Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, the former head of the Catholic Church in Belarus, blessed an AI-generated icon of Saint Carlo Acutis on Oct. 11 in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Novolukoml, according to the Belarusian outlet Katolik.life.
The icon depicts Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager canonized by the Vatican in 2025 and known as the “patron saint of the internet.” Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, was noted for his early devotion to faith and technology, including building websites for Catholic organizations and documenting religious miracles online.
Kondrusiewicz’s blessing sparked criticism on social media, with some believers arguing that an AI-generated image cannot be considered a true religious icon, as such works traditionally adhere to strict theological and artistic canons. Katolik.life reported this as the first known instance of an AI-generated icon being blessed in Belarus, with no confirmed cases in other countries, including Russia.
