Priest's plans for nun beauty contest canceled - On Deadline - USATODAY.com

Those priestly plans we told you about  to hold an online beauty pageant for nuns have been scrapped,  The Times of London reports.

Father Antonio Rungi, the priest from near Naples who announced the online "Sister Italian 2008" beauty pageant earlier this week, says he got "many" requests from nuns to take part, the newspaper reports. But, he says, he decided to cancel the contest because it has been "misunderstood."

The pageant was due to start on his blog in September, with nun posting photographs -- with head covered or not. Readers would vote on their favorite.

While noting at the time that many younger nuns in Italy were attractive, especially those from Africa and Latin America, Rungi ruled out any bathing suit entries, saying the idea was also to reflect "chaste, inner beauty" and to explain the conduct of religious life in convents.

Rungi, the Times reports, says his plans prompted "too much commotion" -- and a string of abusive emails.

"One of them told me I would end up in Hell," Rungi says.

Priest's plans for nun beauty contest canceled - On Deadline - USATODAY.com

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