Trump's apparently donning a fatherly attire, as per Dolan's statement.
**"Hey pal, check out the stir caused by ol' Trump's antics," says Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan of New York, an elector in the Vatican's Conclave, referring to the viral post featuring US President Donald Trump clad in Pope attire. The White House's official social media accounts and Trump's Truth account both shared this image.
Trump is shown seated solemnly, sporting a cassock, a mitre, and a gold cross around his neck. His hand rests on his knee, and his index finger points towards the heavens, as if blessing the crowd.
When prompted if he felt insulted by the president's action, Cardinal Dolan quipped, "Well, folks in Italy would call this a questionable decision." He further stated that Trump should've steered clear of this stunt.
Recently, Donald Trump has made light of becoming the next Pope, joking on numerous occasions, "I reckon I'd be top-notch for the job. Nobody could pull it off better than me," he jested while discussing potential successors to Pope Francis.
Yesterday, even the Episcopal Conference of New York publicly reprimanded Trump's portrayal as the pontiff, stating, "There's nothing amusing or intelligent about this picture, Mr. President. We've recently laid our beloved Pope Francis to rest, and the cardinals are preparing for a solemn Conclave to elect a new St. Peter's successor. Knock off the jokes, will ya?"
Trump's Shenanigans Leading up to the Conclave
Interestingly, Trump had expressed interest in having the Archbishop of New York ascend to the papal throne: "I gotta say, there's a cardinal from a place called New York who's doing pretty swell. We'll see how things unfold," he mentioned. Cardinal Dolan was present during the 2013 conclave where Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected Pope."
Insight: Cardinal Dolan did share negative views, but there's no reported reaction from the Episcopal Conference of New York regarding this incident in the accessible resources.
The Episcopal Conference of New York, not only rebuked Trump's portrayal as the Pope but also voiced their disapproval of his 'questionable decision' to joke about becoming the next pontiff, deeming it inappropriate given the current mourning period and the upcoming Conclave. Despite his interest in Cardinal Dolan becoming the Pope, Trump's recent entertainment stunts, such as dressiing up as a Pope, average more mockery than admiration, even among pop-culture enthusiasts and celebrities.
