Belarus archbishop blesses AI-generated icon of Carlo Acutis
Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz blessed an AI-generated image of St Carlo Acutis at a church in Novolukoml, Belarus, on 11 October. Outlets describe it as a first, and some Catholics have objected.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 2Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz blessed an AI-generated image of St Carlo Acutis on 11 October at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Novolukoml, Belarus. GB NewsR “Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz performed the ceremony on October 11 at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Novolukoml.” Read at GB News ↗ BreitbartR “was presided over by Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 2GB News, citing the Belarusian outlet Katolik.life, said it is believed to be the first blessing of an AI-generated icon anywhere in the world, and that there are no records of similar blessings in other countries. Breitbart said multiple reports describe it as the first of its kind in the history of the Catholic Church. GB NewsR “According to Belarusian outlet Katolik.life, there are no records of similar blessings taking place in other countries.” Read at GB News ↗ BreitbartR “Multiple reports describe the blessing of the image as the first of its kind in the history of the Catholic Church” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 2The ceremony was reported by the parish priest, Father Mikalaj Lipski. Breitbart said Belarusian media reported that the image was "consecrated", and that clergy unveiled it and blessed it as a permanent part of the church. GB NewsR “The blessing ceremony was reported by the parish priest, Father Mikalaj Lipski.” Read at GB News ↗ BreitbartR “Clergy unveiled the depiction and blessed it as a permanent part of the church.” Read at Breitbart ↗
Right · 1Breitbart said the image shows Acutis holding a laptop, a reference to the website he built documenting Eucharistic miracles. It quoted Kondrusiewicz, as reported by the Russian state outlet RT, as saying: "Today we enter the world through the internet. What are we looking for there? Holiness? Far from always." BreitbartR “The image created by machines shows the likeness of St. Carlo holding a laptop”““Today we enter the world through the internet. What are we looking for there? Holiness? Far from always,” he reportedly said, according to the Russian state outlet RT.” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 2Kondrusiewicz previously headed the Catholic Church in Belarus. Breitbart said the archbishop retired from leading the Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev in September 2025 after clashing with President Alexander Lukashenko. GB NewsR “Archbishop Kondrusiewicz previously served as the head of the Catholic Church in Belarus.” Read at GB News ↗ BreitbartR “retired from his position at the head of the Archdiocese of Minsk-Mohilev in September 2025 after clashing with communist dictator Alexander Lukashenko” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 2Acutis, an Italian born in 1991, took up computer programming, built websites for Catholic organisations and an online catalogue of Eucharistic miracles, and died of leukaemia in 2006 aged 15. He was canonised in September 2025 and is known as the first millennial saint and the "patron saint of the internet". GB NewsR “his life was cut short when he succumbed to leukaemia in 2006 aged just 15.”“"patron saint of the internet"” Read at GB News ↗ BreitbartR “Born in 1991, he was canonized in September 2025” Read at Breitbart ↗
Right · 2Both outlets report objections. GB News said some believers voiced objections on social media, arguing that AI-produced images cannot properly be classed as icons. Breitbart quoted Father Matthew P. Schneider, a priest and theology professor at Holy Apostles College & Seminary in Connecticut: "Sacred art must always be human made." GB NewsR “Critics have maintained images produced by AI cannot properly be classified as icons.” Read at GB News ↗ BreitbartR ““Sacred art must always be human made. Icons, if we understand the theology behind them, even more so.”” Read at Breitbart ↗ Right · 1Breitbart set the blessing against Pope Leo XIV's warnings about AI. In early October the pope said it is urgent to distinguish human art from what machines produce, and he has urged clergy not to use AI for tasks such as writing homilies. Breitbart said neither the pope nor the Holy See had commented on the Belarus blessing at the time of publication. BreitbartR ““In this era of artificial intelligence, it is becoming urgent to distinguish human art from what machines produce,” the pope said at the time.”“Pope Leo has not addressed the news from Belarus at press time, nor has the Holy See in an official capacity.” Read at Breitbart ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets treat the blessing as a historic first that has caused controversy among Catholics. GB News gives a short factual report. Breitbart adds a long critical commentary tying it to Pope Leo XIV's warnings on AI and to the theology of icon-making.
- Emphasis
- Novelty of the blessing, objections from believers, and (in Breitbart) papal statements on AI and the idea that a machine lets humans skip the prayer involved in making an icon.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet reports a response from the Vatican or the archbishop beyond the quoted remarks. GB News omits the pope's AI statements. Breitbart relies on RT for the archbishop's quote.
- Charged language
- “historic first”“runs afoul of thousands of years of Catholic practice”“Have we no shame?”“communist dictator”
What every side reports
- Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz blessed an AI-generated image of Carlo Acutis at St Mary Magdalene church in Novolukoml, Belarus.
- The blessing is described as a first of its kind.
- Acutis was canonised in September 2025 and died of leukaemia in 2006 aged 15.
- Some Catholics have objected that an AI image cannot be a proper icon.
Where accounts differ
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How novel and how serious the blessing is
- Right
- GB News calls it a believed first and says critics on social media question whether AI images can be icons. Breitbart says it runs afoul of 'thousands of years of Catholic practice' and sets it against Pope Leo XIV's statements on AI.
Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz person
Reported to have presided over the blessing. In remarks quoted via RT, he stressed using the internet to spread the faith while questioning whether people find holiness there.
“used his remarks at the event to highlight the potential of using the internet to spread the Catholic faith.” — Breitbart
Carlo Acutis person
The subject of the image. Coverage describes him as a teenage saint who used computing and the internet to spread the faith, which is the stated link to the AI-generated icon.
“The teenager dedicated himself to spreading his faith through digital means” — GB News
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right2 articles
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GB NewsR ·
Roman Catholic Church blesses AI-generated icon of 'millennial saint' in historic first
Neutral Short news report presenting the blessing as a believed world first, with a note on online criticism.
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Belarus Church Blesses Al-Generated 'Icon' of First Millennial Saint
Critical Treats the blessing as a breach of Catholic tradition and of Pope Leo XIV's stance on AI, quoting a critical priest and adding the writer's own argument.
- 13 Oct 10:30 First GB NewsR Roman Catholic Church blesses AI-generated icon of 'millennial saint' in historic first
- 16 Oct 16:44 +78h 14m BreitbartR Belarus Church Blesses Al-Generated 'Icon' of First Millennial Saint
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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