Mother Teresa and Albanian Christianity are intertwined - study

Mother Teresa's life and the history of Albania - especially its people's relationship with Roman Catholicism - are intertwined, with the humanitarian icon epitomising her nation's cultural and spiritual DNA, the new study Mother Teresa: The Saint and Her Nation reveals. Its author, Dr Gëzim Alpion , from the University of Birmingham, claims that personal tragedies and Albanian origins helped shape Mother Teresa into the most influential religious personality of our times. This is the first study that places Mother Teresa in the context of her ethno-spiritual roots, looking at her vocation and mission as a reflection of the Albanian people's tumultuous history over the last two millennia. In this work, Dr Alpion explores what he perceives as the negative impact of the Ottoman Empire and organisations such as the Vatican, Serbian Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox Church and Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on the Balkans. The monograph highlights the need for more objective studies that illustrate the detrimental role of religion in fabricating national identity, as well as justifying territorial annexation. Dr Alpion commented: "An icon of Mother Teresa's global influence does not come about by chance. We must understand her life and work in the light of her family, the Albanian nation's spiritual tradition, and the impact of the Vatican and other influential powers on her people since the early Middle Ages.