Character mistake: During the end credits, three of the magazine covers spell Whoopi's character's name as "Delores." Two of the covers spell it "Deloris," as do the credits.
Character mistake: At the very beginning of the movie, young Delores' teacher tells her to go to the board and right down the names of the apostles alphabetically. Delores writes down, John, Paul and Peter with the nun nodding in approval until Delores writes down Elvis. Paul wasn't one of the original apostles and since the nun told Delores to write it down alphabetically, the first name on the board should have been Andrew but, the nun doesn't stop and correct Delores after she writes John's name down first.
Answer: It is because she is not, technically, a nun yet. She is a novice, one who is in the "trial period" of becoming a nun, but who has not made the final vows to join the order.
Twotall
She doesn't wear a white cap in the second movie either, and she did her vows.
It takes 9-12 years to become a nun, with many stages: discernment, aspirancy, postulancy, novitiate, temporary vows, and finally, solemn vows. The young nun may have moved up a step but would not yet have taken her solemn vows. The various stages would have differences in apparel, headdress, insignia, etc. that showed their rank. In addition, different nun orders wear different styles of habits.
raywest ★