New Delhi - Indian rationalists have sparked off a fresh controversy over Mother Teresa of Calcutta's miracle, which qualifies her for
beatification later this month.
Mother Teresa, the founder of the Missionaries of Charity order in West Bengal, is believed to have cured Monica Besra of an abdominal tumour, which
the Vatican approved as a miracle.
Last December, Pope John Paul II signed a decree qualifying the Nobel Peace laureate for beatification, the first stage on the road to sainthood.
Rationalists in Calcutta, where Mother Teresa's charity is based, have challenged the miracle and described it as a hoax. They said Besra suffered
from a curable disease and was healed because of prolonged medical treatment.
Three government doctors who apparently treated Besra are scheduled to leave for the Vatican next week, enraging rationalists who allege the doctors
have changed their earlier stand of having cured the woman.
Besra said she went to the chapel of a hospital on September 5, 1998 to attend special prayers on Mother Teresa's first death anniversary.
She felt "a ray of light from the mother's photo coming towards me. After that I felt lighter but the pain in the abdomen persisted. At night I woke
up and felt no pain. I touched my abdomen and could not find the swelling".
I do not wish to distract from the good work Mother Teresa was responsible for, but it would seem in this instance the "miracle" could've been
nothing more than good medicine and a positive attitude. I've always felt a connection between positive self-esteem and healing. In this case, isn't
possible that her recovery is a product of quality care and a positive attitude amplified by a religious experience? Or is this a case of
Manchausen's Syndrome? Or is it a "miracle"?
Factitious disorder is a chronic condition in which the individual complains of physical symptoms that are pretended or self-induced; the
disorder is also known as Manchausen's Syndrome. Such individuals want attention and want to be taken care of. Many are repeatedly hospitalized for
investigation of a variety of ailments.
Should any of this prevent her from becoming a saint? To preempt my participation in any flame war here, I don't really give a hoot if they call her
a saint or not.
The church could use ANY good publicity right now, don't you think, hehe.....
