Trump posts AI image of himself as pope, leaving Catholics offended and unamused as conclave nears

By Sophie Tanno, Christopher Lamb and Antonia Mortensen, CNN

(CNN) — US President Donald Trump posted an AI image of himself as the pope, prompting accusations of poor taste in the Roman Catholic community just days before the conclave to elect Pope Francis’s successor is due to begin.

Trump, who days prior joked that he would “like to be pope”, posted the digitally doctored image of himself wearing a white cassock and papal headdress, with his forefinger raised, to his Truth Social platform late Friday. It was then reshared by the White House on its official X account.

It came less than a week after Trump, who is himself not a Catholic, attended Francis’s funeral last month. An official period of mourning for the pope is still being observed by the Vatican.

While no one suggests that the image is a serious distraction from the task of choosing the next leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics – Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni declined to comment on the matter – it has raised eyebrows on social media and drawn criticism, including from cardinals who are in Rome for conclave next week.

“Not funny, Sir,” the 66-year-old Filipino Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David wrote in a post on Facebook.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, was also critical when questioned by journalists ahead of delivering a Mass in Rome on Sunday.

Asked whether he was offended by the image, Cardinal Dolan – who Trump hinted he favors for the next pope – replied, “Well, it wasn’t good.”

Similarly, Father Gerald Murray, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York who was attending the Mass at Cardinal Dolan’s church Sunday, said that Trump’s post was “silly … you don’t do that.”

Italy’s former prime minister, Matteo Renzi, condemned the image as offensive to those of Catholic faith. “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the right-wing world enjoys clowning around,” he wrote on X.

Trump’s post caught the attention of Italy’s media. “Infantile” was the word used by Italian daily La Repubblica, accusing the president of “pathological megalomania.”

In St. Peter’s Square, CNN asked several groups of American tourists what they thought, and while none wanted to give their names, their reactions ranged from “absurd” to “typical.”

The office of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, an international ally of Trump, said they would not comment on the matter.

The image also prompted backlash among Catholic groups in the US. The New York State Catholic Conference, which describes itself as representing bishops in New York, said in a post on X; “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.”

But the White House defended Trump as pro-Catholic.

“President Trump flew to Italy to pay his respects for Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said when asked to respond to the criticism.

Others in Trump’s circle stressed it was a joke.

“I’m Catholic. We’ve all been making jokes about the upcoming Pope selection all week. It’s called a sense of humor,” far-right activist Jack Posobiec wrote on X.

This is not the first time Trump has triggered controversy with AI-generated imagery. He faced backlash after posting footage imagining war-ravaged Gaza as a Gulf state-like resort featuring a golden statue of himself.

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