A mass grave in Ireland has found almost 800 babies and children buried near a home for unmarried mothers run by nuns, throwing more light on the Irish Catholic Church's troubled past, new research showed.
During the 35 years that the Catholic-run home operated from 1925 to 1961, death records suggest 796 children, from newborns to eight-year-olds, were deposited in the grave, Agence France-Presse reported.
The government announced it was examining the "best means" to address the "deeply disturbing" revelations.
"Historian Catherine Corless, who made the discovery, said her study of death records for St Mary's home in Tuam in County Galway suggests that a former septic tank near the facility was a mass grave," according to AFP. "The septic tank, full to the brim with bones, was discovered in 1975 by locals when concrete slabs covering the tank broke up."
"Until now, locals believed the bones mainly stemmed from the Great Irish famine of the 1840s when hundreds of thousands perished."
St Mary's, run by the Bons Secours Sisters, was one of several such "mother and baby" homes in early 20th century Ireland.
Labeled as "fallen women," thousands of unmarried pregnant women were sent to these homes to have their babies.
After being ostracized by the conservative Catholic society, they would be forced to give away their children for adoption.
"Health issues and problems associated with the homes have long been documented. As far back as 1944, a government inspection report of the Tuam home described some of the children as 'fragile, pot-bellied and emaciated,'" AFP reported.
"The recently discovered death records for St Mary's show that 796 children died from malnutrition and infectious diseases, such as measles and TB."
Children of unmarried parents were denied baptism by conservative Catholic teaching, prompting their burial in consecrated land.
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Charlie Flanagan said that "active consideration is being given to the best means of addressing the harrowing details."
"Many of the revelations are deeply disturbing and a shocking reminder of a darker past in Ireland when our children were not cherished as they should have been," he said.
A fundraising committee has now been formed and it is hoped that a memorial will be built with all the names and ages of the children displayed, AFP reported.
