By M.K.George

Rome, Dec 19, 2021: You know who they are. In case you do not, it is time you found out.

A friend of mine who works in an Indian central government office once told me. ‘You know a shocking change of mindset has happened in our office. Fifteen years ago when I joined the office, every one of us spoke of Mother Teresa as a saint. Today, there is a strong group of people who not only criticize her, but even abuse her, calling her a whore.” And he added, some people seem to be actively promoting the re-writing of stories.

Yes, in India today there is a powerful group maligning symbols and myths once held sacred by one group or the other, for the advantage of the majoritarian group. Unfortunately, the ruling regime is either closing their eyes to this, or even actively promoting this malign process.

But, why an innocuous person like Mother Teresa, and now her sisters who are serving the poorest of the poor in the country, are targeted?

The answers lie in anthropology, sociology and of course politics. Of course, in this short piece I do not propose to go into the complexities of the same except to say that some of us should be studying these complex issues and publishing so that right action can follow.

It is a question of Moral Power

I would like to raise just one dimension. Mother Teresa, now an official saint for the Catholics (for the non-Catholics she was a saint already when she was alive) and her sisters connect to and serve the poorest of the poor. In serving the poor so selflessly, they hold a moral power, which even the hardcore fundamentalists would fear.

Therefore, the only way to kill that power is to challenge their moral standing. The adversaries hope the moral strength of the Mother Teresa sisters will be weakened if the first allege that the nuns are converting and then they are flouting rules. And the sad part of the story is that many ordinary citizens of India are falling victims, thanks to the propaganda and half-truths spread through the social media.

Moreover, the social and political environment seems to engender such a development. Remember, in the Indian Parliament, a sacred place for every Indian, the picture of Savarkar sneers at the pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore, Sarojini Naidu and others.

Hold on to the values; serve the poor

The way for Mother Teresa Sisters and all Christians is to continue to uphold the highest levels of moral integrity and serve the poor. ‘They’ will not make it easy. The warpath is clear. In a recent interview, one of the Catholic bishops said it clearly, ever since the birth Christianity, persecution has been a reality in one place or the other. Hence, the arrogance of those attacking Mother Teresa and her sisters is only transitory. History will prove them wrong and the sisters right.

However, there is a caveat. Are the Christians willing to suffer, sacrifice and follow the way of the cross? The answer seems to be obvious. The poor and marginalized Christians are already suffering, while the middle class and the leadership are either closing their eyes or engaging in peripheral issues, while core issues like the attack on Christians and other minorities are ignored.

The Call to pay the price; to speak the truth

More than ever in history, the call to pay the price for our Christian faith and values seems to be now. St. Paul reminds us, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” The million-dollar question remains whether the institutional Church and the middle class have awakened to the call of the times.

Fortunately, we have a good model in Pope Francis who dares to tell the world: stop building arms, help the poor, protect the nature, and build a poor church for the poor and so on. He models us to tell the truth. Yes, the biggest call for every Christian in India, or anywhere in the world is to speak the truth.

As American Baptist Pastor Aaron Shamp says, “Telling the truth is not about being aggressive or proving that you’re “right.” No, in our day speaking the truth means bravely going against the dominant cultural narratives that are destroying lives. Telling the truth means defending the gospel, human life, biblical doctrine and the most vulnerable members of society.”

Would we dare to speak up for Mother Teresa sisters?

(Jesuit Father M K George is based in Rome. He was the former provincial of the Kerala Jesuits.)