Rome, Italy, Aug 31, 2016 / 02:02 am
Mother Teresa didn't try to solve all of the world's problems: she simply lived her life in radical service and love of her neighbor, expecting God to take care of the rest, said her spiritual advisor.
"Hindus, Muslims, and Christians alike saw in her a role model. She was popular because she was authentic and she loved people genuinely," Msgr. Leo Maasburg told CNA.
CNA interviewed Msgr. Maasburg in anticipation of Mother Teresa's canonization, which takes place in Rome Sept. 4. During the Q&A, the priest talked about her spiritual philosophy, how she helped society in India, her under-recognized political interest and her "darkness of the soul," among other things.
Msgr. Maasburg, a priest of the Archdiocese of Vienna who was ordained in 1982, met Mother Teresa a few years into his priesthood, remaining her good friend until her death in 1997. Over the years, Msgr. Maasburg joined Mother Teresa and her religious sisters on various travels, including to Rome, India, and Armenia. He also acted as her spiritual advisor, translator, and confessor, and he is the author of Mother Teresa of Calcutta: A Personal Portrait.