Image placeholder

Wafric News | May 4, 2025


U.S. President Donald Trump is drawing sharp criticism from Catholic leaders in New York after posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope — just days after the funeral of Pope Francis.

In a statement released Saturday on social media platform X, the New York State Catholic Conference condemned the image, calling it disrespectful and ill-timed.

“There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President,” the conference stated. “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.”

The controversial image was originally posted by Trump on Truth Social Friday evening, and was later reshared by the official White House account on X. Trump, who is not Catholic, had attended the funeral of Pope Francis earlier in the week.

The image, stylized to depict Trump in full papal attire, has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with many users accusing the former president of using religious symbolism for personal vanity and political theatrics.

Pope Francis passed away on April 21, sending shockwaves across the global Catholic community. Trump, who had spoken publicly about his attendance at the funeral, also faced backlash for his appearance at the ceremony — wearing a blue suit instead of the traditional black, a choice some viewed as disrespectful.

Trump’s AI-generated post comes at a sensitive time for Catholics around the world, as the Vatican prepares for a conclave to choose Pope Francis’ successor. The incident has reignited debate about the use of artificial intelligence in political messaging — and the boundaries of decency in public discourse.

As of Sunday, neither Trump nor the White House had responded to the Catholic leaders’ rebuke.



By WafricNews Desk.

| Like

Comment


To post a comment, you have to login first
Login

No Comments Yet...