The Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr Fintan Gavin has welcomed a commitment by religious orders involved in mother and baby homes to talk to the Government about establishing a redress scheme for former residents and their children. Bishop Gavin said some of the religious orders had already indicated their willingness to contribute to a scheme of redress, and this was welcome even though the issue of restitution was a complex matter. However, notwithstanding the fact the order was based in the UK, Bishop Gavin said he would support calls that any process for the disposal of assets owned by such orders “would include the moral rights of the survivors”. Bishop Gavin also appealed to legislators to find ways to facilitate the Catholic Church making birth and baptismal records available to people born in mother and baby homes. Bishop Gavin made his comments in a statement where he apologised for the Catholic Church’s role in creating “a culture of fear, judgment and secrecy” around mother and baby homes such as Bessborough.

Source: The Irish Times January 16, 2021 19:30 UTC