Wednesday, 26 February 2014
An El Salvadorian nun made headlines last week after she gave birth to a baby boy, not knowing that she was pregnant. The 31-year-old nun, Roxana Rodriguez, supposedly mistook her labor pains for “stomach cramps” and was taken to the San Camillo de Lellis hospital in Rieti, 50 miles north of Rome, via ambulance after she collapsed. Much to her surprise, and those around her, Sister Roxana was with child and gave birth to an eight-pound baby she named Francesco, in honor of the current Pope.
“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,” said Sister Roxana to social worker Anna Fontanella, reports the Daily Mail. “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.”
After giving birth, Sister Roxana reportedly wrote an apology letter to her order’s mother superior, Elvira Petaraca. Having broken broken her vow of chastity, Sister Roxana will be mandated to leave the convent and will no longer be a nun, according to church officials. “We appreciate her decision to care for her baby, notwithstanding the gravity of the circumstances, both from a moral and a canon law perspective,” said Delio Lucarelli, the bishop of Rieti, shares The Telegraph. Here are four things to know about Sister Roxana Rodriguez:
1. Sister Roxana Rodriguez came to the nunnery in Italy last summer. 2. The father of her child is a man, who she has not named, from El Salvador. “It all happened last spring, around March or April time when she was back in El Salvador to get her passport renewed,” said Father Benedetto Falcetti, priest at the nearby St Michael’s church in Rieti. 3. The father is an “old flame” of Sister Roxana, who reportedly became a nun after having her heart broken. “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,” added Father Falcetti. 4. According to Fontanella, Sister Roxana will most likely be sent to a shelter.
And while it seems her peers are not impressed with her pregnancy, Sister Roxana’s hospital wing has been filled with flowers and gifts. “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,” said Hospital director Pasquale Carducci to the Daily Mail. “There have been calls and gifts from dozens of well wishers and she has passed on her thanks to all these people. Medically she and the baby are doing well and I expect them to be discharged by Tuesday at the latest.”
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