Madonna sparked controversy by publishing fake artificial intelligence-generated images depicting her alongside Pope Francis.
Clichés that are difficult to convey. In conflict with the Catholic Church for more than three decades, Madonna has once again sparked controversy by sharing two artificial intelligence-generated photos on Instagram depicting her with Pope Francis.
In the first photo, the singer in a black lace corset is snuggled up against the head of the Catholic Church, who appears to grab her arm, his nose brushing her cheek. “Starting the weekend like…” she wrote in the caption. The second image shows the sovereign pontiff holding her by the waist, accompanied by the phrase: “It feels good to be noticed.”
Although these montages were created in a sarcastic spirit, some fans deemed these posts “inappropriate.” “This is ridiculous and disrespectful,” said one person on X (formerly Twitter), while another commented: “This is funny and pathetic at the same time.”
A third person wrote: “This is another attempt to fill the web with AI. It’s absurd, sad and a pointless use of modern tools. What is the message? What do you mean ?”.
A long-standing tumultuous relationship with the church
Raised Catholic, Madonna has had a tumultuous relationship with the Church for decades. From the 1980s, his hits like “Like a Virgin” (1984), accused of promoting sex outside marriage, “Like a Prayer” (1989), with its burning crosses and its sensual interpretation of Jesus, or even “Papa Don’t Preach” (1986), fueled criticism.
Pope John Paul II called for a boycott of the artist’s second tour, “Who’s That Girl World Tour” (1987), in Italy. Three years later, in 1990, he urged Church members to boycott his “Blond Ambition” tour.
Madonna was criticized again in 2006 for staging a fake crucifixion during a concert in Rome. “This time the boundaries have really been pushed. This concert is a blasphemy against the faith and a desecration of the cross. She should be excommunicated,” declared Cardinal Ersilio Tonino, with the approval of Pope Benedict XVI.
In May 2022, the artist contacted Pope Francis on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “I am a good Catholic. I swear! I mean I don’t swear! It has been several decades since I went to confession. Would it be possible to meet one day to discuss important topics? I have been excommunicated three times. This doesn’t seem fair to me. Sincerely, Madonna.
