New York’s Catholic leaders have publicly denounced former President Donald Trump for sharing an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself dressed as the pope. This controversial photo has sparked widespread outrage, particularly in light of the recent passing of Pope Francis. The official statement from the New York State Catholic Conference, which serves as the public policy voice for the state’s bishops, expressed deep disapproval on the platform X (formerly Twitter), stating, “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President.”
The Catholic Conference further emphasized the insensitivity of Trump’s post, especially since the world has just buried their beloved Pope Francis. “The cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us,” they added, highlighting the gravity of the situation. The AI-generated image features Trump, who is not a Catholic, seated on an ornate chair, adorned in white papal vestments and headdress. The pose he strikes, with one finger raised, mimics gestures commonly associated with Christ and other significant figures in Christian iconography.
Colin Jost, a prominent figure from Saturday Night Live, also weighed in on the controversy, humorously commenting that Trump appeared to be “ordering a one-way ticket to hell.” Jost criticized the choice to post a photo of oneself dressed as a figure who had recently passed away, pointing out that Trump attended the Pope’s funeral. He quipped, “That means he walked past an open casket and was like, ‘Oh, we should do a Who Wore It Best?’” Additionally, Jost suggested that if Trump genuinely wished to be the pope, he should avoid the company of Vice President JD Vance, whom late-night hosts have joked about in relation to the Pope’s death.
On Friday, Trump shared the AI-generated image on his Truth Social platform, which was later reposted by the official White House account on X. This incident occurred just days after he and numerous other national leaders attended the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26, where Trump faced criticism for choosing to wear a blue suit instead of the traditional black attire. Earlier in the week, Trump casually remarked to reporters outside the White House that he would like to succeed Pope Francis, stating, “I’d like to be pope. That would be my No. 1 choice.”
The AI image quickly garnered backlash across social media platforms, receiving widespread condemnation from both religious and secular users. One post that particularly stood out amassed over 175,000 likes and referred to the image as “actual antichrist sh–.” The term “antichrist” subsequently trended on X, reflecting the intensity of the public's reaction.
As the controversy unfolds, the world’s cardinals are preparing for the upcoming papal conclave scheduled for this Wednesday. They are currently hosting general congregations ahead of the significant Vatican event. This conclave will ultimately lead to the ceremonial release of white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of the 267th pope. In total, 133 cardinals will participate in the voting, with 108 of them having been appointed by Pope Francis. Notably, ten of these cardinals hail from the United States.
