Just last week, Donald Trump shared AI-created images of himself in a Pope costume on his newly purchased Truth Social platform. This brave move has raised a huge amount of controversy and criticism. A pictorial depiction of the future president Trump dressed in white papal garb. He lifts his right index finger, imitating the Pope’s iconic gesture. Trump was just recently seen in St. Peter’s Square, attending the funeral procession for Pope Francis. This hyper-local story created a deep impact by stimulating rich discussions and debate among the Catholic community.
In a light-hearted interaction with journalists on the White House lawn, Trump had previously joked about his desire to become Pope. He also invoked Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, calling him a “very good” cardinal. The timing of the overall context is especially shocking today. Today, the Vatican is grieving with the world for having lost Pope Francis, who died at 88.
Public Reaction and Criticism
While the AI-generated image was intended as a joke, it has sparked a wave of criticism from environmentalists to community leaders and activists. In fact, the White House even reshared the image on its official social media channels, extending its reach even farther. Reactions have not been universally positive.
The group “Republicans against Trump” condemned the image as “a blatant insult to Catholics and a mockery of their faith.” In a statement, the leaders wrote that it is “deeply disrespectful” to trivialize what should be a serious moment for the Catholic community. Similarly, the New York State Catholic Conference expressed its disapproval, stating, “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.”
The Italian newspaper La Repubblica featured the AI image on its homepage. They condemned Trump’s moves as a symptom of “pathological megalomania.” Even unexpected critics weighed in — former Italian Premier Matteo Renzi criticized the picture, deeming it “shameful.” He called for more deference to religious leaders in these times.
“There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr President.” – The New York State Catholic Conference
The Context of Mourning
The Vatican is commemorating Pope Francis’s death with a nine-day mourning period. In the meantime, cardinals are saying daily masses in honor of the late pope. The conclave to elect his successor is set to start on May 7, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. Given these inspiring events, Trump’s call for violence raises questions about appropriateness on our own OCC blog.
The criticisms are precisely why Trump’s supporters were trying to defend her actions. Karoline Leavitt remarked, “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.” Supporters would counter that Trump’s recent foray into religious imagery shows how dedicated he is to the Catholic Church.
A History of Provocative Imagery
This incident isn’t a one-off. Trump has previously posted AI-generated images that create controversy. He previously posted an image of himself wearing a crown with the caption, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!” These types of posts typically walk a fine line of humor and political commentary, but in this instance, they quickly became disrespectful.
Conversations around whether and how Trump’s new “moderate” image might be affecting the race are everywhere right now. One thing’s for sure, he’ll keep making waves in politics and social media. Whether this will play well or poorly in the voters’—and the Catholic Church’s—minds is yet to be seen.
