A Roman Catholic archbishop in Belarus prompted backlash for blessing the first AI-generated religious icon last Sunday, prompting questions regarding the appropriate role of artificial intelligence in worship. Archbishop Emeritus Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz blessed the AI image of Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint, at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in the northeastern Belarusian town of Novolukoml during Mass, according to RT. “Today we enter the world through the internet.
What are we looking for there? Holiness? Far from always,” Kondrusiewicz said during his sermon, which expressed hope that the icon would encourage others to righteously use modern technology in pursuit of truth. ?
Belarus has blessed its first AI-generated religious icon The icon depicts Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who was canonized in 2025 and became known as the “Cyber Apostle.” The icon was installed in a Catholic church in Novolukoml, where Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz blessed it on October 11. The move has sparked debate on social media, with some believers arguing that AI-generated images should not be used for prayer.
Acutis, who was beatified by the Roman Catholic Church in 2020 and canonized last year, became known among Catholics as the patron saint of the internet because of his aptitude with computers, a skill he used to witness to others, according to The New York Times. Acutis, who died of leukemia at age 15 in 2006, was born May 3, 1991, in London before moving with his parents to Milan months later.
Though he wasn't raised as particularly devout, he began to take an early interest in the Catholic faith, especially the rosary, as noted by the Catholic News Agency (CNA). He taught himself complex computer coding skills and used them months before he died to create a website that archived reported Eucharistic miracles.