My Thoughts on AI Image of Pope

AI Image of President Trump as Pope.

As a practicing Catholic, I believe the AI image of President Trump portrayed as Pope and posted on official White House social media is in poor taste. https://www.instagram.com/p/DJLPgYRRIoe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== .

We are still grieving our beloved Pope Francis, successor to the Apostle Peter.  The eligible cardinals, through the conclave process taking place this week, have a solemn and sacred duty to select the next lead servant of the Catholic Church. 

Pope Francis 2013-2025

I read that Vice President Vance, a Catholic, did not have a problem with "a joke." Somehow, VP Vance managed to smokescreen by digressing into an unrelated issue (known as a non sequitur) about war and killings by stating, "As a general rule, I'm fine with people telling jokes and not fine with people starting stupid wars that kill thousands of my countrymen."  Who in their right-mind is fine with "starting stupid wars that kill thousands of...countrymen?" I am well aware of this often-used strategy of defending one action by bringing up an unrelated and ambiguously stated issue. Quite frankly, this strategy is getting a little old, in my humble opinion.  I respectfully disagree with VP Vance about being ok with a joke when the joke is faith-based and initiated by a leader of our United States and posted on official White House social media. It chips away at the dignity of the office of President.

How can any rational person be alright with a picture that publicly and blatantly makes light of the process Catholics have used for more than 2,000 years to select our Pope?  I am hopeful that President Trump's representatives will issue an apology.  It will go a long way for most of the devout and practicing Catholics who consider this AI image of President Trump as Pope sacrilegious.