She's A Victim Of WHAT?
Since when was "victim" synonymous with "personal accountability"?

Other than looking as if she's in dire need of expanding her 600 calorie a day diet, the new Miss France, Valerie Begue, has her mock crucifixion pose defended by ... get ready for this... a French bishop.

It looks as if The Theology of Victimization is rearing it's ugly head yet again.

From Catholic World News; (Emphasis mine)

Bishop defends Miss France contestant

Paris, Dec. 28, 2007 (CWNews.com) - A Catholic bishop from Reunion Island has been caught up in a controversy over provocative photos featuring Miss France 2008.

Valerie Begue, a native of Reunion Island, came under heavy pressure to resign her title of Miss France after the publication of photos that included one shot of the young woman in a bikini on a cross. Begue said that she regretted posing for the mock-crucifixion, saying that it had been a youthful mistake. Bishop Gilbert Aubry of Reunion came to the titlist's defense. "The photo is shocking," he said, but argued that the blame for giving public offense should fall on those who distributed the photo. Insisting that the young woman "did not intend to offend the Church," he said that "Valerie is a victim who needs support." (Suuuure. No doubt, she was forced into that pose.)

After a compromise agreement allowed Begue to retain her title, while promising not to enter international competitions as Miss France, Bishop Aubry released a new public statement repeating that the beauty queen was a victim in the episode. The bishop noted that during the Miss France competition, contestants had appeared in costumes simulating angels' wings-- another image that he considered potentially offensive.A contestant in a beauty pageant wearing angels wings is questionable. Someone posing in a photo of a mock crucifixion is offensive. You'd think a bishop would know the difference.

Begue was a big girl when she posed for this picture, and now she's facing the consequences. And fair enough... Begue has expressed regret for this particular episode. I'm going to assume that with regret comes remorse. The bottom line here is that she's taking responsibility for her actions. I find that not only admirable, but also quite refreshing. We all have done some rather stupid things in our youth.

With that said, why in the world is Bishop Aubry playing the "Victimization Game"? I'm quite frankly, sick and tired of our choices always being "someone else's fault". And I'm even more disgusted with out so-called leaders reinforcing that rather stupid notion.

Bishop Aubry could take a lesson in maturity and personal accountability from young Miss Valerie Begue.