Russian monks believe a beauty contest for nuns is a cynical way to make money with sensation

26 August 2008, 16:41

Moscow, August 26, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church is skeptical about the idea of Italian Catholic priest to hold a beauty contest for nuns.

"I doubt there will volunteers to participate in it among Catholic nuns," chief of the sector for Russian Orthodox institutions abroad nun Feodora (Lapkovskaya) told Interfax-Religion on Tuesday.

Thus, she commented on the intention of Rev. Antonio Rungi to invite about thousand Catholic nuns aged from 18 to 40 to participate in the Miss Sister Italy contest.

Mother Feodora noted she often visited Catholic nunneries in Europe and monastic life there was especially strict, perhaps even stricter that in Russian ones.

"There are restrictions even on visits of relatives to Catholic monasteries. Our monasteries give more freedom in this field," the interviewee of the agency said.

Spiritual leader of the Russian public monarchical movement For the Faith and Fatherland Hieromonk Nikon (Belavenets) considers Catholic initiative only "a cynical way to make money with sensation."

"The Lord granted us our appearance, there's no merit of ours. Thus, it's not good to boast things you didn't create yourself. Even more unnatural idea is to hold a vanity contest among those who should free from vanities of the world," Fr. Nikon told Interfax-Religion.