Madonna, Pope Francis
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic; Franco Origlia/Getty ImagesMadonna criticized for sharing his AI photo again Pope Francis.
Madonna, 66, shared what appears to be a photo of the pope, 87, hugging the pop star on her Instagram Story on Friday, December 13. The photo, which has been dated, reads, “It feels good to be seen.” Madonna also tagged the Instagram account of Rick Dickwho made the picture.
Dick also posted a photo on his account with the caption, “MA.I.DONNA AND POPE. Thank you @madonna ❤️🔥.”
The photo then sparked a debate on the internet.
Since releasing her debut album in 1983, Madonna has rarely stepped out of the public eye – and has never stopped delivering floor-filling pop hits. Born in Bay City, Michigan, in 1958, Madonna – whose full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone – began dancing at a young age after convincing her father to let her learn. […]
“This is ridiculously disrespectful,” one social media user wrote in the comments section, while others found it “weird” and “very scary.”
Neither Madonna, Dick nor the Vatican have spoken publicly about this reversal; Us Weekly has reached the comment. The spy singer, however, shared screenshots of media coverage of the controversy via an Instagram Story on Saturday, December 14.
Madonna's name, songs like “Like a Prayer” and her tour have previously been criticized by Catholics for allegedly including religious expressions. In his 1990s Blonde Ambition the visit was 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 promoting In bed with MadonnaI was shocked when I saw myself being attacked by the Church because it could not understand how much my work was trying to produce something good,” said Madonna. Vanity Fair Italia in 2023. “I realized right away that the problem was them, not me. The problem was them because they didn't understand that my work as an artist brings people together, gives them freedom of expression, unity. It was a mirror of Jesus' teachings. The one who attacked me was just a hypocrite.”
Madonna's Celebration Tour, which wrapped up on May 4, is once again in the news after a concertgoer filed a lawsuit alleging that the show forced her to view what she called pornography. Concert performer Justen Lipeles revealed in court documents obtained by Entertainment Weekly that the audience was exposed to “pornography without warning,” including “topless women. […]
Now, Madonna identifies as spiritual.
“I think it is important to have a way of doing culture and spiritual life. But I also think that religion without understanding, without knowledge, without curiosity and inclusion cannot be considered a religion,” he told the media. “Religion is not attached to a special or extreme group. Religion respects other religions. Religion encourages people to understand what they believe and study what they believe instead of sticking to the doctrine that without study and without understanding it would be useless and sterile.”
Madonna added, “My relationship with religion today? Cultivating my spiritual habits. The procedures that are right for me don't have to be right 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 power of the spirit, to call what you want. I think it's important because I believe in the idea of something bigger, something higher, something symbolic that is beyond us but that keeps us together.”
