President Donald Trump’s AI image of himself in full papal regalia has drawn sharp criticism after the image made to Truth Social and the White House’s X account, just days after he attended Pope Francis’s funeral and on the eve of the Vatican conclave.
In the United States, the New York State Catholic Conference blasted the image as “mocking the solemnity of the papal transition,” while several Catholic bishops called it “deeply disrespectful to the faith.” A coalition of self-styled “pro-democracy conservative Republicans” accused Trump of “trivializing one of Christianity’s most sacred offices.”
Across the Atlantic, Italy’s leading newspapers described the Trump’s AI image as “tasteless” and “megalomaniacal.” Former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi denounced it as an “outrageous insult” to centuries of Vatican tradition, warning that such political mockery “undermines religious freedom and damages the global image of the papacy.”
The Vatican itself remained publicly silent, adhering to its interregnum policy, but Vatican-watchers noted the uncomfortable timing. One commentator observed, “With cardinals set to enter the Sistine Chapel on May 4, this stunt risks politicizing a sacred process.”
On social media, reactions split sharply. Some Trump supporters defended the post as harmless satire, praising his “irreverent humor” and “bold creativity.” Others, including prominent Republicans, branded it “tone-deaf” and “immature,” especially given ongoing global crises. Senator Lindsey Graham dismissed it as “just a joke,” whereas former RNC Chair Michael Steele warned, “This kind of spectacle only undermines American credibility.”
Media analysts say the incident underscores mounting apprehension about AI’s power to blur fact and fiction. “Deepfake tools are now in everyone’s hands,” one expert noted. “When you start using them to lampoon religious symbols, you’re inviting backlash from every corner.”
Catholic leaders in other countries joined the rebuke. In Poland, an archbishop called the Trump’s AI image “an affront to believers everywhere,” and in Brazil, a prominent cardinal urged political figures to “respect the dignity of sacred offices.”
With the papal conclave set to convene the following day, all eyes will be on Vatican City and on whether Trump’s AI image would further strain relations between the White House and the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.
…With News Wires
