Cardinal David slams Trump for fake pope photo

Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David called out U.S. President Donald Trump after the latter posted an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself in a pope uniform.

In the said photo, the president is seen wearing a white cassock, a pointed miter — a headpiece usually worn by bishops — and a large cross around his neck.

Cardinal David denounced the image as disrespectful, writing, “NOT FUNNY, SIR” on his personal Facebook account.

The image was even reposted by the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the White House last Saturday, and it remains online as of this article’s writing.

Trump was among the heads of state who attended the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican, who died on 21 April after succumbing to a cerebral stroke, coma, and cardiovascular collapse.

The timing of the upload of the AI-generated photo made it even more distasteful, as it fell within the Novemdiales — a nine-day mourning period observed after the pontiff’s death, which is set to last until 4 May.

Upcoming conclave

The Vatican earlier reported that the Conclave — the procedure in which cardinals gather at the Sistine Chapel to elect a new pope — will begin on Wednesday, 7 May.

At least 133 cardinals will participate in the conclave, with 80% of them appointed by Pope Francis during his papacy.

The Filipino cardinal requested prayers ahead of the solemn procedure.

“As the conclave begins, I pray for the election of a new Pope who………….” David said in his Facebook post, adding that Catholics must continue the prayer with their desired qualities, instead of naming names.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has clarified that there are no frontrunners to be the next pope, following reports that Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is a “favorite” to be the next pope.

Aside from Cardinal David, the other Filipino cardinals who are already in the Vatican for the upcoming conclave are Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Cardinal Jose Advincula.

Tagle serves as the Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, while Advincula serves as the Archbishop of Manila.