Mother Teresa taught that suffering and poverty were Godly virtues, not injustices to be opposed. Conditions in her orphanages and her Homes for the Dying were dreadful. There was gross neglect, physical abuse and the espousing of wacky (to say the least) "medical" practices that often left sick people in unnecessary agony, denying them even basic painkiller relief, with the claim that suffering brought people closer to Jesus. She denied medical training to the nuns working in her homes, claiming instead that God would empower the ignorant and weak. She forbade her sisters to read newspapers and secular literature. Her financial dealings were dodgy to say the least and she received donations from exceptionally shady sources. For example, she accepted donations from Papa Doc and praised him. She diverted donations away from needy people in favour of new convents and missionary work. She capriciously refused help to sick people who didn't exactly comply with her arbitrary qualifying criteria. All in all, an evil bastard if ever there was one. No doubt she'll soon be sainted by the Catholic church.

I feel so happy that I was able to interrupt this sweetness-and-light thread with that rant. If you don't like it, well, in the spirit of the thread -- tuff tittie! ;-)