An Italian priest, whom we shall call “Chanticleer,” advertised a beauty pageant for nuns on his blog. He hoped that nuns would send in pictures and biographies of themselves to be posted on his blog starting next month, then, after pictures and biographies had been posted, readers would vote for the winners. He said winners would be selected on the basis of both physical and spiritual beauty. As he saw it, there were a number of good reasons to hold the contest.
First, he wanted people to know that nuns were women above all else, and to acknowledge that beauty is a gift from God.Second, he hoped to call attention to the social work that nuns did, in which an “attractive presence” could often be an aid.Third, he hoped to counteract the impression that “nuns are all wizened, funereal old ladies,” and improve the image of the Catholic Church as an institution for the aged and/or ugly.The nuns were free to participate in the contest wearing their full habits or to wear other clothes besides their uniform, but they could not wear swimsuits or other revealing outfits.
However, the outcry was fierce.He received a number of threats and mean-spirited predictions that he would go to Hell for holding the contest.He decided that the response was so negative that it cast a pall over the possible benefits of the contest.
Chanticleer did make some errors in announcing the contest. For example, he described his ideal woman as Sophia Loren. Now, although Loren did play a nun in The White Sister, she is more famous for her roles playing seductresses. A more chaste ideal might have been found. Nonetheless, it seems like people did respond in an overly harsh fashion. The Church seems to have no official position that physical and spiritual beauty are antithetical and it even allows a calendar featuring handsome young priests and seminarians to be sold at newspaper kiosks in Rome.
That’s a stunning story. Love your blog.
The contest created controversial from the beginning and finally it comes to an end..