Trump draws criticism with AI image of himself as the pope ahead of the papal conclave [View all]
Last edited Sat May 3, 2025, 02:03 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: AP
Updated 1:51 PM EDT, May 3, 2025
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself dressed as pope as the mourning of Pope Francis continues and just days before the conclave to elect his successor is set to begin. Trump’s action drew rebukes from a group representing Catholic bishops in New York and among Italians.
The image, shared Friday night on Trump’s Truth Social site and later reposted by the White House on its official X account, raised eyebrows on social media and at the Vatican, which is still in the period of nine days of official mourning following Francis’ death on April 21. Catholic cardinals have been celebrating daily Masses in his memory and are due to open the conclave to elect his successor on Wednesday.
The death of a pope and election of another is a matter of utmost solemnity for Catholics, for whom the pope is Christ’s vicar on Earth. That is all the more true in Italy, where the papacy is held in high esteem even by nonreligious Italians.
The image featuring Trump in a white cassock and pointed miter, or bishop’s hat, was the topic of several questions during the Vatican’s daily conclave briefing Saturday. Italian and Spanish news reports lamented its poor taste and said it was offensive, given that the period of official mourning is still underway.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-pope-francis-conclave-ai-image-bishops-9d88286886c350c4465f7c2afb7a5e41
I hope all these 45-supporting Catholics take note of his mocking, including 5 of the 6 SCOTUS RWers -
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