Asked to respond to the criticism, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that, “President Trump flew to Italy to pay his respects for Pope Francis and attend his funeral, and he has been a staunch champion for Catholics and religious liberty.”

President Donald Trump shared a doctored image of himself as pope, a role he cannot hold, drawing condemnation.

The president offered up a quick "number one choice" for who should be the next head of the Catholic church After attending the funeral of Pope Francis over the weekend, President Donald Trump had an interesting thought about who could succeed the Catholic leader.