Real-life Philomena says film is ‘quite real’ and not anti-Catholic

The inspiration behind the Oscar-tipped film Philomena has defended it against a critic who labelled it anti-Catholic and “90 minutes of organised hate”.

The film, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, recounts the true story of Philomena Lee’s search for the son she was forced to put up for adoption through the Seán Ross Abbey mother and baby home in 1952 when she was aged 19.

A review in the New York Post by Kyle Smith said Coogan and director Stephen Frears had found “a true-life tale” that allowed them to “attack Catholics”.

“There’s no other purpose to the movie, so if 90 minutes of organised hate brings you joy, go and buy your ticket now,” wrote Mr Smith.

However, in a letter published in the New York Times, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times, Mrs Lee said the film was “quite real”.

“Philomena is meant to be a testament to good things, not an attack. I have been incredibly fortunate in receiving such a warm response to the movie,” she wrote.

“Just as I forgave the church for what happened with my son, I forgive you for not taking the time to understand my story.”

Bill Donohue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, based in New York, has also hit out at the film as “bunk” and “propaganda”.

“There is nothing particularly startling about this, other than the fact that film reviewers are now all aghast about the ‘horrors’ these fallen women experienced; many are making reference to the Magdalene Laundries,” he said.

“As I detailed earlier this year, it’s bunk. Those who are neither scholars nor principled observers have swallowed this propaganda, so debased is their appetite for anti- Catholic fare.”

Responding to his criticisms, Susan Lohan of the Adoption Rights Alliance said a “fresh start” was an unusual description to give a woman who was forced to give up her child for adoption.

“How did children forcibly separated from their mothers, some as old as four years of age, simply because they were born outside of marriage, benefit from this ‘fresh start’? What they needed as children was the continued presence and love of their mothers and a society tolerant of their existence.

“Donohue’s ‘fresh start’ is in fact an apology for a state-funded policy of forced adoption, which peaked in 1967, when 97% of all non-marital Irish children were taken for adoption. Other countries, such as Australia, have apologised unreservedly for forced adoptions (their peak was a mere 60% compared to our 97%).”