Indian bishops back pope, rebuke Trump over remarks and AI image

Church leaders say comments ‘insulting to Christians’ as row deepens over US president’s criticism of the pope and controversial AI-generated portrayal.

NEW DELHI (Indian Catholic News) — The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s “irresponsible comments” against Pope Leo XIV, calling them insulting to Christians worldwide and denouncing an AI-generated image as a “mockery of the divine”.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) expressed “its steadfast support for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and his recent humanitarian cry for peace”, describing the pope’s appeal as “a much-needed beacon of hope” amid escalating tensions.

“Pope Leo XIV is truly a Channel of Peace, reflecting the profound spirit of St. Francis of Assisi’s Prayer of Peace,” the bishops said in a statement released April 14.

The conference sharply criticised U.S. President Donald Trump for remarks directed at Pope Leo, saying they were “completely unnecessary and insulting to Christians all over the world”.

“Furthermore, we categorically denounce Mr. Trump’s sharing of an AI-generated poster depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure,” the statement said. “Such depictions are not merely distasteful; they are a profound mockery of the divine.”

Cardinal Anthony Poola of Hyderabad, president of the CBCI, said the bishops stood firmly with the pope’s call for peace.

“We stand unequivocally with Pope Leo XIV in his moral duty to advocate for an end to war,” he said. “The recent derogatory remarks and the disrespectful AI-generated depiction shared by Mr. Trump are unacceptable. They deeply wound the religious sentiments of believers everywhere.”

“True leadership demands humility and reverence, not the denigration of global spiritual leaders or the sacred figures of our faith. We pray that wisdom and harmony prevail,” he added.

The bishops also called on Christians across India to unite in prayer. “Let us unite our hearts in asking for divine grace to heal the afflicted regions and bring harmony to all communities,” the statement said.

The CBCI’s response comes amid heightened global concern over conflicts in the Middle East and Iran, where Pope Leo XIV has urged dialogue and a ceasefire.

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Trump-Pope Leo row escalates

The controversy intensified after Trump posted an AI-generated image on his Truth Social platform depicting himself in a scene resembling a miraculous healing, prompting widespread criticism before it was deleted.

The image showed Trump holding a glowing orb and touching the forehead of a sick man lying in a hospital bed, with symbolic imagery including the Statue of Liberty, fireworks, a fighter jet and eagles in the background.

Trump later denied the image portrayed him as a Jesus-like figure, saying he believed it depicted him as a doctor.

The post followed a series of critical remarks by Trump targeting Pope Leo XIV over his stance on international conflicts, particularly in relation to Iran.

“Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He went further in subsequent comments, saying he did not think the Chicago-born pope was “doing a very good job” and urging him to “stop catering to the radical left”.

“I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” Trump said, adding: “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”

The pope, for his part, has called for a ceasefire and warned against what he described as a “delusion of omnipotence” fuelling conflict, particularly in relation to the US-Israeli war in Iran.

Trump rejected that framing, insisting: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” a claim he repeated to reporters.

The exchange has drawn sharp reactions from Catholic leaders and observers worldwide, with the CBCI’s statement among the strongest institutional responses so far, underscoring growing tensions between political rhetoric and religious leadership on global peace issues.

Read the full statement.