Additional Coverage:
Orphan Program Exploits Unwed Mothers
In the 1950s, the Catholic Church in Belgium and the Vatican separated thousands of newborns from their unwed mothers and sent them for adoption. Many were taken to America on orphan visas, despite not being orphans.
John Campitelli, an adoptee from Italy, discovered he had been falsely labeled an orphan after searching for his birth mother for decades. The Vatican obtained consent from doctors or lawyers without the mothers’ knowledge, or misled them.
Maria Laurino, an author who uncovered the program, revealed that some women were told their children had died to make adoption easier. The Church charged $475 per child, leading to priests scouring Italy for more children.
Campitelli, after finding his birth mother, expressed anger at the Church for depriving him of his family and treating his mother as disposable.
Mary Relotto, another adoptee from Italy, discovered her birth mother had given her away due to poverty. Relotto believes the Church profited from selling babies rather than helping mothers.
Anna Maria, Relotto’s birth mother, discovered years later that her other child, Christian, had been adopted without her knowledge. Christian had been told he had died.
The Vatican’s orphan program, which ended in 1970, left a lasting impact, separating families and causing grief to both mothers and adoptees.