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Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz blessed an AI-generated image of Carlo Acutis on October 11 at a church in Novolukoml, Belarus, according to the Belarusian outlet Katolik.life. The outlet reported criticism on social media from believers who argued that an AI-generated image cannot be considered an icon; the church’s reasoning and any formal response to that debate have not been reported.
Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, the former head of the Catholic Church in Belarus, blessed an AI-generated image of Carlo Acutis on October 11 at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Novolukoml, the Belarusian outlet Katolik.life reported. The blessing has drawn criticism from believers on social media, according to the outlet, over whether an image made with artificial intelligence can be considered an icon.
The image depicts Acutis, an Italian teenager canonized by the Vatican in 2025. Katolik.life reported that Kondrusiewicz blessed the image during an event at the church. The report does not provide details about how the image was produced, who commissioned it, or what role it will have in the church.
Katolik.life said that believers criticized the blessing on social media, arguing that an AI-generated image cannot be considered an icon. The outlet also described the event as the first blessing of an AI-generated icon in Belarus. That characterization is attributed to Katolik.life; no independent confirmation or broader survey of comparable events is cited in the available reporting.
The report establishes that a blessing took place and that objections were voiced online. It does not establish a formal position by the Belarusian Catholic Church on AI-generated religious images, nor does it say that the debate has prompted an official ruling. Meduza reported that it could not find information about similar images being blessed in other countries, including Russia.
AI Images Meet Religious Tradition
The incident brings a practical question about generative AI into a religious setting: whether an image made with the technology can serve as an icon, and who has authority to recognize it as one. The reported criticism shows that the blessing was not accepted without objection by all believers who commented online.
The distinction matters because the image is not simply a new depiction of a saint. It was described as AI-generated, and that production method is at the center of the dispute. The reporting does not explain what criteria critics apply or whether they object to AI tools in general, to this particular image, or to the act of blessing it.
For now, the event is a local development in Novolukoml rather than evidence of a church-wide change in practice. Its reach may depend on whether Catholic authorities or religious communities issue further guidance, and whether similar cases are reported elsewhere.
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Acutis and the Image’s Subject
Carlo Acutis was an Italian teenager who became a Catholic saint after the Vatican canonized him in 2025. He died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15. As a child and teenager, he learned to code and built websites for Catholic organizations.
Acutis also created a website documenting reported miracles around the world. His use of the internet and technology has led to his being called the “patron saint of the internet” and the first millennial saint. That reputation gives the AI-generated image a particular connection to technology, although the available report does not say that this connection was the reason it was created or blessed.
Kondrusiewicz is identified in the report as the former head of Belarus’s Catholic Church. The image is located at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Novolukoml. The source material does not provide a fuller account of the event or identify the image’s artist, developer, or commissioning body.
“An AI-generated image cannot be considered an icon.”
— Believers cited by Katolik.life
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Church Response Still Unreported
The available reporting does not say whether Kondrusiewicz, the church in Novolukoml, or Belarusian Catholic authorities have responded to the online criticism. It is also unclear whether the image is formally designated an icon by the church, how it was generated, who made it, and whether the blessing followed any specific ecclesiastical guidance.
Katolik.life’s description of the event as Belarus’s first is not independently confirmed in the source material. Meduza said it could not find information about similar blessings in other countries, but that search result should not be read as proof that none have occurred. The scale of the social-media criticism and the views of church officials beyond those reported also remain unknown.
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Watch for Formal Church Guidance
No further action or official statement is specified in the reporting. The next developments to watch for are any response from the church or Kondrusiewicz, clarification of how the image will be used at St. Mary Magdalene, and further reporting about whether Catholic authorities have guidance on AI-generated devotional images.
Until such information is available, the confirmed account remains limited: Katolik.life reported that Kondrusiewicz blessed the image on October 11 and that some believers objected online. The event’s wider significance for church practice is not yet established.
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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, according to Katolik.life.
Where and when did the blessing take place?
The blessing took place on October 11 at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Novolukoml, Belarus, according to the report.
Who is Carlo Acutis?
Acutis was an Italian teenager who built websites for Catholic organizations and documented reported miracles online. The Vatican canonized him in 2025, after his death from leukemia in 2006 at age 15.
Why did some believers criticize the blessing?
Katolik.life said believers criticized it on social media, arguing that an AI-generated image cannot be considered an icon. The report does not provide a formal church ruling on that question.
Was this the first blessing of an AI-generated icon?
Katolik.life called it the first such blessing in Belarus. The available reporting does not independently confirm that claim, and Meduza said it could not find information about similar blessings in other countries.
Source: rss
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