‘I hope he didn’t have anything to do with that’
New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan criticized a viral AI image of President Trump depicted as the Pope, calling it “god-awful.” The image was shared by Trump and the White House just after the president jokingly mentioned that the Vatican should consider making him the Holy Father.
Dolan, who is currently in Rome preparing for the conclave of cardinals, expressed his disapproval of the computer-generated image. He emphasized that the image was not good and hoped that Trump was not involved in its creation.
Following the death of Pope Francis last month, Trump made a lighthearted comment about wanting to be Pope, although he clarified that he did not have a top choice for the successor. Trump also hinted at Cardinal Dolan as a potential candidate for the position.
Despite some public clashes with Pope Francis in the past, Trump attended the funeral of the pontiff. He considers himself a non-denominational Christian, while his wife Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance are Catholics.
Dolan and Trump have maintained a friendly relationship over the years. Trump attended the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Catholic charity dinner, which Vice President Kamala Harris skipped. Dolan is also a member of the president’s Religious Liberty Commission and has praised Trump for taking his Christian faith seriously.
The sharing of the AI image by Trump received backlash from other prominent Catholics who felt it was disrespectful, especially during the period of mourning for Pope Francis. Vance defended Trump’s actions, highlighting the importance of distinguishing between jokes and serious matters like starting wars.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who has a Catholic background, defended Trump as a champion for Catholics and religious liberty. Despite the criticism, the White House did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
The Vatican conclave, where cardinals will select the next Pope, is scheduled to begin this week. The AI image incident has sparked discussions among Catholics and followers of the Pope about the appropriateness of such depictions during a time of transition in the papacy.
