A male infant’s body was found in a baby box at a church in Bari, southern Italy, after an alarm meant to notify the parish priest failed to trigger.

The baby, believed to be about a month old, was discovered by a funeral home director who noticed the box’s door was ajar.

Authorities are investigating whether the baby was already deceased when placed in the heated crib or if the system malfunctioned.

Baby boxes, reintroduced in Italy in 2006, allow mothers to anonymously leave infants they cannot care for, continuing a centuries-old tradition, CNN has reported.

An autopsy will determine the cause and time of death.

Written by B.C. Begley