Years after famously saying “I would like to see the Pope wearing my T-shirt,” Madonna finally got her wish — well, sort of.
On Tuesday, the Queen of Pop took to Instagram to show off her cheeky hoodie printed with an image of the Catholic leader proudly rocking a Madonna-branded robe.
The custom design by Seks — a favorite of fellow fashion rule-breaker Julia Fox — also depicts Pope Francis with a set of edgy flaming wings.
The fashion choice follows Madonna’s 2022 request for a meeting with the religious icon, which seemingly never came to fruition.
“Hello @Pontifex Francis —I’m a good Catholic. I Swear! I mean I don’t Swear! Its [sic] been a few decades since my last confession. Would it be possible to meet up one day to discuss some important matters ? I’ve been ex communicated [sic] 3 times. It doesn’t seem fair. Sincerely Madonna,” the music legend tweeted at the time.
The “Like a Virgin” singer has had a complicated relationship with Catholicism over the years, with her behavior deemed “blasphemous” by the church after she strapped herself to a cross and wore a crown of thorns during a 2006 performance in Rome.
“This is a blasphemous challenge to the faith and a profanation of the cross,” the late Cardinal Ersilio Tonini said at the time (per the Evening Standard) on behalf of then-Pope Benedict XVI, adding, “She should be excommunicated.”
And who could forget her controversial 1989 music video for “Like a Prayer,” which was banned by the Vatican for its burning crosses and erotic depiction of Jesus; Pope John Paul II even encouraged fans to boycott her Blond Ambition tour afterward.
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Controversial behavior aside, the Queen of Pop has been busy prepping for her highly anticipated Celebration Tour, which was postponed after she was hospitalized with a bacterial infection over the summer.
Perhaps we’ll see another statement-making religious moment when she takes the stage — although she might leave the crucifix behind this time.