I am the Foundress and Superior of an International Religious Order known as the Missionaries of Charity. The Order was approved and instituted in Calcutta, India in 1950 and in 1965 became a Society of Pontifical Rite. I am sometimes referred to as Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Inasmuch as I have been made aware of persons and entities that have sought to use my name for various purposes without my consent, I feel that it is necessary and appropriate to issue this statement with regard to the use of my name after my death.
Although I make no judgments about those persons and entities, and indeed, I would hope that most, if not all, have had laudable intentions, it has happened quite often that the use of my name, even when it has involved the solicitation of funds for worthy charitable purposes, has conflicted with my religious beliefs and those of my Order. I have, therefore, strived to prevent the use of my name in those instances.
I realize that there may be some who would seek to use my name after my death, and I feel very strongly that the exclusive right to control the use of my name should be vested in my successor from time to time in the office of Superior of the Missionaries of Charity. This right is to be exercised in the absolute discretion of my successor, to the end that consent to the use of my name will be withheld or granted in accordance with the religious beliefs which I have held in common with my Order and expressed during my lifetime. In this connection, I urge that the legal representatives, if any, of my Estate render full cooperation and assistance as and when requested, to my successor in carrying out my wishes as herein stated.
M. Teresa, M.C.
"As long as you did it to one of these My least brethren, you did it to Me."
54A A.J.C. Bose Road Calcutta 700016 India
To Whom It May Concern:
This is to inform you that the Society of the Missionaries of Charity, the Roman Catholic religious congregation of Sisters founded by Mother (Mary) Teresa (Bojaxhiu), M.C., in the Archdiocese of Calcutta on 7 October 1950, constitutes the legal heir of the same Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who died in Calcutta on 5 September 1997. Mother Teresa is also known as Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta as of 19 October 2003, or Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
The patrimony of the Missionaries of Charity includes all rights over Mother Teresa's life, works, words, name, image and voice. These rights are protected by national and international copyright and other intellectual property laws and laws which protect the rights of public figures.
Mother Teresa clearly expressed her intentions regarding the use of her name and image in her statement of 14 October 1984 (see attached) in which she gave "full rights and responsibility to her successor.
The successor of Mother Teresa is the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity. She is the Society's legal representative. The current Superior General is Sister M. Nirmala Joshi, M.C.
Further evidence of the relationship of the Missionaries of Charity to Mother Teresa is the fact that the Missionaries of Charity are often referred to as "Mother Teresa's Sisters," "Mother Teresa's Order," and the '^Daughters of Mother Teresa," and the congregation is known by some people solely by these names.
As an image of Mother Teresa, the "blue par" (blue bordered) sari, which was worn by Mother Teresa and is part of the religious dress of her Sisters, is so characteristic of Mother Teresa as to be an internationally recognized symbol of her. In fact, this type of sari is no longer sold in the public market in Calcutta because it is associated with Mother Teresa's religious dress. Evidence of this association of the sari with Mother Teresa is provided in the attached photo of her blessing her successor, Sr. M. Nirmala, M.C., the present Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity; and in the attached copies of newspaper notices published in Calcutta at the time of her death. This demonstrates that the blue par sari has become a "trademark" of Mother Teresa and thus of her religious congregation. Its use is also the sole right of the Missionaries of Charity.
Sr. M. Nirmala Joshi, M.C
Superior General Missionaries of Charity
