Catholic archbishop in Belarus blesses AI-generated icon of Carlo Acutis, the Italian teenager known as the internet’s patron saint
Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, the former head of the Catholic Church in Belarus, blessed an AI-generated icon on October 11, the Belarusian outlet Katolik.life reported.
The image is in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Novolukoml. It depicts Carlo Acutis, a teenager whom the Vatican canonized a year ago.
Katolik.life said believers criticized the blessing on social media, insisting that an AI-generated image cannot be considered an icon.
Katolik.life said this was the first time an AI-generated icon had been blessed in Belarus. Meduza was unable to find information about similar images being blessed in other countries, including Russia.
Carlo Acutis was an Italian teenager who came to faith as a child. He learned to code and built websites for Catholic organizations. He also created a website documenting miracles around the world. Acutis died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15. The Vatican canonized him in 2025. He has been called the “patron saint of the internet” and the first millennial saint.
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