A 33 year old nun, member of the order, Little Disciples of Jesus, has delivered a 9 pound baby boy as well as a bundle of consternation in Riete, Italy. Sister Roxana, who was unaware of her pregnancy until she went into labor, said that her decision to name the child after the current pontiff has raised more than a few eyebrows in both the maternity ward and in the Vatican.
A spokesman for the local bishop said that at some point Sister Roxana will be visited by church officials and the circumstances of her situation investigated. “While we recognize the sister/mother’s right to choose any handle for the newborn, we will point out that the boy at some point in his life, may resent being named “Pope”. Sister Roxana has said that although she considered naming the child after his biological father, as is the custom in her home town, she had decided to ignore tradition in this case. “Some say I’m not real big on following tradition,” she quipped, while breastfeeding her son.