As the Catholic Church grieves the death of Pope Francis and prepares for the sacred ritual of selecting a new pontiff, President Donald Trump is once again under fire—this time from an unlikely source: Catholic bishops in his own backyard.
On Friday, Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as pope to his Truth Social account. The image, complete with gilded robes and a towering mitre, was accompanied by a quip suggesting that he might be a suitable replacement for the recently deceased pontiff.
By Saturday, the backlash from New York’s Catholic leadership was fierce.
“There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President,” the New York State Catholic Conference posted bluntly on X. “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.”
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. https://t.co/ortxbkDlT5
— NYS Catholic Conference (@NYSCatholicConf) May 3, 2025
The White House followed up by reposting the image, raising further eyebrows—and fury.
The photo-op presidency had long flirted with spectacle, but critics say this went too far. One senior Church official, who spoke on background out of fear of retaliation, called the post “cruel and disgraceful.”
A Joke Gone Too Far
Trump, who is not Catholic, had earlier floated the idea of replacing Pope Francis himself. He later amended that statement to jokingly suggest New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan, saying, “We have a cardinal in New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens.”
But Dolan, one of Trump’s few allies in the Church, has remained silent since the scandal erupted—despite his leadership role in the very bishops’ conference that condemned Trump. Dolan previously praised Trump as a man who “takes his Christian faith seriously” and delivered invocations at both of Trump’s presidential inaugurations.
Behind closed doors, insiders say Dolan is “deeply uncomfortable” with the post but unwilling to speak publicly against the president.
Francis vs. Trump: A History of Clashes
This is not the first time Trump has clashed with Catholic leadership. Pope Francis, who passed away at 88 from a stroke on Easter Monday, had often criticized Trump’s harsh immigration policies and nationalist rhetoric.
During Francis’ papacy, he condemned Trump’s border wall plans and once implied that Trump’s actions were “not Christian.”
Francis’ funeral—attended by Trump and First Lady Melania in front-row seats—reportedly included a homily that subtly but unmistakably referenced the late pope’s disapproval of the president.
Vice President Joins the Fray
Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, added fuel to the fire with a flippant response when asked about Trump’s post.
“I’m fine with people telling jokes and not fine with people starting stupid wars,” Vance tweeted, in a clear jab at conservative commentator Bill Kristol.
For many devout Catholics and political observers, that dismissal only deepened the insult.
Condemnation Spreads
The outrage wasn’t limited to Church leadership.
Michael Steele, former RNC chair and now an MSNBC contributor, called Trump “emotionally scarred and broken,” accusing him of using religious imagery to stoke his ego.
“He remains a 10-year-old child desperate to prove he could be somebody,” Steele wrote on X.
Filmmaker Morgan J. Freeman was even more direct: “This post is a massive insult to Catholics, Pope Francis’ family, friends & devotees, and to the present conclave.”
A Moment of Mourning, Not Mockery
With a conclave days away and Catholics around the globe still mourning the loss of a beloved spiritual leader, Trump’s post has struck a raw nerve.
“This isn’t satire—it’s sacrilege,” said Sister Margaret Dillon, a Bronx nun and Catholic educator. “To turn the death of a pope into a meme? That’s not leadership. That’s narcissism.”
As of Saturday evening, Trump had not deleted the post—nor issued an apology.
And as the world waits for the Church to choose its next pope, American Catholics are asking a different question: Can our politics ever recover a sense of reverence?
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Trump isn’t an evil Catholic like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mussolini, or Jokementia Bribery… so he can joke about them all he wants…
But he is the devil how dare him to compare himself to the pope
Where is your sense of humor??
Who cares?
Can we get back to actual news???
This Pope irritated more Catholics than any other Pope in history. He made several controversial decision as to Church doctrine. Many Cardinals and Bishops and Catholics were pleased to see his reign come to an end. He made a lot of enemies within his flock. Hope the Cardinals are more careful this time as to whom the choose to become the new Pontiff. At least Trump is protecting Catholics are far cry from what Biden did during his administration to Catholics. A I is a computer generated image is not real and Trump didn’t dress as the Pope. The Press prints far worse characters. Get a life mellow out people. This too is passing as all things do and will.