Mother Teresa's Diet

[Guest guest]

Hello everybody,

This is in reference to the essay on vegetarianism

submitted to AAPN by Mr Khalid Qureshi from Pakistan on 30th March, 2009,

where he makes the following observation on the diet of some famous

individuals : " Great men and women like Newton, Tolstoy, Mother Teresa,

Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Dr. Radha

Krishnan were vegetarians. "

I was interested in what he had to say about Mother Teresa's diet since I

had heard and read first hand reports on Mother Teresa consuming chicken

soup. So I wrote to the Reverend Andrew Linzey of Oxford University

requesting him for more information on this and also on the policy of the

Catholic Church on vegetarianism. As many of you will know, Reverend Linzey

is one of the world's foremost scholars on Christian ethics concerning

animals.

Please find attached Reverend Linzey's reply. His work in England in Oxford

is well and truly outstanding, symbolic of the very best gifts that Britain

has bestowed upon the world.

I have also written to the Press Office of the Vatican seeking more

information on this regard. I am awaiting a reply.

Best wishes and kind regards,

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Andrewlinzey <Andrewlinzey

Apr 1, 2009 11:33 AM

Re: Mother Teresa's vegetarianism

shubhobrotoghosh

 

 

Dear

 

To the best of my knowledge, Mother Teresa was not a vegetarian. The

Catholic Church does not endorse vegetarianism, and the Catechism of the

Catholic Church specifically justifies eating animals for food. I recommend

my book: Andrew Linzey and Tom Regan (eds) *Animals and Christianity: A Book

of Readings* published by Wipf and Stock; it contains excerpts from

theologians for and against animals:

 

http://wipfandstock.com/store/Animals_and_Christianity_A_Book_of_Readings.

 

I hope you also enjoy the Centre's wesbite: www.oxfordanimalethics.com.

 

All good wishes

Andrew Linzey

 

The Revd Professor Andrew Linzey, PhD, DD of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics,

Honorary Research Fellow, St Stephen's House, Oxford,

Member of the Faculty of Theology, University of Oxford,

and Honorary Professor, University of Winchester.

 

Address: 91 Iffley Road, Oxford OX4 1EG, England.

Telephone: 01865 201565

E mail: andrewlinzey

andrew.linzey

director

 

www.oxfordanimalethics.com

 

Books include: *

Animal Theology* (SCM Press/University of Illinois Press, 1994)*

Dictionary of Ethics, Theology and Society* (Routledge, 1996)*

After Noah* (Mowbray/Continuum, 1997)*

Animals on the Agenda *(SCM Press/University of Illinois Press, 1998)*

Animal Gospel* (Westminster John Knox Press, 1998) *

Animal Rites* (SCM Press/The Pilgrim Press, 1999)*

Animal Rights: A Historical Anthology* (Columbia University Press, 2005)*

Gays and the Future of Anglicanism* (O Books, 2005)*

Creatures of the Same God* (Winchester University Press, 2007)*

Animals and Christianity: A Book of Readings* (Wipf and Stock, 2008)

 

In a message dated 4/1/2009 6:46:11 AM GMT Standard Time,

shubhobrotoghosh writes:

 

Dear Reverend Linzey,

I am writing to you to obtain some

information regarding vegetarianism and the Catholic Church. A colleague of

mine from Pakistan has recently stated that Mother Teresa was a vegetarian.

To my knowledge this is not true since she ate chicken soup. Do you have any

information on this ? I would also like to know if there is any information

on the diet of St Francis of Assisi and if he was a vegetarian.

Can you also kindly tell me if the Catholic Church and the Vatican have a

policy on vegetarianism and if they encourage or endorse it?

I remain appreciative of your excellent work in Oxford and hope we can meet

some day.

Best wishes and kindest regards,

 

Yours sincerely,