Edoardo Santini Italy’s most handsome man announces leaving the modeling industry to become a priest as Instagram followers express support along with some detractors.
From hot to holy… A man once voted the most handsome in Italy has announced leaving the modelling industry in order to pursue a new found vocation as a priest.
Edoardo Santini, 21, previously voted Italy’s most beautiful man in 2019, when he was 17, after winning a beauty pageant organised by fashion group, ABE, made the shock announcement over the weekend.
After a lifetime of studying drama and dance to achieve his dream of becoming a star, the male model on Saturday posted on social media that he would renounce his career for his faith.
‘The path towards God…’
‘At 21 years of age I find myself on the path towards becoming a priest, God willing,’ Edoardo posted on Instagram, with the newly devout man stating he had joined a seminary near Florence.
‘I’ve decided to give up modelling work, acting and dance, but I won’t abandon all my passions, I’ll just live them differently, offering them up to God,’ wrote the Castel Fiorentino native.
Addressing his followers, the rising star said: ‘At 21 years old my father took the decision to marry my mother because she was pregnant and my mum, at 21, became a mother.
‘Me, at 21-years-old, I find myself taking the path to become, God willing, a priest. In these past years I’ve been able to meet people who have shown me what it means to be ‘church’.
‘They have given me the strength to investigate this question that I’ve taken with me from childhood but various fears stopped me from studying it at a deeper level. Last year, I took the first step,’ he said.
Edoardo described a recent decision to live with two priests, as the ‘best experience of my life’.
‘At the end of the year it was natural for me to ask the bishop to enter the preparatory course, the year that precedes life in the seminary. And here I am, studying theology and serving two parishes in the Florentine diocese.’
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Support along with some detractors
Now, he says, he has ‘put aside my job as a model and a dancer’, favouring a new ‘world’ where he has ‘met marvellous people with pure hearts, to whom I owe a lot, who allowed me to grow’.
‘Of course I won’t abandon everything,’ he caveated. ‘Because they make me who I am but I will live them in a different context.’
Many of his fans said they are pleased since Edoardo found the courage to pursue a life focused on God despite what others say about it, according to The Daily Mail.
Edoardo said he would continue to follow his new path in spite of backlash.
‘Of course I have people that speak behind my back. There are those who have no problem telling me that I’m a disappointment, even in my family. But there are also those who support me, believers and non-believers,’ Santini posted.
He said that although it ‘terrified him’ to abandon his dream and become a priest, he was sure he will not regret the decision ‘because now I can shout: I am Edoardo, I am 21 years old and I am happy’.
’emotion was immense’
In the above video in which he shared on his Instagram page last week, Edoardo shared a clip of himself in which he appeared to pray in a church, with the caption: ‘I got back on my path’.
He also updated his profile bio to ‘I’m a Christian, priest wannabe’.
Edoardo was honoured with his title after taking part in the 40th edition of the national beauty contest Il Bello d’Italia in Avellino in 2019.
Actors Giorgio Mastrota and Gabriel Garko are among the famous faces who had early success in the competition.
Stated Italy’s most handsome man at the time, ’emotion was immense’ along with dreaming of going on to become an actor.
‘Unfortunately there is never enough time for all the activities I would like to do,’ Edoardo said in an interview with First Model and Actor.
Edoardo has some 7,000 followers on Instagram, which from time to time he enjoys posting pictures of himself from modelling shoots along with photos from holiday getaways.
