Article: Cosmopolitan Magazine Learns about the Church's Consecrated Virgins,

[mdgspencer]

Cosmopolitan Magazine is a racy women’s magazine prominently displayed in stores in some countries. “This month, though, readers are being treated to a story more likely found in a devotional magazine: the story of Carmen Bianco, daughter of a diplomat, and (get this!) a consecrated virgin. Carmen is married to God.” This article wonders why this magazine has published this respectful article, but reports that it has published this great story all the same. By the way, you could go to this story, given by a consecrated virgin, by using the link in the first paragraph of the article.
see ncregister.com/blog/kschiffer/cosmo-learns-about-the-churchs-consecrated-virgins

 

[Crown_of_Stars]

That’s very nice, actually. But I would have to wonder how this woman (the consecrated virgin) would have allowed her story to appear in such a horrid magazine.

 

[1Lord1Faith]

I would think that the readers of Cosmo would not read these articles on Catholic virgins because they are interested in a homely lifestyle. It’s more likely they see it as a freak show to be gasped at. A tragic tale of lost sexuality. Very counter-cultural, very taboo.

Cosmo was respectful to Carmen, probably so they can get more stories from other virgins, provided this story sells some magazines.

 

[Crown_of_Stars]

A tragic tale of lost sexuality.

Yes. How awful to keep legs closed. Really. All I can say is they’re not missing much. Not much at all.

 

[Catherinabird]

I would think that the readers of Cosmo would not read these articles on Catholic virgins because they are interested in a homely lifestyle. It’s more likely they see it as a freak show to be gasped at. A tragic tale of lost sexuality. Very counter-cultural, very taboo.

Maybe I’m idealistic, but I disagree that the readers will mostly gasp at the freak show. When I was a teen this kind of magazine was a huge draw. It seemed to contain everything you think you’re supposed to know about womanhood. I assume teens still read these things for that reason. How wonderful would it be to have read about someone real who had a different path in life, but is still just as much a woman! It would be inspiring! Some girls will read it out of pure curiosity, and that’s okay, but I can’t see that most of them would gasp at it. I think it will make them think and rethink their own views. Even if it’s just a little bit.

 

[Dorothy]

Maybe I’m idealistic, but I disagree that the readers will mostly gasp at the freak show. When I was a teen this kind of magazine was a huge draw. It seemed to contain everything you think you’re supposed to know about womanhood. I assume teens still read these things for that reason. How wonderful would it be to have read about someone real who had a different path in life, but is still just as much a woman! It would be inspiring! Some girls will read it out of pure curiosity, and that’s okay, but I can’t see that most of them would gasp at it. I think it will make them think and rethink their own views. Even if it’s just a little bit.

I agree with you! The Holy Spirit plants seeds in the strangest places!

May our Savior Jesus Christ bring those seeds to fruition. May our holy and pure Blessed Mother pray for them!

 

[Mintaka]

Re: “allowing” your story to be printed in a magazine –

What usually happens is that a magazine has some staff writers, but that all its other stories come from freelance writers. The freelance writers shop their articles around to every magazine they can, hoping that one of them will eventually buy it. Alternately, there are people who act as ghostwriters (writing up articles for someone who has something to say) or agents for writers (taking a finished article and shopping it around).

However, this is a first person article, where Ms. Briceno is telling her story. The article doesn’t tell how she was approached by Cosmopolitan or how she was convinced by them to write an article, but it seems unlikely to have been the other way around. It may well be that the staff or editors of Cosmopolitan knew the lady personally, or knew of her through some news story elsewhere. Either way, they were interested enough in her vocational choice to ask for a story about her. If Miss Briceno had some reason to trust that they would not misrepresent her, she would obviously not want to offend the Holy Spirit by stomping on a ray of His light.

Either way, it’s not really our business; and if the story was done well, we should be happy to be able to praise Cosmopolitan instead of shuddering at it.

In general, the story appears to be a case of:

“Like a lily among thorns is my beloved among women.”
(Songs 2:2)

 

[PRmerger]

Cosmopolitan Magazine is a racy women’s magazine prominently displayed in stores in some countries. “This month, though, readers are being treated to a story more likely found in a devotional magazine: the story of Carmen Bianco, daughter of a diplomat, and (get this!) a consecrated virgin. Carmen is married to God.” This article wonders why this magazine has published this respectful article, but reports that it has published this great story all the same. By the way, you could go to this story, given by a consecrated virgin, by using the link in the first paragraph of the article.
see ncregister.com/blog/kschiffer/cosmo-learns-about-the-churchs-consecrated-virgins

Good for Cosmo!

It should be good reading for the “Me Want Sex Now! Me Get Sex Now!” readership.

#plantingseeds

 

[PRmerger]

I got hold of the writer.

She used to work at Hearst as an editor and she confirmed that she wrote that story for Good Housekeeping, not *Cosmo. *The editors at *GH *have a fairly religious audience, says Basile, and they came up with the idea to do a story on a consecrated virgin…and then asked Basile if she’d like to write it and if she could find someone to be the subject of the story.
With a bit of research, Basile found Carmen and asked if she could interview her, and Carmen was very happy to do it.
Cosmo picked up the story, she says, because they are interested in human interest pieces involving people from all walks of life and real stories about women…and sex.

I’m not sure if Carmen even knows the story was reprinted in Cosmo. I asked Basile this question, but she didn’t know. Carmen would have been told at the onset, tho, that the story could be reprinted in other Hearst publications.
She also would have seen the final version of the story and approved it before it was published.

Basile says Carmen was a very lovely person, forthcoming, and easy to work with.

So. There’s the scoop!
For any inquiring minds out there.

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