Sunday, August 24, 2008 | Reason : In the News | print version

Priest Antonio Rungi wants beauty contest - for nuns

by Times Online

Thanks to Linda Ward Selbie for the link.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4600534.ece

Priest Antonio Rungi wants beauty contest - for nuns

An Italian priest is holding a beauty contest with a difference — it will be open only to nuns.

Father Antonio Rungi, of Mondrag-one, near Naples, said he expected at least 1,000 nuns to enter the Sister Italia contest. It would run online at first, but he hoped that it would become a "real pageant" along the lines of the annual Miss Italy contest.

Father Rungi, a moral theologian with his own blog, said that the nuns would not wear swimsuits or revealing outfits. What he valued most in a woman was "inner beauty". Asked for his feminine ideal, he replied: "Well, I would say Sophia Loren."

The contestants must be aged between 18 and 40, and can be either full members of an order or novices. Father Rungi said that he expected many who applied to be young, attractive — and non-Italian. He said: "Do you really think nuns are all wizened, funereal old ladies? Today it's not like that any more, thanks to an injection of youth and vitality brought to our country by foreign girls." He said there were nuns from Africa and Latin America who were "really very, very pretty. The Brazilian girls above all."

Father Rungi — who has organised religious services on Naples beaches at which sunbathers can say the rosary — said photos of the contestants would appear on his blog at the beginning of next month for online readers to vote for their favourite.

The nuns can decide whether to wear their full habits, including veils, or let their hair down. Each photo will be accompanied by an account by the nun of her life, personality, daily activities and spiritual development.

Father Rungi said: "Nuns are women above all else, and beauty is a gift from God." He told Corriere della Sera that it was the nuns themselves who had suggested the idea while helping him to run prayer services on the beach. He said: "Many have assured me they will take part." Father Rungi conceded that he risked being seen as a publicity seeker, but added: "You need a bit of courage to do something like this. Nuns deserve much more attention than they get."

Nuns had both "physical and spiritual beauty", he said, and often did social, caring or hospital work in which an "attractive presence" was an advantage. The Sister Italia 2008 contest was a way of showing that female beauty was "not just the plasticised beauty you see on television. There is also such a thing as a chaste ideal, which comes from the heart and the soul, and has a beneficial effect on those who come into contact with it."

He admitted that not all Catholics were in favour of the idea. "I have had some e-mails from Christians who perhaps have not grasped the evangelising spirit of the initiative, or the potential of the internet, which is a marvellous tool for spreading the Christian message. Unfortunately, some people still have a closed mentality".

There is no equivalent contest in Italy for priests. However, for the past four years a calendar featuring handsome young priests and seminarians posing against Rome landmarks has been a bestseller at newspaper kiosks.

Shaping up

— Inmates of a women's prison in Siberia enter an annual Miss Spring contest, to demonstrate good behaviour and win early parole

— The Mazayin Dhafra festival in Abu Dhabi this year staged a beauty pageant for camels, in a government-sponsored move to remind Emiratis of their heritage

— The Miss Mama Kilo contest in Cameroon is reserved for women weighing 90kg (198lb) or more

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1. Comment #236448 by petermun on August 24, 2008 at 3:56 pm

Makes a change from young altar boys I suppose.

Other Comments by petermun

2. Comment #236462 by Ed-words on August 24, 2008 at 4:28 pm

Father Rungi has a tough job ahead.

Very few beautiful women

give up designer clothes

for a penguin outfit!

Other Comments by Ed-words

3. Comment #236468 by J Mac on August 24, 2008 at 4:38 pm

Wow, this is disturbing and simultaneously humorous at so many levels. Has the church become so troubled as to stoop to whoring the nuns for attention?

Other Comments by J Mac

4. Comment #236481 by Roland_F on August 24, 2008 at 5:13 pm

First Olympic sport stars nude in playboy or female football teams posing nude to grasp attention and promoting their sport and now a beauty contest for nuns -- seems the Catholic church needs all publicity they can get to fight dwindling church attendance.

Father Rungi said that he expected many who applied to be young, attractive ?quot; and non-Italian. He said: "Do you really think nuns are all wizened, funereal old ladies? Today it's not like that any more, thanks to an injection of youth and vitality brought to our country by foreign girls." He said there were nuns from Africa and Latin America who were "really very, very pretty. The Brazilian girls above all."

Seems to be quite some suppressed sexual desire their in the catholic priesthood, and you can separate them by the priests with the young altar boy and the priests with the housemaid. And up to 3 children from the housemaids fathered from Father Rungi and his ilk are alimented from the Church beside the priests salary.
What for hypocrites !

Other Comments by Roland_F

5. Comment #236487 by Zzyx1170 on August 24, 2008 at 5:29 pm

Father Rungi needs to buy himself a fleshlight and stop annoying the nuns.

Other Comments by Zzyx1170

6. Comment #236499 by 8teist on August 24, 2008 at 5:51 pm

�" The Mazayin Dhafra festival in Abu Dhabi this year staged a beauty pageant for camels

Now why am I not surprised?

Perhaps the vatican can run a pageant for stupid old gits in skirts and silly hats,open only to geriatric old men who have never had sex with a female,of any species.

Other Comments by 8teist

7. Comment #236501 by OhioLen on August 24, 2008 at 5:55 pm

Someone help me out here...I seem to recall something about some "deadly sins." Does this fall under Pride or Envy?

Other Comments by OhioLen

8. Comment #236505 by 8teist on August 24, 2008 at 5:59 pm

Actually ,on second thoughts, some foxy nuns might attract me to the priesthood, I`ve heard that nuns go off like a shithouse door in the wind. ;O

Other Comments by 8teist

9. Comment #236510 by kkelly on August 24, 2008 at 6:07 pm

7, If I learned anything from Sister Mary Clarence, it's that pride is a wonderful thing.

Other Comments by kkelly

10. Comment #236514 by Border Collie on August 24, 2008 at 6:17 pm

Damn, next thing you know, nuns will be riding bicycles.

Other Comments by Border Collie

11. Comment #236517 by J Mac on August 24, 2008 at 6:19 pm

"Someone help me out here...I seem to recall something about some "deadly sins." Does this fall under Pride or Envy?"

Don't forget lust. Isn't that one?

Anyways it doesn't really matter the poop... I mean pope, just made seven NEW deadly sins. It wouldn't surprise me all that much if he did away with the old one's soon.

Other Comments by J Mac

12. Comment #236520 by thewhitepearl on August 24, 2008 at 6:22 pm

Hey Mac,

What are the new 7 deadly sins?

Other Comments by thewhitepearl

13. Comment #236523 by J Mac on August 24, 2008 at 6:30 pm

Fuck if I know, but I've violated most of them. Its about time too, cause I was tired of violating the old ones, I needed a new challenge.

Genetic engineering is one. Which means that if catholics eat ANYTHING in a grocery store their going to hell. I'm gonna be sure to remind every one of them of that.

There was a recent article here with the video clip that detailed the new ones.

Pedophilia was one of them. I guess I won't hit all 14.

Other Comments by J Mac

14. Comment #236524 by J Mac on August 24, 2008 at 6:31 pm

"Pedophilia was one of them. I guess I won't hit all 14. "

I wont hit all 14 cause I don't hit on 14 :\

Other Comments by J Mac

15. Comment #236533 by Ed-words on August 24, 2008 at 6:42 pm

to Zzyx 1170

Could you explain what a "fleshlight" is?

Some of us went to Catholic schools.

Other Comments by Ed-words

16. Comment #236536 by Laurie Fraser on August 24, 2008 at 6:44 pm

This is BRILLIANT! I can't wait for when they line them all up and ask those great questions:

What is your most fervent wish?

To finally get rooted by Jesus when I get to heaven, Father.

Other Comments by Laurie Fraser

17. Comment #236550 by NewEnglandBob on August 24, 2008 at 7:17 pm

Now as evolution has shown, the extinct species far outnumber those that are extant.

This article is a shining example of how some members of this species are going to become extinct quite soon. Or at least, we hope that is true.

arrrrrrrgh!

Other Comments by NewEnglandBob

18. Comment #236565 by Wosret on August 24, 2008 at 7:56 pm

Father Rungi, a moral theologian with his own blog,

Wow, his own blog? I'm thoroughly impressed.

If yuri manga is something to go on, then I can vouch that there are some hot nuns. Nuns lookin' for hot sweaty nun love.

I've never understood this "inner beauty" talk. People tend to look quite similar on the inside, and it isn't very attractive. At least not to me. I'll take the real beauty, You know? The one that exists, thanks.

This seems to me to be the exact opposite of what nuns are going for.

Other Comments by Wosret

19. Comment #236586 by MikedubB on August 24, 2008 at 8:43 pm

You start by reading.

Then you ponder, wondering whether 'The Onion' may be at play, but you continue.

Reading further you realize how ridiculous the writer sounds turning what the subjects are doing into real journalism.

It's like hearing Dr. Seuss in the banter of Dickens.

I'm disgusted.

Later.

Other Comments by MikedubB

20. Comment #236616 by Zzyx1170 on August 24, 2008 at 10:02 pm

Ed-words:

Could you explain what a "fleshlight" is?

I could, but I won't. You'll have to consult google or wikipedia. Not safe for work though.

Other Comments by Zzyx1170

21. Comment #236626 by aznxscorpion517 on August 24, 2008 at 11:17 pm

Funny how he goes on about "inner beauty" only to have also talked so much about how "pretty" nuns are nowadays...especially Brazilian nuns! LOL. He likes Victoria's Secret models. Maybe he should admit it.

Other Comments by aznxscorpion517

22. Comment #236635 by Raiko on August 25, 2008 at 12:40 am

That priest must be desperate. I think the sentiment comment #1 would make a great motto for the pageant.

Other Comments by Raiko

23. Comment #236640 by Ygern on August 25, 2008 at 1:11 am

*sigh*
What a stupid idea.

Nuns deserve much more attention than they get.

No they don't. This is just a publicity stunt. Any woman who has decided that her life-style choice is being married to an imaginery dead guy needs professional help, not a beauty pageant.

There is also such a thing as a chaste ideal ...and has a beneficial effect on those who come into contact with it

Like all the molested children, oh-so-shocking affairs and illegitimate children that those in holy orders have given Ireland. Yeah. That's working well.

Other Comments by Ygern

24. Comment #236645 by dochmbi on August 25, 2008 at 1:34 am

Altar boy, altar boy, confess your sins to me. You will find the grace of god inside my rectory.

Other Comments by dochmbi

25. Comment #236649 by Sigmund on August 25, 2008 at 2:08 am

I think I've found a clip of Father Rungi judging the competition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vlOhj4eTpA

Other Comments by Sigmund

26. Comment #236654 by rod-the-farmer on August 25, 2008 at 2:44 am

Here is an interesting site

http://www.muslima.com/

complete with photos of muslim women wearing various items concealing part of their faces, and looking to meet someone.

Other Comments by rod-the-farmer

27. Comment #236658 by HunterZolomon on August 25, 2008 at 3:01 am

Oh, oh, I know the answer!! "World Peace!"

Other Comments by HunterZolomon

28. Comment #236664 by Bright2357 on August 25, 2008 at 3:11 am

Using primitive human urges (mating) to attrack people.

They are smart, I'll give them that.

Other Comments by Bright2357

29. Comment #236673 by decius on August 25, 2008 at 4:01 am

My father was a nun.

Other Comments by decius

30. Comment #236685 by Roger Stanyard on August 25, 2008 at 4:43 am

Lighten up everyone. Priest Antonio Rungi has a delightful idea and a good sense of humour.

I find him a bit of a hero.

Other Comments by Roger Stanyard

31. Comment #236695 by Vaal on August 25, 2008 at 5:11 am

Does the winner get a date with the Pope?

I see Gary Glitter had problems getting into most countries of the world. I would have thought that the Vatican would have been the place that would have welcomed him most. In fact, I could see him with a successful career in the Catholic church, after all, he has all the credentials :)

EDIT: I wonder how Mother Theresa would have placed?

Other Comments by Vaal

32. Comment #236699 by Ulixes Lactanis on August 25, 2008 at 5:26 am

Why is there an "inner beauty" but no "outer intelligence" or "outer courage"?

Other Comments by Ulixes Lactanis

33. Comment #236700 by Raiko on August 25, 2008 at 5:31 am

#26 - I am amused that at muslima.com you can very easily search for all sorts of homosexual relationships. That seems a bit contradictive for the site - EDIT: though I see now it is for 'friendship', too.

Other Comments by Raiko

34. Comment #236701 by Ygern on August 25, 2008 at 5:33 am

@ Roger Stanyard:

Please explain how it is a 'delightful idea'?
I am genuinely curious.

Other Comments by Ygern

35. Comment #236703 by Bonzai on August 25, 2008 at 6:06 am

Asked for his feminine ideal, he replied: "Well, I would say Sophia Loren."

So father Fungi likes women with big breasts, I see.

Other Comments by Bonzai

36. Comment #236704 by Vaal on August 25, 2008 at 6:15 am

26. Comment #236654 by rod-the-farmer

Wow, looking at muslima.com, I am in love!!

http://www.muslima.com/member_profile.cfm?ID=668935&searchposition=14&searchtotal=1000

I wonder if they will allow atheists to join? :))

EDIT: Better swat up on my French.

Other Comments by Vaal

37. Comment #236706 by Rachel Holmes on August 25, 2008 at 6:18 am

No, no, Bonzai - he chose Sophia Loren for her inner beauty. I'm sure he thinks she's minging to look at. In fact, he probably looked at her knockers for hours before deciding he thought she had a lovely character.

Other Comments by Rachel Holmes

38. Comment #236710 by BicycleRepairMan on August 25, 2008 at 6:24 am

Ah, the wonders of the sexually repressed mind. As someone pointed out, its a nice classy step up from raping altar boys.

Other Comments by BicycleRepairMan

39. Comment #236713 by Drool on August 25, 2008 at 6:56 am

Typical muslima.com profile:

Religion: Islam - Sunni
Star Sign: Pisces

Astrology and Islam?! How does that work?

Other Comments by Drool

40. Comment #236715 by Ishruul on August 25, 2008 at 6:59 am

38. Comment #236710 by BicycleRepairMan

Ah, the wonders of the sexually repressed mind. As someone pointed out, its a nice classy step up from raping altar boys.

Still, the Catholic church is knowned to have his cake and eating it too. My sympathy to the altar's boys. :(

Edit: BicycleRepairMan hehe, I just catch that one, when Supermen need a little help!

Other Comments by Ishruul

41. Comment #236716 by NewEnglandBob on August 25, 2008 at 7:00 am

Astrology and Islam?! How does that work?

Islam?! How does that work? - It does not.

Other Comments by NewEnglandBob

42. Comment #236717 by Cartomancer on August 25, 2008 at 7:02 am

I always thought there was something very suspicious about the whole idea of beauty contests. Surely beauty, inner or otherwise, is in the eye of the beholder? Surely what such contests do is attempt to promote the personal preferences of a small panel of judges under the pretense that their idiosyncratic tastes are somehow universal.

Other Comments by Cartomancer

43. Comment #236719 by Mango on August 25, 2008 at 7:10 am

I was wondering what Father Guido Sarducci was up to these days.

Other Comments by Mango

44. Comment #236725 by Prankster on August 25, 2008 at 7:39 am

Beauty contest for nuns?

Sounds a hoot, but will there be a swimwear section?

Other Comments by Prankster

45. Comment #236728 by Verylee on August 25, 2008 at 7:54 am

Comment #236725 by Prankster

will there be a swimwear section

I don't know, but it may encourage some bad habits. :)

Other Comments by Verylee

46. Comment #236732 by hungarianelephant on August 25, 2008 at 8:14 am

No, Baldrick, he wasn't.

What do I win?

Other Comments by hungarianelephant

47. Comment #236734 by decius on August 25, 2008 at 8:16 am

Comment #236732 by hungarianelephant

A standing ovation.

48. Comment #236736 by al-rawandi on August 25, 2008 at 8:20 am

WET HABIT CONTEST.

Decius get the hose, I will get the shot glasses. Let's see some nun-nipple.

Other Comments by al-rawandi

49. Comment #236737 by Corylus on August 25, 2008 at 8:28 am

Actually my suspicion is that this is not primarily about male titillation at all (although that may well play an inevitable part). I wonder instead whether this is more about addressing the recruitment crisis concerning nuns in Europe.

Interesting article here about the clergy recruitment crisis in Ireland - this appears to be quite the issue for the catholic church. For example, last year 228 Irish nuns died, but only two women took final vows.

There are many possible reasons for this downturn, but I suspect that the social acceptance of women who do not want to live in a traditional male/female marriage partnership might be a large part of this. It is less of a stigma now (in Europe at least) if women wish to live with other women - or even simply on their own. Also, the hideous grinding poverty that might lead someone to a convent just for the sake of a roof over their head is less common.

Not that all nuns took vows for those reasons of course (I am sure that many felt genuinely drawn towards the profession) but I suspect they were a factor.

This is why I find the emphasis on foreign recruitment so interesting.

I have had some e-mails from Christians who perhaps have not grasped the evangelising spirit of the initiative...

and

Today it's not like that any more, thanks to an injection of youth and vitality brought to our country by foreign girls." He said there were nuns from Africa and Latin America who were "really very, very pretty. The Brazilian girls above all.

Attractive images of people in particular professions are always used as an initiate to join them. I think that the man behind this might be smarter than he is being given credit for.

Other Comments by Corylus

50. Comment #236738 by decius on August 25, 2008 at 8:37 am

Comment #236736 by al-rawandi

For some XIV century nun porn, I recommend Boccaccio.

Priest Rungi is an amateur.

Other Comments by decius

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