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Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz blessed an AI-generated image of Carlo Acutis at a church in Novolukoml, Belarus, on October 11, according to Katolik.life. Some believers criticized the blessing on social media, arguing that an AI-generated image cannot be considered an icon. The report does not establish how church authorities view the image or whether similar blessings have occurred elsewhere.
Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, the former head of the Catholic Church in Belarus, blessed an AI-generated image of Carlo Acutis at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Novolukoml on October 11, Belarusian outlet Katolik.life reported. The blessing has drawn social-media criticism from believers who dispute whether an image created with artificial intelligence can be considered an icon.
The image depicts Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager canonized by the Vatican in 2025. Katolik.life reported the blessing and said it was the first time an AI-generated icon had been blessed in Belarus. That description is the outlet’s account; the report does not cite an official church statement confirming the claim.
According to Katolik.life, some believers criticized the blessing online, saying an AI-generated image cannot qualify as an icon. The report does not provide a formal ruling from the Catholic Church, identify a specific church body that assessed the image, or say whether Kondrusiewicz or local clergy responded to the criticism.
The image is located at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Novolukoml, the report says. Meduza said it could not find information about similar images being blessed in other countries, including Russia. That search result does not establish that no such cases have occurred.
AI Images and Religious Practice
The reported blessing brings a new technology into a question with religious and practical implications: how churches distinguish an icon from other religious images, and whether the method used to create an image affects that distinction. The online objections show that at least some believers see the use of AI as relevant, rather than treating the image simply as a depiction of a saint.
The incident is also a local example of a broader challenge for religious communities as generative AI becomes more accessible. The report documents a blessing and public criticism, but it does not establish a change in Catholic teaching or a wider church policy. For now, the dispute is about one reported image and its reception, not an announced decision by the Vatican or the Belarusian Catholic Church.
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Who Carlo Acutis Was
Acutis was born in Italy and came to faith as a child. He learned to code and built websites for Catholic organizations, including a site documenting reported Eucharistic miracles around the world. He died of leukemia in 2006, aged 15, and the Vatican canonized him in 2025.
Because of his interest in computers and online projects, Acutis has been described as the “patron saint of the internet” and as the first millennial saint. Those descriptions help explain why an AI-created image of him has attracted attention, but they do not resolve whether the particular image is regarded as an icon under Catholic practice.
“The outlet described the image as an AI-generated icon and reported that Kondrusiewicz blessed it on October 11.”
— Katolik.life
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Church Position Still Unclear
The available report does not explain how the image was generated, who created it, or whether church authorities reviewed it before the blessing. It also does not clarify whether the word “icon” is being used in a formal theological sense or as a general description of a religious image.
No official response to the online criticism is included. It remains unclear whether the Belarusian Catholic Church or the Vatican has issued guidance on blessing AI-generated religious images, and whether other examples exist beyond the cases Meduza said it could not locate.
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Possible Church Response
The immediate development to watch for is a response from Kondrusiewicz, the church in Novolukoml, or Belarusian Catholic authorities addressing the criticism and explaining the blessing. The source material does not report that any such statement is planned or that a formal review has begun.
Further reporting could also establish who made the image, what process was used, and whether comparable blessings have taken place elsewhere. Until those details emerge, the confirmed account remains limited to the October 11 blessing reported by Katolik.life and the objections it says appeared on social media.
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Key Questions
Who blessed the AI-generated image?
Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, the former head of the Catholic Church in Belarus, blessed it on October 11, according to Katolik.life.
Where is the image?
Katolik.life reported that the image is at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Novolukoml, Belarus.
Why did some believers object?
Katolik.life said some believers argued on social media that an AI-generated image cannot be considered an icon. The report does not cite a formal church ruling on that claim.
Has the Catholic Church issued a ruling on AI-generated icons?
The source material does not report a ruling by the Vatican or Belarusian Catholic authorities on this image or on AI-generated religious images generally.
Who was Carlo Acutis?
Acutis was an Italian teenager who built websites for Catholic organizations and documented reported miracles online. He died in 2006 at age 15 and was canonized by the Vatican in 2025.
Source: rss
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