Catholics have condemned an AI-generated image of President Donald Trump dressed as the pope, deeming it offensive and disrespectful amid ongoing mourning for Pope Francis’s death. Newsweek contacted the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Holy See Press for comment. This controversy arises during Novemdiales, the Catholic Church’s nine-day official mourning period following a pope’s death, with daily masses and prayers held through May 4 in honor of Francis, who died at 88 on Easter Monday. Francis’s funeral on April 26 at St. Peter’s Square gathered global religious leaders, heads of state including Trump, and the public. He was interred at St. Mary Major, one of Rome’s four papal basilicas. Trump's post of the AI image, showing him in a white cassock and Mitre hat with a gold cross, appeared on his personal and the White House’s official X (formerly Twitter) accounts on Friday and Saturday. The image reportedly drew questions at the Vatican’s daily briefing and was called offensive by local media per the Associated Press. Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi criticized the image on X, stating it offends believers and institutions, portraying the right-wing leader as clownish.

The New York State Catholic Conference labeled the post offensive and mocking, reminding Trump that the Church was in solemn mourning and a papal conclave was underway to elect Francis’s successor. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and member of Trump’s presidential religious liberty commission, has yet to comment. Jesuit priest and author James Martin called the image "deeply offensive" but assumed Trump meant it light-heartedly despite recently attending Francis’s funeral and having a Catholic vice president who met the pope days before his death. Martin speculated there would be fierce criticism from U. S. bishops if similar imagery came from Joe Biden or Barack Obama. Southern Baptist Senator Lindsey Graham praised the image, remarking “a picture is worth a thousand words. ” A recent Pew Research Center survey (April 7–13) found Catholic opinion divided on Trump’s performance: 38% rated it excellent or good, 17% fair, and 43% poor, with a margin of error of ±5. 5%. Meanwhile, 72% of white evangelical Protestants approved of Trump. The post triggered numerous memes and jokes online. White House Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump, highlighting his attendance at Francis’s funeral and support for Catholics and religious liberty. Michael Steele, a Catholic and Trump critic, described Trump’s behavior as narcissistic and immature, suggesting the image reflects his unseriousness. Senator Graham claimed positive momentum for Trump becoming “the next Pope” despite some resistance, joking about the papal conclave’s critical timing. Meanwhile, "Republicans Against Trump, " a GOP faction opposing the president, condemned the post as disrespectful to over a billion grieving Catholics. What Happens Next?