Mohale FM The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) Justice and Peace Commission has strongly criticized a recent social media post by United States President Donald Trump, which featured an AI-generated image portraying himself as Jesus Christ.
In a statement, the commission described the image as trivializing the central Christian belief in the Incarnation and misrepresenting the person of Christ. It said any attempt, whether through imagery or technology, to attribute the identity or likeness of Jesus Christ to a political leader is “blasphemous” and a serious offense against the Christian faith.
The bishops warned against what they termed a growing trend of Christian nationalism, which they said elevates political leaders to near-divine status and portrays them as “political messiahs” with a salvific role. The commission rejected such ideologies, emphasizing that no earthly authority should claim divine identity or misuse religious symbols.
The statement also condemned Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV, defending the pontiff’s leadership and message of peace in a world marked by conflict and inequality.
