[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 120 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H7248-H7253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES OF THE HOUSE ON THE DEATH OF MOTHER TERESA OF
CALCUTTA
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee
on International Relations be discharged from further consideration of
the resolution (H. Res. 227), expressing the condolences of the House
of Representatives on the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, to the
end that that resolution be considered immediately in the House; and
that after debate not to exceed 1 hour, controlled by the chairman of
the Committee on International Relations, the resolution be considered
as agreed to and the motion to reconsider laid on the table.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 227
Whereas the House of Representatives has heard with great
sorrow of the death of Mother Teresa of Calcutta;
Whereas Mother Teresa of Calcutta dedicated her life to
helping the sick, the dying, the unborn, and the poorest of
the poor for a half century;
Whereas Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity,
which now comprises over 3,000 members in 25 countries who
are engaged in caring for the sick, dying, and poor;
Whereas Mother Teresa's humanitarian work and the
inspiration she provided to others has been recognized by the
award of the first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize in 1971, the
Jawaharal Nehru Award for International Understanding in
1972, the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, and the Presidential
Medal of Freedom in 1985;
Whereas in 1997, pursuant to Public Law 105-16, Mother
Teresa was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal; and
Whereas Mother Teresa's life-long example of selfless
dedication to humanitarian work has inspired millions of
people around the world: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives expresses its
admiration and respect for the life and work of Mother
Teresa, and its sympathy to the Missionaries of Charity on
their loss.
Sec. 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall
transmit a copy of this resolution to the General Mother
House of the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India.
Mr. GILMAN (during the reading]. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that the resolution be considered as having been read and printed in
the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] is
recognized for 1 hour.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Menendez],
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. All time
yielded on this resolution is for the purposes of debate only.
[Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
General Leave
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on the resolution presently under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, ``Mother Is Gone.'' That was the historic
headline on the front page of one of India's leading newspapers last
week. With the passing of Mother Teresa of Calcutta a diminutive figure
of towering moral stature, people around the world felt a most personal
loss.
Mother Teresa spent most of her life in India, the last half-century
heading the Missionaries of Charity, an order she founded after
receiving a divine call to devote her life to tending to the needs of
the sick, the dying, and the poorest of the poor. She became a public
figure over time, demonstrating a single-mindedness and a steadfastness
of purpose that were remarkable; and in that sense, she was certainly a
woman of valor.
Mother Teresa's stellar contributions and her moral example were
widely recognized by such accolades as the Nobel Prize for Peace and
the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And just this year Congress passed
and the President signed into law a measure providing for the award of
a Congressional Gold Medal to Mother Teresa. The medal ceremony, held
in the rotunda of the Capitol, was a most moving one.
Mr. Speaker, considering, as we are, a woman of valor, the end of
Solomon's words in Proverbs, chapter 31, come to mind: ``Grace is
deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the Lord, she
shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her works
praise her in the gates.''
Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from
Indiana [Mr. Burton], the sponsor of this resolution, and I ask
unanimous consent that he be permitted to yield to other Members.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Burton] will
control the remainder of the debate time on that side.
(Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in sponsoring this resolution and
rise in strong support of the resolution before us honoring Mother
Teresa. It is appropriate that today, as we honor the life of a simple
woman whom millions called Mother, this week Catholics commemorate the
birthday of another simple woman who became the most important woman in
Catholicism, Mary, the Blessed Mother.
Last Friday, September 5, the world lost one of its shining lights.
Mother Teresa's death was a loss for us all. She was the embodiment of
compassion and a beacon of goodness. Her name grew to become synonymous
with caring for the poor, the indigent, and the downtrodden. She was
not one who sought the spotlight; rather, she let her deeds and service
do the speaking for her. She had a strong will that enabled her to
accomplish many good deeds and improve the lives of thousands of human
beings daily, and without a doubt, she left her mark on our world,
helping millions of people in India, the United States, and all over
the world.
Her work was not easy, glamorous, or pleasant. She was a devout Roman
Catholic teaching nun in India until a train ride in 1946 when she
heard her call within a call, and the call within a call was to go to
the slums of Calcutta to care for, in her own words, ``the poorest of
the poor.'' She founded the order of the Missionaries of Charity in
1948, and through her dedication, made the order into a worldwide
organization with more than 4,000 nuns and 400 Catholic brothers
running nearly 600 homes and schools in more than 100 countries. The
order operates schools and hospitals, youth centers and orphanages, and
it also treats over 50,000 lepers at its medical centers in Africa and
Asia.
Mother Teresa took Indian citizenship in 1950. She saw her order in
the broader context of India's own tradition of spirituality and
compassion and incorporated it into Indian society. In a meeting with
Prime Minister Nehru, he promised her all the assistance she needed.
And even though India is primarily a country consisting of Hindus, it
adopted Mother Teresa as its own and welcomed her with open arms.
For her, pity was not what the poor needed; rather, she sought to
provide dignity for them. She and members of her order lived like the
people they served, without the amenities most of us take for granted.
And she taught us all, regardless of religion, that in fact without a
title, and without any form of nobility, that it is how one lives their
life and what one does within their life that is the most important
ingredient.
I am proud that she was awarded honorary U.S. citizenship and granted
the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And earlier this year I had the
honor, with so many of our other colleagues, in being present as she
received the
[[Page H7249]]
Congressional Gold Medal in the rotunda of the Capitol.
{time} 1700
I am reminded of what she said at that ceremony, where she repeated
her admonition time and time again that we should focus on our concerns
for the poorest of the poor, which she said several times during her
brief remarks. Those of us who serve in this Congress should remember
those words, those of us who were there, who were proud to be there at
that historical moment, proud to be in her company, who rejoice in her
life's works, we need to take to heart as we decide in this Chamber
issues that cut across the board on the poorest of the poor, in
education, in housing, in health care, whether it be in our cities or
in Appalachia, that the fate of the poorest of the poor is a matter
that constantly is before us as we decide on many of the votes that we
take in this House. Sometimes I would daresay we do not cast our votes
in a manner in which I think we would meet Mother Teresa's standards.
Finally, while her loss saddens us, Mother Teresa provided reassuring
words about her work and the future. She said, ``If the work were mine,
it would die with me, but it is the work of God, so He will look after
it.'' I wish her successor at the Missionaries of Charity, Sister
Nirmala, my best wishes as she carries forth the work Mother Teresa
started and nurtured. She was a beacon of hope, and that beacon of hope
that burned brightly during her life will continue through her order.
Good-bye, Mother Teresa, and God bless.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, 60 years ago this Wednesday, a young teacher at a
secondary school for girls in Calcutta, India, made a decision that was
to later influence the lives of millions of people around the world.
Close to the school is one of the great slums of Calcutta. She could
not close her eyes any longer. Who cares for this poor living in the
streets, she asked? It was upon this revelation that Mother Teresa,
then Sister Teresa, really heard God's voice calling and His message
was clear. She had to leave the convent to help the poorest of the
poor, not just to work with the poor but to live among them, to live on
rice and salt like the poor had to live. Sister Teresa said, ``It was
an order, a duty, an absolute certainty.''
On September 10, 1937, Sister Teresa decided to leave the convent in
Calcutta and make what she later said to be the most important journey
of her life, to a distant city at the feet of the Himalayan Mountains.
The thirst for her heart by so many of the world's unfortunate called
her to form the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order based in
Calcutta, India. She created an international network of shelters for
the poor, the sick, and the dying that now stretch from Calcutta to New
York. Of her Sisters of Charity, she said this:
We are not social workers. There are a lot of institutions
caring for the sick. We do not want to be among them. We are
not another organization of social service. We have to be
more, to give more, we have to give ourselves. We have to
bring God's love to the people by our service. And the poor
have taught us what it really means to love and serve God.
Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in mourning Mother Teresa's
passing. We have lost a great woman, perhaps nearest to sainthood that
we know, but heaven has gained a pure soul. I do not understand, Mr.
Speaker, why she so often takes a back seat to other notables in
today's media, not only in her passing but in her work throughout her
blessed life. Was it because she did not keep the company of
aristocrats or run in the posh circles of the glamorous while she
selflessly cared for the needy?
And I do not raise the issue because the Sisters of Charity are
looking for media exposure. They do not ask for it. They do not wish
it. But what does it say about our society today when someone who cared
for so many is overshadowed because she does not draw enough ratings to
command a week's worth of coverage on television? It tells me she
represents that which we find difficult to face, ourselves, our own
failures, selfishness and cowardice, our own imperfections. We fail
where she succeeded because we refuse to make the time to reach out and
help our neighbors.
For her service and sacrifice, Mother Teresa was awarded most notably
the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. If we accept her as its recipient, then
we should accept what she said when she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize:
Abortion is the worst evil in the world. The life of a
child that still has to be born or the life of the poor whom
we meet in the streets of Calcutta, Rome or anywhere else in
the world, the life of children or adults is the same life.
It is our life, it is a gift of God. Countries that allow
abortion are poor because they do not have the courage to
accept one more life.
That is why it is altogether fitting and proper that we honor her for
who she was. Let us not forget what she stood for. To hide or mask this
only does Mother Teresa, her years of selfless giving and the millions
she comforted a tremendous disservice.
Mr. Speaker, while she would never accept it, she deserves to be
honored by this body and this Nation in this way. It is truly the least
we could do on her death. Mr. Speaker, I suspect we will not see the
rich, the famous or the glamorous walking in the processional behind
Mother Teresa's casket this weekend. Instead I imagine we will witness
the poor, the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for and the
untouchables marching behind a woman whom some say was the pencil of
God.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished
gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Kennelly].
Mrs. KENNELLY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank those who brought
forth this resolution. It is only a short week ago that we came here to
this very floor to talk about a woman, a young woman, Princess Diana,
who died, a woman who had taken the interest and the delight of so
many, so many millions. And here we are back again to speak about a
woman, to speak about her life, her work, and her memory. This is one
of the greatest women of this century, Mother Teresa. And yes, there
will be people in Calcutta on Saturday, as so many of us that was just
I think about a month, 2 months ago that we went to Statuary Hall and
we were so thrilled and delighted that Mother Teresa was going to be
among us, that Mother Teresa was going to receive the Congressional
Medal. We were all somewhat like children trying to see this woman of
small stature with the lines of life in her face.
Now she too is gone and I could only say probably that the lesson of
all this every one of us can get, probably the main lesson, is we are
all going to die, some earlier and some later. But tomorrow our
President's wife, Hillary Clinton, in fact she might be right now at
this very moment flying to Calcutta, and she will represent us.
But we are talking tonight about a woman who not because of her great
political power, the way she shaped world events, we are not talking
about that. We are talking about her moral power. And what that great
moral power did was to convert so many, her own sisters, kings, and
presidents, but also people who just saw that she was doing the right
thing. This most humble of women was a giant, a giant of compassion.
She recognized the humanity of even the least of us. And she did not
judge us harshly as some judge others. And she insisted that every
human being deserve our care.
Her devotion to the poor and her dedication to the dying overflowed
in her Calcutta mission, bringing her worldwide acclaim and making her
an inspiration to millions. But she always heard the teachings of her
religion and she always acted taking to heart the biblical injunctions
to feed the hungry and clothe the naked.
The great sadness I feel and felt at the news of Mother Teresa's
passing is tempered by the gratitude that I feel for her life. Her
compassion for others, her service to the poor and her devotion to her
faith set the highest standard. Her life was proof that one humble
individual can touch many lives and her absolute memory will inspire us
all.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Hyde].
[[Page H7250]]
(Mr. Hyde asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman not only for giving me
this time, but for his initiative in this very important resolution.
Some months ago as the gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Kennelly]
mentioned, we had a ceremony in the rotunda and I was honored to be the
master of ceremonies. I made some remarks then which I am adapting and
updating for this evening.
One of Mother Teresa's constant themes was how much God loves each
one of us, even and perhaps especially the most humble. Proof of that
love is shown by His granting Mother Teresa fullness of years. She was
in our midst for 87 years before she was called home. Hers were long
years of service, self-sacrifice and example.
Archimedes said centuries ago, ``Give me a place where to stand and I
will move the world.'' Mother Teresa stood on the streets of Calcutta
and the back alleys of the world literally clutching to her bosom the
diseased and the dying, and she moved the world.
Mother Teresa displayed the most intensely human compassion, one that
recognized the bond of humanity that links us to the poorest of the
poor, a compassion which is the substance from which sanctity is
forged.
In the year 1666, London was decimated by a great fire. Out of the
ashes of that fire, a genius named Christopher Wren emerged and he
literally rebuilt London. Some 80 buildings were his legacy. The
greatest was the Cathedral of St. Paul's. If you go in the back of the
cathedral, you look on the floor and you kick the dust away, you will
see where he is buried. The words around his burial place ``si requiris
monumentum, circumspice''--if you would seek his monument, look around.
I apply those words to Mother Teresa. If you would seek her monument,
just look around. People all over the globe can see and benefit from
one of her monuments, the Missionaries of Charity, a bright, shining
oasis of self-giving in a darkened world of calculation. In a world of
doubts and ambiguities and cynicism, she was blessed with certainties.
And the certainties that guided her life and her self-sacrifice are
ancient, they are noble and to my mind indisputable.
She believed we are not lost in the stars, we are not alone in this
universe which was created by a wise and benevolent Providence, and she
lived the truth of that belief. She believed that every human being no
matter how abandoned, no matter how poor, no matter how useless or
inconvenient as the world calculates utility and convenience, is an
image of the invisible God and invested with an innate and an
inalienable dignity and value and thus commands our attention and our
respect and our care. She poured out her life in service to that
belief.
She believed that love is the most living thing there is, that love
is stronger than death, and that every human heart can be touched by
the power of love. So often she cradled the wretched of the Earth in
her arms and witnessed to that belief.
She believed that the goodness of a society is measured by the way it
treats the most helpless and vulnerable of its members, especially the
defenseless unborn. She lived that belief and she challenged us to make
that truth a living part of the fabric of our democracy. We live at the
end of the bloodiest century in human history. Wars, ethnic and racial
hatreds, mad ideologies and plain old human wickedness have made the
20th century, which the best and the brightest of 1897 thought would be
a century of boundless human progress, instead a slaughterhouse.
On the edge of a new century and a new millennium, the world does not
lack for icons of evil, Auschwitz, the gulag, the killing fields of
Cambodia, Bosnia, the Great Lakes region of Central Africa. What the
world desperately needs are icons of goodness, and that is what she has
been for us, an icon of goodness. She reminded us that hatred and death
do not have the last word. She called us back to what Abraham Lincoln
called the better angels of our nature. She was a blessing, a great
gift of God, and we thank God for permitting us to live in her time.
{time} 1715
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
New Jersey [Mr. Pallone], who will be part of a delegation attending
Mother Teresa's funeral and has to depart soon.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I want to say that my colleagues'
expressions that I have heard on a bipartisan basis so far this evening
have been wonderful, and I think really express the deep sympathy that
we share and the lesson I think that we have learned on a bipartisan
basis, and, certainly, that all Americans, I believe, have learned from
the life of Mother Teresa.
I rise today to honor and remember her. Last week we lost, I believe,
one of the world's greatest humanitarian leaders. Her death, which has
touched the lives of people all over the world, has prompted an
outpouring of grief and mourning worldwide. Just here in Washington,
hundreds of flowers have been placed at the foot of the Indian Embassy
in her honor.
On September 6, over 2,000 people signed a condolence book at the
Indian Embassy, and approximately 5,000 people attended a memorial
service at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception to mourn
her death. As India's Prime Minister Gujral said of her death, ``The
world is mourning.''
This Saturday, on September 13, it has been mentioned that a State
funeral is being given for Mother Teresa, the highest honor that the
Indian Government can bestow upon an individual. The First Lady is
leading a delegation, which I am honored to join this evening.
While such an elaborate funeral may seem to be somewhat at odds with
her teaching and her way of life, the funeral gives the world the
opportunity to remember a woman who has always given to others.
Although small in stature, her heart was enormous. Despite receiving
a pacemaker in 1989 and plagued by a series of heart attacks, her
commitment to the poor and disadvantaged never ceased.
Mr. Speaker, Mother Teresa was much more than a symbol or a
figurehead. She lived by example. People from around the world recall
stories in which she would tell flight attendants to pack leftovers for
needy children and how she asked the Nobel prize organizers to cancel a
banquet in her honor and use the money to feed the needy.
The Order of the Missionaries of Charity, which she founded, is
established in 120 countries, committed to serving and helping the
homeless, the dying, and the hungry.
While she was a Roman Catholic, Mother Teresa respected the religious
practices of each of the individuals to whom she attended. She once
told a friend when she was accused of converting Hindus to Catholicism,
``I do convert. I convert you to become a better Hindu, or a better
Muslim, or a better Protestant. When you have found God, it is up to
you to do with him what you wish.''
Mr. Speaker, we must not forget the work begun by this remarkable
woman who saw God in the face of every human being. I am assured, just
listening to some of the statements that my colleagues have made today,
that her work will not be forgotten, and will be going on for time
immemorial.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to my good friend, the gentleman from the great State of New
Jersey [Mr. Smith].
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, let me just thank the gentleman
from Indiana [Mr. Burton] for his leadership in bringing this very
important resolution to the floor, and especially thank the gentleman
from Illinois [Mr. Hyde] for those very eloquent remarks spoken a
moment ago in remembering Mother Teresa.
Mr. Speaker, as I think we all know, in Matthew's Gospel, the 25th
chapter, in speaking about the Last Judgment, Jesus said:
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, escorted by all the
angels of heaven, He will sit upon His royal throne and all
the nations will be assembled before Him. Then He will
separate them into two groups, as a shepherd separates sheep
from the goats. The sheep He will place on His right hand,
the goats on his left.
The King will say to those on the right, come, you have My
Father's blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you
[[Page H7251]]
gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a
stranger and you welcomed me; naked and you clothed me. I was
ill and you comforted me, in prison and you came to visit me.
Then the just will ask him: ``Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and give you drink?
When did we welcome you away from home or clothe you in your
nakedness? When did we visit you when you were ill or in
prison?''
The King will answer them, ``I assure you, as often as you
did it for the least of my brethren, you did it for me.''
As we all know, Mr. Speaker, Mother Teresa took these words from our
Lord, Jesus Christ, literally, in pouring out her heart and her soul
for the least of our brethren. Mother Teresa saw the downtrodden and
the disenfranchised as Christ himself, and she believed that every act
of mercy toward those less fortunate was for the Lord.
That is why she clothed, fed, and housed the sick and dying around
the world. That is why she loved what the world considered to be the
unlovable. That is why Mother Teresa was the most outspoken woman in
the world in the defense of unborn children.
Mr. Speaker, at the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast, Mother Teresa
addressed thousands of political leaders, including President Bill
Clinton, Vice President Gore, and their wives. Few could listen to
Mother Teresa and not be moved to believe that in this very small,
frail, humble woman, there stood a powerful messenger, a prophetess,
sent by God, to directly speak to a President and a Nation, and, yes, a
world that had lost its moral compass.
She said, ``Please don't kill the child,'' she admonished all those
assembled, and looked directly at the President of the United States
and said, ``I want the child. We are fighting abortion with adoption,
by care of the mother and adoption of the baby.''
Mother Teresa stated, ``The greatest destroyer of peace today is
abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of an
innocent child.''
She then urged all Americans and diplomats to more fully understand
the linkage of abortion with other forms of violence, and she said,
``Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love,
but to use violence to get what they want.'' ``That is why,'' to
continue the quote, ``the greatest destroyer of peace and love is
abortion.''
Unfortunately, there are those, and this is usually behind closed
doors, but there are many who have ridiculed Mother Teresa for doing
what is right. Sometimes it comes to the surface. It especially came to
the surface after she received her Nobel Peace Prize and spoke so
eloquently in defense of the unborn.
I will never forget reading a particular attack against Mother Teresa
by William Hamilton, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, one of
their top leaders, and he said, and I do not think we should put this
under the table, because this is all part of the record.
Mr. Hamilton said on behalf of Planned Parenthood:
Spare us the preachings of Mother Teresa against abortion
and the advancement of women. Allow us to cling to the
romantic notion of a tiny 74-year-old woman doing good work
in the slums of Calcutta, and not think about the destructive
views that she represents.
According to Mr. Hamilton and Planned Parenthood, Mother Teresa's
belief that abortion kills children and is anti-child, her belief that
every child is precious and sacred and made in the image and likeness
of God, is somehow destructive. Some can smirk when you say that, but
that is what she would say. We need to defend these little innocent
children.
As I am sure Mother Teresa would agree, it is Planned Parenthood's
agenda of aborting over 230,000 little babies in this country every
year, and countless more abroad, that is what is destructive.
Upon receiving her Nobel peace prize in 1979, Mother Teresa
characterized abortion as the worst evil in the world because of its
violence.
Undoubtedly, Mother Teresa's defense of the right to life of every
human being, whether it is the child yet to be born, or the life of the
poor whom she met in the streets of Calcutta, Rome, or anywhere else in
the world, kept her focus on the work which she was chosen for by God.
I think by now we all know by way of background that Mother Teresa
was born one of three children of an Albanian builder on August 27,
1910, in Macedonia. At the age of 18, she joined the Loreto Sisters,
and soon thereafter, on January 6, 1929, arrived in Calcutta, India, to
teach at a school for girls.
On September 10, 1946, on a train ride to Darjeeling, where she was
to go on retreat to recover from a suspected bout of tuberculosis, she
received her calling from God to care for the sick and the dying, the
hungry, the naked, the unborn, and the homeless, to be God's love in
action. And that was the beginning of the Missionaries of Charity.
In 1952, Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity began the work
for which they have been noted ever since, opening the first Home for
the Dying in the city of Calcutta.
The Missionaries of Charity grew from 12 to thousands, reported to be
over 5,000 nuns by 1997, in over 450 centers being run around the
world. Mother Teresa created many homes for the dying and unwanted,
from Calcutta, to New York, to Albania.
She is one of the pioneers of establishing homes for AIDS victims,
and for more than 45 years she has comforted the poor, the unwanted,
especially speaking out on behalf of babies yet unborn.
In closing, as we continue to fight for, and this is a worldwide
struggle, the plight of the so-called throwaways, the unwanted, the
unborn, the poor, the dying, those who are ``inconvenient'' and others
in the world's needy, the words of Mother Teresa should ring in our
ears.
She said, ``At the end of our lives we will not be judged by how many
diplomas we received, how much money we made, or how many great things
we may have done or think we have done. We will be judged by 'I was
hungry and you gave me to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was
homeless and you took me in,' our Lord's words.
``Hungry, not only for bread, but hungry for love. Naked, not only
for clothing, but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless, not
only for the want of a row of bricks, but homeless because of
rejection.''
Mr. Speaker, this resolution puts us on record and says that we care
about this great woman, and, hopefully, her words, her life, will
enlighten all of us as we go about the people's business in this body.
Mr. Speaker, in a parable about the Last Judgment, as recorded in the
25th chapter of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus said:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, escorted by all the
angels of heaven, he will sit upon his royal throne, and all
the nations will be assembled before him. Then he will
separate them into two groups, as a shepherd separates sheep
from goats. The sheep he will place on his right hand, the
goats on his left. The king will say to those on his right:
``Come. You have my Father's blessing! Inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was
hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me
drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you
clothed me. I was ill and you comforted me, in prison and you
came to visit me.'' Then the just will ask him: ``Lord, when
did we see you hungry and feed you or see you thirsty and
give you drink? When did we welcome you away from home or
clothe you in your nakedness? When did we visit you when you
were ill or in prison?'' The king will answer them: ``I
assure you, as often as you did it for the least of my
brethren, you did it for me.''
As we all know, Mother Teresa took these words from Our Lord Jesus
Christ literally in pouring out her heart and soul for the ``least of
our brethren.'' Mother Teresa saw the downtrodden and disenfranchised
as Christ Himself and she believed that every act of mercy toward those
less fortunate was for the Lord. That's why she clothed, fed, and
housed the sick and dying around the world. That's why she loved what
the world considered the unlovable. That's why Mother Teresa was
outspoken in her defense of unborn children.
At the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast, Mother Teresa addressed
thousands of political leaders, including President Bill Clinton, Vice
President Gore, and their wives. Few could listen to Mother Teresa and
not be moved to believe that--in this small, frail, humble woman--there
stood a powerful messenger, a prophetess, sent by God, to directly
speak to a President and nation that lost its moral compass.
``Please don't kill the child,'' Mother Teresa admonished, looking
directly at the President of the United States. ``I want the child,''
she went on to say, looking directly at the abortion President. ``. . .
We are fighting abortion with adoption, by care of the mother and
adoption of the baby . . .''
[[Page H7252]]
Mother Teresa further stated that ``the greatest destroyer of peace
today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct
killing of an innocent child . . .'' She then urged all Americans and
diplomats to more fully understand the linkage of abortion with other
forms of violence: ``Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching
its people to love, but to use violence to get what they want. This is
why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion.''
Unfortunately, there are those who could only ridicule and demean
Mother Teresa for doing what is right. I will never forget reading the
attack on Mother Teresa by William W. Hamilton, Jr. of Planned
Parenthood Federation America in 1985. (Washington Post, June 29, 1985,
p. A21). The top Planned Parenthood official stated:
. . . [S]pare us the preachings of Mother Teresa against
abortion and the advancement of women. . . . Allow us to
cling to the romantic notion of a tiny, (woman) . . . doing
good work in the slums in Calcutta and not think about the
destructive views she represents.
According to Mr. Hamilton and Planned Parenthood, Mother Teresa's
belief that abortion kills children and is antichild and that children
are precious, sacred, and made in the image and likeness of God, is
somehow--destructive. As I am sure Mother Teresa would agree, it is
Planned Parenthood's agenda of aborting over 230,000 children a year in
the United States alone and countless move abroad which is destructive.
Upon receiving her Noble Peace Prize in 1979 Mother Teresa did what was
probably incorrect and characterized abortion as the worst evil in the
world.
Undoubtedly, Mother Teresa's defense of the right to life for every
human being--whether the life of a child yet to be born or the life of
the poor whom she met in the streets of Calcutta, Rome, or anywhere
else in the world--kept her focused on the work which was chosen for by
God.
Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxa Bojaxhiu, the youngest of three
children of an Albanian builder, on August 27, 1910 in Skopje,
Macedonia. At the age of 18, she joined the Loretto Sisters and soon
after, on January 6, 1929, arrived in Calcutta, India, to teach at a
school for girls. On September 10, 1946, on a train ride to Darjeeling
where she was to go on retreat to recover from suspected tuberculosis,
Mother Teresa received her calling from God to care for the sick and
the dying, the hungry, the naked, the unborn, the homelss--to be God's
Love in action to the poorest of the poor. That was the beginning of
the Missionaries of Charity.
In 1952 Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity began the work
for which they have been noted ever since, opening the first Home for
the Dying in the City of Calcutta. The Missionaries of Charity grew
from 12 to thousands--reported to be over 5,000 nuns in 1997--in over
450 centers being run in 125 countries. Mother Teresa created many
homes for the dying and unwanted from Calcutta to New York to Albania,
She was one of the pioneers of establishing homes for AIDS victims. For
more than 45 years, Mother Teresa comforted the poor, the dying, and
the so called unwanted around the world.
In closing, as we continue to consider the plight of the unborn, the
poor, the dying, and the world's needy, these words of Mother Teresa
should remain in the forefront of our minds:
At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many
diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how
many great things we have done. We will be judged by ``I was
hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed
me. I was homeless and you took me in.''
Hungry not only for bread--but hungry for love. Naked not
only for clothing--but naked for human dignity and respect.
Homeless not only for want of a row of bricks--but homeless
because of rejection. This is Christ in distressing disguise.
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois, [Mr. Davis].
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank the
gentleman from New Jersey for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the world's finest
humanitarians, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India.
Mother Teresa departed this life Friday, September 5, 1997, at the
age of 87. She leaves behind a committed life of service to mankind.
Her legacy has been appropriately quoted in newspapers as the ``Saint
of Gutters.''
She came to my district. She came to St. Malachy's Catholic Church.
She came to the west side of Chicago. She dared to be different and
championed the causes of the poor. She could be found in the most
destitute areas on the planet, trying to aid the sick and heal the
brokenhearted.
Her mission and ministry was clear, and that was to do God's will, no
matter what the cost.
She was a tiny woman, but she had enormous inspiration. She founded a
religious order called the Missionaries of Charity. Beginning with one
single convent, almost five decades ago, and now she leaves behind
hundreds of religious centers and convents on six continents.
Yes, she won a Nobel Peace Prize and countless other awards, but the
prize she sought after most was to uplift the poor. In the poor,
afflicted and rejected, she saw God, but, more importantly, she saw an
opportunity to be a blessing and to make a difference. She had an
uncanny ability to be in the midst of the destitute and still have joy
and hope.
Someone once asked St. Francis what a person needed to do to please
God. He answered, ``Preach the Gospel every day, and, if necessary, use
words.''
Mother Teresa lived just that sort of life. She is a living reminder
to all of us that faith is more than just words. It is the good deeds
that we do in this world. The millions of lives she touched through her
ministry made this world a much better place.
Mother Teresa, yes, has left; but the bright light and legacy that
she leaves behind must continue. The challenge for us today is clear:
We must continue the work of reaching out to help the poorest of the
poor. Our Damascus road lies just before us. And the question is, will
we, like Mother Teresa, assume the role of the good samaritan?
Mrs. NORTHUP. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and express my
admiration for the life and work of Mother Teresa.
Mother Teresa's acts of compassion transcended religious, cultural,
and national boundaries. Her lifelong devotion to the poor, sick, and
downtrodden served as an inspiration not only to those of us in the
Catholic community, but to members of all faiths. Pope John Paul II
remarked upon her death that
Mother Teresa marked the history of our century. She
courageously defended life; she served all human beings by
promoting their dignity and respect; and made those who had
been defeated by life feel the tenderness of God.
Mother Teresa taught by example the true meaning of service to
mankind. Although she achieved widespread praise and recognition for
her efforts, she was not comfortable in the spotlight. In fact, it
seems that as her celebrity status increased, so did her commitment to
serve her fellow man. She served as a role model by pulling us toward
the higher purposes in life--doing what is right and good.
Mother Teresa had only a very small step to take from her life on
earth to the afterlife. She has accurately been called a living saint,
and an angel on earth. Mr. Speaker, we have lost one of history's truly
outstanding people. As French President Jacque Chirac remarked upon her
death, ``this evening, there is less love, less compassion, less light
in the world.''
Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Speaker, it was with great sadness that I learned of
the passing of one of the most remarkable women to ever grace our
planet, Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Mother Teresa dedicated her life to serving the poor, the destitute,
and the most helpless among us. In so doing, she set an example for all
people of the world to live by. She demonstrated that love and kindness
and hope are far greater rewards than any material goals. Her selfless
dedication to humanity and charity will never be forgotten. She devoted
her life to those with less--the helpless and the homeless. She did not
hesitate to visit a slum or leper colony. She truly lived Jesus
Christ's proclamation in the Bible: ``What you do to the least of us
you do unto me.''
I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to hear Mother Teresa
speak twice in my lifetime: once at the congressional prayer breakfast
in 1995 and most recently at the award ceremony where she was presented
with the Congressional Gold Medal. Listening to her speak, listening to
her conviction, her dedication to the poor, I truly believed I was in
the presence of a saint. She was humble and modest, but strongly
committed to the poor, the unborn, and the hungry.
Mother Teresa's work will carry on through the Missionaries of
Charity which she founded, but she will be missed. I admired her
greatly and pray that she, in her infinite faith, is joyfully reunited
with her God.
{time} 1730
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his
participation, and all of my colleagues, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
[[Page H7253]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boehner). Pursuant to the previous order
of the House, the resolution is considered as adopted.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________