Italian priest pulls the plug on nun beauty pageant

Melbourne, Aug 27 : The Italian priest, who was organising an online beauty competition for nuns, has called off his plans amid protests from faithful and local religious authorities.

The Rev. Antonio Rungi thought that the 'Miss Sister 2008' would give nuns more visibility within the Catholic Church and fight the stereotype.

But later changed his mind after seeing reports that suggested that nuns would be metaphorically put on a catwalk, insisting that he had been misunderstood.

Rungi said what he had in mind was not just external beauty but the "overall beauty."

"I wanted to make a blog on vocations, one where everybody could bring their own experiences," the Courier Mail quoted Rungi, as saying.

"I wanted to create a showcase for the pastoral experience of nuns."

"Instead, they made it look like it was a catwalk a la Miss Italy," he said. "I have been misunderstood," he added.

ANI