Mother Teresa's 18.250 dark nights of the soul

A new book of Mother Teresa's letters continues to cause a stir in the world of religion. It has now come to light that the saintly woman spent most of her life doubting the very existence of God.

It seems that this piece of information won't have much influence on the ongoing process of her canonization, although she is not likely to be officially made a saint as soon as it was initially thought. The Vatican commission in charge is apparently having trouble finding any solid evidence for a miracle that happened through her intercession, one among a number of requirements.

She is by no means the only Catholic saint (or saint-to-be) famous for her doubt and struggle with faith. Among more popular ones is a medieval mystic St John of the Cross. Some already make comparisons between Mother Teresa's collection of letters and St John's "Dark Night of the Soul."

Seems like a timely piece of work for this day and age.

More on this: an editorial from Mennonite Weekly Review and an excellent On Point (NPR) podcast.