South Carolina H 4509: Memorializing the President and Congress to apologize to the Vatican and the Catholic Church

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 4509 Text of Previous Version (May. 06, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 4509

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A house RESOLUTION

TO MEMORIALIZE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 
AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO EXPRESS A SINCERE APOLOGY TO THE VATICAN AND 
MEMBERS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH FOR THE DEPICTION AND DISSEMINATION OF IMAGES OF 
THE PRESIDENT APPEARING DRESSED AS THE POPE.

Whereas, on April 21, 
2025, Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican 
City State since 2013, died at the age of 88; and

Whereas, during the 
Catholic Church's nine-day period of mourning the death of Pope Francis, an 
image depicting the President of the United States dressed in white papal 
vestments appeared on social media accounts of the President and the White 
House, and were subsequently disseminated widely on social media and other mass 
media; and

Whereas, the image, 
purportedly generated using artificial intelligence technology, has drawn 
substantial public attention and criticism regarding its propriety, 
particularly given that it was made public during the mourning period for Pope 
Francis; and

Whereas, in subsequent 
public comments on the matter, the president dismissed criticism of the image, 
asserting that the image was created in jest; and

Whereas, in a nation that 
respects the Chrisitan faith, the production and dissemination of this image is 
sacrilegious, inappropriate, distasteful, and an affront to the Catholic Church 
and all persons of faith; and

Whereas, the actions of 
the president were not just an insult to the Catholic Church, but also to a 
foreign head of state, since the Pope serves as head of the Vatican City, a 
sovereign state; and

Whereas, accordingly, the 
South Carolina House of Representatives urges the president to express sincere 
contrition for his actions and apologize to the Vatican and the members of the 
Catholic Church. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House 
of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of 
Representatives, by this resolution, memorialize the President of the United 
States and the United States Congress to express a sincere apology to the 
Vatican and members of the Catholic Church for the depiction and dissemination 
of images of the president appearing dressed as the pope.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution 
be presented to the President of the United States and the members of the South 
Carolina Congressional Delegation.

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This web page was last updated on May 06, 2025 at 11:00 PM