Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), has condemned an AI-generated photo shared by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which depicted him as the pope.
The controversial image, posted by Trump a few days after attending Pope Francis’ funeral, shows him wearing a white cassock and a bishop’s mitre. In response, Cardinal David expressed his disappointment, saying, “The following AI-generated photo was posted by the U.S. president himself, a few days after he attended the funeral of Pope Francis and while the Catholic world is still mourning. With all due respect to his office and to the American people, we’d like him to know it’s not funny.”
David’s criticism came just days after the Catholic Church finished its nine-day mourning period following the death of Pope Francis on April 26.
As speculation mounts over the next papal election, David, who will be participating in the upcoming conclave, reminded the faithful that the process is one of prayer and humility, not driven by strategy or popularity. “The conclave is a sacred moment, guided not by popularity or strategy, but by prayer, humility, and the collective listening of the Church’s shepherds to God’s will,” he said.
The AI-generated image quickly gained attention after it was shared by the White House on Trump’s Truth Social account. The image sparked backlash from Catholic groups, including the New York State Catholic Conference, which issued a statement condemning it as inappropriate. “There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President. We just buried our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to enter a solemn conclave to elect a new successor of St. Peter. Do not mock us,” the statement read.
The image has also sparked conversation among international news outlets, particularly in Italy and Spain, where it has been widely criticized for its lack of sensitivity given the current mourning period in the Catholic community.
