Love and Forgiveness in Governance: Exemplars: Mother Teresa

by Cat Meurn

Mother Teresa is perhaps best known for her work in India, where for over 50 years she aided the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying. Typically when we think of Mother Teresa, images of ultimate sacrifice, care, love and devotion come to mind. We are not alone in this, as Mother Teresa has received more than 120 awards and honors including the Padma Shri award from the President of India, the Bharat Ratna (Jewel of India), India's highest civilian award, the Nobel Peace Prize (where the prize money was donated to the poor, per her request), the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize, and the highest US civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[1] She was even voted as the "Most Admired Person of the Century" by a recent Gallop poll.[2]

But these awards and honors, although prestigious and well earned, are not why she has been chosen as an exemplar of love and forgiveness in governance. Mother Teresa's life began in Macedonia under the name of Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She felt the "call of God" around the age of 12, and moved to Ireland to join the Sisters of Loretto at the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Only six weeks later, she traveled to India and taught for the next 17 years at the order's school in Calcutta.[3] In 1948 she received permission to leave the convent school and devoted herself to working among the poorest of the poor.[4]

Over the years Mother Teresa started her own order, "The Missionaries of Charity", which focused on providing love and care for those in need. She opened Nirmal Hriday ("Place for the Pure of Heart"), a hospice where the terminally ill could stay and be cared for, as well as numerous centers which served the blind, elderly, and disabled. Under Mother Teresa's guidance, the Missionaries of Charity also built a leper colony, called Shanti Nagar ("Town of Peace"), near Asansol, India.[5] She sent many of her sisters abroad, opening houses and foundations in numerous countries. As of now, between the various organizations she started, her order includes hundreds of centers in more than 90 countries with some 4,000 nuns and hundreds of thousands of workers.[6]

Although her work has garnered some criticism in her later years, it is hard to argue against the notion that Mother Teresa was driven by the belief that God wanted her to spread his love, particularly to those who needed it most. Mother Teresa is a true exemplar of love and forgiveness, not only because she exemplified these elements herself, but also because she promoted them amongst her followers. Amongst her numerous quotes, she is recorded as stating, "If we really want to love we must learn how to forgive." In addition, even though she reportedly experienced long-term loneliness, darkness and spiritual pain, she never deviated from her life's mission.[7] Between how she lived her life and the more than thousands of lives she touched in some way or another, she has certainly made our list of exemplars of love and forgiveness in governance.

 

[1] Mother Teresa of Calcutta Center, "Important Dates in the Life of Mother Teresa."

[2] Newport, "Mother Teresa Voted by American People as Most Admired Person on the Century."

[3] "Blessed Mother Teresa (Roman Catholic Nun) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia."

[4] Nobelprize.org, "Mother Teresa - Biography."

[5] "Blessed Mother Teresa (Roman Catholic Nun) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia."

[6] Ibid.

[7] Biema, "Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith."