Miss Sister 2008 canceled

 
Because “nuns are often not sufficiently appreciated by society,” and “because there is a stereotype of them as being old and dour,” an Italian priest who said he wanted to hold the world’s first beauty contest for nuns, has decided to cancel the project, saying he was misunderstood. 

He changed his mind after the local religious authorities expressed their displeasure. ”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.” 
A theologian and schoolteacher from the Naples area, the priest wrote in his blog that his intention was to show “the interior beauty” of a nun and the work she does for the Church and for society, mostly in education and health care. 

Father Antonio Rungi was expecting at least 1,000 nuns to enter the Sister Italia contest by sending him their photos to publish them, so that internet users could then choose the winner.

He hoped the project to become sometime a “real pageant” along the lines of the annual Miss Italy contest, because “being ugly is not a requirement for becoming a nun. External beauty is gift from God, and we mustn’t hide it.” 

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