Donald Trump published on his social network a portrait of him showing him dressed in papal hold. The image was taken up by the White House. This aroused criticism, a few days before the conclave to the Vatican who will eliminate François’ successor.
Presumably generated by artificial intelligence (AI), the color photo broadcast Friday on its social network social social shows the President of the United States seated the solemn air in an armchair, the closed face, dressed in the pope’s white cassock, wearing the miter, sporting the imposing gold cross around the neck, left hand placed on its thigh and right index raised to the sky.
She was then rebroadcast by the Official Account of the White House on X.
Since his return to the White House on January 20, Donald Trump has saturated the American and world media space with announcements and comments on all subjects. He had joked earlier this week on the election of the next chief of 1.4 billion Catholics, a religious minority in the United States.
“I would like to be pope”
“I would like to be pope. It would be my number one choice, “he said, questioned by journalists about his preferences for the successor of François, who died on April 21, Easter Monday, at the age of 88.
The assembly broadcast on social networks was denounced on Saturday as a lack of respect for the figure of the deceased sovereign pontiff.
“There is nothing intelligent or fun in this image, Mr. President,” wrote the Catholic Conference of New York on X.
“We have just built our beloved Pope Francis and the cardinals are about to start a solemn conclave to elect a new successor from Saint Peter. Do not make fun of us, ”added the institution, which represents the bishops of the fourth state of the United States.
“It’s a deep offense”
“It is a deep offense, for me and my Catholic fellow citizens in the world, while we mourn our beloved Pope Francis,” added the Democratic governor of this state, Kathy Hochul, still on X.
The day before his death, the Pope had briefly received, on Easter Sunday, the American vice-president JD Vance, a converted Catholic and very conservative, two months after the strong criticism of François against the policy of expulsion of immigrants by the Trump administration.
He had warned against a “major crisis” which “starts badly and will end badly”.
Some 20% of Americans declare themselves Catholics and exit polls of the ballot box had indicated in November that they had voted at around 60% in favor of Donald Trump.
Part of this Catholic electorate, especially from Latin America, expresses hope that a more conservative pope will succeed François considered a progressive on social issues.
From May 7, 133 cardinals from around the world, aged under the age of 80 and therefore authorized to elect the Pope, will meet for a conclave at the Vatican behind closed doors in order to choose a successor to François.
