The Catholic world is reeling, and it’s not hard to see why. Just days after the solemn funeral of Pope Francis, President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the pope—white cassock, gold cross, and all—on his Truth Social platform. The White House then amplified it on its official X account, sparking a firestorm of outrage among Catholics globally. With the Vatican still mourning and cardinals preparing for a conclave to elect a new pope on May 7, 2025, this move feels like a punch in the gut to many. Let’s unpack the drama.
The image, showing a stern Trump seated in an ornate chair with a raised finger, hit a raw nerve. The New York State Catholic Conference, representing the state’s bishops, didn’t mince words: “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis… Do not mock us.” Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, went further, calling it “deeply offensive” and demanding an apology, quoting Galatians: “God is not mocked.” Even Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a Trump ally, shook his head in Rome, calling it a “brutta figura”—Italian for an embarrassing misstep. The timing couldn’t be worse, with Catholics in the sacred Novemdiales mourning period.
Trump’s defenders, though, see it differently. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, brushed it off as a joke, saying he’s “fine with people telling jokes” and not with “stupid wars.” Far-right influencer Jack Posobiec, also Catholic, doubled down on X: “We’ve all been making jokes about the Pope selection. It’s called a sense of humor.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt leaned on Trump’s record, noting he attended Francis’ funeral and has been a “staunch champion for Catholics.” But these defenses aren’t calming the storm. Italian media, like La Repubblica, slammed Trump’s “pathological megalomania,” while former Italian PM Matteo Renzi called it an insult to believers.
The backstory adds fuel. Trump, who isn’t Catholic and doesn’t attend church regularly, joked days earlier that he’d “like to be pope,” even endorsing Dolan as a contender. This isn’t his first AI stunt—back in February, he posted himself as a king to celebrate killing congestion pricing. But mocking the papacy, a sacred institution for 1.4 billion Catholics, during a time of grief? That’s a bold line to cross. X posts capture the fury: “Trump is literally mocking the Christian world,” one user wrote. Another pleaded, “Please take this down.”
What’s next? The Vatican’s staying mum, with spokesman Matteo Bruni dodging questions. But with the conclave looming, this saga is a distraction the Church doesn’t need. Trump’s image may be a fleeting joke to some, but for Catholics, it’s a wound that stings deeply. Will an apology come, or will Trump double down? Only time will tell, but the faithful aren’t laughing.
