beauty pageant for nuns

Reverend Antonio Rungi is gutsy. He is taking the idea from nuns themselves to have a beauty pageant. The idea was to (supposedly) change the stereotypical mindset of society where nuns are old, gray, cranky, and…shaky? The Reverend is planning to let internet users vote on his blog (you gotta admit this reverend is pretty hip).

Look at all the those nuns, finally happy to have a chance of exposure on the World Wide Web. Personally, I think its a bit healthy for the young nuns. Although Rev Antonio did get what he asked for – criticism from the Catholics. His bosses and the local bishop weren’t too happy with his idea either.

(No, there is no bathing suit session in this pageant. Tough luck.)

UPDATE: Almost a year went by with no news of this pageant – I was curious. Turns out the pageant got canceled after all! The kind reverend probably thought it would be better to keep his day job.

Before finally ending the hype the pageant caused, Reverand Antonio Rungi told Italy’s Corriere della Sera newspaper:

"Nuns are – above all – women, and beauty is a gift from God,” [1]

Amen to that.

I guess we’ll just have to do with these for now:

[1]BBC. Priest to hold nun beauty pageant. Retrieved on August 10, 2009 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7581039.stm