An artificial intelligence image of President Trump depicted as the pope, which was shared by the official White House social media account, drew heavy criticism from members of the Catholic church days before the papal conclave.
President Trump told reporters on May 5 from the Oval Office that the image was a joke, and that he had “nothing to do with it,” but “The Catholic’s loved it.” His wife Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who are both Catholic, were also said to like the image.
Could Trump become pope? What religion does he align with? Here’s what we know.
It’s unlikely the president will lead the Catholic church as the next pope. Technically, to be papabile, or “popeable,” any baptized Catholic male can be elected pope, but Trump is not a Catholic. He used to identify as a Presbyterian, but in 2020 he told Religion News Service he began considering himself a non-denominational Christian.
Even if Trump was Catholic and served in the church as an archbishop, it’s unlikely he could be chosen as pope, unless he was also a cardinal.
Several contenders are in the running to succeed Pope Francis as the next pontiff. Top candidates include Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Cardinal Joseph Tobin who is from the U.S.
Betting markets such as crypto trading platform Polymarket saw Parolin as the betting favorite. Parolin stood out as a compromise candidate between progressives and conservatives, USA TODAY reports, alongside other potential candidates like Tagle.
USA TODAY will stream coverage of the conclave on its YouTube channel, available here or below. The second day’s livestream began at 3 a.m. ET on Thursday, May 8.
Vatican News, the official news agency of Vatican City, is also hosting a livestream of St. Peter’s Square on its YouTube channel, along with an estimated schedule of events.
(This story was updated to add a photo gallery.)
Is Donald Trump Catholic? Can he be the next pope? Here's who's eligible, what's required – Cincinnati Enquirer
