Posting an AI image in the Pope's attire, the Catholic world is angry at Donald Trump.

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International Desk: The Vatican is still in a period of official mourning for the death of Pope Francis. At such a time, US President Donald Trump has sparked outrage in the Roman Catholic community by posting an AI-generated photo of himself. In the photo, he is seen wearing the traditional white robes and papal hat of the pope and raising his finger. The Catholic world has reacted angrily to this.

The US news agency CNN reported this in a report on Sunday (May 4).

After posting on Truth Social on Friday night, it was also shared by the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the White House.

Trump had previously joked that he 'would have loved to be the pope.' However, despite not being Catholic, he attended Pope Francis' funeral a few days ago.

Although no one is saying that the AI ​​​​photo will take the next papal election process in a different direction, it has caused widespread discussion on social media. Several cardinals based in Rome have expressed their anger.

“This is not funny, sir,” Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, a 66-year-old from the Philippines, wrote on Facebook.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, whom Trump has hinted at as a possible next pope, told reporters at an event in Rome that “it didn’t work out well.”

Father Gerald Murray, another New York priest, commented, “This is ridiculous… It shouldn’t be done.”

Former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called it an insult to believers. “This image insults believers, insults institutions, and shows that the right-wing leadership has replaced politics with comedy,” he wrote on X.

La Repubblica newspaper described Trump’s behavior as “childish” and a manifestation of “pathological megalomania.”

When CNN asked American tourists in St. Peter's Square for their reactions, none of them spoke publicly, but the reaction was bizarre.

The office of Trump's ally, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, declined to comment.

The New York State Catholic Conference X said, "There is no wit or humor in this picture. We have bid farewell to our beloved Pope Francis, and the cardinals are now busy preparing for the solemn process of electing a new pope. Do not mock our religion."

The White House, however, has claimed that Trump is "Catholic-friendly." Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt said, "President Trump flew to Italy to attend Pope Francis' funeral, and he stands firm for religious freedom and Catholics."

"I am a Catholic myself. We have all been joking about the papal election all week. It's called humor'.

This is not the first time Trump has stirred controversy over an AI image. He was previously criticized for posting a video of himself transforming Gaza into a Dubai-like resort and installing a golden statue.