In a characteristically sarcastic remark, former US President Donald Trump stirred headlines after suggesting he would like to become the next head of the Catholic Church, following the passing of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88.
When asked by reporters who he would prefer to see succeed the late pontiff, Trump quipped, “I’d like to be pope. That would be my No. 1 choice.” His comment, clearly tongue-in-cheek, sparked amusement and criticism alike on social media.
According to Reuters, Trump appeared to have no specific candidate in mind but went on to say, “I must say, we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who’s very good, so we’ll see what happens.” The former president was seemingly referring to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York.
However, Cardinal Dolan was not included in the shortlist of contenders for the papacy. Among the frontrunners is Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, one of the few American cardinals considered for the position.
Despite this, the Catholic Church has never elected a pope from the United States, a tradition expected to continue due to the global nature of the church’s leadership.
Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, attended Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, paying their respects to the first Latin American pope, who was widely respected for his progressive stances and outreach across faiths and communities.
While Trump’s comments drew mixed reactions, they added an unexpected twist to an otherwise solemn occasion, once again highlighting his flair for headline-grabbing remarks even in matters of global religious importance.
