Posted on 05/03/2025 12:40:41 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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.
Left-leaning former Premier Matteo Renzi said the image was shameful. “This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions and shows that the leader of the right-wing world enjoys clowning around,” Renzi wrote on X. “Meanwhile, the U.S. economy 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...
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
True. As: Trump is tearing children from their mothers’ arms separating them at the border after arrests.
And Trump is deporting little children (by keeping mothers and children together on the decisions of the arrested mothers being deported).
No way to please the enemy to don’t try.
Trolling, trolling, trolling. 😆
No. He should be more like Ronald Reagan.
You would certainly know what's best.
Yes, I hope the Vatican chooses another Pope who this time ISN’T a commie!
Turn the Chinese church over to the Communist regime,
Punish and ostracize practitioners of the Latin Mass,
Use Catholic Charities as a mechanism to undermine a nation's sovereignty in order to get NGO money,
And the list goes on and on.
Lighten up, Frank.
From what I’ve seen, most of the top contenders were his appointees.
Reagan should be more like Trump.
This Catholic is not offended.
The AP is so desperate.
Ditto.
Trump would fit in perfectly in the Roman Catholic Church.
The Best Pope Ever!😊👍
😁
Just goes to show no human is perfect.
Suddenly without warning the leftists get religious...
No real Catholics mourned the passing of that child molester.
Hopefully now they can get a real Pope again.
Agree. It is poor taste.
From The Hill:
New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan disapproved of President Trump’s Truth Social post containing an AI image of himself as a pontiff. It was posted not two weeks after the death of Pope Francis and just days before cardinals gather at the Vatican to elect a new Catholic leader.
When asked by reporters about his thoughts on the late Friday post, Dolan replied that he hoped Trump “didn’t have anything to do with that.”
“Well, you know, it wasn’t good,” the cardinal added when asked whether he was offended by the post.
Dolan’s is part of Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission and has been an ally of the president.
Excellent! Anyone who is upset has no sense of humor. Make America laugh again!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.