Antonio Rungi wanted to host the called Miss Sister Italy contest to end the stereotype of nuns being old and dour, reported previously. He wanted to hold the contest online on his internet blog but changed his mind after the local religious authorities expressed their displeasure.

"My superiors were not happy," Father Rungi said from the town of Mondragone, near Naples. "The local bishop was not happy, but they did not understand me either. It was interpreted as more of a physical thing. Now, no one is saying that nuns can't be beautiful, but I was thinking about something more complete."

Father Rungi insists he never intended to put sisters on the catwalk and wanted only to highlight that they were "above all women and beauty is a gift from God". He said he had intended to showcase the good work that nuns do, especially in education and health care, so as to boost interest in religious vocations.

"We have to draw more attention to the world of nuns, who are often not sufficiently appreciated by society," he wrote in his blog. "Nuns are - above all - women, and beauty is a gift from God," he said before he cancelled the project.

I think a quick Google of "naughty nuns" will show that there is already quite enough people who don't think of them as old and dour!

It was the steps being taken to get into size 0 habits that led to the cancellation.

The original was here