During the 1950s, the Catholic Church in Belgium separated thousands of newborns from their unwed mothers and put them up for adoption, often without the mothers’ consent. The women were shamed into surrendering their babies by their families and a powerful church. Last month, Pope Francis apologized for those forced adoptions.

But Belgians weren’t the only victims. From 1950 to 1970, the Vatican sent 3,500 Italian children to America on something called an orphan visa. The trouble was most were not orphans. Like their Belgian counterparts, they too were the children of unwed mothers. Many mothers later went searching for their children, only to discover they had been sent across an ocean. Today, thousands of American adoptees are still struggling to piece together their lost lives.

  • apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    Fuck the Catholic Church

    Signed: Recovering socially catholic person who was forced to deal with the very insular and problematic Catholic bullshit for 18 years. Trauma is center to Catholicism. It is the point.

    • Maeve@kbin.earth
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      3 months ago

      You know how us Catholic girls can be We make up for so much time, a little too late I never forgot it, confusing as it was No fun with no guilt feelings The sinners, the saviors, the loverless priests I’ll see you next Sunday