Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has strongly criticized an AI-generated image of U.S. President Donald Trump dressed as the pope, calling it inappropriate and offensive to Catholics who are still grieving the death of Pope Francis.
The image, which was initially posted on Trump’s Truth Social account and later reshared by the White House’s official X account, showed Trump in full papal regalia just days after the funeral of Pope Francis. The image coincided with Trump’s remark joking that he would like to become the next pope.
In a public Facebook post, Cardinal David wrote “NOT FUNNY, SIR” in multiple languages, including Filipino, in response to the viral image. He emphasized that the Catholic world is still in mourning, and said the photo was disrespectful given the timing.
Cardinal David, who is the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), is among several religious leaders who have condemned the AI-generated image. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and other Church officials in the U.S. have also expressed disapproval, while Catholic groups and Italian media labeled the post insensitive and offensive.
