US President Donald Trump has received criticism from some Catholics for posting an AI-generated image of himself as the Pope.
The picture was shared by official White House social media accounts.
The development comes as Catholics mourn the death of Pope Francis and prepare to choose his successor.
The New York State Catholic Conference, which represents bishops in New York, accused Trump of mocking the faith.
In a post on X, the body wrote, “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.”
Also, left-leaning Italian former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi also criticized Trump over his AI-generated image as the pontiff.
“This is an image that offends believers, insults institutions, and shows that the leader of the right-wing world enjoys clowning around,” Renzi wrote in Italian on X.
Meanwhile, the American government has rejected any insinuation that Donald Trump was making fun of the papacy.
Reacting, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “President Trump flew to Italy to pay his respects to Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty.”
