Italy, nun gives birth to a baby boy in Rieti
he was named Francis, «wasn’t aware of her pregnancy»

Italy, nun gives birth to a baby boy in Rieti he was named Francis, «wasn’t aware of her pregnancy»
di Stella Prudente
2 Minuti di Lettura
Venerdì 17 Gennaio 2014, 20:38 - Ultimo aggiornamento: 20:39
​Rieti, Jan. 17 - This was certainly a shocking and noisy Friday in Rieti, central Italy: at the city’s hospital San Camillo De Lellis, a 32-year-old nun gave birth to a baby boy named Francis Sandrino. The sister, originally from El Salvador, showed up at the emergency room on Tuesday night after strong pain she felt in her belly raised concern among her fellow nuns, who called an ambulance.



THE DOCTORS RESPONSE: SHE’S PREGNANT! Examining the nun, doctors had no hesitation in certifying the pregnancy, so that the certificate of admission - perhaps due to an excess of scruple – said “nun with suspected pregnancy”. ‘Francis’ was born early Wednesday and weighed three and a half kilos, while the mother is now hospitalized in the obstetrics department. She had been interning for many years as a nun in the Campomoro convent, where the Piccole Discepole di Gesù (Little Disciples of Christ) run a home for the elderly. She plans to keep the baby, according to other mothers in the maternity ward that coordinated donations to collect and buy clothes for her baby.



A COMMUNITY UNDER SHOCK – A local priest, Don Fabrizio Borrello does not hide the “disruption” that this 40.000 people community felt with the unusual news of a nun who gave birth. “From what I could understand - says pastor - The sister will take care of her baby. I guess she’s telling the truth when she says he arrived at the hospital unaware of the pregnancy. The only possible explanation is the nun extremely simple origins and background”.



“Her sisters nuns, almost all in their elderly, are really shocked” admits Don Fabrizio, adding that the town “doesn’t talk about anything else. And this will still go on for long time”. The priest, who has constant contacts with his community, thinks that “these nuns coming from very poor countries are a little naïve”. “It seems that the nun never talked about it to anyone, and I have the distinct feeling that it was really unaware of being pregnant”.



MOTHER SUPERIOR

“She did it all by herself, she didn’t show anything. Please, leave us alone” adds Sister Erminia, mother superior at the Campomoro convent. According to her, the new mom has “not been able to resist temptations but did not hurt anyone, and I just cannot understand why there’s so much noise about this”.
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