Trad West
A man once voted the most handsome in Italy has quit his modelling job, and abandoned his dreams of becoming an actor, to join the priesthood.
Edoardo Santini, 21, was voted Italy's most beautiful man in 2019, when he was 17. He wrote: "At 21 years of age I find myself on the path towards becoming a priest, God willing."
Edoardo Santini had absolutely everything modernity tells you to chase. Crowned "Italy's most handsome man," he had a clear, lucrative path to modeling, acting, and worldly success.
But he recognized the profound, undeniable truth that the applause of the crowd is entirely hollow compared to the call of the Christ.
Walking away from the spotlight to embrace the rigorous, selfless vocation of the Catholic priesthood requires an iron-clad will and deep spiritual clarity.
The Church doesn't just need men who couldn't make it in the secular world; she needs men who could easily conquer the world, but deliberately choose to lay it all down for the Kingdom of Heaven instead.
To look at the absolute peak of modern temptation and choose the Cross is what true strength looks like.
Keep him in your prayers as he begins his formation.