Donald Trump news: President says ‘I’d like to be Pope’ when asked who he wants to lead Roman Catholic Church
US President Donald Trump, when asked who he would like to see lead the Roman Catholic Church, has suggested that perhaps he could be the next Pope.
The off-the-cuff comments, presumably a joke, came as Mr Trump spoke to reporters at the White House before heading off for a rally to celebrate his first 100 days as US President for a second time.
Asked who he would like to see as Pope, Mr Trump said, “I’d like to be Pope.”
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“That would be my number one choice,” he added.
Changing tone, Mr Trump said: “No, I don’t know. I have no preference.”
“I must say we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who is very good.
“We will see what happens.”
Although the conclave usually selects a current cardinal to be the next Pope, it is possible for them to select someone outside of the church to lead.
The cardinal Mr Trump referred to is Timothy Michael Dolan, an American Catholic prelate.
He has served as a US cardinal since 2012 and will be voting in the conclave as a new Pope is elected.
He was appointed cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI,
Although a high-profile cardinal in the US, it is unlikely that Archbishop Dolan would be selected to lead the church into it’s next era.
Current front runners as the conclave prepares to meet include Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Cardinal Peter Erdo, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
