US President Donald Trump posted an image generated by artificial intelligence of himself as a Pope, causing criticism from the Catholic community a few days before the beginning of the conclave to elect Pope Francis’ successor.
Trump, who days earlier he played saying that “I would like to be a Pope,” he posted the digitally manipulated image of himself wearing a white cassock, with his index finger raised on his social Truth platform on Friday night. The image was then shared again by the White House in his official account at X.
The ceremony occurred less than a week after Trump, who is not Catholic, attended Francisco’s funeral last month. The Vatican is still in official mourning by the Pope.
Although no one suggests that the image is a serious distraction from the task of choosing the next 1.4 billion Roman Catholics leader in the world-Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni declined to comment-she surprised social networks and attracted criticism, including cardinals in Rome to the conclave next week.
“It’s not funny, sir,” wrote Cardinal Filipino Pablo Virgilio David, 66, in a Facebook post.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, was also critical when asked by journalists before celebrating a Mass in Rome on Sunday.
Asked if he was offended by the image, Cardinal Dolan – which Trump implied that he prefers to the next Pope – replied, “Well, it wasn’t good.”
Similarly, Father Gerald Murray, a Father of the Archdiocese of New York who was participating in Mass in the church of Cardinal Dolan on Sunday, said Trump’s post was “silly … You don’t do that.”
Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi condemned the image as offensive to Catholic faithful. “This is an image that offends the faithful, insults the institutions and shows that the world right leader likes to do antics,” he wrote at X.
Trump’s publication caught the attention of Italian media. “Children’s” was the word used by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, accusing the president of “Pathological Megalomania”.
In São Pedro Square, the CNN He asked several groups of American tourists what they thought, and although none wanted to give their names, their reactions ranged from “absurd” to “typical.”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s office, an international ally of Trump, said he would not comment on the matter.
The image also caused negative reactions between Catholic groups in the US. The Catholic Conference of the New York State, which describes itself as a representative of the New York bishops, said in an X publication: “There is nothing intelligent or funny in this image, Mr. President.”
“We have just burying our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor to St. Peter.
But the White House defended Trump as pro-Catholic.
“President Trump flew to Italy to pay his honors to Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch defender of Catholics and religious freedom,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt when asked how to respond to criticism.
Others in Trump’s circle emphasized it was a joke.
“I’m Catholic. We’re all making jokes about the Pope’s next choice all week. This is called a sense of humor,” wrote the far right activist Jack Posobiec at X.
This is not the first time Trump generates controversy with images generated by AI. He faced negative reactions after publishing images that imagined Gaza devastated by war as a resort similar to a state of the Gulf, with a golden statue of himself.
This content was originally published in Catholics criticize Trump’s image as Pope made by AI: “Not funny” on CNN Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
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