June 26, 2025
A record 133 cardinals from 70 countries will enter the Sistine Chapel to vote on a new head of the Roman Catholic Church
Trump told reporters that the pope image was posted as a joke on his Truth Social account, which was then reposted by the White House across social media
Cardinal William Goh Seng Chye, the archbishop of Singapore, tells Il Messaggero newspaper that he also does not know who the next pope might be
Trump, who is not a Catholic and does not attend church regularly, posted an AI-generated photo on his Truth Social platform showing himself as pope
The image shows an unsmiling Trump seated in an ornate chair, dressed in white papal vestments and headdress, with right forefinger raised
Some cardinals will now be tempted to pick an insider, someone with the skills to manage church affairs more carefully and quietly than Francis did
The 88-year-old pontiff is gradually making more public appearances as he recovers from the biggest health crisis in his 12 years in the role
