New York Cardinal Critiques Trump’s AI-Generated Pope Image as ‘Unfavorable’

U.S. Cardinal Timothy Dolan recently expressed his thoughts on President Donald Trump’s AI-generated photo depicting himself as the pope, stating that it “wasn’t good.” However, he chose not to comment on whether the White House should apologize to offended Catholics.

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During a mass he celebrated at a church in Rome, Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, was approached by reporters regarding the controversial post. This event coincided with the upcoming conclave, where he and other cardinals under 80 will elect a successor to Pope Francis.

Trump, who is neither Catholic nor a regular churchgoer, shared the image on his Truth Social platform shortly after attending Pope Francis’s funeral, who passed away last month at the age of 88. Interestingly, the White House later reposted the image on its official X account.

When asked by a reporter if he found the post offensive, Cardinal Dolan simply remarked, “Well, you know, it wasn’t good.” Switching to Italian, he added, “brutta figura,” a colloquial term that conveys embarrassment or a faux pas.

Later, after the Mass, he was further pressed about whether the post should be removed or if Trump should issue an apology. In Italian, he responded, “Who knows?” and opted not to elaborate further.

‘Do Not Mock Us’

Last week, Trump joked with the press about his desire to become the next pope, even suggesting that Cardinal Dolan might be a suitable candidate: “I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens.”

Noted for his conservative views, Cardinal Dolan was appointed by Pope Benedict in 2012 and even delivered one of the invocations during Trump’s inauguration.

The controversial AI image shows a stern-looking Trump, donned in papal garb and sitting in an ornate chair, with his right forefinger raised. This irreverent posting ignited immediate backlash on social media, prompting the Catholic bishops of New York state to voice their displeasure on X.

“There is nothing clever or funny about this image, Mr. President,” they asserted. “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 image captured the attention of various Italian newspapers, many of which condemned it or expressed outrage, with some right-leaning publications suggesting it could be perceived as a joke.

In St. Peter’s Square over the weekend, reactions among pilgrims and tourists varied widely. “Did he really post it? He posted that? It’s kind of ridiculous but yeah, okay,” remarked Marcella Peixoto from Brazil. In contrast, John Smith, an American from California, commented, “I think he’s a funny guy, I think he’s trying to be funny, and comedy is being lost in the world. I think everyone needs to lighten up and smile like you’re smiling right now.”

Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.

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