Catholic Conference of New York State issues statement after Donald Trump shared AI photo dressed as Pope

The Catholic Bishops of New York state have expressed their displeasure on X after Donald Trump shared an AI photo of himself dressed as Pope. 

Via its official X accouny, the Bishops of New York State wrote: “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.” 
 

Recall that US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated photo showing himself as the pope ahead of this week’s gathering of cardinals to choose a new leader of the 1.4-billion-strong Catholic Church, and just days after he joked he would “like to be pope”. 

Trump, who is not a Catholic, posted the image on his Truth Social platform late on Friday, May 2, less than a week after attending the funeral of Pope Francis, who died at 88 last month. 

The White House then reposted the photo on its official X account. 

The image shows an unsmiling Trump seated in a chair, dressed in white papal vestments and headdress, with right forefinger raised. 

The photo drew instant outrage on X, including from Republicans against Trump, a group that describes itself as “pro-democracy conservative Republicans fighting Trump & Trumpism.” 

The group reposted the image, calling it “a blatant insult to Catholics and a mockery of their faith”. 

Before posting the AI photo, Trump on Tuesday, April 29, had jokingly said he would be his own first choice to become pope, before adding that there was a “very good” candidate in New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan.