Pop star Madonna has once again found herself at the center of a religious controversy, this time after she used artificial intelligence (AI) to create provocative images of herself with Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church — the faith that she claims to be a part of.
The 66-year-old music legend shared two AI-generated images on her Instagram Story on Friday, Dec. 13, depicting intimate scenarios with the 87-year-old pontiff.
In the first image, the Pope appears to be embracing Madonna, with his nose pressed against her cheek. She captioned it, “Going into the weekend like…”
Singer Madonna is under fire because of a few provocative images posted on the internet. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The second photo showed a more provocative scene, with Pope Francis seemingly whispering in her ear and placing his hand on her waist. This image was captioned “Feels Good to be Seen.”
Because of the 24-hour time limit of IG Stories, the original posts have since been deleted. However, the aftermath remains. The internet’s reaction was swift and unequivocal.
Social media users condemned the images as “disrespectful” and “creepy.”
One X user succinctly captured the public sentiment, stating, “This is insanely disrespectful and weird and I am not even Christian.”
Another wrote, “Disgusting! I pray her soul gets saved!”
Someone else tweeted, “This is so creepy.”
A video is also floating on the X platform, where the singer-turned-actress offered an early Christmas present to the pope. It appears to be another AI picture of her deressed as a nun in a teddy lighting a cigarette for a sister.
“She must be desperate for attention,” one person tweeted. “This mocking of catholic church is getting old. What would really boost her popularity is doing the same with Islam.”
This latest controversy is hardly Madonna’s first clash with the Catholic Church.
Her history of challenging religious sensibilities dates back decades, with several notable incidents that have drawn Vatican ire. In 1989, her music video for “Like a Prayer” was lambasted by the Vatican for depicting intimate interactions with a saint and featuring burning crosses.
The tension escalated in 2006 when Cardinal Ersilio Tonino, with Pope Benedict XVI’s approval, called for her excommunication after she performed a mock crucifixion during a concert in Rome.
“This concert is a blasphemous challenge to the faith and a profanation of the cross,” the Cardinal declared, according to The Independent.
Interestingly, the Grammy winner has consistently positioned herself as merely a provocative artist, even one time dressing up as the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, for Vanity Fair, believed to be the real Madonna.
In a 2023 interview, she defended her provocative work, saying, “I quickly realized that they were the problem, not me. They were the problem because they hadn’t understood that my work as an artist united people, gave them freedom of expression, unity. It was the mirror of Jesus’ teachings,” the Pink News reported.
Her attempts to reconcile with the Church have been equally dramatic.
In 2022, she tapped Pope Francis on social media, writing, “Hello @Pontifex Francis — I’m a good Catholic. I Swear! I mean I don’t Swear! It’s been a few decades since my last confession. Would it be possible to meet up one day to discuss some important matters? I’ve been excommunicated three times. It doesn’t seem fair.”
This somewhat tongue-in-cheek message was simply not like a prayer to many Catholics.
Madonna is no stranger to stirring up controversy, so this recent incident should not shock anyone. The “Like a Virgin” singer’s ability to spark public debate remains as potent as ever, even in the age of artificial intelligence.
