An alert and astute mockdocker pointed me to a recent news item which I find to be completely hilarious. So listen - some Italian priest named Antonio Rugi announced this past weekend that he is organizing an ONLINE BEAUTY CONTEST for nuns. How great is that?
The contest is going to be called “Miss Sister 2008″ and will kick off in September, on this priest dude’s blog. Nuns from across the globe are invited and encouraged (by him, at least) to participate. He said that he’s doing this because nuns need more visibility within the Catholic Church, and because he wants to fight the age old stereotype that all nuns look like the one pictured above.
So here’s how this will work. Nuns who want to throw their habit into the ring for this will fill out a profile which includes information about their life and work, as well as a photograph. Whether they’re shown in full nun gear or in something else is up to them, although Rungi was quick to point out that his intention was not to parade nuns around in bikinis. And the best part of all of this? Any visitor to the site will have a full month to “vote for the nun they consider a model.” The worst part of all of this? NO SITE ADDRESS WAS GIVEN. We’re just going to have to be resourceful about it come September.
Anyway, the priest dude said this idea was given to him by several nuns with whom he prays and works alongside, and he is hoping for lots and lots of entries. As expected, all sorts of people are upset about it, namely, the Association of Catholic teachers, because it is part of their mission statement, I’m fairly certain, to always be upset about something. Their president said, “It’s an initiative that belittles the role of nuns who have dedicated themselves to God.” To him I say, “Let the nuns have their fun!” I totally love this idea. I intend to vote early and often. And I will be anxious for a hot priest calendar to come out as well.
I’m sure this will make God proud (um, no!). But, I have to admit, I will try to find the site because it sounds intriguing
I am both astute, yes, and well, intrigued by the sheer weirdness of this. I grew up in the south, where pageants are the (sick and twisted) norm - my most recent southern residence was where Jon Benet lived, actually, so go figure. A friend of mine got me my favorite fridge magnet with two pageant-looking women on it that says, “The higher the hair, the closer to God”…so, I figured it was just a matter of time before we, as a human race, connected big hair, spray-on tans, and lobotomized women with perfectly circular breasts to, well, nuns. Yeah. Can you say apocalypse?
Hey! That is Sister Angelica!! I remember her from years ago when my bf only had like 10 channels on his basic cable. Her daily TV show would go on rain or shine. I remember her in one show having the worst cold. Right on air, she would be hacking up a lung and blowing her nose all of the time.
She founded EWTN, a Catholic TV network. We always had a good laugh listening to the old broad even tho we were reformed Catholics.
She had a stroke 6 or 7 years ago and is resting comfortably in a Nun nursing home.
Thanks, Christine! I thought I recognized her
It sounds like a crazy idea, but this priest has done things before with the goal of reaching people who otherwise wouldn’t look at the church (http://blogs.pioneerlocal.com/religion). What’s wrong with that? You have to be innovative, as long as you are dignified.
Mother Angelica, not Sister. And yes, she’s been on the air when she can barely breathe, let alone talk, but that hacking, wheezing nun single-handedly established and built the first Catholic television news network. It’s now expanded into several languages and includes a radio and online network.
Anyway, the whole idea behind the pageant sounds silly to me. Nuns, if they are to stand out at all, are supposed to do it because of things like holiness, charity, and humility. You know, things that are hard to develop, not an accident of genetics like looks.
Brett, I don’t mind the idea of being innovative, but I think having a “Nun Beauty Contest” focuses far too much on the externals. What he ought to do is showcase nuns who have made a true difference, like Mother Teresa did. There’s plenty of unsung nuns who do everything from pray night and day for others to fighting bureaucracies in order to obtain help for the poor and sick. Why not have a blog about them?
Sorry, Mother Angelica.
Do a search on You Tube for Mother Angelica. There are tons of clips of her.
According to MSNBC.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26379900/), the priest has called off the pageant.