http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080824/od_afp/italyreligionwomenoffbeat



Never before on this earth has there been such a huge number of people who freely and easily, without any shame, without any pangs of conscience "call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20).

Archbishop Averky of Syracuse (of Blessed Memory)


Alexandr

I nominate this story for the 'Now I've Seen Everything' Award.

Fr David Straut

It seems they have good intentions: to dispel the myth that nuns are, God forgive me, old wrinkly "hags" of a sort. But the way they are going about it is incredibly shallow, I think. I can't believe nuns would take part in this. Still, the intention has to count for *something*, in my opinion.

Alexis

Ah, nuns! I remember them from my childhood. There was Sister Mary Godzilla who taught first grade. Then, Sister Mary Mucous who had the sinus condition. Fifth grade was taught by Sister Mary Thrombosis of the Sacred Heart. And who could forget the ineffable Sister Mary Buttugly who taught PE.

A number of questions spring to mind.

What is the function of a religious sister or nun? Is it for the prophetic witness that this calling stood for in its earliest forms? Or is it some window dressing to make the Church seem "world friendly"? Or have the organizers of this event and the participants all lost all sense of what it is we are about in the Church?

If nuns and/or religious sisters are merely groups of women who live together--something like a lifetime college sorority--does the Church still need them?

BOB

I think the orders like that are pretty much dying out. But the orders that seem to have returned to the objectives of their founders are thriving.

There was also Sister Mary Ruler. (Across the knuckles.)

Why can't the contest be for beauty of the soul? The attention to the beauty of the body encourages vanity and pride.

Terry

Let us also remember Sister Mary Pie Plate of the Last Supper, Sister Mary Grace Note of the Crushed Wimple, Half-Starched, and of course the Superioress, Reverend Mother Latifundia.

Fr. Serge

Amen, Padre.

"We've flattened their fingers...We've branded their buns...Nothing is working... Send in the nuns!"

- Mel Brooks from "History of the World - Part 1" prelude to "The Inquisition"

For some reason I find this rather disturbing.

Converted Viking

It certainly seems as though the nuns who would be interested in participating in this sort of thing already have one foot out the door.


Peace,
Deacon Richard

I found the comments are just too much, the contest is not even yet starting.
From a positive side, this is quite interesting and perhaps refreshing.
Even if it is said a beauty contest, I'm sure we won't have the nuns parading with suimsuit on a stage.

I don't know about a 'beauty contest' per se, because 'choosing' one person over another is not in line with Christianity, but an ad campaign showing the world that nuns are not necessarily old and mean looking is a positive thing.

In Greece, I know of a monastery of many young nuns from different countries. They are beautiful in spirit, in face (from what little one can see in the strict Orthodox habit) and countenance, exceptionally educated, with interesting backgrounds (Harvard graduates, nieces of German city mayors, former nurses, etc.) hospitable, and friendly.

I always mention these nuns to people to impress them that the Church, Christ and the faith are alive and that monasticism is speaking to women-- because unfortunately, most Greeks associate nuns with elderly women with little education...and generally have the idea from not so distant but older days, that nuns were old women who joined a monastery because they couldn't get married, had some handicap, didn't have anyone to take care of them/ie:families, didn't have dowries, or were widowed.

Alice

I agree; folks do seem to be taking this a bit too seriously.
Now, if it's nuns in bathing suits (I think of my 3d
grade teacher, Sr. Felicita, who was well past the first bloom
of youth)that's one thing, but I kinda doubt that's what
the good Father has in mind.