Trump criticised after posting AI picture of himself as Pope

US President Donald Trump has attracted criticism from some Catholics after posting an AI-generated picture of himself because the Pope.

The image, which was shared by official White Home social media accounts, comes as Catholics mourn the loss of life of Pope Francis, who died on 21 April, and put together to decide on the following pontiff.

The New York State Catholic Convention accused Trump of mocking the religion. The publish comes days after he joked to media: “I would prefer to be Pope.”

Trump shouldn’t be the primary president to be accused of inflicting offence to the Catholic religion. Former US President Joe Biden, a Catholic, prompted outrage a yr in the past when he made the signal of the cross at a pro-abortion entry rally in Florida.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni declined to reply questions on Trump’s publish throughout a briefing with journalists on Saturday. The Vatican is making ready to host a conclave to decide on Francis’s successor starting on Wednesday.

The picture posted by Trump on Friday evening options him sporting a white cassock and pointed mitre, historically worn by a bishop. He wears a big cross round his neck, and has his finger held up, with a solemn facial features.

The New York State Catholic Convention, which represents bishops in New York, took to X to criticise the image.

“There may be nothing intelligent or humorous about this picture, Mr President,” the group wrote.

“We simply buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a brand new successor of St Peter. Don’t mock us.”

Left-leaning Italian former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi additionally blasted Trump’s publish.

“That is a picture that offends believers, insults establishments and exhibits that the chief of the right-wing world enjoys clowning round,” Renzi wrote in Italian on X.

However the White Home rejected any suggestion that the Republican president was making enjoyable of the papacy.

“President Trump flew to Italy to pay his respects to Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch champion for Catholics and non secular liberty,” mentioned press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The backlash continued on Sunday, as New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan – who has been pleasant with Trump for years – advised reporters that he disliked the picture.

“It wasn’t good,” he mentioned, after attending a Mass in Rome. “I hope he did not have something to do with that.”

Switching to Italian, he referred to as it a “brutta figura”, a phrase that means a nasty or embarrassing impression.

Requested if the White Home ought to take down the picture and apologise, he mentioned – once more in Italian – “who is aware of” and declined to talk extra about it.