This story, appearing today, indicates that Catholic institutions forced adoptions not only in Ireland, but also in Australia. Where else?
Monday, Jul 25, 2011
SYDNEY - The Catholic Church in Australia on Monday apologised for the forced adoption of babies from young, unwed mothers in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, saying the practice was "deeply regrettable".
"We acknowledge the pain of separation and loss felt then and felt now by the mothers, fathers, children, families and others involved in the practices of the time," the apology said.
"For this pain we are genuinely sorry," said the statement from Catholic Health Australia and Sisters of Mercy nuns from Singleton, north of Sydney, in response to accounts of babies taken from their mothers in decades past.
Catholic Health, the representative body for Catholic Church-run hospitals and aged care services in Australia, said it had no way of knowing how many people had been affected by forced adoptions.
It said that over the past 20 years, people had come forward to speak about unacceptable adoption practices which it said were "regrettably common in many maternity hospitals across Australia" at the time.
"These practices of the past are no longer tolerated, nor allowed by today's law, and are deeply regrettable," the statement said.
The church said it agreed with a New South Wales state Parliamentary Inquiry into forced adoption which in 2000 found past practices were misguided, and at times unethical or unlawful.
Full story here
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