This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
November 6, 2019, marked a shocking day for the Catholic Church as news broke of two missionary nuns becoming pregnant while working in Africa.
The two women, belonging to separate religious orders in Sicily, are expecting children despite their vows of chastity.
One of the nuns, a 34-year-old mother superior, discovered her pregnancy when she complained of stomach pain and was hospitalized.
She has since moved to Palermo to prepare for the birth of her child, leaving her monastic life uncertain.
The second nun, originally from Madagascar, was also discovered to be several weeks pregnant while caring for the elderly at an institute in Ragusa.
She has already returned to her home country, but the double scandal has caused concern among the church hierarchy.
‘There is consternation at this news,’ a church source in Rome said, adding that an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the pregnancies.
