The Catholic Bishops of New York State have strongly criticized former President Donald Trump for sharing an AI-generated image depicting himself as the Pope, calling the post disrespectful and offensive during a time of mourning within the Church.
Posting to their official X (formerly Twitter) account, the bishops wrote: “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis, and the cardinals are preparing to enter a solemn conclave to elect his successor. Do not mock us.”
The controversy erupted after Trump shared the doctored image on his Truth Social account on Friday, May 2—just days after attending the funeral of Pope Francis, who passed away last month at the age of 88.
The AI-generated photo, later reposted by the White House’s official X account, shows Trump dressed in papal vestments and headdress, seated with a stern expression and his right finger raised in a blessing gesture.
The post sparked immediate backlash across social media, including from members of the Republican party opposed to Trump. One group, identifying as “pro-democracy conservative Republicans fighting Trump & Trumpism,” reposted the image, denouncing it as “a blatant insult to Catholics and a mockery of their faith.”
The uproar follows remarks Trump made on April 29, when he joked about wanting to be pope himself before suggesting Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York as a “very good” alternative.
With the Catholic world still grieving and preparing for a pivotal conclave, the bishops’ rebuke underscores the offense many took at the timing and content of Trump’s post.
