The Catholic Bishops of New York state have expressed their displeasure on X after Donald Trump shared an AI photo of himself dressed as Pope.

Via its official X accouny, the Bishops of New York State wrote: “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.”

Recall that Donald Trump, the President of the US, posted an AI-created image of himself in Pope attire.

On Saturday morning, Trump shared the image on his social media site, Truth Social.

The image received more than 12,000 reactions and was shared by the White House’s X account.

Francis Bergoglio, the last Pope of the Catholic Church, died on April 21, 2025, after a protracted illness.

The conclave to elect a new Pope begins on May 7.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote, with 135 electors expected to participate from the over 252-cardinal pool.

Last week, Trump jokingly told a battery of reporters that he would like to become the new head of the Catholic Church.

“I would like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice,” he said.