The BBC reports that Father Rungi, an Italian priest, has cancelled the Internet nun beauty contest he was planning. Local religious authorities did not approve and spoiled his fun. Reports of the contest caused howls of outrage from Catholics and from women who thought the whole thing was demeaning.
Antonio Rungi said he had never intended to put sisters on the catwalk, but had wanted to erase a stereotype of them as being old and dour.
He had wanted to hold the contest online on his internet blog.
Father Rungi said he changed his mind after the local religious authorities expressed their displeasure.
"My superiors were not happy. The local bishop was not happy, but they did not understand me either," Father Rungi told Reuters news agency from the town of Mondragone, near Naples.
"It was interpreted as more of a physical thing," he said. "Now, no one is saying that nuns can't be beautiful, but I was thinking about something more complete."
He said he had intended to showcase the good works that nuns do, especially in education and health care, so as to boost interest in religious vocations.
Father Rungi maintains that the nuns were all for the idea and that he just can't understand why the idea would be controversial. It's too bad, because we were ready to cast our vote for Sister Bertrille.
