Catholic Community Reacts to Trump’s AI Image as Pope
An AI-generated image of former President Donald Trump dressed in papal attire has sparked outrage within the Catholic community after being shared on social media just before the papal conclave to elect the next Pope.
The image, posted on Trump’s social media and the official White House account, shows Trump wearing papal clothes and sitting on a throne. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, described the post as “brutta figura” (embarrassing) during a press encounter at a Rome church on Sunday.
The New York State Catholic Conference expressed strong disapproval, stating, “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us.”
Trump claimed the image was a joke and that no Catholics were offended. “They can’t take a joke?” he said, suggesting that only the “fake news media” would be upset.
Father James Martin, a papal contributor for ABC News, noted that while people were surprised by the image and considered it poor taste, the focus in Rome was more on the upcoming papal conclave than on Trump’s social media post.
The White House press secretary defended Trump’s actions, highlighting his attendance at Pope Francis’ funeral and his support for Catholics and religious liberty.
The controversy comes as the Vatican prepares to begin the process of electing the next Pope on Wednesday.
