ROME (AP) — Call it divine intervention, or maybe just a hasty fix-it job to put an end to days of speculation and scandal. But the end result is that the Angel Meloni is no more.
A painting of a cherub with a face bearing a remarkable resemblance to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni had attracted large crowds to the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, one of the oldest basilicas in Rome. That angel's face was gone when the church opened its doors Wednesday: the cherub’s body remains, but the face was erased with a sloppy slab of paint or plaster.
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A painting inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome depicting a cherub, right, that bore a striking resemblance to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni shows signs of alteration after the face was removed, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)
People take pictures at a restored fresco to the memory of late Italy's King Umberto II depicting Angels inside the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina in Rome, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
A painting inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome depicting a cherub that bore a striking resemblance to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni shows signs of alteration after the face was removed, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)
A detail of a fresco inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, in Rome, shows a cherub bearing a striking resemblance to Premier Giorgia Meloni, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
La Repubblica newspaper, which broke the story Saturday when it published the Meloni-esque angel on its front page, said the restorer responsible for making the Meloni cherub had covered it up overnight at the request of church authorities.
Restorer Bruno Valentinetti admitted to the paper that he had styled the angel on Meloni, but didn't say why.
The diocese of Rome and the Italian Culture Ministry had both launched investigations after the image of the cherub was first published.
The original painting only dated from 2000, so it wasn’t a matter of damage to the church’s historic patrimony. But Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope’s vicar for Rome, insisted that a political figure had no place in church art.
The ruckus gave the basilica newfound celebrity status, with curious locals and tourists lining up to photograph the Meloni cherub, at times disrupting Mass.
In a statement Wednesday, the Culture Ministry set down the rules going forward: If the basilica plans to repaint the angel face, it needs prior authorization from the government which owns the church, the diocese of Rome which operates it and the culture ministry's special superintendency for Rome.
Lest there be any question, the Culture Ministry said that the request for permission must be “accompanied by a sketch of the image.”
Valentinetti had first made the cherub in 2000, when one of the basilica's front chapels was renovated to include a bust of the last king of Italy, Umberto II. Included in the decoration was a cherub holding a map of Italy, seemingly kneeling down before the king.
The cherub was restored after water leaks damaged the basilica starting in 2023, and emerged with the face of Meloni.
The investigations that were launched were to identify how the original 2000 cherub looked, with the aim of restoring the painting to that image. The faceless cherub seen Wednesday appeared a temporary fix to erase Meloni’s likeness from the work.
The Italian premier had made light of the whole thing. “No, I definitely don’t look like an angel,” Meloni wrote on social media on the weekend with a laughing/crying emoji alongside a photo of the work.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
A painting inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome depicting a cherub, right, that bore a striking resemblance to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni shows signs of alteration after the face was removed, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)
People take pictures at a restored fresco to the memory of late Italy's King Umberto II depicting Angels inside the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina in Rome, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
A painting inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome depicting a cherub that bore a striking resemblance to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni shows signs of alteration after the face was removed, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)
A detail of a fresco inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, in Rome, shows a cherub bearing a striking resemblance to Premier Giorgia Meloni, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Left back pylon. One knee. Head bowed. Eyes closed.
That is how Stefon Diggs will spend some of his final moments prior to kickoff of the first Super Bowl of his career.
It’s been a staple of the wide receiver's routine before each game he’s played this season for the New England Patriots.
Following pregame warmups, he also calls his teammates in to huddle around him as he leads one of a series of impassioned, fiery and often viral speeches.
“I just say what I feel like I’m supposed to do and just go,” Diggs said. “It’s not so much the words, it’s more so the tenacity.”
Then, he turns the volume down for his prayer in the corner of the end zone.
“Taking a second to kind of appreciate where I am and give my thanks to God and kind of have my little moment with him. Thanking him for the trials and tribulations,” Diggs said. “Building my character up a little bit as a person and making these shoulders weight-bearing, I guess.”
Both are necessary for the player whom teammates call the emotional centerpiece of their Super Bowl run. And for Diggs, it’s been fuel during a comeback season that didn’t seem likely after his tenure in Houston last season was cut short by a knee injury.
But, after posting his seventh 1,000-yard receiving season in his 11th year in the league, he may also be the not-so-secret weapon for an offense that will need to be at its best against a Seattle defense that allowed an NFL-low 17.2 points per game during the regular season.
So many of the things that got Diggs to this point stemmed from an initial sense of trust he found early in his free agent process last summer.
When Diggs signed with Houston in 2024, he acknowledged it was in an effort to chase a championship. But Diggs purposely didn’t have many expectations after signing in free agency with New England.
What drew him initially to the Patriots was a sense of trust he felt after finding an almost instant connection with wide receivers coach Todd Downing, who was the tight ends coach in Minnesota in 2018 when Diggs was there.
He got the same thing from the “straight shooter” he met in coach Mike Vrabel, as well as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. It was McDaniels whom Diggs credits with unlocking a work ethic he hadn’t had during his pro career.
McDaniels said the veteran receiver has been the perfect match for second-year quarterback Drake Maye.
“I think it’s great for Drake to be around a player as accomplished at Stef,” McDaniels said. “Drake has learned how to assimilate with him, (to) work together with a player that has been around a long time and been around a lot of good quarterbacks. I think it’s been great for Drake’s growth and development."
After Diggs eclipsed 1,000 yards during New England’s regular-season finale, a win over Miami, Maye’s mind went back to the preseason when he invited all the receivers to his home state of North Carolina for some throwing sessions.
He didn’t think someone as “big time” as Diggs would have time to participate. But he did.
“Kind of from that point on, I felt like, man, looking forward to getting with him on the field and seeing him do his thing, and he’s done his thing time and time again,” Maye said. “Some games he’s not getting the ball as much as any receiver would want to, and he’s still trying to block hard and keeps the energy up and breaking the team down and motivating me."
Wide receiver DeMario Douglas said Diggs also has been central to their group bonding.
“Before this season even started we got close,” Douglas said. “That was a big reason of us not being selfish. Of course, we’re all receivers, we all want to touch the ball. But ... like your brothers, your blood brothers, you want to see them do great no matter what. This is how it is in our room.”
Diggs has also created a new Patriots fan along way, thanks to his high-profile relationship with Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B. She has not only been a force cheering for Diggs on social media, but a presence in team owner Robert Kraft’s suite during games.
She and Diggs also celebrated the birth of a son together in November. It's helped Diggs keep his mind on football after being accused in December of strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with a dispute with his former private chef. Diggs has denied the allegations.
"She wasn’t a football girl before I converted her over,” Diggs said. “But I’m just thankful to have her in my corner. She’s an amazing woman and continue to build that relationship. ... I just appreciate her. Hopefully build on that and watch that tree grow.”
As for Sunday, Diggs expects to bring the same voice for his team that he has all season.
“I mean what I say and say what I mean,” Diggs said. “My teammates know that, and the biggest thing is they know I’m trying not to be a ‘rah-rah’ guy. I try to be more show rather than I tell. It’s the fact that I can back my words up with what I say. I try to go as hard as I can to give it everything I’ve got.”
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New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte arrive on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in San Jose, Calif. ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs speaks during the NFL Super Bowl Opening Night, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026, in San Jose, Calif., ahead of the Super Bowl 60 football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs talks to the media during a news conference Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif., ahead of the Super Bowl 60 NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs celebrates with the trophy after the AFC Championship NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/John Locher)
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs talks to the media during a news conference Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif., ahead of the Super Bowl 60 NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
