients to hospitals.

Former volunteer Mary Loudon recounted unhygienic practices, such as reusing needles without sterilization. Patients often lay in overcrowded rooms on stretcher beds, evoking imagery of war-time makeshift clinics. Her centers emphasized suffering rather than recovery, creating a disconnect between her objectives and their implementation.

Despite her vast financial resources, including millions collected through donations, improvements were rarely made to these centers. This raises questions about whether her work genuinely served the poor or sought to sanctify their suffering under her ideology.

Examples

• Dr. Robin Fox’s critique in The Lancet.
• Mary Loudon’s account of substandard hygiene and overcrowding.
• The organization’s multimillion-dollar bank accounts.

3. Harsh Practices Spread Globally, Not Just in India

Mother Teresa’s approach to care extended beyond India. In her San Francisco center, she removed sofas, carpets, and mattresses, replacing them with cold, narrow stretchers to promote austerity. When staff suggested enhancing living conditions, she dismissed these proposals as material excess.

Susan Shields, a former nun, highlighted Teresa’s rigid stance when a requirement to install an elevator for handicapped patients led her to abandon plans for a Bronx center. The unwillingness to accommodate basic necessities reveals the extent of her disdain for modern comforts, even when they could directly benefit the needy.

By prioritizing spiritual rigor over practicality, Teresa’s centers alienated potential supporters and hurt those she claimed to help. This ascetic setup was more about showcasing her own ideals than addressing the lives of those suffering.

Examples

• Restructuring of the San Francisco center for austerity.
• Abandonment of the Bronx center over refusal to install an elevator.
• Shields’ testimony on poor treatment of nuns in cold conditions.

4. Political Silence Validated Oppressive Regimes

Mother Teresa’s connections with global political figures often suggested an unsettling alignment with oppressive regimes. During her 1981 visit to Haiti, she met dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier and praised his wife for her supposed connection to the people. Yet the Duvalier regime indulged in excess while subjecting Haiti to poverty, torture, and murder.

In her home country of Albania, Teresa refrained from criticizing dictator Enver Hoxha, a longtime oppressor of religious practices. Instead, she visited his widow and laid flowers on his grave, further muddying her image as an advocate for the downtrodden.

By offering symbolic gestures of support—or at least deliberately avoiding confrontation—Teresa unwittingly bolstered the reputations of these despots. Her silence on human rights abuses contributed to legitimizing their powers.

Examples

• Meeting and praising the Duvalier regime in Haiti.
• Failure to oppose Enver Hoxha’s anti-religious actions in Albania.
• Laying flowers at Hoxha’s grave in silence about his crimes.

5. Presented as Apolitical, Teresa Took Bold Political Stances

Mother Teresa claimed neutrality in political matters, yet her actions painted a different picture. After Franco’s death in Spain, she aligned herself with conservative activists opposing new liberal changes such as the legalization of abortion, divorce, and birth control. Her participation in protests underscored her ideological leanings.

Her 1988 visit to the UK aligned with efforts to pass a restrictive abortion bill. She met Margaret Thatcher under the guise of addressing homelessness but also gave public support to moral conservatives lobbying against reproductive rights.

Similarly, her endorsement of U.S. foreign policy under Reagan, including backing Ethiopia’s Dergue regime despite its notorious brutality, showed a pattern. These choices suggest that her image of apolitical holiness masked calculated alignments with authoritarians and conservative causes.

Examples

• Supporting Francoist policies in post-dictatorship Spain.
• Meeting Margaret Thatcher just before abortion-related political debates.
• Endorsing Reagan’s controversial Ethiopian policy.

6. Prioritized Religious Ideals Over Alleviating Suffering

Mother Teresa’s fetishization of suffering played a central role in how she approached her mission. She viewed the pain of the poor as an emulation of Christ’s agony and a spiritual journey rather than a condition to be alleviated.

Her policies reflected this belief. Even as substantial donations flowed in, she often left centers underfunded and without basic medical supplies. This austere model was intended to align with her philosophy, but it ultimately failed to put the dignity and recovery of individuals at the forefront.

By prioritizing her spiritual ideals over practical solutions, her approach often harmed more than it helped. Her centers became environments of prolonged suffering rather than meaningful care.

Examples

• Teresa’s spiritual association of poverty with holiness.
• Continued use of outdated medical practices despite ample funding.
• Reports of inadequate care by former volunteers and medical professionals.

7. Controversial Donations Highlighted Ethical Questions

Mother Teresa accepted donations from individuals and entities tied to controversial practices. She received money from Charles Keating of the 1980s savings-and-loan scandal and failed to return it even after being urged to do so by authorities.

She also built relationships with other disreputable donors, often avoiding questions about the sources of their wealth. This raised issues about her transparency and moral grounding since much of her public image relied on ethical purity.

These compromises conflicted with the pious persona she presented to the world and brought scrutiny to her organization’s operations.

Examples

• Accepting funds from fraudster Charles Keating.
• Avoiding accountability for questionable financial connections.
• Failing to channel extensive monetary donations into visible improvements.

8. Public Image Outshined Any Substantial Change

Mother Teresa’s media-driven sainthood significantly overshadowed tangible results from her work. While she symbolized charity and compassion, the reality was far more hollow. Networks of poorly run centers, controversial political allegiances, and questionable finances reduced the impact she claimed to have.

Her influence reinforced a romanticized narrative of poverty, glorifying suffering rather than resolving it. This disconnect between her portrayal and execution muddied the perceived effects of her global presence.

Essentially, her legacy functioned more as inspiration than as concrete betterment in the lives of those she served.

Examples

• Global adoration through media despite limited aid.
• Glorified suffering perpetuated through her speeches.
• Lack of infrastructure improvement despite large donations.

9. Questioning Holiness and Legacy Through a Critical Lens

Christopher Hitchens’s investigation invites readers to question whether sainthood accurately reflects reality. By taking an inquisitive lens to Mother Teresa’s methods and decisions, he uncovered a pattern where the image of holiness often outweighed measurable contributions to society.

The struggle between mythmaking and actual outcomes serves as a cautionary tale about blindly following celebrated figures without scrutiny.

Mother Teresa’s story, as reframed by Hitchens, reminds us to evaluate charitable efforts through both their intentions and their results.

Examples

• Examination of her glorified associations in the media.
• Scrutiny of her financial practices and refusal to embrace transparency.
• Reflection on myth versus measurable societal change.

Takeaways

1. Look beyond media narratives when evaluating public figures and their legacies.
2. Advocate for accountability and transparency in charitable organizations.
3. Support solutions that prioritize dignity and care over idealized suffering or martyrdom.