Back In The Habit

The Olympics might be over, but fear not competition junkies; you can still experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat elsewhere. August is chock-full of events to get your sport fix on. The NFL pre-season kicks off. The ‘08 PGA Championship will be held in England. The World Track & Field Championships are in Goteborg, Sweden. The US Open, Backgammon World Cup and National Hot Air Balloon & World Body Surfing Championships are all being held in the U.S. But the most exciting competition coming down the Pike has to be: “Miss Sister 2008”.

I ain’t talkin’ sibling or best friend sister-from-another-mister here. I’m talking nuns folks. As in Roman Catholic. As in taking permanent solemn vows of poverty, chastity & obedience. As in committing herself to a lifetime of prayer, meditation and service to the needy, sick, poor and uneducated. Mother Teresa, Agnes of God, Sister Act 2 type of nuns.

Miss Sister 2008 was conceived by Italian priest, and school teacher, Rev. Antonio Rungi. His aim is to give nuns “more visibility within the Catholic church and to fight the stereotype that they are old and dour.” And what better way to do that than by posting their pictures on the Internet so the citizens of the world can ogle them and vote on which sister is the sexiest. Or, as Rev. Run puts it: "Vote for the nun they consider a model". He goes on to say: "We are not going to parade nuns in bathing suits, but being ugly is not a requirement for becoming a nun. External beauty is gift from God, and we mustn't hide it."

Maybe so, but this is an awesomely awful idea. Good thinking Rev. The site's not yet up and running, but, trust me, I will keep you posted on the details of this impending train wreck.

Blogs by Catholic nuns.