Madonna, Pope Francis
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic ; Franco Origlia/Getty ImagesMadonna was criticized for sharing her photo with artificial intelligence and Pope Francis.
Madonna, 66, shared what appeared to be a photo of the pope, 87, hugging the pop icon via her Instagram story on Friday, December 13. The image, which has since been leaked, reads: “Feels good to be seen.” Madonna also tagged the Instagram account of Rick Dickwho made the image.
Dick also posted the image of his account inscribed ‘MA.I.DONNA AND THE POPE. Thank you @madonna ❤️🔥.”
The image subsequently sparked online controversy.
Since releasing her debut album in 1983, Madonna has rarely been out of the public eye – and she’s never stopped delivering catchy pop hits. Born in Bay City, Michigan, in 1958, Madonna – whose full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone – began dancing as a child after convincing her father to let her study (…)
“This is ridiculously disrespectful,” one social media user wrote in the comments section, while others found it “so weird” and “so creepy.”
Neither Madonna, Dick, nor the Vatican have publicly addressed the backlash; Us Weekly reached out for comment. However, the AI artist shared screenshots of media coverage of the dispute via Instagram Story on Saturday, December 14.
Madonna’s name, songs like “Like a Prayer” and her tours have previously been criticized by Catholic figures for allegedly including religious allegories. Her 1990 Blond ambition the tour was even boycotted by the Pope at the time, Pope John Paul II.
“I was raised with a Catholic education. During the press conference while I was busy with the promotion In bed with MadonnaI was shocked to see myself attacked by the Church because she was unable to understand how much my work was trying to produce something good,” Madonna said. Vanity Fair Italy in 2023 “I knew immediately that the problem was with them, not with me. The problem was with them because they didn’t understand that my work as an artist brings people together, gives them freedom of expression, unity. It was the mirror of the teachings of Jesus. Whoever attacked me was just a hypocrite.”
Madonna’s holiday tour, which ended May 4, is making news again after a concertgoer filed a lawsuit claiming the show forced him to watch what he called sexually explicit content. Concertgoer Justin Lipeles claims in court documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly that audiences were subjected to “pornography without warning,” including “naked women on (…)
Madonna now identifies as spiritual.
“I think it’s important to have a pattern of ritual and spiritual life. But I also think that a religion without understanding, without knowledge, without curiosity and inclusion cannot be considered a religion,” she told the publication. “Religion does not adhere to an exclusive or extremist group. Religion is respect for other religions. Religion encourages people to understand what they believe and to study what they believe, instead of clinging to dogma, which without study and without understanding would be empty and fruitless.
Madonna added: “My relationship with religion today? Cultivating my spiritual practices. Practices that work for me and don’t necessarily work for everyone. I think everyone should do it because I think it’s important to pray and have a connection with the soul, with the spiritual force, call it what you want. I think it’s important because I believe in the idea of something bigger, something higher, something metaphysical that is outside of us but that holds us together.”
