Mother fever

It's unlikely that the late Mother Teresa ever wore a sari with a slit up the front. But in a Rome theatre this week, she is not only so ado...

It8217;s unlikely that the late Mother Teresa ever wore a sari with a slit up the front. But in a Rome theatre this week, she is not only so adorned but also belting out pop tunes to standing-room-only crowds. The show, Mother Teresa 8212; The Musical, is part of Mother Teresa mania sweeping the Italian capital in advance of her Sunday beatification.

Pilgrims are pouring into town, souvenir vendors hawk figurines, plates, scarves and medallions, and Italian state television has scheduled a made-for-TV biography. On Via Merulana, the street where the musical is playing, members of Mother Teresa8217;s order, the Missionaries of Charity, have mounted an exhibit called 8216;8216;Mother Teresa, Life, Spirit and Message.8217;8217; They are not amused by the show, which is running just a block away.

Sisters of the Charity are sensitive about Mother8217;s image. A critical book about her work asserts that she failed to provide adequate medical care to her destitute patients. Doctors in India say a miracle cure attributed to Mother Teresa was in fact a medical cure. The Missionaries are speaking out against a new documentary that focuses on her personality 8212; in effect making her seem like a publicity-seeker.

8216;8216;Mother Teresa always wanted the focus to be on her work,8217;8217; said Sister Sepafano, an American nun. The Missionaries of Charity are certainly on their guard. Signs at the entrance of the exhibit read, 8216;8216;No photographs8217;8217; and 8216;8216;Copyright 2003. All Rights Reserved.8217;8217; 8216;8216;Put away your pens,8217;8217; Sister Sepafano told visiting reporters.

At the Vatican, however, where this week Pope John Paul II is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his leadership of Roman Catholic Church, media attention is welcome. One legacy of his long reign is the extensive use of media, especially television, to spread the Catholic message.

The pontiff will preside at Mother Teresa8217;s beatification, which will take place in St Peter8217;s Square. A quarter-million people are expected to attend, and the event has attracted television crews from around the world. Some observers contend that her quick beatification is due to media frenzy. For centuries, beatification did not occur until decades after the death of a candidate. John Paul, an admirer of Mother Teresa, speeded up the process.

Mother Teresa came into public view in the late 1960s when British journalist Malcolm Muggeridge praised her work in a book called Something Beautiful for God and then in a film.

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In 8216;8216;Mother Teresa 8212; The Musical,8217;8217; the stage nun has a Celine Dion voice and sings to faux Indians dressed in loincloths. There is a mock Crucifixion scene that includes a dancer doing a front flip. It8217;s a far cry from the Vatican-authorised, traditional form of veneration set for the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which stands at the head of Via Merulana. A vial of Mother Teresa8217;s blood and a lock of her hair will go on display over the weekend. LATWP