Church of England leader apologises for historical forced adoption practice

The Archbishop of ​Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, apologised for ​the Church of England's ‌role in forced ​adoption practices in the decades following World War Two, when roughly 185,000 children ‌were taken from unmarried mothers across England and Wales. "We are profoundly sorry for the pain, trauma and stigma experienced - and still carried - ‌by many people because of historical adoption practices in homes ‌affiliated to the Church of England," Mullally said in a statement.

The government is also expected to apologise on behalf of the state for the practice. ⁠Other ​countries, including Ireland and ⁠Australia, have in recent years issued similar apologies. The Church was a ⁠significant provider of mother and baby homes, potentially more than 200 over ​time, its research examining the period between 1949 and 1976 ⁠showed on Thursday.

The social systems and structures at the time "made it extremely difficult ⁠for ​unmarried women with children to live independently", the Church's report said. "Today, we say to each of you: the ⁠shame you were made to feel was wrong. You have nothing to ⁠be ashamed ⁠of. Rather, we are deeply ashamed that this happened to people in the care of Christian communities," ‌Mullally ‌said.