KNOCK, Ireland— Pope Francis on Sunday denounced how Irish children were “robbed of their innocence and taken from their mothers” by Catholic-run institutions that put them up for adoption to erase the shame of having been born to unwed mothers.

Francis spoke out about Ireland’s haunted history of forced adoptions during a prayer Sunday in Knock, the country’s main shrine dedicated to Christ’s mother, Mary.  His comments, on the second and final day of his visit to Ireland, came after an emotional meeting with abuse victims on Saturday, including some forced adoptees.

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