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Mother Teresa: 15 Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Mother Teresa and what was her life's work?

Mother Teresa, born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje (then Ottoman Empire, now North Macedonia), was a Catholic nun who dedicated her life to serving the poorest of the poor. She moved to India in 1929 and founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata in 1950. The order grew to operate hospices, orphanages, and leper colonies across 133 countries. She became the global face of charitable work, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Her tireless devotion to the destitute and dying made her one of the most recognized people of the 20th century. She died in 1997 and was canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016.

What is the Missionaries of Charity?

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 with just 13 members in Kolkata. The religious congregation's mission is to care for "the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society." By 2026, the order has grown to over 5,000 active sisters operating in more than 130 countries. They run soup kitchens, mobile health clinics, counseling programs, orphanages, and schools. The order takes vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and a unique fourth vow of "wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor." The institution's endurance strengthens Mother Teresa's JudgeMarket legacy.

Why is Mother Teresa controversial?

Mother Teresa is one of the most polarizing figures on JudgeMarket. Critics, most notably Christopher Hitchens in "The Missionary Position" (1995), raised several serious allegations. Her facilities were accused of providing inadequate medical care — reusing needles, denying painkillers, and prioritizing spiritual conversion over treatment. She accepted donations from dictators like Haiti's Duvalier family and convicted fraudster Charles Keating. Her opposition to abortion, contraception, and divorce was seen by many as harmful to women's rights. Investigations revealed that while her organization received hundreds of millions in donations, much of the money's disposition remained opaque. These criticisms create significant bearish sentiment among traders.

How can I trade Mother Teresa's reputation on JudgeMarket?

You can trade Mother Teresa's reputation on JudgeMarket using OPS (Opinion Points). After creating your account, navigate to her asset page. Go long if you believe her sainthood, institutional legacy through the Missionaries of Charity, and enduring symbol of selfless service will maintain or grow her reputation. Go short if you think revisionist criticism about her care standards, financial transparency, and religious conservatism will increasingly dominate the narrative. Mother Teresa is one of JudgeMarket's most fascinating assets precisely because of this bull-bear tension — she simultaneously represents idealized charity and institutional controversy, making her ideal for traders who thrive on narrative-driven markets.

How was Mother Teresa canonized as a saint?

Mother Teresa was canonized by Pope Francis on September 4, 2016, becoming Saint Teresa of Calcutta. The Catholic canonization process requires evidence of two miracles attributed to the candidate's intercession after death. Her first miracle — the healing of an Indian woman's abdominal tumor in 1998 — was recognized in 2003, leading to her beatification by Pope John Paul II. The second miracle — the healing of a Brazilian man's brain tumors in 2008 — was approved in 2015. The canonization ceremony in St. Peter's Square was attended by over 100,000 people. Her sainthood provides institutional backing to her reputation that few JudgeMarket figures possess.

What were the criticisms of Mother Teresa's medical care?

Medical professionals who visited Mother Teresa's facilities documented concerning practices. The Lancet and other publications reported that her "Home for the Dying" in Kolkata lacked basic diagnostic equipment, reused needles without proper sterilization, and did not consistently provide analgesic medications to patients in severe pain. Critics argued that while she had access to enormous funds, conditions in her facilities remained deliberately austere. Mother Teresa herself stated that suffering brought people closer to Jesus, a theological position that critics found troubling in a healthcare context. A 2013 academic study in Studies in Religion cataloged these criticisms systematically. This ongoing medical care debate is the single largest source of bearish pressure on her JudgeMarket asset.

What was Mother Teresa's relationship with powerful and controversial figures?

Mother Teresa maintained relationships with several controversial political figures that have complicated her legacy. She accepted the Legion of Honor from Haiti's Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier and praised his regime's treatment of the poor, despite well-documented human rights abuses. She accepted $1.25 million from convicted savings-and-loan fraudster Charles Keating and wrote a letter to the judge requesting leniency during his trial. She met with Albanian communist dictator Enver Hoxha and praised Albania under his rule. These associations, which her defenders attribute to political naivety rather than malice, provide recurring negative catalysts for her JudgeMarket asset when resurfaced in media coverage.

What impact did Mother Teresa have on global charity?

Regardless of controversies, Mother Teresa's impact on global charity and philanthropy was immense. She brought international attention to extreme poverty in India and the developing world at a time when it was largely invisible to Western audiences. Her personal example inspired millions to volunteer, donate, or enter religious service focused on the poor. She helped establish the modern template for celebrity humanitarianism that organizations and public figures still follow. The Missionaries of Charity's presence in over 130 countries represents a tangible institutional legacy. Her Nobel Peace Prize and subsequent canonization gave moral weight to charitable work itself. For JudgeMarket bulls, this foundational impact on global compassion culture provides durable upside support.

What was Mother Teresa's "dark night of the soul"?

After Mother Teresa's death, her private letters — published as "Come Be My Light" in 2007 — revealed that she experienced a profound spiritual crisis lasting nearly 50 years. She wrote of feeling no presence of God, describing an inner "darkness" and "dryness" that contradicted her public image of serene faith. "If I ever become a Saint, I will surely be one of 'darkness'," she wrote to her confessor. These revelations humanized her in unexpected ways. For some, the letters demonstrated extraordinary faith maintained despite doubt. For others, they suggested hypocrisy in a public figure who promoted certainty she privately lacked. This duality makes her one of JudgeMarket's most psychologically complex assets.

How does Mother Teresa compare to other humanitarian figures?

Mother Teresa occupies a unique position among humanitarian figures. Unlike Malala Yousafzai, who focuses on systemic change through education policy, Mother Teresa addressed immediate physical suffering through direct service. Compared to the Dalai Lama, whose humanitarianism is rooted in philosophical frameworks, hers was grounded in Catholic theology and hands-on care. Martin Luther King's legacy centers on political rights transformation, while Mother Teresa's centers on personal service to individuals. Her canonization as a Catholic saint gives her reputation an institutional anchor that secular humanitarians lack. On JudgeMarket, she trades with higher volatility than most humanitarian figures due to the active revisionist debate surrounding her methods.

What was Mother Teresa's stance on social issues?

Mother Teresa held firmly conservative positions on several social issues that remain highly divisive. She was a vocal opponent of abortion, calling it "the greatest destroyer of peace" in her 1979 Nobel acceptance speech. She opposed contraception and divorce, and her views on suffering — that it was a gift bringing people closer to Christ — drew criticism from secular humanists and progressive Catholics alike. During the Irish abortion referendum debates, her influence was cited on both sides. These positions, rooted in traditional Catholic doctrine, continue to generate debate. For JudgeMarket traders, her social conservatism is a persistent headwind in increasingly progressive cultural contexts, creating ongoing bearish pressure from liberal demographics.

What is Mother Teresa's legacy in India specifically?

Mother Teresa's legacy in India is deeply contested. Many Indians revere her as a saint who brought global attention and resources to Indian poverty when the government could not. The Missionaries of Charity continue to operate extensively throughout the country, providing essential services to marginalized communities. However, Hindu nationalist groups have accused her of covert religious conversion activities, and some Indian intellectuals argue she perpetuated stereotypes of Indian poverty for Western audiences. In 2021, the Missionaries of Charity's fundraising license was briefly suspended by Indian authorities, highlighting ongoing tensions. This India-specific debate creates a unique source of price volatility for her JudgeMarket asset.

How has Mother Teresa's reputation changed over time?

Mother Teresa's reputation has undergone one of the most dramatic transformations of any modern figure. During her lifetime, she was near-universally venerated — winning the Nobel Prize, being named the most admired person in numerous polls, and becoming synonymous with selfless charity. The shift began with Christopher Hitchens's 1995 critique and accelerated with the 2007 publication of her private letters revealing decades of spiritual doubt. Social media has amplified revisionist narratives, particularly among younger demographics who encounter the criticisms before the hagiography. Her 2016 canonization partially counteracted this trend among Catholic audiences. This ongoing reputation recalibration makes her one of JudgeMarket's most dynamic long-term trading opportunities.

What lessons does Mother Teresa's asset offer for JudgeMarket traders?

Mother Teresa's asset offers several important lessons for JudgeMarket traders. First, sainthood and institutional backing do not guarantee immunity from reputational reassessment — even canonized figures can face price pressure from revisionist narratives. Second, reputation assets with strong bull-bear tension often provide the best trading opportunities, as the continuous debate generates volume and volatility. Third, her case demonstrates that posthumous reputation can be more volatile than living figures' — new evidence, documentary releases, or academic studies can dramatically shift sentiment. For portfolio strategy, she functions as a high-engagement controversy asset, pairing effectively with stable figures like Confucius or Albert Einstein to balance risk.

Is Mother Teresa a buy or sell on JudgeMarket?

Mother Teresa presents a genuinely balanced bull-bear case on JudgeMarket. Bulls argue that her sainthood, the Missionaries of Charity's global presence, and enduring brand recognition as the face of charity create a strong reputation floor. Bears counter that the growing accessibility of criticism — Hitchens's work, academic studies, social media threads — is systematically eroding her idealized image, especially among younger generations who form JudgeMarket's most active trading demographic. The key variable is whether Catholic institutional support can outpace secular revisionism. Traders comfortable with narrative-driven volatility may find her asset richly rewarding. Consider pairing with Dalai Lama for a diversified spiritual leaders basket.

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Mother Teresa: 15 Frequently Asked Questions