Donald Trump might have touched off the biggest controversy. He then shared one of those images, an AI-generated picture of himself in papal regalia, on his Truth Social website. That explains the photo of Trump in white ceremonial robes with a gold crucifixus pendant. He wears a mitre hat on his head and playfully aims his right index finger skyward. His actions take place only days before the cardinals themselves will have to convene in conclave. They are gearing up to elect the successor to Pope Francis, who died earlier this week.
In a memorable moment from a recent gaggle with reporters, Trump suggested in jest that he would really like to be the next Catholic pontiff. “I’d like to be pope, that would be my number one choice,” he remarked. This comment followed his attendance at the funeral service for Pope Francis, a figure who had been critical of Trump’s policies and rhetoric, famously stating, “Anyone, whoever he is, who only wants to build walls and not bridges is not a Christian.”
It’s the timing of Trump’s statements that has led to swift and severe condemnation from all sides. Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi criticized the AI-generated image, calling it “offensive” to both believers and institutions. He critiqued it for making Trump look like “a clown.” There’s the urgent and damning focus on what’s really going on in America, where we’re on the verge of recession as the dollar continues to lose value.
They expressed their outrage over Trump’s recent antics, 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.” They further added, “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President.”
Support for the former President among American Catholics illustrates an ongoing tumultuous love affair. Nearly a quarter of Americans define themselves as Catholic. During the most recent national election, Republican Donald Trump drew the support of about 60 percent of those in exit polls. His comments and actions are the antithesis of what we hope will be Pope Francis’s legacy. This begs the question, how strongly does he connect with this demographic?
On May 7, Cardinals from around the world will be meeting in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. They will open the conclave in which a new pope will be chosen. As this historic visit draws nearer, Trump takes a comical guess at what he hopes the pope will do. There’s the election of a new leader for the Catholic Church, which produces its own sober gravity.
