The Catholic Bishops of New York have publicly criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump after he shared an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope, calling it offensive and disrespectful.
In a post on their official X (formerly Twitter) account, the bishops expressed outrage, 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.”
The controversy began when Trump posted the AI-generated photo on his Truth Social platform on Friday, May 2. The image depicted a stern-looking Trump seated in papal attire, complete with white vestments and a headdress, raising his right forefinger in a traditional pose. It was later reposted by the White House’s official X account.
The post came less than a week after Trump attended the funeral of Pope Francis, who passed away at age 88, and just ahead of the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope. Trump, who is not Catholic, had also joked on April 29 that he would make himself pope, before suggesting that New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan would be a “very good” candidate.
The image sparked widespread backlash online, including from “Republicans Against Trump,” a conservative group that reposted the photo and called it “a blatant insult to Catholics and a mockery of their faith.”
