The Bishop of Elphin is welcoming the publication of the report into Mother and Baby homes in Ireland and says it's a public recognition of the pain and isolation that so many women and children experienced.
Bishop Kevin Doran says while there were no such homes in the Diocese he has no doubt that many women from the area were resident in them in other parts of the country.
He says it's for that reason he wants to join with his fellow Bishops and other religious leaders in asking for forgiveness on behalf of the Church for the way so many women in need, and their children, were hidden away and treated as if they didn't count.
The Bishop of Elphin also says that while the report points to a serious failure on behalf of the civil authorities to oversee the running of the homes, it's a source of deep sadness and shame that Church people contributed to creating and maintaining such a culture.
He says while no report can change the past, a good report, taken seriously, can and will change the future.
