Pope Francis Meets The Real-Life Woman Behind 'Philomena'

Philomena Lee received a rare opportunity to attend an audience with Pope Francis, along with her daughter Jane Libberton and the writer and producer of the film adaptation of her life, Steve Coogan. “I am honored and delighted to have been in the presence of Pope Francis today," said Lee regarding the opportunity to meet with the Pope. "As the film portrays, I have always put great faith in the Church and the good will to put the wrongs of the past right. I hope and believe that his Holiness Pope Francis joins me in the fight to help the thousands of mothers and children who need closure on their own stories.”

Philomena Lee was the real-life woman behind the book written by BBC reporter Martin Sixsmith "The Lost Child of Philomena Lee" and the the film adaptation "Philomena." Her tale was one of sorrow: She was 18 years old in 1952 when she become pregnant out of wedlock and gave birth in an Irish home for unwed mothers. Believing that what she had done was shameful, Lee was forced to give up her son when he was just three years old. She often returned to find out more about her son and ultimately tracked down her son with the help of Sixsmith, only to learn he had died of AIDS and that he, too, had been searching for her.

Lee turned her sorrow into positivity by creating The Philomena Project, which pushes the Irish government to open up adoption records so that mothers separated from their children (due to forced adoption) can be reunited. According to the organization, "The Philomena Project will harness this increased awareness to the pain and loss which thousands of young women experienced over decades, to urge the state to release all information they have on these illicit adoptions, to assist in helping mothers and their children to find one another, and to create a place for these individuals to tell their stories in an effort to find closure."