The Associated Press reported this year that a mass grave containing the remains of some 800 orphans had been discovered in Ireland near a former Catholic-owned home for children of unwed mothers, raising serious questions about the Church and child neglect in that country.
The report alleged mismanagement, abuse and a careful coverup.
However, it turns out that much of the AP story, with its outlandish claim that the Church’s official practice at the time was to deny bastard children baptism, is a heaping pile of smoldering nonsense.
Yes, according to a correction published this weekend, the AP’s The-Irish-Catholic-Church-Hates-Babies report has an impressive number of inaccuracies.
From the AP:
Okay, so what we do know is that there is a place called “Ireland” and its population includes children. That much is accurate.
It would appear that the only thing the AP didn’t screw up in its initial report was the author’s name (and we’re not even sure of that).
But seriously, the AP did the public and the Catholic Church in Ireland a major disservice.
The AP undoubtedly duped thousands of readers – readers who likely won’t notice the little-publicized correction – into thinking that a handful of Irish nuns behaved like monsters.
The narrative of child neglect and cruelty will stick, despite the story’s numerous inaccuracies, and it’ll likely stay that way as activist groups in the Emerald Isle increase their efforts to pull the Church to the left.
Top-notch work, AP.
Stunning.
