A Nun Gives Birth And Names Child Francis, After The Pope
January 20, 2014
The 33-year-old woman, SIster Roxana Rodriguez a nun with the order of the Little Disciples of Jesus, stunned her mother superior and local church chiefs after giving birth last week to a baby boy which she has called Francis, in honour of the current Pope.
Sister Roxana initially claimed to have no idea that she was pregnant and thought her labour pains were ‘stomach cramps’ when an ambulance rushed her to hospital in severe pain after being called by fellow nuns when she collapsed at her nunnery.
Her picture was published in the Italian daily newspaper Corriere Della Sera, who have carried out an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the birth of 9lb Francis and have spoken to the the social worker in the case.
It shows Sister Roxana, who is currently in the first floor maternity unit at the San Camillo de Lellis hospital in Rieti, 50 miles north of Rome, as she took her vows and became a nun in the order last September.
She told her social worker Anna Fontanella
Her picture was published in the Italian daily newspaper Corriere Della Sera, who have carried out an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the birth of 9lb Francis and have spoken to the the social worker in the case.
It shows Sister Roxana, who is currently in the first floor maternity unit at the San Camillo de Lellis hospital in Rieti, 50 miles north of Rome, as she took her vows and became a nun in the order last September.
Sister Roxana has written a letter of apology to the order’s mother superior general Elvira Petaraca – the woman who in September she solemnly promised to follow her vows of ‘chastity, poverty and obedience’, the three main pillars of the Little Disciples of Jesus Order.
The nun had only arrived in Italy last summer at the nunnery in Rieti and has told officials that the father is a man from her native El Salvador but she has so far not named him.
She told her social worker Anna Fontanella:’I am so happy. I feel more of a mother than a nun, I think that’s obvious. I decided to call him Francis in honour of our wonderful south American Pope. I do not feel of guilt. I will be keeping him and bringing him up.‘He is a gift from God. I am little worried about all the publicity, not only in Italy but in El Salvador and all over the world. Everyone is talking about this and I don’t think I will be able to return to my home country, let alone Rieti.’‘She has not said who the father is but I understand he is an, shall we say, old flame of hers from when she was younger. At some stage I expect she will tell the father that he has a son and they will be reunited but I don’t know when that will be.’
One nun who answered the telephone at the convent and who asked not to be named said:’No we must certainly not be going to visit her. What she has done is not right at all. She has betrayed her vows. She will not be coming back here.’
Since news of the birth was announced the hospital has been flooded with gifts for the nun and her new baby including nappies, clothes and money.
Hospital director Pasquale Carducci said:’We have had to put extra security on the maternity wing because of all the interest. Like any new mum she is delighted but obviously this has created a great deal of clamour because she is a nun.
