[Chattering]
[Chattering Continues]
[Man] Get back. Get back.
[Chatter]
- Come inside. - Yes, Mother.
Come. Pass me the eggs. I need two.
Oh. [Laughs]
Aren't you finished yet? It's Julie's birthday...
not a reception for the King of England.
Well, exactly. It's my birthday, and Maggie has insisted on making fruit tarts...
- instead of apple strudel. - Only because my fruit tarts are better.
Oh, rubbish.
- Girls. Girls. - [Clamoring] - Please, be quiet.
Poor Charu. Look at the state your kitchen is in.
Oh, Mother. I'll take care of it.
- No, we all will. Girls, to work. - [Girl] Yes, Mother.
[Gunshots]
[Clamoring]
[Woman] Girls, stop! Stop! Go back inside!
You're not supposed to be outside now!
Go on! Go! Go inside!
- Get in! - [Banging]
- Open the gate. Open the gate! - No, Mother Teresa. I can't.
Yes, if we help the Hindus, the Muslims would make us pay for it.
Go on. Go inside. Go.
[Shouting]
[Yelling]
[Gunshot]
[Clamoring]
- What's wrong with you? - I have flu.
Fine. Get up and get out immediately. And call the doctor.
- Come on. - Gently. Gently.
One, two, three. That's it.
- You'll be all right now. - They will look after you.
[Gasps, Groans]
Perhaps you don't realize the extent of what you have done.
If he gets through the night, he might just live.
Everyone will be against us.
- For an act of charity? - It's not that easy.
This is a difficult country– Hindus against Muslims.
Muslim Law against Gandhi. India is breaking up.
They wanted independence from the British...
and now they're paying for it–
with hate, with civil war, with people dying in the streets.
- They knocked on our door. - But the boy's a Hindu.
God willing, he will survive...
but the Muslims will accuse us of being on the Hindus' side.
I-I would do what I have done again.
We must be careful. Gestures like yours could compromise our presence here.
Ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis.
In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.
Thank you, Father.
I am truly sorry you have to leave...
but you must not consider it a punishment.
That's not what the Mother Superior wants.
[Horn Honks]
[Train Whistle Blows]
[Loud Chattering]
[Chatter, Indistinct]
[Speaking Foreign Language]
[Loud Chatter]
[Man] Everybody, come on. That's it. In you go now, please.
Don't be dilly-dallying. The train is about to leave.
Come along, now, everybody. Please try and push in.
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry.
I thirst.
[Gears Rattling]
[Rattling Continues]
[Chattering]
[Chattering Echoes]
[Steam Hissing]
[Train Whistle Blows]
[Man] I thirst.
Corpus Christi.
[Thinking] Lord, what do you want from me? Why can't I be like other nuns?
[Boy] I'm winning.
- Now it's smooth. - I'm winning. I'm winning.
[Laughs] I'm winning! I won! I won! Yeah! I won!
I finally won it.
- [Boys Speaking Foreign Language] - Do you want to play?
[Boy] Yes. Let's play over here.
- Over here. - No, this way. No.
[Woman] What can I do? Dear Lord, help me. Please.
Please. Little one. Please.
[Gasping]
His forehead is hot. How long has he been like this?
- Two days. - Have you seen a doctor?
- Have you given him anything? - Yes.
[Gasping]
I talk to him, but he doesn't respond.
Come on.
[Man] I'm looking for Dr. Singh. Have you seen him?
Doctor. Please.
- Ask Doctor Sionase. - I have already asked him.
Well, then take his advice.
There's no cure. We can't do miracles.
You must admit him into the hospital immediately.
Our priority is to cure those we can cure.
He will get better too.
I will not leave until you admit him.
Did you know that Mother Teresa has returned to Calcutta?
She ought to be in Darjeeling until the end of the month.
She's come back without telling anyone.
I don't understand.
We have known her for years.
Maybe none of us knows her very well.
I see you managed.
- It was not I who managed. - No.
[Chuckles] You are as stubborn as an ox.
I am.
Mother Teresa? Come.
Twenty years.
Streets, faces, people.
I have lived in this city for 20 years...
but it is as if I were seeing it for the first time.
Only now I know my place is not in the convent of Entally.
It's in the streets of Calcutta with the poorest of the poor.
Leave the convent and live with those who have nothing.
That's what she really wants to do.
A calling within a calling?
She's convinced.
There's nothing odd about it, from the theological point of view.
Mother Teresa is a very simple person.
I don't think she has worries about theological problems.
- Then what do you think, Van Exem? - Me, Your Excellency?
Don't worry, I'm not going to excommunicate you–
- [Chuckles] - Not yet anyway.
I think that's the will of God.
For ten years I've been the Archbishop of this city...
yet I still continue to wonder what God's will really is...
and you think you know.
I don't really understand.
- Have you read the letter carefully? - Yes, but–
Extra-claustration is rejected.
The possibility of secularization...
may be freely assessed by the party concerned.
In other words...
you can't be a nun outside the convent.
If you want, you can leave the Order of Loreto. You're free to leave.
- Free to leave? - Yes, stop being a nun and start being an ordinary woman...
like all the others.
Never.
I promised the Lord that I would always be a nun...
and I will continue to be a nun for all of my life.
So you will stay in the convent?
Jesus has told me to be a nun...
but out there, amongst the poorest of the poor.
Himalayas and the Kharakorum mountain range.
The most important cities in India are:
Bombay, Delhi...
Madras, Calcutta.
Mother Teresa?
Is there anything we can do for you?
If things happen, it's because the Lord wants them to happen.
If they don't, it means he doesn't.
It's so simple.
[Bell Pealing]
You may go.
[Chattering]
Your request is a praiseworthy proposal, Mother Teresa...
but I don't think it's wise or prudent...
for a Catholic nun...
to work in the poorest areas of Calcutta.
Every day we hear of incidents, clashes between political factions...
between Hindus and Muslims, common crimes.
So...
if she's asking for the impossible, it will be rejected.
Why are you giving me so much help?
Even I don't know.
I felt as if I had to.
For the rest of my life, from the bottom of my heart...
I will be grateful to you.
We can only wait and pray.
Let's pray and forget about waiting.
- Hmm. - Mother Superior has given me permission...
to join Sister Stephanie in the forest of Patna.
I can learn a little about medicine there and treating the sick.
It might be useful.
This way, Mother.
Call Doctor Gupta and tell him that Atul is seriously injured.
- Yes, sister. - Come, quickly.
We must operate immediately.
Please, help me. I beg you.
No. If we amputate his leg...
he'll be forced to beg for the rest of his life.
- We must wait for the surgeon. - We don't have time.
- It's better if we wait. - The boy's life is at risk.
I want him to live.
This way, Doctor.
- Doctor Gupta? - Yes.
[Sighs] How long have you been here?
Four months.
Mm-hmm. Have you studied medicine?
- No. - Hmm.
Would you like to work in a hospital?
No. I want to work in Calcutta, in the streets.
In the streets?
A Catholic nun on her own in the slums? They will never let you.
Well, I can't guarantee anything...
but I think we can save his leg.
I am praying that Atul's leg will be saved.
And I am praying that you will stay with us. We need you.
Of course you know who she is.
Mary Ward. The Order of Loreto is descended from her.
A woman of extraordinary faith and charity.
In 1690, she asked for permission to work with the poor.
The Vatican refused and ordered claustration.
I don't understand why...
300 years later...
when posed with the same question...
the Vatican has said "yes"...
to Mother Teresa.
[Sighs]
[Bell Pealing]
Father, I would like you to bless the clothes...
that I will wear in my new life.
This is how they should be.
The white represents purity...
and the blue is the color of the Virgin Mary.
Yes, of course.
♪♪ [Singing In Foreign Language]
[Grunting]
- [Laughing] - What are you doing here?
Don't you know how dangerous the streets of Calcutta are?
Look at all these dangerous faces.
We miss you so much, Mother Teresa.
But I have been following your progress.
I have spoken to Charu Ma and she says you are worse than ever.
- [Laughing] - Come on.
We have bought some things from Charu Ma...
- and hope it will help. - Oh, of course.
Here everything helps. Tomorrow if you learn your alphabet, there will be more.
But tomorrow we can't leave the convent.
I know...
but I'm sure something will happen.
If I keep my promises, the Lord will keep his.
[Car Horn Honking]
A man is seriously ill.
This ambulance must leave immediately for Grove Lane.
But it is not up to us to decide.
[Indistinct]
Mother Teresa?
Doctor Gupta. How is Atul?
Atul? The leg in Patna.
- Yes, that's right. - Very well, I should say.
He scored a fine goal against the nurses the other day.
Hmm. And what are you doing here?
Well, I– I'm the chief physician.
Chief physician, eh?
Yes, and where would you like this ambulance to go, Mother?
[Horn Honking]
I see so many people who are in need of everything and who suffer.
Here they say it's karma. Do you believe in karma?
Well, I don't know if we're paying today for the faults of our previous lives...
but we're certainly paying for something.
- Here. This is the place. - Okay.
[Speaking Foreign Language]
It was Providence which made us meet.
Well, I don't believe in karma, but I don't believe in Providence either.
- I do. - That seems appropriate.
So choose. Either I will steal your ambulance...
or you will send me one every time I call.
Is this blackmail?
Do you know what they call her?
They've seen her begging for alms on the corner of the streets.
She goes through the markets asking for leftovers. "For the poor," she says.
Father, I don't believe all this is very dignified for a nun.
Nor is dying of hunger in the streets.
But what can a single person do against all the evils of the world?
You are the only person Mother Teresa listens to.
So, please, talk to her.
- Tell her that we are losing more than we gain. - What do you mean?
Many influential families have expressed their disapproval of Mother Teresa's initiative.
They say that she's discrediting the name of the city...
and of the Church.
Mother Teresa has already made her choice...
and the Church approves.
- Virginia? - Yes, it's me.
What are you doing here, and at this time of day?
Nothing. I just wanted to see you.
- Why? - I've had enough of studying.
- You want to leave the school and go home? - No, Mother.
I want to stay here with you.
- Virginia. - Yes. I've thought about it.
If Mother Teresa goes, then I go too.
If there is enough for one to do...
then two of us can do it better.
Mmm.
- Do you know how many children I have? - None. You are a nun.
Twenty. And they're all waiting under the Mahavi tree.
- They are not my children. - Children belong to everybody.
Why me? Why this morning?
Anything. I will be happy with anything.
They are half rotten.
- I grew up among the Brothers of Saint Francis. - Oh. God bless you.
Mother. Would you like one?
Oh.
- Mother Teresa. - Mother Teresa.
[Chattering]
They are hungry too.
Ah, yes.
This is just to start with, but if you wait–
- We will wait. - Good.
If you wait, more will come, enough for everyone.
The building is in excellent condition...
even if it needs some light maintenance work.
But the structure is solid.
With a bit of work, it will be perfect for our dispensary.
Sixty Rupees a month is too much.
- It's not too much. - I cannot afford it.
- How much can you afford? - Hmm.
Well, that all depends on how much it will cost to get it all up and working.
At least 2,000 Rupees.
- If they work too, less than 1,000 Rupees. - They? Who?
Them.
School's over.
There's always a moment in life...
when the time comes to choose.
Uh, but, uh, if it is forjust a few months–
It's only for a few months.
Isn't it, Mother Teresa?
I never expected such a beautiful place. I would like to stay here forever.
Forever or just for a few months.
We need the house only when my daughter gets married.
Oh, fine. And how old is she?
- Daddy. - Ah, here she comes.
[Laughs]
Uh, come, let's go and have a look inside.
[Laughing]
[Horns Honking]
Ite missa est.
- [Both] Deo gratias. - Deo gratias.
The Mother Superior has asked the bishop to make you all return.
She's right. We can't go on like this. We need to do more.
- What do you mean? - It's time to set up a new congregation.
"The Missionaries of Charity."
That will be our name, our only asset, our only commitment.
Missionaries of Charity.
[Sighs]
I always believed in your inspiration, Mother Teresa...
but now–
now you are asking for the impossible.
There must be a way. It is not I who wants it.
But it's not necessary.
We don't need a new religious congregation.
You have no idea what it means.
Hundreds of documents to be prepared and sent to Rome...
an explanatory report to be sent to the bishop...
a detailed plan of its constitution.
But these are things which you must deal with, not me.
No, no, no, no, no, no. You can't ask me to do that.
- But then who can I ask? - I don't agree.
I will convince you, you'll see.
But I don't want to be convinced.
- But you already are. - No.
Thank you.
My dear Father Serrano.
- Welcome to Calcutta. - Thank you very much.
Please, please, sir.
At first you want to turn around and leave immediately.
[Chattering]
- Perhaps. - Then you find you can't tear yourself away.
I couldn't stay, even if I wanted to.
I only came because you asked me to.
I must get back to Rome as soon as possible.
Anyway, from your letters, everything seemed quite clear.
In India, nothing is clear.
[Serrano] Frankly, I think this nun is asking for the impossible.
[Bishop] Meet her. Speak to her.
Yes, but what's the use?
What's the point of a new congregation?
You work in the Vatican.
You're familiar with this kind of situation.
I trust yourjudgment entirely, and I shall abide by your decision.
Girls.
Look, Mother Teresa. From the local chemist.
They've expired, but only by a few days.
Maggie, come with me. And you call an ambulance.
Tell them there's an emergency at the end of Creek Lane.
Mother. Mother, he is dead.
How do you know?
I am sure. They just took him away.
[Car Engine Echoing]
It was a temple dedicated to Goddess Kali.
You ought to be aware of that...
if you are going to use it to convert people into your religion.
I'm not going to convert anybody.
I'm selling this, uh, because I'm joining my daughter in Europe.
I'm a widower.
I'm sorry.
People of this area...
will not take kindly to the arrival of a group of nuns.
They will get used to us.
Is better to wait until we sign the contract.
I'm saying this for your benefit.
But I trust you.
[Woman] She's coming now. She's coming this way now.
[Man] There she is right now. Look.
[Chattering]
Do not come back.
Why not?
You know.
You know, this is our sacred place.
What are you going to do here?
It will be Nirmal Hriday...
a last home for those who have nothing.
- We don't want you. - It will be for people...
who have been rejected by hospitals and left to die on the streets.
At least here, they can die with a roof over their heads.
You want to buy desperate souls for your god?
I want souls full of hope.
Leave immediately and don't come back!
- Mother Teresa. - Atul.
Mother Teresa.
[Chattering]
Mother Teresa. I was looking all over for you.
Not everybody is so pleased to see me.
Virginia told me you were here.
I am happy to see you.
I wanted–
Well, these are my first wages.
I wanted you to have them.
You are the ones who give me strength.
The Missionaries of Charity shall live as poor among the poor.
If ever they possess something, it will be to house abandoned children...
lepers and the dying.
- Is that right? - Yes, that's right.
You, too, will observe the three vows...
of chastity, poverty and obedience.
I would like to include a fourth vow:
To give hope to those who have lost it...
and to recognize the face of the Lord in those who suffer.
This is our vocation.
- Go away! - Don't come back!
[Shouting]
Go away! Come on! Come on!
You must go!
You're taking advantage of the dying in order to baptize them.
For me there is no difference.
A Christian must be a good Christian...
a Muslim must be a good Muslim...
and a Hindu must be a good Hindu.
Mother Teresa.
It's ready for you.
[Crowd Shouting]
[Shouting Stops]
When are they leaving?
I will only send them away...
when your mothers and sisters are able to do what that nun is doing.
That one is a daughter of the Goddess of Mercy.
[Chattering]
You know what they say in Calcutta, don't you?
That Mother Teresa does not practice family planning methods...
as I believe they call them.
She has more and more children every day.
I know it's difficult...
but now, you must advise me.
Hey.
I have seen you before.
Me too.
What do you want?
- To speak with Mother Teresa. - Why?
I need to understand a few things.
- Why does a man like you need to understand? - Perhaps you're right.
You want to ask if you can stay here with us, don't you?
[Chuckles] Perhaps.
Come.
- Here is Mother Teresa. - Don't take any notice.
- The children call all of us "Mother Teresa." - [Laughs]
I would like to meet Mother Teresa, the real one.
You're the monsignor from Rome.
I'm not a monsignor.
But you've come to decide whether the Missionaries of Charity can be set up?
The archbishop asked me for my opinion.
Mother Teresa will not let you find her.
You'll have to get by on your own.
[Shouting, Chattering]
[Chattering]
Today, too, we can eat.
[Girl] Mother Teresa. Thank God.
[Boy] Food. You brought us food.
You actually brought us some food.
Mother Teresa, there's an inspector here. Over there.
Municipal Inspector Anouar.
Does this mean you're going to give us water?
You have opened a reception center for minors...
without the necessary authorization.
I was in a hurry. These children needed a roof over their heads.
You need authorizations. Permits.
I hope you understand.
Oh, so you even need a permit to die in the streets at the age of five these days?
- This is anti-Indian prejudice. - [Speaking Foreign Language]
I am Indian, and India is part of me.
This is a summons to appear before the judge.
- Come. Come. - Where are we going?
Sit down.
- [Boy #1] What is happening? - [Boy #2] When are we coming back?
Soon. As soon as we get water.
- We have water. - I'm not leaving.
As soon as everything's in order, you will find me.
Give him to me.
Mother, leave the drawings there.
The dioceses has stood...
the guarantees requested by the judge.
As soon as the permits have been sorted out...
you can have your children back.
This is good news, yes?
Wonderful.
Then why aren't you smiling?
I'm afraid that the congregation...
of the Missionaries of Charity...
will not be approved.
Why?
Because Father Serrano has not been able to interview you.
I have nothing to say to him.
Now it's my turn to ask why.
I have taken a vow.
I have promised the Lord that I will never say anything.
- A mystery. - Yes, a mystery...
to be protected by silence.
The fish is a symbol of early Christianity.
We must never forget our origins. Never.
"Whatsoever thou shall loose on Earth, shall be loosed also in heaven."
If the Church so wishes, every vow can be dissolved.
I have been given permission to talk to you...
because only those who need to know the truth shall know it.
In the name of God.
My vocation–
No. That is not how I would like to say it.
I'm listening.
I happened–
I happened...
to talk toJesus...
to hear his voice.
It is he who wants a new congregation.
I could never do what I do...
if he didn't ask me to do it.
I know I am touching the living body of Christ...
in the broken bodies of the hungry and the suffering.
I don't take credit for my work.
All I have done...
is his will.
He said...
"Everything you did...
"to one of the least of my brothers...
"you did it to me.
You did it to me."
God's chosen one.
[Scoffs] Much, much less.
I am– I am only a pencil...
in the hands of God.
But it is he– he who writes.
"In full awareness and in formal acknowledgment of the facts and the law...
"in relation to the request for the constitution...
"of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity...
I think I must express my negative opinion."
That's what I thought before I met Mother Teresa.
Who are we to stop a pencil of God?
May God Almighty bless the Missionary Sisters of Charity.
Never forget the joy in your hearts and in your eyes.
Wherever a real Christian goes...
he brings joy.
God bless you.
Have you chosen your new name as a Sister of Charity?
I would like to be called "Sister Agnes"...
if I can.
Gonxha Agnes.
The name my mother and father chose for me.
Go with God, Sister Agnes.
[Girl] I love your picture.
- [Chattering] - [Girl] Can I have a pencil, please?
[Boy] I have one that you can borrow.
[Bleats]
[Woman] Oh, look.
[Children] "A"for apple.
- [Woman] "B"for bat. - [Children] "B"for bat.
- "C"is for cat. - "C"for cat.
"D" for dog.
Mother Teresa.
I've decided to stay. There is so much to do here.
This is only the beginning.
The road is long and full of danger.
[Sighs]
This is where our city will be built...
a city for those who have lost everything.
So, do you understand what I want to do?
A city for those who have recovered from leprosy.
A beautiful place to live and work...
and, above all, to regain the feeling of being loved.
And where is this land?
- Here, near Titagarh. - [Phone Ringing]
But this is an absurd place. There's nothing but sand in it.
This is the land they gave us. It will be fine.
Dear Mother Teresa...
do you have any idea what it would cost to build what you have in mind?
You are the expert, not me.
Thousands and thousands of dollars.
- Where will the money come from? - Money is not a problem.
- If the Lord likes the idea, the money will come. - And what if he doesn't?
Then it means he was not very interested. Never mind.
Mother Teresa, I can't help you with this.
It's sheer madness.
But you can always count on my help in the kitchen.
It is not I who must count on you. It is the poor needy.
I was wondering, what do you think of"City of Peace" as a name?
"Traveling clinics,"Mother Teresa calls them. To help the lepers.
For the past 15 years, the Sisters of Charity...
have enlisted hundreds of people...
including many men.
There are 20 such centers in India.
Another is about to be opened in Venezuela.
Yet despite this activism, the work of Mother Teresa...
is often met with diffidence...
and, in a number of cases, even open hostility.
Various Indian intellectuals have criticized the Missionaries...
for the poor reputation they are giving to the city of Calcutta.
I'm joined today by Doctor Singh.
Doctor Singh, what problem do you have with these Missionaries?
Well, Calcutta is a city of tradition, culture and history.
Thanks to Mother Teresa it has become synonymous...
- with misery and poverty. - And there we have it.
There is also the matter of finance.
The Missionaries don't accept any funding from any public institution.
Instead they rely solely on contributions from individuals.
They're not going to send us the flour they promised from the market anymore.
I will deal with it.
You go to the chemists and see if they will send us some penicillin.
First day out, is it?
Remember to smile, always. Smiles are infectious...
and the more it costs us, the more precious it is.
Smiling is our first act oflove.
It's a sign of our love for God.
Good morning, Mother Teresa.
Forgive the mess, but we are rather busy.
Mother. You understand Spanish, don't you?
- Why? - From Venezuela.
"Alcalde de Cocorote."
They will not let us build the shelter unless we give them all these documents.
Tell Father Serrano.
You're English, aren't you?
From London, yes.
- What's your name? - Anna.
Have you come here to interview me?
I've come to stay as a voluntary worker.
Have you seen what this city is like?
It's not like the documentaries, you know?
These people take all of you and more.
I have considered it carefully, Mother Teresa. I want to live here.
My child. Do you know how many people come here and want to stay...
and then after a week they leave?
When can I start?
[Bell Pealing]
Mother.
That report on television, they said such nasty things about us.
Yet millions of people watched from all over the world...
- and they have sent these. - What?
International money orders.
Money, Mother. Money from every corner of the world.
- More money than we have seen in one place. - Oh.
$850 from Canada.
I say we should send them immediately to our sisters in Cocorote in Venezuela.
And that money order for $3.00 which was left over...
keep it to one side to buy books for Durga's daughter.
There is this request from the sisters in Pune. The infirmary has been damaged by flooding.
- Everything needs to be repaired. - Yes, that's very important.
There is another money order from Canada. Will this be enough?
- How much is it for? - $1,200.
Add this one too.
Now how much do we have left for our City of Peace?
For City of Peace–
- Nothing. - Mm-mmm.
But I think, Mother, the Madras dormitory is not very urgent.
$2,000. If– If you want, we can take this.
No, no. Let it be.
The Lord is obviously not in a hurry.
Will children be allowed in the City of Peace too?
Of course. We will build a school especially for you.
- Especially? - Mm-hmm.
- Well, I'm not going then. - Ah.
- Now who was it who wanted a school? - Not me!
- [All Laughing] - Come, Mother. Let me show you something interesting.
Oh. That is just how I imagined it.
The City of Peace.
Perhaps it will never be built, but... it's worth dreaming.
- Hmm. - Mother.
Perhaps we have found a way of reconciling our ideas.
I never properly understand you.
Trust in Providence and the need to organize.
- Mr. Logan, Mother Teresa. - Ah, Good morning, Mr. Logan.
- Good morning. - Good morning. Good morning.
It was this pest who brought you to my notice.
My school is full of photos of Mother Teresa with poor children.
Ah.
But I was the one who asked Mummy for the clothes for the children.
We are a happy family, Mother Teresa.
But my wife and I believe we would be even happier...
if others could be happier too.
I have, uh, taken the liberty of making a small gesture of friendship...
in support of your work, Mother Teresa.
Oh, this is too much for us.
- This should be enough for the children. - May I?
Mother...
Mr. Logan's offer is providential too, you know?
Mother Teresa, I know you have a very ambitious project– the City of Peace.
Take it all. Let me do a charitable deed.
God bless you.
There we go. Yes. Stand still now.
I'm sorry. Sorry.
Smile!
Thank you.
- Very good. Good. - Well, thank you, Mr. Logan.
You did the right thing, Mother.
You were absolutely right to accept Logan's offer.
Now they know about us all over the world.
Our aim is not to attract publicity...
but to help others with the strength that Christ gives us.
When there were just a few of us, we were able to manage by ourselves.
But do you know how many people we fed yesterday?
I know. Ten thousand is a lot of people.
Ten thousand six months ago.
Now the number is almost twice that.
Every day. And then there are the other centers in India...
those that are about to open in the West...
and the sick and the medicines.
There is your city, Mother.
How can we go on unless we get better organized?
The work we do is not ours. It is his.
He is the one who must provide.
Do you want our children to return to the slums...
or do you want to give them to parents who will love them?
If this work is to continue...
we need strategies, funds, plans, qualified staff.
We don't need strategies.
The Lord likes small things best...
especially those done with love.
Mother.
Promise me you will think about it.
[Speaking Foreign Language]
- Anna! Anna! - Anna!
- Anna. - [Mother Teresa] Are you hurt?
No. No.
I must have slipped.
- I'm fine. - Please watch where you're going.
- Okay. Get up. - Thank you.
- Are you okay now? - I'm fine– Oh, look at you.
- Don't worry. - [Horn Honking]
- Mother Teresa? - Yes?
We're from the Calcutta Building Commission.
This building work has not been regularly authorized.
What do you mean?
I-I mean the procedures have not been respected.
These documents, missing.
Your building work is clearly unlawful.
We don't have a project report from the Propaganda Fide, Mother.
We must prepare a file and send it to Rome.
That is none of my business.
- Have a nice day. - Thank you.
- Good morning. - We would like three tickets for Rome.
Uh, that would be $250.
Three tickets, $250?
$250 each. For three tickets, it will be $750.
We can't afford that. Can we have a discount?
- For what purpose? - We have to go to Rome to see the Pope.
This is the price for those who are going to visit the Pope...
and this is the price for those who are going to see the Colosseum.
Oh, we can't afford to spend that kind of money.
We would have to close down the airline if we don't charge these prices.
Do you understand?
Uh, I would do this.
I could give you the 10% discount that we normally apply to the groups.
- Is that okay? - We still haven't got enough money.
If we work as hostesses?
Hostesses? What do you mean?
Uh, we will clean. We're good at cleaning.
We can serve food. What else can we do?
We already have enough hostesses.
- Please. - I would love to help you, but–
Yeah.
And now what are we going to do?
Mother Teresa. Do you remember me?
Of course.
You are only saying that to make me happy.
I am sure you don't remember.
Ram. The Tree School. 1948 or '49.
'48. Your first class.
My child.
Let's go to my office.
- What are you doing here? - I'm the director of sales.
You've done well.
Is there anything I can do to help you?
A discount?
A discount? No.
But I give this card to you.
- Oh, how nice. What is it? - We give it for retired hostesses.
What's it for?
Well, you can fly free with our airlines to any destination in the world.
God bless you.
[Bell Pealing]
The remaining documents will be ready as soon as possible.
The most important is the authorization of the Propaganda Fide.
But we're in rather a hurry.
- The building work has been suspended. - We are all in a hurry here.
- Perhaps if I were to ask, uh– - His Holiness?
Yes, exactly. I met him eight years ago in Bombay.
He was very nice. Perhaps he remembers me.
[Chuckles] Sister. Don't even mention it.
Next time make your application in time.
And now, if you don't mind.
[Phone Rings]
Yes?
Your Holiness.
Yes, you've been informed correctly.
Yes. She's in front of me.
What can the Pope do to help you?
You have already granted permission for the City of Peace.
That was only a matter of signatures. I want to do something more.
I have an idea.
I would like to open a center for the homeless...
and the spiritually poor, right here.
- In Rome? - Not exactly.
I mean here in the Vatican.
Mother, many believe that the Pope can do whatever he likes.
But I can assure you it is not so.
[Bell Pealing]
Do you know something?
In Calcutta all we need is a little rice and some medicine.
But here they suffer a worse kind of hunger.
- Here they hunger for love. - We're needed in the rich world too.
Hmm. Give me that.
- Mother! Mother! - [Woman] Is she okay? She's fallen.
- Mother! Are you all right? - Oh, it's nothing.
- Oh. - What are–What are we going to do?
I want to leave and before lunch.
Do you know who pushed you off that stepladder?
- Your guardian angel. - Hmm. Could be.
Mother, you don't look after yourself properly.
If you hadn't been admitted here...
we would never have discovered the risk you are running.
Angina pectoris, Mother Teresa. Do you know what that means?
- I'm sure you do. - My heart.
You see, you do know.
Mother, your heart is in bad shape.
It could fail at any moment unless you rest for a while.
Hmm. I have the whole of eternity for resting.
[Horn Honks]
Look after this, will you? I don't want it.
Mother Teresa! Welcome back!
That's enough. That's enough. You're embarrassing me.
The most important thing is that the work has started again.
God bless you all.
Mother Teresa, I'm afraid we have another problem.
A problem? Now that's something new.
Look here, Mother.
Support for Mother Teresa, Teresa of Calcutta Association, Association of Missionaries.
Do you know how many people send us checks like this convinced they are helping us?
Well? What's the problem?
You explain, Mr. Forster.
Mother, the problem is we cannot cash any of these checks.
I don't understand. Why not?
Because none of these associations exist.
We have thousands of volunteers that work for us...
but not one single organization that binds them all together.
As soon as three people get themselves together in a room...
all they want to do is set up a company.
But there aren't just three of us anymore, Mother.
We have volunteers all over the world.
Mother Teresa, I think the idea of an association would be a good one.
We could put thousands of volunteers in different countries...
in contact with one another.
We would be better coordinated.
We could publish a newsletter to bind our organization together.
I don't want to form a company. I'm not interested in numbers.
I just want our work to be the work of love.
And why should it change, Mother?
Why can't there be love in all this?
Let me tell you something.
I would prefer things simpler.
More– How can I put it?
More disorganized.
Happily disorganized.
[Chattering In Native Language]
Get out of the way!
Or we cannot guarantee your safety!
[Shouting]
You've asked for it now! Start the diggers!
What's going on?
I have been given orders to demolish the building.
But the documentation is all in order.
The municipal building permit is missing.
I don't care what is missing. If you want, we will stop building.
But you must stop the bulldozers.
I am here to execute an order.
Get these people out of the way!
- Get out of the way. - No! No, Mother Teresa! We must resist!
There is no point in fighting violence with violence. Let's move.
Come on. Come on!
Get all this on film.
- Film all this, okay? - Right. Yep.
Careful! Be careful!
It's so difficult to build and so easy to destroy.
Hey! Stop! Stop!
Please.
Look. Look!
This time I won, Mother. I cataloged all our obligations with a protocol number.
So it took no time to find a temporary authorization.
Stop! Stop the diggers!
The papers had mysteriously disappeared from the relative office.
Not everybody loves us, you know.
Hmm. But your efficiency has taken care of everything.
By the way, I have read the statute...
but, um, I can't concern myself with, uh–
Don't worry, Mother. I will look after the statute and everything else.
Hmm. Thank you. That's all.
The symptoms are unmistakable, Mother Teresa.
Anna has sclerosis.
She will find it more and more difficult to move and to walk.
She needs treatment, further examination, specialist care.
[Mother Teresa] Then nothing can be done?
You need more tests. You must return home.
But why?
This is my life.
Your life, our lives, belong to the Lord.
He is the one who leads us by the hand.
[Sobbing] My place is here.
You will serve Christ in another way.
How?
What is there I can do?
Pray.
Yes, pray.
The work we do here is important.
But what is more important is that the work be supported by prayer.
That is what keeps everything going.
I have a mission for you, Anna.
I need special helpers.
People who can join us in spirit...
and offer their prayers and their suffering to God.
Your body will be in London...
but your soul will remain here...
helping me build the City of Peace.
Will you help me like this?
But if I don't have the strength, Mother.
I know it's difficult, Anna.
But we must have faith and believe...
that it's in moments like these...
that God loves us the most.
The Logan scandal has...
finally uncovered the truth...
behind Mother Teresa's business activities.
This City of Peace has been funded by corruption.
This is Arthur Kline reporting with the latest in Titagarh.
Where are you going?
- There are the adoption files to be– - I'm leaving.
Why?
I can't stand it anymore. I don't have the strength to continue.
Are you sure you are doing what you really want?
No one is obliged to become a saint.
And in any case, I wouldn't be able to.
Wait.
Take care of yourself, my dear.
I'm going home.
[Mother Teresa] Another member of the family has left.
That makes three in just one month.
Not everyone has the same strength as you.
We must accept what the Lord has asked us to do.
Of course, Mother.
But some people are just not able to keep going from half past 4:00 in the morning...
until late at night without a moment for themselves.
I understand. And my sadness is greater for it.
Mother– Mother Teresa!
Get back! Get back! You can't do this!
Mr. Logan has promised his investors incredible rates of interest.
That's got nothing to do with us.
Yes, but– but it has. He said that he was endorsed by you.
- He showed them photos of you in his brochure. - [Man] Aha!
I know nothing about it. I'm so sorry.
Hundreds of families have lost everything they own in this bankruptcy.
Mother Teresa, they trusted you.
I am very sad for them.
Is it true that Logan backed the building of the City of Peace?
Please, gentlemen. It's not the right moment.
We will answer in a press conference.
Okay. What is your opinion of Logan now?
He has always been a good Christian as far as we're concerned.
You're admitting to us that you have received money from his company.
Yes, he has helped us on occasion.
Are you prepared to give the victims of this fraud their money back?
Mother Teresa?
Yes, I will give it back.
- Give it back? When? - Immediately.
Get this on film. Follow her. Get– Get this on film.
Come on. Follow– Follow her. Come on.
Here! This is where Logan's money is. Take it.
- Take it? - [Children Laughing]
Cut! Cut! Cut! Cut the camera! Cut the camera! Cut the camera!
Let's– Let's get out of here. Come on.
Are you looking for someone?
Yes.
Who?
My Lord.
Do you work for him?
Yes. For him.
And is he happy with your work?
I don't know.
Why do you want to see him?
Because I feel lost without him.
Go in peace.
A good employer never forgets...
those who work for him.
Are you looking forward to meeting them?
Is it very cold in Norway?
No. And when you get there, the sun will shine even at midnight.
- At midnight? - Hmm.
Mother Teresa, will they tell me the robin story in Norway?
Yes. The story of the robin.
And the story of the three little pigs and the tale of the ugly duckling.
Aloke, this is Elisabeth and Helmer.
They want to be your father and mother.
Mother?
This is the boy. You know all about him, don't you?
I heard a voice inside me, Mother Teresa.
This child is the greatest gift God could ever give us.
- Give us? - [Laughing]
[Clapping]
Mother, Father Van Exem is waiting for you.
The archbishop wants to meet with you urgently.
- Hmm. God bless. - Thank you.
- Thank you.
- [Children Chattering] - [Child] Oh, quickly! Come on!
Do you know what it says?
That not all the children from your center are adopted.
Of course not. The waiting list is very long, but–
Some are sold.
They are accusing you of trafficking children.
It was Kline who raised the case.
- Slanderous suspicions, Mother Teresa. - But it's absurd.
None of us believe your sisters are guilty, of course. Thank goodness.
But perhaps one of your helpers.
I have personally advised the Holy See.
They have already issued a preliminary statement.
What does Kline say?
- That he can prove everything. - That's impossible.
- Inspector Shankar. - Good morning.
Inspector Shankar has ensured us...
that his inquiries will be conducted with the utmost discretion.
Inspector Shankar, surely you don't believe this slander.
They have just sent us copies of evidence.
Do you know him?
Yes, of course. It's Swapan.
This is the document that was given to the adopting parents.
I remember him. He went to France with a couple from Lyons.
The boy in the photo did. Yes.
- But read what is written below. - Apu Tagore?
That's not his name?
Perhaps someone has falsified the documents.
Mother Teresa...
where is this other child?
Everything is in order here.
Have you checked the files from last year?
Nothing, Mother. No child called Apu. Where can his papers be?
Who looked after his case?
I think Sister Amrita.
- When? - Shortly before she left.
- We must find her. - What will happen now?
We must pray to God, Mother.
Or this could be the end of everything.
And the foreign office has received a derogatory letter from the French embassy.
They are asking for an immediate delivery of a report.
They want to know where the child disappeared.
- We are checking all our files. - Have you found anything?
For the moment no, but–
Mother Teresa, I must be quite frank with you.
On behalf of the Indian government, I'm warning you...
that if we don't receive an explanation within a week...
we will have to revoke all the permits of your children's home.
[Phone Rings]
[Rings]
- Hello? - Anna.
Mother Teresa.
I need you, all of you.
And we need you.
Anna, help me.
Of course.
Storm the heavens with your prayers.
We need your prayers.
- God bless you. - And God bless you.
I know who you are.
Personally I am aware that you have nothing to do with this story.
But perhaps– perhaps one of your helpers?
Perhaps behind your back?
My helpers think of children as the most precious of God's gifts.
- Not even a suspicion? - [Shankar] You see, Mother...
if we are able to focus our inquiries on someone in particular...
we can keep the Order of the Missionaries out of this scandal.
Well?
No. Not even a shadow of suspicion.
At this point, I don't think we have any more to say.
Inspector Shankar?
Through here.
I only wanted to make the parents of the child happy.
Who are you talking about?
Which parents?
They were so happy when they found out about the adoption.
Apu Tagore was to go and live with them in France.
But a week before his departure, he got a serious bout of gastroenteritis.
I took him to hospital.
But... nothing could be done.
He died?
Go on.
The couple was waiting for him. It was their greatest desire to have a child.
When they got to Calcutta...
I couldn't bring myself to tell them the truth...
to destroy their dreams.
So you took another child and put his photograph on the adoption papers, huh?
Are they going to arrest me?
Mother.
The statute of the association.
You'll see, things will be better like this.
[Celes] Mother! Mother, come quickly!
- It's Nadi. - What's happened?
She was playing with the other children and she fell out of the tree.
Nadi?
- Nadi's this way. - Oh.
Nadi?
Nadi. It's only me.
Don't be afraid.
I am here with you.
A little robin saw Jesus on the cross.
He noticed the thorns on his head.
And so he flew down...
to take out a thorn.
But as he was pulling it out...
he pricked his wing.
Wing?
Water.
- Nadi. - [Wind Blowing]
[Thunder Rumbling]
[Dog Barking]
I've been looking for you everywhere.
When I speak to people about God's love...
about his presence among the poor...
my words give courage, and I smile.
But in my heart of hearts, I cannot smile.
There is only darkness.
In your words, I sense the suffering of Christ.
Everyone has a night of darkness to get through.
But in your actions...
I see his love.
It's like a wave that washes over me.
I can't go on anymore.
[Chattering]
- [Man] Hey! Hey! Here she comes! - Mother Teresa!
This way.
- [Man] Mother. - Congratulations, Mother.
- Thank you. - For the gala dinner tomorrow evening.
And this is the menu we have ordered.
Our chef has created several dishes in your honor.
Oyster canapes au gratin, beluga caviar, blinis.
Thank you. But how much did all this cost?
Oh, that's no problem.
But don't you like the menu?
Oh, yes, it's very good, but with all that money...
don't you think we could do something more?
- More? - Uh, this way.
Life is life.
Let us defend it always and with a smile.
Helping the weakest, the poor, the sick, the old.
Defend our children from the culture of indifference and death.
Defend life right from conception to death.
And if someone isn't able or capable to do it...
entrust it to me.
Let us pray.
Mother!
- [Groans] - Mother. Okay.
The operating theater is ready.
Be brave.
[Chuckles]
I will pray for you today.
For your life.
If it be your will...
take me in her place.
Hear my prayer.
Take my life instead of hers.
Your will.
Your only will.
Doctor.
I am pleased to announce that the operation has been successful.
Now all we need to do is wait for her to wake up from the anesthetic.
Thank you. Thank you, Lord.
- Now we can go. - Yes, but slowly does it.
- Sister. Sister Celes. - There's no hurry here.
I can't wait to get out of here.
Father Van Exem died this morning.
Where is Father Van Exem?
Why isn't he here?
[Thinking] If my pain and my darkness console you...
do what you want with me, my Lord Jesus.
If my separation from you puts others on your path...
and if their love brings you joy...
then, Jesus, I readily suffer that which I am suffering.
Your will is everything I desire.
Now I know that you have never abandoned me.
Everything we do is just a drop in the ocean.
But if we don't do it...
that drop will be missing forever.
[Forster] My dear friends...
as you can see from the newsletter which we've given to all of our members...
our financial needs in the year 1995...
were eight percent greater than the previous year.
However, our revenues did not increase– [Continues]
How much does a bottle of water like this cost?
- $3.00. - $3.00?
With $3.00, I can send a child to school for a whole year.
Mother, the–
the problems facing us today are immense.
We must approve these decisions by a majority vote.
- I agree. - We must vote.
I understand.
Mother, it is in the statute.
It was in the statute.
But as from today, this association no longer exists.
Mother, that is unlawful.
Close the bank accounts, no more magazines...
no more hotels, no more meetings.
We are going back to our roots.
Back to being with the poor. Poor among the poor.
Father, you cannot allow this to happen. You must react.
She has just canceled the good work of the last 30 years of your life.
It's true. That is true.
It's taken 30 years for me to understand...
she's right.
Where there is desperation, may I bring hope.
Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.
Hmm?
Allow me to console rather than be consoled.
Lord, allow me to console rather than to be consoled.
To understand, rather than to be understood.
Much better.
[Sighs]
To love, rather than be loved.
There you go.
[Man] Now, open wide.
Because giving is receiving. Hmm?
[Mother Teresa's Voice] Because it is in forgiving that we are forgiven.
It is in dying, that we are born to eternal life.