Credit to Anthony for honest account

Sir — What a poignant and moving story by Anthony J Jordan — ‘Long fight for truth about the baby my wife never saw’ (Sunday Independent, April 2). He spoke so clearly and honestly about his quest to find out if his child was baptised after the hospital concerned took over the burial arrangements for the child who was born there. His wife never got to see the child, but he had, in the incubator in which it was placed for its short time on earth.

His subsequent search for what happened to the remains and whether the baby was baptised made for wonderful reading, and so much credit is due to Anthony for his wonderful description of his battle for justice.

It has brought to attention once again the fate of so many babies who were stillborn or died after birth, and whether they were baptised or not.

Anthony writes that in 1977 Bishop Lucey of Cork stated that children who died and were not baptised would never see God.

The graves of those unfortunate children can be seen in many villages throughout Ireland, in unconsecrated ground, a mystery to so many people, but a throwback to the Church’s teaching of the time. So what is to be taken from Jesus and his statement, “Suffer little children to come unto me”. Of course, the souls of those children went straight up to Heaven, it not being their fault when or how they died without baptism. So thanks, Anthony, for your most enlightening story, how you and your wife coped with your grief and sorrow and how you persevered until you found comfort in the knowledge that Antonia Marie was baptised. Murt Hunt, Ballyhaunis,

Co Mayo