have televisions in the homes of monastics, it was harder for outsiders to
understand the absence of newspapers or magazines; in fact, there is little
in the way of reading material at any of the homes. Being informed about
world events, Mother Teresa thought, was a distraction. She preferred to
put her trust in God, who would make known to her all that she needed
to know. What books were available for the nuns tended to be of a reli-
gious nature, such as books on piety or the lives of the saints. Except for
the nuns who became medical doctors, Mother Teresa did not want her
sisters to be any better informed or educated than those they were trying
to serve, a startling contrast to orders that encouraged their members to
seek advanced college degrees or specialized training.
This practice drew a great deal of criticism from within the Church.
Some officials believe that education is necessary, not just the knowledge
of theology but also of secular disciplines. Mother Teresa’s attitude to-
ward education is especially puzzling since she herself valued education.
Perhaps she came to regard education, like wealth and worldly goods, as
a source of vanity that the devout ought to sacrifice to the glory of the
Lord.
Mother Teresa left her imprint on almost every aspect of the order.
The old-fashioned discipline and rigid obedience required was and is
today, more than some can bear. Some did not like being told what to do
all the time. Others felt that even as the women grew older and more
senior in the order’s hierarchy, they were often forced to maintain a
student-teacher relationship with Mother Teresa. For many, that clearly
was no longer appropriate and had the effect of preventing the women
from growing up. Some even felt uncomfortable using the term “Mother”
as it denoted a childish dependence on Mother Teresa, which she en-
couraged.
Others, though, found themselves drawn to the Missionaries of Char-
ity precisely because they did not have to grow up and make difficult de-
cisions that adulthood requires. The black-and-white life of the order is
such that those who are immature will have an easier time coping with its
rigors than those who are prone to questioning and learning. This is in
contrast to what was taking place in other orders, as rules became more re-
laxed and nuns allowed to make more of their own decisions. The reforms
of Vatican Council II, ironically, also contributed to a drop in vocations.
In 1990, the number of women in religious orders had dropped by more
than half, from a record high of almost a million women serving as nuns
in 1970. Today, third-world vocations continue to increase, while in the
West, the numbers continue to decline.
62 MOTHER TERESA