Sister Cristina Scuccia, who won 'The Voice' Italy last year as part of Team J-Ax, recently defended her cover version of Madonna's "Like a Virgin" after it received heavy criticism.

The Italian Ursuline nun became a YouTube sensation when her participation in 'The Voice' Italy spread worldwide and videos her performances went viral. She also shocked viewers and fans when she chose to cover the 1984 song "Like A Virgin" as the first single of her album, especially given her vocation. However, the 26-year-old brushed off the criticism she received about it.

During an interview with Daily Mail in December, Scuccia explained that the song has a religious meaning to those who know where to look.

"I have done a slowed down version, more acoustic. When you read the lyrics, you can read them from the point of view of the purity that lies behind those words," she said.

She likened it to her decision to become a nun, adding, "It talks about a person going through difficult times. She is touched and something changes in her life. It was the same with my calling. I was touched by God and I followed that love."

Scuccia released her debut album 'Sister Christina' through Universal Records, which contained her cover of "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, "No One" by Alicia Keys, "Fix You" by Coldplay and more.

She was also able to share her songs and her CD with none other than the Pope Francis himself during an encounter at the St. Peter's Square last month. Scuccia exchanged a handshake and pleasantries with the Pope and was seen handing him a copy of her CD wrapped in a red bow.

"The lyrics spoke to me: I gave myself to God, and that's what they say," she stated, during an interview with The Guardian in November, "I feel I've turned the song upside down. I'm giving it a new interpretation from a faith standpoint."

"Traditionalists say I shouldn't be doing this, but I believe that if God gave me the ability to sing, there's a reason for it," she added.