The Ursuline sister Cristina Scuccia, who won the 2014 edition of The Voice Italy, revealed in a recent interview that she had left the nunhood and now works as a waitress in Spain.
Details of Sister Cristina's Decision
According to a report by The Guardian, the former nun said in her TV interview with Verissimo that she had to ditch the habit to 'follow her heart.'
"I chose to follow my heart without thinking about what people would say about me. I took a leap of faith and was worried about ending up under a bridge, I always repeated this to my psychologist," The Guardian quoted her saying.
"I believe that you need to listen to your heart with courage. Change is a sign of evolution, but it is always scary because it is easier to anchor oneself to one's certainties rather than questioning oneself. Is there a right or wrong?" the former nun explained.
Scuccia clarified that her decision to quit being a nun did not mean she had given up her faith or her dream of etching a musical career.
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Her Stint at The Voice Italy
According to the article, Scuccia's stint at The Voice Italy was sensational in terms of actually winning it and the controversy surrounding her participation in the talent show.
Scuccia's rendition of Alicia Key's "No One" reportedly floored the show's judges, including the late Raffaella Carra. Carra remarked that the realization that the voice she had just heard belonged to a nun rendered her speechless.
The former nun's finale song, "What a Feeling," from the movie Flashdance was what the judges and the viewers needed to give her the win.
At the time, Scuccia was with the Ursuline Sisters of the Holy Family convent based in Milan.
After winning the show, she produced a musical album and handed a copy to Pope Francis. The album included her version of Madonna's "Like a Virgin," the report noted. Some Italian cardinals also reportedly praised Scuccia's musical abilities.
Reactions to Scuccia's The Voice Stint
Despite winning the talent competition, not everyone was pleased with Scuccia's decision to join the contest and her subsequent musical venture as a solo artist.
The news outlet bared that Scuccia's mother superior had supported her participation in The Voice Italy, along with fellow nuns who cheered for her backstage during her blind audition.
However, the former Ursuline nun reportedly drew flak from the conservative Italian Catholic Church leaders. The Italian Religious Information Service ("Servizio Informazione Religiosa") went so far as calling her rendition of "Like a Virgin" "a reckless and calculated commercial operation."
An unnamed church source also weighed in on the controversy surrounding Scuccia's rise to fame following her The Voice triumph.
"Cristina reached such high levels of fame - she was getting calls from around the world - and also some criticism, which probably left her in a state of confusion. Leaving was her own decision, after appearing on TV so much you perhaps lose the compass a little. She was young and under a lot of pressure," the anonymous source explained.
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