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The true history of the site in Tuam has been revealed by local woman Catherine Corless. LauraHutton/RollingNews.ie

Catholic bishop: 'We hang our heads in shame' over Tuam mass grave

Bishop Brendan Leahy was challenged by a woman at today’s Citizens’ Assembly.

BISHOP BRENDAN LEAHY has told the Citizens’ Assembly that they in the church “hang our heads in shame” over the Tuam babies revelations.

Leahy was responding to a question from one of the assembly’s 99 members who identified herself as Cathy from Tuam.

She asked, given the context of the mass infant grave, whether the church had the “track record” to offer its opinion on the care of children.

The woman took particular issue with the assertion from pro-life groups that “every life matters”.

“How do the church expect us to go along with this given the horrific track record the church and religious orders have when dealing with the most vulnerable and, as you call them yourself, the voiceless weak in our society historically,” Cathy said.

And specifically, in the light of the recent discovery of 780 babies and infants bodies thrown into septic tanks in Tuam, and coincidentally I’m from Tuam myself.

Chair of the assembly Justice Mary Laffoy questioned the relevance of the question but the woman added:

“It’s the stance that everyone has a right to life regardless of the situation, how do they correlate the two when the historic track record stands as it is for itself?”

Katie Liffey, who presented on behalf of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, first answered the woman. She said she considered pulling out of her speaking slot on foot of the revelations.

“It is something that as, I suppose, an ordinary Catholic that I spent the weekend deeply upset by myself and I spent a lot of time reflecting did I want to be here?,” she said.

“Did I want to speak to this question given what has been uncovered in Tuam? So I deeply respect where you’re coming from.”

Bishop Brendan Leahy, who had joined Liffey on the stage for the Q&A portion of the session, then responded. He described the Tuam babies revelation as a “wake-up call”.

“Obviously I want to echo that sentiment, we’re all as shocked as everyone else about all of this. But I think it just brings home to us the key point is that is that society has to, both the born and the unborn, welcome them, care for them protect them and that’s true always,” he said.

“And we stand with a renewed kind of wake up call to us all, this is essential, and we want this to be essential in our mission as a church as well but also the common good.”

So certainly we hang our heads in shame but it brings us back to the fact that this is what we want. To promote a culture that really does care for life both before and after birth.

The comments come after the confirmation that “a significant number” of children’s remains have been discovered in sewage containers at the site of the old mother and baby home in Tuam.

Speaking this morning on RTÉ radio, government minister Simon Coveney said that it’s “hard to see how that there wouldn’t be garda involvement” in the case.

Abortion

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference was speaking as part of the Citizens’ Assembly’s deliberations on the Eighth Amendment and was arguing that the law be kept as it stands.

Liffey had said that it is their belief that people are “the responsible stewards of creation” and that “we are all unique from the moment of our conception”.

The Church of Ireland made a short presentation in which Rev. Michael Burrows said that, while it has been the church’s position that terminations should only take place of in cases of “strict and undeniable medical necessity”, it has questioned whether such nuance should be dealt with in the constitution.

Atheist Ireland argued in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment.

Earlier this afternoon, the Citizens’ Assembly heard from the Pro-Life Campaign and the Iona Institute who favour the status quo. Amnesty International and the Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment argued for a referendum and repeal.

Read: No mourning at final resting place of Tuam babies – only an eerie silence >

Read: Youth Defence: ‘Sex traffickers and child molesters love abortion’ >

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190 Comments
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    Mute Thomas Sheridan
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    May 12th 2023, 6:11 PM

    They’ve come to the right publications- there’s definitely a few regular commentators here that should be fluent russian speakers

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    Mute Candidate
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    May 12th 2023, 6:11 PM

    “186 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 14, for further information”

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    Mute Ordinary Bloke
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    May 12th 2023, 6:32 PM

    I thought we were a neutral country? Russian, Chinese, and Arabic yeah. I can see where imminent threat is here. Our defense forces reporting for duty, and ready to do the devils bidding.

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    Mute sean o'dhubhghaill
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    May 12th 2023, 6:36 PM

    @Ordinary Bloke: Militarily neutral, yes. Non-aligned, no. You cannot be on the fence when faced with evil.

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    Mute alan
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    May 12th 2023, 6:39 PM

    @Ordinary Bloke: what has learning Russian got to do with neutrality?

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    Mute Y U no spell good?
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    May 12th 2023, 7:19 PM

    @Ordinary Bloke: Defence hires people from within the EU so this process probably means there are enough speakers of European languages. It makes sense that they would need to specifically hire in expertise in languages not covered by the normal recruitment channels

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    Mute Kris Bopp
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    May 12th 2023, 6:35 PM

    I have been learning Russian since the beginning of the pandemic. Years ago in school we read Dr. Zhivago in English class and I always remember reading the foreword written by the language professor who translated it from the Russian original. She began by apologising that her russian (although fluent) was still not good enough to do justice to Pasternak’s wonderful prose. One of the best books I’ve ever read, and to be honest it’s a beautiful language. Like reading hieroglyphs or some alien language.
    I read it and understand it pretty well but speaking it is another story altogether.

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    Mute honey badger
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    May 12th 2023, 6:09 PM

    Pro Russia tears inbound.
    Take it away lads!

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    Mute alan
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    May 12th 2023, 6:26 PM

    They have ruined the Ukraine threads with their deliberate flooding them with posts. Which the journal leaves. Presumably for the sake of views. So, any other form of work for them would be great.

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    Mute bernard berry
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    May 12th 2023, 7:30 PM

    @alan: You mean they have ruined your echo chamber.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    May 12th 2023, 7:35 PM

    @bernard berry: no that’s not what he means.

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    Mute Robert Stack
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    May 12th 2023, 6:37 PM

    Russian Spies apply here……

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    May 12th 2023, 6:42 PM

    @Robert Stack: Russian spies post here.

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    Mute Eric VD
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    May 13th 2023, 11:48 AM

    @Robert Stack: Hi guys

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    Mute RT TR
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    May 12th 2023, 7:44 PM

    Love how recruiting a few Russian linguists makes the DF equivalent to MI5 & MI6!!!!

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    Mute cormac dodd
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    May 14th 2023, 3:41 PM

    @RT TR: Is mise O’Bondogáin, Séamus O’ Bondogáin

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    Mute Moses
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    May 12th 2023, 6:36 PM

    The government should hire someone to carry out intelligence work, because it ain’t happening at the minute.

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    Mute Ross
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    May 12th 2023, 8:41 PM

    The biggest threat to peace on this island is this aligning ourselves against China and Russia in support of the Wests need to be economically superior. I will gladly be slightly less well off if it means avoiding a war and for that reason you’re only codding yourselves by trying to sway the public to be “on side” with the economic goals of the west

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    May 12th 2023, 6:40 PM

    I’ve had a few compliments for my capacity of being such a good cunning linguist.

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    Mute Papa Benzo
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    May 13th 2023, 7:42 AM

    @Larry Betts: now now Larry

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    Mute Nestor
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    May 12th 2023, 6:40 PM

    “The Russian specialist will also conduct regular verbal briefings with senior managers and effectively communicate findings and conclusions.”

    This sounds a bit silly.

    “Well, Mr. or Ms. specialist, is a Russian invasion of Ireland imminent?

    Not this week, Sir.

    Thank you, specialist, what would we do without you!”

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    Mute Kris Bopp
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    May 12th 2023, 6:27 PM

    фейковые новости

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    May 12th 2023, 6:41 PM

    @Kris Bopp: that’s easy for you to say

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    Mute Geoff Bateman
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    May 12th 2023, 7:21 PM

    I smell double agents

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    Mute William slevin
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    May 12th 2023, 9:53 PM

    @Fiona Fitzgerald: we trade with the US…how many countries have they invaded in the last 60 years…how many countries and regions have the US destabilised and destroyed for the war economy….its hypocritical to treat Russia as we do when we suckle at the US teats…and the western nations of the UK and France who have done nearly as much as the US….

    But Russia we single out and scape goat….its rediculouse.

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    Mute William slevin
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    May 12th 2023, 9:02 PM

    @establishment loyalist Alan b:

    Your just desperate because your establishment loyalist echo chamber is dead…after what yous did through the pandemic on here…we don’t need no other reason to end your echo chamber ….

    Your baseless claiming us as russains is your Swan song…enjoy it…because I am…

    ; )

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    Mute William slevin
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    May 12th 2023, 9:04 PM

    @establishment loyalist Paul furher:

    Your like a headless chicken running around the comments section trying to preserve your lil echo chamber give it up…its dead….

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    Mute alan
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    May 12th 2023, 11:20 PM

    @William slevin: says the man who himself echoes another post directly.

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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    May 13th 2023, 9:47 AM

    Just once in my life is unreasonable to expect ffg to be ahead of the game . Because all I have ever see them do is closing the gate after the fact

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    Mute Martin Ryan
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    May 12th 2023, 9:28 PM

    83 k Ukrainian peep’s have a smidgen of Russian .
    Now how about a bit of peg Sayers
    In the Russian language .
    Or Michael Ds poetry .
    Or 8am Mass from knock lol

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    Mute Papa Benzo
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    May 13th 2023, 7:43 AM

    Sounds like a cool job

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    Mute John O Mahony
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    May 13th 2023, 4:37 AM

    Need a lot more than that

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    Mute Martin Cregan
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    May 13th 2023, 2:53 PM

    @Larry Betts
    Are you speaking in tongues?

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    Mute Serg Serg
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    May 14th 2023, 4:51 PM

    In general, this is a difficult question. The main thing is to understand what the Russian army and defense complex is like. To do this, you need to serve in it.

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    Mute Keth Tgi
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    May 13th 2023, 6:25 PM

    Cultural analysts….. How does that doll in a doll in a doll etc etc, work?

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    Mute patrick kelly
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    May 13th 2023, 10:00 AM

    Not sure this is the most recent developments in this according to the minister

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