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Sister Nirmala urges people not raise funds in the name of Mother Teresa

Sister Nirmala, superior general of the Missionaries of Charity has appealed to all organisations and individuals to stop raising funds, and forming a memorial committee in the name of Mother Teresa.

At a crowded press meet in Calcutta on Wednesday, Sister Nirmala urged the people to respect Mother's wish and not undertake such endeavours.

Her appeal followed a controversy over the formation of a Mother Teresa Memorial Committee by some individuals in the city. The committee which included former mayor Shyam Sundar Gupta, opened an office and a bank account to raise funds for the first death anniversary of Mother Teresa.

The committee has contemplated the renaming of a city road after Mother and installing her life size statue in central Calcutta. It has also decided to institute a Mother Teresa Memorial Award.

Sister Nirmala said earlier she had urged the individuals concerned not to go ahead with the committee and raise funds in the name of Mother Teresa. However, since the Mother Teresa Memorial Committee did not pay heed to her request, the superior general had to make a public appeal.

She said she had also met West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu who assured her of looking into the matter.

"It has been brought to our attention that a number of organisations and individuals intend to commemorate the anniversary of Mother's death by soliciting donations for the Missionaries of Charity or for other charitable causes. These fund raising appeals may be through events, the sale of commemorative materials or through direct solicitations," said Sister Nirmala.

She emphasised that some believed they had the right to use Mother's name because she belonged to the whole world. "Mother herself had anticipated the possible controversies and clearly expressed her mind in a statement made on October 14, 1984," informed Sister Nirmala.

Mother Teresa, in her statement had said: "It has happened quite often that the use of my name, even when it has involved the solicitation of funds for worthy charitable purposes, has conflicted with my religious beliefs and those of my order. I have, therefore, strived to prevent the use of my name in those instances. I realise there may be some who would seek to use my name after my death and I feel very strongly that the exclusive right to control the use of my name should be vested in my successor. To the end that consent to the use of my name will be withheld or granted in accordance with the religious beliefs which I held in common with my order and expressed during my lifetime."

The superior general reflected on Mother Teresa's words, who repeatedly said, "We depend on divine providence to meet our needs and the needs of the poorest of the poor." Sister Nirmala clarified that the Missionaries of Charity continued to trust in divine providence the way Mother did, and therefore did not raise funds nor allowed others to do so in the name of Mother Teresa or their order.

She hoped everybody would honour Mother's memory by continuing to love and respect her way. She, however, mentioned that the Missionaries of Charity would not have any objection to installing a statue of Mother Teresa or renaming a street after her, as this would not mean using her name for raising funds and forming any committee.

As part of the first death anniversary of Mother Teresa, the Missionaries of Charity will have a special mass on September 5. There will be hourly prayers throughout the day. The place where Mother was laid to rest in Mother House will be opened to people of all faiths between four and five in the evening.

Meanwhile, Shyam Sundar Gupta, the committee's president, said they would continue their projects to observe Mother's death anniversary. If necessary the committee was ready to go to court, he added.

UNI

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