Thoughts on the Magdalen Laundries

Last week The McAleese Report was published. There has been much talk of an apology and much agitation too from anti-Catholic enemies. If anything there should be an apology to the four religious orders. The report distinguished fact from fiction. I mentioned agitation. Many who exploited the deaths of Savita Halappanavar and her unborn child are now agitating and exploiting the Magdalen Homes and the women, who lived there. The Labour party, who are anti Catholic are agitating. The ‘far left’, who stand in the tradition of Bolshevism, gulags and mass murder are agitating. Where would Christians be if these ‘Reds’ were in power? Our forefathers fought against their foul, atheistic communism.

Our Divine Lord had enemies. Christians have enemies. The Catholic Church has enemies. The religious sisters have enemies. Yes, we may disagree with them with their liberalism after Vatican II etc etc but they played a great and necessary role in our society. Many women, who lived with them never wanted an apology. They were cared for by the nuns and lifelong friendships continued after the Laundries were closed.

The four orders have acknowledged their mistakes. In reality a Capitalist system viciously exploited the orders. The nuns were taken advantage of. The report dispels the notion that the Laundries were for profit, money making ventures by heartless ‘brides of Christ’.  The sisters also worked hard. Conditions were harsh at different points through the decades.

Were the Magdalen Homes ‘houses of horror’? Certainly not. Harsh words were experienced but no physical or sexual abuse took place. The film, ‘The Magdalene Sisters’ directed by a Marxist has been discredited and even Patricia Burke Brogan acknowledged her work is fiction. She herself was a novice at the Mercy Convent in Galway and saw no physical or sexual abuse.

Time and again, the State has failed its citizens. The religious sisters did their best and as one order stated in their statement “It is regrettable that the Magdalen Homes had to exist at all.”

Let us pray for the women, who are dead and for those still living. Prayers also for the religious sisters. Prayers also to forgive those who abandoned girls and women, who were in need.

The social teachings are vital in our day also.