Are Catholic women required to be beautiful?

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That’s why I couldn’t shift the feelings that there is something pretentious about it all.
I’m not meaning to say that in a judgmental way,but just for my own understanding.
If a person is just taking photos of themselves on Instagram,that’s to be expected in today times/social media era.
When though a person though does the showy poses and highly stylised photos in Church etc,that’s where I get confused and I’m left in my mind with either one of options-either this is a bit pretentious or this is the Catholic version of the ideal woman that Catholic women should aspire to.
 
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Full makeup in all pics too - show your unadorned face ! There is nothing better
 
I looked at a bunch of those photos and honestly they don’t come across as very Catholic or glorifying God. It’s a woman who knows she is sexually attractive and apparently gets someone to take photos of her in Church alot, and receiving communion. Like WHO DOES THAT? What normal person gets someone set up to take photos of them receiving communion bent over with their backsides poking out?

That’s not normal godly behavior. That’s all about “look at me” (and my bodacious body) and I’m super holy too!

Vanity all over the place. Stop annoying yourself and stop encouraging her by no longer visiting her site. Get on with your life and faith. 99% of the women in the world don’t have the looks she has been blessed with and yet most of us get along fine. Have friends, faith, family, and a good life. Folks who obsessively have pics taken of them and have to parade every aspect of their lives online are usually not as happy and well adjusted as they try to appear.

If they were, they would be busy living. What would you think if you went to Mass and someone had a person set up to take photos of them receiving? Would you think…wow, what a great happy humble person. Or would you wonder what in tarnation was wrong with them?
 
I really don’t like the photos of her receiving - I actually try not to even watch people receiving at mass as I feel it’s such a holy moment between that person and God
 
I did listen to her podcast and she didn’t say anything objectionable. She seems like a very sweet girl and I don’t think she intends any harm.

I do think if she wants to go the “instagram ministry” route, she should include pictures of other girls with the veils and different examples of fashionable modesty from a variety of women if she’s trying to spread that message to other girls. She is a very beautiful girl but not every girl can relate to being blessed with that kind of beauty.
 
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It can also be unhelpful for youngsters as they think what they see on Instagram is real and don’t take into account filters, the careful exclusion of ‘bad’ photos, photo shop and all these other things that distort reality
 
I was a bit surprised that a priest would allow this.
I mean photos are taken all the time in Church at Baptism etc but they are usually different from these types of photos?
 
I don’t think she means any harm either but sometimes harm can come about to society even when people don’t intend it.
 
Exactly. At your regular Mass there are not people standing around taking photos. That’s inapproapriate and disrespectful of what is taking place. This woman is making it all about her. If a Catholic is searching for an example of womanhood, look to the virgin Mary who always always puts the focus on her son.
 
This is true, but I’m concerned that this entire thread is going to trend into a very uncharitable direction. If people take serious issue with her then I’d rather they speak with her directly rather than gang up and tear her down from the comforts of an anonymous thread.
 
Do you know that high heels is originally a masculine fashion trend? High heels were first worn by men who were riding horses because the heels cling better to the horse’s harness if they are higher.
Funny thing how these things change.
So I conclude that high heels also being very unhealthy are not the epitome of feminity. The only good visual thing they can produce is give the illusion of longer legs. But they cannot actually make legs thinner, longer, etc.
Also UGG boots (hated by all men I know including my dad! because they look childish and silly not un-feminine) look kind of funny on men. And there is nothing warmer than UGG lol.
 
Interesting topic. She’s still only a young woman and hopefully will mature and adapt what she is doing. Taking the positives - It’s good that she is actually open with her faith and encouraging other young people to be so.
 
That girl on your post isn’t she some famous singer? So she uses her fame and looks to make faith look “cool” to people who follow her (while I bet many people also use religion as proof that she is pretty but silly because of her faith). So she’s not doing anything wrong imho. But just because she posted something on Instagram doesn’t mean that she is or even that is attempted to present herself as a role-model Catholic woman other than the fact that even if she is pretty and famous and she could be promoting phones and get richer she wants to convince people to go (back) to the Catholic faith.
 
Rozellelily said:
When though a person though does the showy poses and highly stylised photos in Church etc,that’s where I get confused and I’m left in my mind with either one of options-either this is a bit pretentious or this is the Catholic version of the ideal woman that Catholic women should aspire to.
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You can’t forget that many if these images are ads for chapel veils and some are from her photography business. She is promoting a business in addition to everything else.
 
Ardent_Fire said:
This is true, but I’m concerned that this entire thread is going to trend into a very uncharitable direction. If people take serious issue with her then I’d rather they speak with her directly rather than gang up and tear her down from the comforts of an anonymous thread.
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I agree with you!

She is young, proud to be Catholic, proud of her Mexican heritage, promoting her chapel veil business, and promoting her wedding photography business. She isn’t doing anything wrong or even trying to present herself as an ideal Catholic woman.

I think it is very unfortunate that people are criticizing her.
 
Yes beautiful in soul as is all Catholic men. Although we don’t always maintain that beauty.
 
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No she’s not a famous singer.
Just a “random” Catholic girl.
Regarding using beauty to evangelise-is this something that should be done or is rather the Holy Spirit that converts people?
By using beauty to “convert” people is there a risk that those people willl just be converted to a more “superficial faith” -ie:because they are attracted by the beauty and femininty of it (or even what the perceive perceive as countercultural) but not so much a “genuine” faith based on following Jesus’s commandments and ways in everyday life?

Or am I seeing it incorrect?
 
It’s not the photos in themselves that I’m in “two minds” about but rather the showy posing styles in the photos such as the one when receiving the Eucharist.

I don’t want this thread to criticise her directly (or anyone) but at the same time to open discussion and clarification generally about Catholic “version” of beauty and femininity,about evangelisation through feminine beauty,even the topic of Catholic as an identity vs Catholic as a spirituality etc…

Regarding the Instagram girl herself,I’m sure she has many great qualities too.
 
Of course it’s shallow but considering how many people use their beauty against Christianity and to promote the idea of how happy and pretty they are because they are freed from “superstitions” one Instagram girl doing the same to show that being Catholic is not keeping her away from her young shallow pleasures should be seen as what it is.
Let’s be honest, very few of us can actually evangelize at the intensity of faith the Apostles had, or other saints.
Everyone does what they can. And just because she’s pretty it does not give us right to judge the intensity of her actual faith. Only God knows that.
Being Christian it means she also accepts that one day she will die and all her beauty will simply just go away and this body is not the final body she will be in after the Parousia. So deep down inside we just don’t know how shallow she actually is. And if she is really shallow then it is the purpose of her priest to guide her all we can do is pray.
 
I guess my concern is not so much that is shallow because taking photos of yourself can mean different things according to the “heart” of each individual.
Ie:for one person it could just be for fun and joy,but for a different person it could be pride,vanity or superficial.

My concern is more could the effect on young girls/women be just another form of the message you mentioned.
I mean females are already given the message (often through pop culture or Instagram models)
how happy and pretty the singers are because they are freed from “superstitions” and then girls try to aspire to be like them or aspire to look like the Insta models.
If we equate/associate/promote Catholicm also with external beauty,albeit a different form of “countercultural” feminine beauty,is this a good thing or are we just giving young girls/women another aesthetic goal to aspire to,which they might not be able to reach,like “worldliness” already does,but this time wrapped in a Catholic package?

The worldly version they are “sold” is that they have to be thin and stick their bums out in bikinis but the Catholic version being sold is they should have super feminine faces and with curves in all the right places (but modesty cover them).
It just seems a bit like another “beauty goal”.
 
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