Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York remarked on Sunday that a recent AI-generated image of the virus shared by President Trump was, in his words, “full of gods.”
This image, posted by Trump and the White House on Friday, was part of a light-hearted exchange where the president, 78, quipped about pondering what qualifies him as a “holy father” when asked about wanting the Vatican to succeed.
Dolan, speaking post-mass in Rome as he prepared for the upcoming conclave to elect a new Pope, criticized the AI image. “Well, that wasn’t good,” he noted, expressing disappointment over the portrayal.
The death of Pope Francis last month, shortly after Easter at age 88, is still fresh in many minds.
During a previous encounter, when a reporter inquired about the Pope’s potential successor, Trump jokingly stated, “I want to be the Pope. That’s probably my first choice.” However, he also seemed to suggest that Dolan might have aspirations for the papacy, saying, “We have a cardinal that just happens to be out of a place called New York.”
It’s interesting—Trump identifies as a non-denominational Christian, while First Lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance have Catholic backgrounds. Trump was present at Pope Francis’ funeral last month.
Dolan and Trump have maintained a friendly rapport over the years; Trump attended the notable Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Catholic Charity Dinner last year, an event that former Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend in person, opting instead for a video message, which broke from the usual tradition.
Dolan serves on Trump’s Religious Freedom Committee and has commented that Trump “takes his Christian faith seriously.”
Several prominent Catholics have reacted to Trump sharing this AI image, with the New York State Catholic Conference stating, “We just buried our beloved Pope Francis, and Cardinals are about to enter a strict conclave to elect a new successor to St. Peter.” They urged not to treat the situation lightly.
Vance, who met with Francis hours before his passing, defended Trump in the wake of the backlash, noting, “A general rule is that I’m not the one joking… I’m not starting a stupid war that kills thousands of compatriots.”
In response to the controversy, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt, having attended Catholic school, described Trump as a “Catholic champion,” highlighting his tribute to Pope Francis and his commitment to religious freedom.
The White House has not issued a formal response to requests for comment on the matter.
The conclave to select the next Pope is set to commence on Wednesday.
