The Catholic Bishops of New York have voiced their disapproval on X after Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as the Pope.
In a statement on their official X account, they expressed that the image was neither clever nor humorous, especially given the recent passing of Pope Francis and the upcoming conclave to elect his successor.
Trump, who is not a Catholic, shared the image on his Truth Social platform shortly after attending Pope Francis's funeral.
The photo, which depicts a serious-looking Trump in papal attire, sparked immediate backlash on X, including criticism from a group of Republicans who oppose Trump, labeling the image as a "disrespectful" mockery of the Catholic faith.
Prior to sharing the photo, Trump had jokingly suggested he would be his own choice for Pope, while also mentioning Cardinal Timothy Dolan as a strong candidate.