The following comes from a June 16 LifeSite News article by Father Mark Hodges:

Bishop Thomas J. Tobin took a tiny child, abandoned and literally thrown into the sewer to drown, and named him “Francis” before providing him a dignified burial.

The preborn Baby Francis was found January 12 at Bucklin Wastewater Treatment Facility, when a worker saw what he thought was a doll floating in the sewage. He was discarded at about 20 weeks gestation.

Police investigated for months, but could not find his mother or father.

On June 5, after giving up their investigation, the police released the body to the Catholic Diocese of Providence.

On Wednesday, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island, buried Baby Francis.

He explained that he chose the name “Francis” in honor of Pope Francis, who encouraged the faithful to change the “throwaway culture” of abortion.

“This child is certainly a victim of that throwaway culture,” he said.

“Every child bears the face of Jesus. This child does as well.” the bishop said.

While we do not know a lot about Francis, he said, “we do know this is a child of God, created in the image and likeness of God, and it’s in that spirit of honoring this child and…all the children who die of abortion, that we come together to bury Baby Francis.”

“We entrust the soul of Baby Francis to the abundant mercy of God, so that this beloved child may find finally a home in His kingdom,” the bishop prayed before a gathering of about 20 pro-life Catholics.

Seminarian Peter Cotnoir, who assisted in the service, reflected on the aborted children who never get a Christian burial. “It’s almost like they disappear,” he said. “Even after an abortion, there is still a body somewhere.”