Photo Facing the Pope Posted on SNS... Stirring Controversy
Previously Also Faced Blasphemy Controversy Over Cross Performance
Global pop star Madonna sparked controversy by posting an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated photo on social media showing her face-to-face with Pope Francis.
On the 14th (local time), foreign media including the UK Independent reported that Madonna posted two photos on her Instagram story on the 13th.
The post was a photo generated by AI shared by Madonna, originally created by a netizen.
The photo showed Pope Francis embracing Madonna, who was wearing a revealing black mesh dress, pressing his face against her cheek and placing his hand on her waist.
Along with the photo, Madonna wrote, "Like this on weekends," and "It feels good to get attention." The photo has since been deleted from Madonna's account.
This sparked fierce controversy among netizens. Some criticized it with comments such as "rude and inappropriate," "blasphemy crossing the line," and "what was she thinking posting such a photo?" On the other hand, some expressed opinions like "I like Madonna's sense of humor," and "She just shared a photo that was circulating online."
This is not the first time Madonna has been at the center of blasphemy-related controversy. In 1989, she released the song "Like a Prayer" and unveiled a music video depicting a Black Jesus as a sexual object and burning a cross, which drew backlash from the Vatican.
At the time, a Roman Catholic historian claimed, "This video implies immorality within the church, making it blasphemous and insulting." The music video was banned in the Vatican shortly after its release.
However, this ultimately became a turning point for Madonna to rise from a pop star to an icon of the era. In fact, in a 2006 survey conducted by MTV with 10,000 viewers, "Like a Prayer" was selected as the most innovative music video that broke the rules and customs of the time.
Additionally, during her 2006 world tour, Madonna performed at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, staging a scene where she wore a crown of thorns and was crucified.
At that time, Cardinal Ersilio Tonino criticized, "Madonna has crossed the line this time," adding, "Performing crucifixion in the city of the Pope and martyrs is a public act of hostility toward the Christian faith."
In an interview with a media outlet last year, Madonna stated, "Religion without understanding, curiosity, and tolerance cannot be considered religion," and said, "Those who attack me are hypocrites."
Meanwhile, Madonna and the Vatican have not issued any comments regarding the AI photo controversy to date.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
