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ZACulture3 days ago

Church of England leader apologises for historical forced adoption practice

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has apologized for the Church of England's role in historical forced adoptions through its network of mother and baby homes. The Church operated over 200 such facilities between 1949 and 1976, which placed unwed mothers and their children into institutional care. The apology acknowledges the trauma caused to individuals who were subjected to these practices, and the government is expected to issue a separate apology on behalf of the state. Similar apologies have been made in other countries like Ireland and Australia.

“We are profoundly sorry for the pain, trauma and stigma experienced - and still carried - by many people because of historical adoption practices in homes affiliated to the Church of England,” Mullally said in a statement.

The government is also expected to apologise on behalf of the state for the practice. Other countries, including Ireland and Australia, have in recent years issued similar apologies.

The Church was a significant provider of mother and baby homes, potentially more than 200 over time, its research examining the period between 1949 and 1976 showed on Thursday.

The social systems and structures at the time “made it extremely difficult for unmarried women with children to live independently”, the Church’s report said.

“Today, we say to each of you: the shame you were made to feel was wrong. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Rather, we are deeply ashamed that this happened to people in the care of Christian communities,” Mullally said.

(Reporting by Muvija M; editing by William James)

Read the full article at Daily Maverick →
Source document: Church of England Report on Mother and Baby Homes

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Daily MaverickIndependentCenter3 days ago
Church of England leader apologises for historical forced adoption practice

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has apologized for the Church of England's role in historical forced adoptions through its network of mother and baby homes. The Church operated over 200 such facilities between 1949 and 1976, which placed unwed mothers and their children into institutional care. The apology acknowledges the trauma caused to individuals who were subjected to these practices, and the government is expected to issue a separate apology on behalf of the state. Similar apologies have been made in other countries like Ireland and Australia.

Bias read (Center): The article presents an apology from the Church of England and mentions the government's anticipated response without taking a stance on the moral or political implications of the apology. It includes quotes from the Church's statement and references similar actions by other countries but does not偏向

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  • organisation Church of England Report on Mother and Baby Homes

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  • organisationChurch of England Report on Mother and Baby Homes