Catholic Bishops Of New York Reacts To AI Image Of Trump Dressed As Pope

Catholic bishops of New York have spoken out against President Donald Trump after he shared an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope, calling it disrespectful and inappropriate.

KanyiDaily recalls that President Trump had posted the digitally altered photo on his Truth Social platform on Friday, May 2.

The AI image shows him wearing white papal robes and a headdress, sitting in a chair with his finger raised in a gesture that many found mocking.

The post came just days after Trump joked about wanting to be pope and shortly after the funeral of Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88.

Trump had previously claimed on April 29 that if he could pick the next pope, he’d choose himself, before mentioning New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan as another option.

The timing of the post caused outrage, especially with the Catholic Church preparing for a solemn gathering of cardinals to choose a new pope.

The White House also reposted the image on its official X account, which added to the controversy.

Among those criticizing the post were conservative Republicans against Trump. The group reposted the image on X, describing it as a “blatant insult to Catholics” and “a mockery of their faith.”

The Catholic Bishops of New York issued a strong response via their official X account saying: “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.” 

KanyiDaily recalls that President Donald Trump and other world leaders recently joined mourners at St. Peter’s Square in Rome to pay their final respects to Pope Francis.