HOME > INQUIRER > Article

Text Size

small

medium

large


CBCP head on Trump’s pope tweet: ‘Not funny’

CBCP head on Trump’s pope tweet: ‘Not funny’

Provided by Philippine Daily Inquirer.

CBCP chief: Trump AI ‘pope joke’ insensitive, not funny
Photo screengrabbed from Cardinal David’s Facebook page



MANILA, Philippines — Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David denounced the artificial intelligence (AI)-generated photo shared by US President Donald Trump that portrayed him as the pope.

“The following AI-generated photo was posted by the US president himself, a few days after he attended the funeral of Pope Francis and while the Catholic world is still mourning. With all due respect to his office and to the American people, we’d like him to know it’s not funny,” said David, Kalookan bishop and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

The Catholic Church concluded on Sunday its nine days of mourning after Pope Francis was laid to rest on April 26. But speculations on who will be the next leader of the Catholic Church have grown louder ahead of the conclave set to begin on Wednesday.

READ: Betting on next pope gains popularity ahead of the conclave

Poor taste


David, who will take part in that assembly, again reminded the faithful that “The conclave is a sacred moment, guided not by popularity or strategy, but by prayer, humility, and the collective listening of the Church’s shepherds to God’s will.”

In the United States, the New York State Catholic Conference said: “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.”

The image featuring Trump in a white cassock and pointed miter, or bishop’s hat, was reposted by the White House from his Truth Social site.

It was the topic of several questions during the Vatican’s conclave briefing on Saturday, while Italian and Spanish news reports lamented its poor taste. —With a report from AP

INQUIRER

HEADLINES

POLITICS
Govt, LDP Likely to Skip Consumption Tax Cut in Steps against Inflation, Tariffs
ECONOMY
Nippon Steel Expects 42.9% Dive in FY 2025 Net Profit, Bracing for Tariff Impact
SPORTS
Outgoing IOC Pres. Bach Visits JOC, Expresses Gratitude for Years of Support
OTHER
Japan's Princess Aiko Visits Foreign Pavilions at World Exposition in Osaka

AFP-JIJI PRESS NEWS JOURNAL


Photos