What was the Next Friends Suit involving Mary Baker Eddy?

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The Mother Church at the Christian Science Center in Boston stands beside a large reflecting pool, with its domed roof and ornate facade visible under a partly cloudy sky. — Christian Science The Mother Church and reflecting pool, Christian Science Center, Boston.

The "Next Friends Suit" of 1907 was an unsuccessful legal challenge orchestrated by Joseph Pulitzer’s newspaper, the New York World, which sought to question the mental competence of Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science.1

Contrary to any suggestion that the suit was a legitimate inquiry into her health, it was a targeted effort to undermine her leadership and the growing influence of the church she established. The litigation occurred during a period when Eddy faced significant public controversy and criticism regarding her religious teachings and their practical challenges to conventional medicine and religion. The suit ultimately failed to achieve its objective of proving her incompetence.1