Silenced nuns given permission to speak....through the internet

Last updated at 19:03 26 April 2007


An order of nuns who have taken a vow of silence have been given permission to "speak" but only through the internet.

The Order of Cistercians are governed by a centuries old code of conduct that involves chastity and forbids speaking.

But now in a bid to get with modern times one nunnery has opened its own website through which they can be emailed and via which they will say prayers on request.

In between an Our Father and a Hail Mary the nuns at the Santo Spirito (Holy Spirit) convent at Agrigento on the Italian island of Sicily are able to log onto the world wide web.

By clicking onto their address at www.santospiritoag.com a home page opens up with view of the nunnery and a number of options on the daily life of the nuns - which begins at 4.30am and ends at 8.30pm.

The "Contact Us" link enables users to email the nunnery with requests for prayers and once sent an electronic reply promises a "quick response from the mother superior."

While technicians were at the monastery installing telephone lines and computers they had to wear bells so the nuns could run and hide if they heard them approaching.

Yesterday speaking in a whisper, the mother superior at the convent said:

"We nuns have embraced monastic life, convinced that we are giving ourselves to God for his service.

"The nuns have taken a vow of silence but through the internet they are able to communicate and say prayers on request through the email facility."

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