Britain | Spiritually testing

Want to be a nun? You need to pass these tests

The Catholic church is using psychometric tests to screen applicants

Saint Catherine of Siena. Stained glass window. Saint Catarina church ( Chiesa di Santa Caterina ). Varazze. Italy. (Photo by: Pascal Deloche/Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Sane glass windowImage: Getty Images

Saint Catherine of Siena might have struggled with psychometric tests. The 14th-century saint and mystic had many virtues: she could pray for hours, fast for days and devoted herself to God for years. Some of the statements found on a typical psychometric form, such as “136. I cannot keep my mind on one thing”, would have held no fear for Saint Catherine.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Spiritually testing”

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