How the Catholic Church Hid Away Hundreds of Irish Children | Times Documentaries

Ireland wanted to forget, but the dead don't always stay buried. One woman made it her mission to unearth the truth.
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[@naomiklassen475]

Imagine having the audacity to think you have the right to take a baby away from a mother. Evil.

[@maplebaconcakes5113]

Good news all! It was just announced today (October 23, 2018) that the burial sites are to be exhumed and the remains recovered. Hopefully this will bring peace of mind to the families who have lost relatives there.

[@laurencannon3417]

my grandma went to a mother and baby home in England in 1963, they tried to take her baby from her saying that she would never have a normal life as a single mother, but she refused to give up my auntie. when she married my grandpa, he signed his name in the father's space on my auntie's birth certificate and raised her as his own

[@katrinamoore3520]

My grandfather and father attended catholic schools. They both said how cruel the Priests were.

[@daskraut]

the words "catholic church" and "children" in one sentence always make me suspicious.

[@stephaniecamillenietes2250]

and these were the same people calling themselves "holy" and "righteous". gosh

[@carleewalsh5502]

When that man was talking about finding the bones and how no one did anything, the look on his face was so despondent. Man this is......one of the saddest things I've ever heard of.

[@leavealekalone]

Women's worth should never be determined by a man's 'ownership' of her. It is disgusting what was happening to women and their kids, just becuase they did not live accordingly to the catholic church's expectations. And it is still happening in the world!

[@marlimoomaurer8533]

These children were obviously being starved to death. How could so many children die and not one nun stand up for those helpless children and just dumping their bodies, this is murder pure and simple.

[@sfunyc1281]

I hope that any of the nuns, still living today, have been arrested and charged with murder.

[@crisptomato9495]

I used to play in the cemetery at my local church as a kid. There was this stage like structure near a row of trees with a large statue of Jesus on the cross on top, and behind it there was this big hidden clearing. I remember exploring it and finding flowers and little trinkets and candles and things like that laid about. It was only when I was older that I realized that it was a mass grave for suicide victims and unbaptized babies. The church refused to give them headstones or bury them with the others, so they hid the bodies away back there. The family members were only allowed to visit the grave after hours so the other parishioners didn’t find out. Not too long ago I checked the place out again and they’ve completely levelled it. I guess they don’t want to soil their squeaky clean reputation. If you visit any old Catholic church, look for an empty clearing hidden away in the back. It’s likely where all the “unholy” are buried.

[@ReasonNotFightFlight]

Philomena is an EXCELLENT film about this era and Dame Judith Dench won an award for her portrayal of a simple Irish woman: She rocked.

[@mereiam]

I never understood the concept of punishing a child for their parents mistakes, men never get punished either

[@bartwilson2513]

Remember when everyone was so upset about Sinead O’Connor ripping up a picture of the pope on live television? Seems like a pretty rational reaction about now.

[@leadavis3924]

You had given these poor souls a voice, thank you.

[@Piliox1994]

The recently dircovered mass graves in Canada have me thinking about this and the role that the catholic church played in both

[@alisonlee3314]

As a mother...I don't know how you would ever recover

[@thelittleredhairedgirlfrom6527]

Look at the list of the babies they killed. Some of them were only days old. They had only just started life and all they got was pain and suffering. I hope the people responsible for this atrocity are brought to justice, if not in this life then in the next. The most insulting part of it is that they put a playground on top of it none of those babies will ever get a chance to play on. The Catholic Church must be held accountable.

[@bohemiansmiles4105]

I lived in Belfast,northern Ireland for most of my life.

[@kd2239]

Well done Catherine Corless. I hope some day Ireland honours you in a way befitting a hero of the people. The powers of the catholic church and our subservient government couldn't silence you. You fought for the innocent dead victims. Thank you.