President Trump has shocked Christians around the world by posting an AI image portraying himself as a Messiah-like character healing the sick, and launching an unprecedented verbal attack on Pope Leo XIV.
He has since deleted the AI image following widespread comments that it was “blasphemous.”
He admitted responsibility for the post, claiming he just want to be depicted as a doctor.
The President then claimed in another post: “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy”
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
“HE’S NOW CROSSED THE LINE. THIS IS A DEEPLY UNPOPULAR WAR”
Austen Ivereigh, a Catholic commentator and biographer of Pope Francis, told Premier Christian News it was a “remarkable” intervention by Trump, which could lead to “the end” of him as President.
“He’s now crossed the line. This is a deeply unpopular war, but I think what he’s doing now is tipping into a level of messianism and narcissism, which I think everybody is now recognising as deeply troubling”.
“The job of the Pope is, in a sense, to defend the integrity of the Gospel against those who would choose to instrumentalise it”.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was “disheartened” by the President’s comments.
“Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician.”
“He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls,” the Archbishop asserted.
POPE LEO RESPONDS TO TRUMP COMMENTS
Pope Leo is originally from Chicago and the first American pontiff.
He’s known for choosing his words carefully and has become an outspoken critic of the Iran conflict, decrying the “madness of war” in a weekend peace appeal.
In a rare move for the Papacy, he responded publicly to the President’s comments, saying: “I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do.”
“We are not politicians. We don’t deal with foreign policy with the same perspective he might understand it.”
“I will not shy away from inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges of peace and reconciliation, and looking for ways to avoid war any time that’s possible.”
“Too many people are suffering today, too many innocent people have been killed, and I believe someone must stand up and say that there is a better way.”
“TRUMP OWES THE POPE AN APOLOGY”
Massimo Faggioli, an expert on the Papacy, compared President Trump’s comments to efforts by the leaders of Germany and Italy during World War Two to draw Pope Pius XII to support their causes.
“Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly,” he said.
Bishop Robert Barron, who serves on the Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty, said Donald Trump owes Pope Leo an apology.
“The statements made by President Trump were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful,” he declared.
“They don’t contribute at all to a constructive conversation.”
”It is the Pope’s prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life,” Bishop Barron asserted.
“I DID POST IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS ME AS A DOCTOR”
The President accepted responsibility for posting the Christ-like AI-generated image on his Truth Social site showing him wearing a white robe and red shawl and touching the forehead of a man lying in bed wearing a hospital gown.
The background included an American flag, the Statue of Liberty and other classic American iconography along with several figures in the clouds above, including a winged, three-horned figure descending from the heavens.
“I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with the Red Cross. There was a Red Cross worker there, which we support.”
There was no indication of a Red Cross worker in the image.
PRESIDENT BLAMES “FAKE NEWS” FOR CONTROVERSY
President Trump blamed “the fake news” for alleging that the image compared him to Jesus.
“It’s supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, and I do make people better, I make people a lot better,” he proclaimed.
The post drew condemnation on social media from a number of former Trump supporters.
Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote: “It’s more than blasphemy. It’s an Antichrist spirit.”
CHRISTIANS DENOUNCE AI IMAGE AS “BLASPHEMOUS”
Christ Church pastor Douglas Wilson praised Christians who pushed back on the post.
“I was very grateful to see how many conservative Christians immediately denounced the blasphemous Jesus/Trump image,” Wilson wrote.
“I was also grateful to see how many centre/left Christians suddenly agreed that public blasphemy is a thing we should all be concerned about. A bit late, but still good.”
Conservative influencer Riley Gaines wrote: “Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response?”
“Does he actually think this? Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well. 2) God shall not be mocked.”
“PRESIDENT NEEDS TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS”
Cultural commentator Megan Basham denounced the post.
“I don’t know if the President thought he was being funny or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy,” she wrote on social media.
“He needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.”
President Trump only took down the post.
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