06/21/2016, 15.26
INDIA
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Hindus MPs target Mother Teresa. Card. Toppo: Let them say whatever they want, she was loved by all

by Nirmala Carvalho

The yogi Adityanath is a member of the ruling Hindu nationalist party, candidate Minister in the next cabinet reshuffle. He said that Mother Teresa was "part of a plot to convert India to Christianity". Separatist ambitions of northeastern part of the country result of attempted conversion to Christianity. The archbishop of Ranchi recalls that the Blessed "loved everyone with sincere love and served the poorest of the poor."

 

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Mother Teresa "was part of the plot to convert India to Christianity" and separatist groups in the northeast of the country rose up du to "the incidents of mass conversions”: These are the latest controversial claims by yogi Adityanath, BJP Parliamentary exponent [Bharatiya Janata Party, the Hindu nationalist party in the government - ed], against Mother Teresa, who next September 4th will be proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis. Speaking to AsiaNews Card. Telesphore Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi, said: "Let them say whatever they want. God bless them. "

The Hindu MP Gorakhpur, from Uttar Pradesh, spoke during a religious meeting held last June 18, in Basti. He stated that Christians "choose the Dalits specifically for conversions " and then invited the Hindus not to commend Christianity.

The yogi [ascetic, mystic] is among the candidates for the ministerial seats in the next Cabinet reshuffle of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speaking of the situation of the Hindus in the north eastern part of India, he said: "You have no idea what is happening. You should visit those places to see the real conditions ".

Speaking exclusively to AsiaNews, Cardinal Toppo said, ‘the entire world acclaims her as “Mother”, being an instrument of God’s love she was loved as a mother. I knew Mother personally, Mother Teresa's life was driven by a passion to build lives through forgiveness, healing, giving them respect and through making them true human beings in the image and likeness of God”.


Speaking of the radical comments on Mother Teresa, Cardinal. Toppo said: "The whole world called her 'Mother', since she was fully an instrument of God." The cardinal, who personally knew the founder of the Missionaries of Charity, says that "the whole existence of the Mother has been driven by a passion to build lives through forgiveness, healing, respect and doing the real human beings people image and likeness of God ".

The archbishop of Ranchi declares: "Mother was loved by everyone, and she loved everyone, especially the poorest of the poor with genuine Love. In fact the Government Census has revealed that the Christian population is 2.3%, [27.8 million out of a total of 1.2 billion people ]”.

The BJP deputy is not the only one to make controversial comments about the Blessed. Last year, Mohan Bhagwat, a prominent Hindu leader and head of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a nationalist paramilitary group), said that "the main aim of Mother Teresa in serving the poor was to convert them to Christianity." Even then, the reaction of the whole of India was clear: religious and political leaders of all sides united to declare "she is a saint.

Firmly rejecting all charges against Mother Teresa, Fr. Brian Kolodiejchuk, postulator of her cause to the Holy See: " Mother Teresa offered tender, loving care to those most in need, the poorest of the poor, all over the world independently of their race, color, nationality, cast or creed. In each human being, she saw a child of God, created for greater things: to love and to be loved.. [...] She respected everyone, including atheists and agnostics".

Fr. Brian speaks of the example of a Hindu who worked with Mother Teresa for 23 years. " When I asked her whether she converted, she answered, ‘Yes, I convert. I convert you to be a better Hindu, or a better Muslim, or a better Protestant, or a better Catholic, or a better Parsee, or a better Sikh, or a better Buddhist. And after you have found God, it is for you to do what God wants you to do”.

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