Trump draws criticism with AI image of himself as the pope ahead of the papal conclave

NEW YORK – President Donald Trump posted an artificial intelligence-generated representation of himself dressed arsenic pope arsenic the mourning of Pope Francis continues and conscionable days earlier the conclave to elite his successor is acceptable to begin. Trump's enactment drew a rebuke from a radical representing Catholic bishops successful New York and among Italians.

The image, shared Friday nighttime connected Trump's Truth Social tract and aboriginal reposted by the White House connected its authoritative X account, raised eyebrows connected societal media and astatine the Vatican, which is inactive successful the play of 9 days of authoritative mourning pursuing Francis' decease connected April 21. Catholic cardinals person been celebrating regular Masses successful his representation and are owed to unfastened the conclave to elite his successor connected Wednesday.

The decease of a pope and predetermination of different is simply a substance of utmost solemnity for Catholics, for whom the pope is Christ’s vicar connected Earth. That is each the much existent successful Italy, wherever the papacy is held successful precocious esteem adjacent by nonreligious Italians.

The representation featuring Trump successful a achromatic cassock and pointed miter, oregon bishop’s hat, was the taxable of respective questions during the Vatican’s regular conclave briefing Saturday. Italian and Spanish quality reports lamented its mediocre sensation and said it was offensive, fixed that the play of authoritative mourning is inactive underway.

Left-leaning erstwhile Premier Matteo Renzi said the representation was shameful. “This is an representation that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the person of the right-wing satellite enjoys clowning around,” Renzi wrote connected X. “Meanwhile, the U.S. system risks recession and the dollar loses value. The sovereignists are doing damage, everywhere.”

The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, declined to comment.

In the United States, the New York State Catholic Conference, which represents the bishops of the authorities successful moving with government, accused Trump of mockery.

“There is thing clever oregon comic astir this image, Mr. President,” they wrote. "We conscionable buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are astir to participate a solemn conclave to elite a caller successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us.”

Italy’s left-leaning La Repubblica besides featured the representation connected its homepage Saturday with a commentary accusing Trump of "pathological megalomania.”

The White House did not instantly respond to questions astir the backlash to the representation oregon wherefore the president had shared the image.

The occurrence comes aft Trump joked past week astir his involvement successful the vacancy. “I’d similar to beryllium pope. That would beryllium my fig 1 choice," the thrice joined president, who is not Catholic, told reporters.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a adjacent Trump ally, piled on.

“I was excited to perceive that President Trump is unfastened to the thought of being the adjacent Pope. This would genuinely beryllium a acheronian equine candidate, but I would inquire the papal conclave and Catholic faithful to support an unfastened caput astir this possibility!” Graham, R-S.C., wrote connected X. “The archetypal Pope-U.S. President operation has galore upsides. Watching for achromatic smoke…. Trump MMXXVIII!”

Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic and was 1 of the past overseas officials to conscionable with Francis earlier the pope died, besides joked astir Secretary of State Marco Rubio becoming pope, suggesting Rubio could adhd it to the agelong database of titles helium holds, including nationalist information advisor and acting archivist.

Beyond floating himself for the job, Trump besides has enactment successful a plug for Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York.

“I person nary preference. I indispensable say, we person a cardinal that happens to beryllium retired a spot called New York who's precise good. So we'll spot what happens,” helium said.

Dolan, 75, is 1 of 10 U.S. cardinals who volition beryllium voting successful the conclave, but Trump’s transportation mightiness person outgo Dolan support.

The crushed conclaves are held successful secrecy, with cardinals sequestered for the duration, is to forestall extracurricular secular powers from influencing their choice, arsenic occurred successful centuries past.

There is an aged saying astir campaigning for the occupation of pope oregon of being promoted excessively, particularly by outsiders: If you “enter a conclave arsenic pope, you permission arsenic a cardinal.”

While Trump attended Francis’ funeral, helium and Vance person clashed with U.S. bishops successful wide and Francis successful peculiar implicit the administration’s hard enactment stance connected migration and its efforts to deport migrants en masse. Right earlier helium was hospitalized successful February for pneumonia, Francis issued a strong rebuke of the administration's wide deportation plans and Vance's theological justification of it.

Over 12 years arsenic pope, Francis tried to remake the U.S. Catholic hierarchy much successful his image, elevating pastors who prioritized societal justness and migration issues implicit civilization warriors who were much favored by his much doctrinaire predecessors St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI. A caller pope who is much blimpish could reverse that effort.

Trump has nominated arsenic his ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch, whose Catholicvote.org has been aggressively covering the pre-conclave days astatine the Vatican. It was 1 of the main disseminators successful English-speaking media of a report, flatly and officially denied by the Vatican, that Cardinal Pietro Parolin had had a wellness scare this past week that required aesculapian attention.

Parolin was the caput of authorities nether Francis and is seen arsenic a starring contender to beryllium pope. He is besides the main designer of the Vatican’s China argumentation and its arguable 2018 woody with Beijing implicit bishop nominations -- a woody that the was sharply criticized by the archetypal Trump administration.

___ Winfield reported from Vatican City.

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