Chile's Catholic Church Says Priest Stole Babies for Adoption [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Chile's Catholic Church Says Priest Stole Babies for Adoption
By Reuters
Filed: 8/12/14 at 5:07 PM

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's Catholic church confirmed on Tuesday that a priest was instrumental in the forced adoption of at least two babies without the knowledge of their mothers, and had also maintained an "inappropriate relationship" with one mother.

Gerardo Joannon is being investigated judicially for illegally handing over an undetermined number of babies for adoption in the 1970s and 1980s, born to single mothers who were told the infants had died.

The priest has said the babies were removed mainly from middle-class women due to the stigma attached to unmarried mothers at that time in Chile's Catholic society.

"The preliminary investigation has established the truth of the accusations...he always knew that both babies did not die," said Alex Vigueras, a regional church head who is in charge of the probe into Joannon.

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/chiles-catholic-church-says-priest-stole-babies-adoption-264216