The 31-year-old nun, originally from El Salvador, was rushed to a hospital in the small city of Rieti for abdominal pains Wednesday morning. A few hours later she was recovering from labor, The Inquisitr reported.
The nun said she had no idea she was carrying a child.
"I did not know I was pregnant. I only felt a stomach pain," the nun was quoted as saying at the hospital, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
The nun reportedly named the boy Francesco, or Francis, which is the pope's title and one of the most popular names in Italy
The Salvadoran nun belong s to the "Little Disciples of Jesus" convent in Campomoro near Rieti, a convent that manages an old people's home.
Her fellow nuns at the convent were quoted saying they were "very surprised'," The Examiner reported.
Local pastor Don Fabrizio Borrello told reporters that the nun plans to keep the baby, GlobalVille News reported.
Nuns are religious members of the Church who devote their lives solely to God and do not engage in sexual activity. This nun birth is a shock to just about everyone.
"I guess she's telling the truth when she says she arrived at the hospital unaware of the pregnancy," Borello added.
People at the hospital have begun collecting items, including clothes and other donations, for the new mother and her child, WebPro News reported.
The mayor of Rieti Simone Petrangeli has asked the public and the media to respect the nun's privacy.
