No Mercy for Madonna from Malawi! Adoption denied!

Madonna's bid to adopt Mercy James, a Malawian orphan she met in 2006,  has been refused by the Malawi courts because of residency requirements.

Madonna has homes in New York and London but does not own a home in Malawi. She also does not spend much time there.

According to CNN, the residency requirement was waived for the singer when she adopted her son David Banda, now 3, from Malawi in 2006. The decision was accompanied by controversy over her celebrity status and special allowances.

"The decision came down to residency requirement and the fact that the judge believes she was being well taken care of in the orphanage,"  Zione Ntaba, a spokeswoman for the Malawi Justice Department, told CNN.

"For the Malawians, the fact that the child is at an orphanage, is being taken care of and is going through the school education system, that does qualify as the best interests of a child," Ntaba added.

The judge, according to People, said at the hearing that child welfare officers are required to find suitable prospective parents and "not someone who just flies in and out," adding, "I think the welfare of Chifundo [African for 'Mercy'] will be better served if she grows within the environment of the culture of Malawi."

The Material Girl has been involved with Malawi for several years and made a documentary, "I Am Because We Are," to highlight poverty, AIDS and other diseases affecting Malawian children. She also co-founded a nonprofit group, Raising Malawi, which provides programs to help the needy.

Oooh, we bet she's really annoyed. She probably thought she had found her own version of Nadya Suleman, a country that would just keep popping out kids for her to adopt.

Do you agree with the decision? Should Madonna appeal?

Will she buy a home there?

What more does a famous billionaire pop culture icon have to do to get an orphan? Its not like she broke the first one they gave her, for crying out loud.

Will she try some other countries? Any suggestions for Madonna?

How about adopting from the U.S.? Sure, its not as trendy as having a kid from every country in the world (aka Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt) but maybe she could start a new trend.

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Photo: Madonna appears at the Malawian high court earlier this week. She was not in court for the decision. Credit: WireImage

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