As Rome prepares for the conclave to elect the next leader of the Catholic Church, social media activity has increased. Former President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself in papal attire, which has received criticism from some members of the Catholic community. The post comes shortly before cardinals are set to begin their closed-door deliberations to choose a successor to Pope Francis.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, responded to the image, stating that the post was inappropriate given the serious nature of the moment for the Church. "It wasn't good," Dolan told CBS News New York, shortly before expressing the wish that Trump had no involvement. His sentiments were reflected by the New York State Catholic Conference, which declared on social media that there was "nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President." The organization urged respect for the ongoing sacred process.
Father James Martin, a prominent figure within the Church, noted that the global Catholic community is likely to shift its focus toward the upcoming selection of the new pontiff, rather than dwell on the incident. "People were surprised by it and thought it was incredibly poor taste, but over here in Rome more people are concerned about the next pope than the current president," Martin said during an appearance on ABC's "This Week." This view differs from the response of Vice President JD Vance, who dismissed concerns about the image's appropriateness when questioned by conservative commentator Bill Kristol, as reported by ABC News.
In response to criticism, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt doubled down on President Trump's support for the Catholic community, citing his visit to Italy to pay respects to the late Pope Francis. "He has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty," Leavitt stated, as detailed by a report by ABC News. As the conclave is set to begin on Wednesday, the world will await the announcement of the next leader of St. Peter's chair.
