What kind of beauty pageant is there for women of the cloth?
None.
The first-ever beauty pageant for nuns has been called off by its priest organizer.
The Italian priest who came up with the idea caught heat from the (earthly) powers that be when his "Miss Sister 2008" contest drew international media scrutiny. His efforts to showcase nuns' inner-beauty and not their physical attributes were misinterpreted, he said.
"My superiors were not happy," the priest said. "The local bishop was not happy, but they didn't understand me either. It was not at all my intention to put nuns on the catwalk."
The priest, Antonio Rungi, invited nuns to post their photos and profiles on his blog to be judged by viewers. Veils were optional but frocks, a must.
"We are not going to parade nuns in bathing suits," Rungi said, "but being ugly is not a requirement for become a nun."
The contest has been canceled indefinitely.
