Rome, Italy — Three of the highest-ranking Catholic cardinals in the United States issued an unusually forceful statement criticizing what they describe as an increasingly militarized direction in U.S. foreign policy, citing recent actions and rhetoric by President Donald Trump.
Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., and Joseph Tobin of Newark said U.S. military actions in Venezuela, threats to acquire Greenland, and reductions in foreign aid have raised fundamental moral questions about the nation’s role in the world. Their statement echoed remarks delivered by Pope Leo XIV earlier this month to Vatican diplomats, warning that diplomacy rooted in dialogue is being replaced by force.
The cardinals argued that peace is increasingly framed as something achieved through military dominance rather than as a moral good pursued through justice and international cooperation. They referenced Russia’s war in Ukraine, U.S. strikes in Iran, Nigeria, and Syria, and the administration’s broader security posture as evidence that global norms limiting the use of force are eroding.
In interviews with the Associated Press, McElroy said the world is “adrift morally” on foreign policy, while Tobin emphasized that national prosperity cannot come at the expense of human dignity. Cupich acknowledged that confronting authoritarian leaders may be justified but said bypassing international law risks normalizing “might makes right.”
The statement also follows earlier criticism from U.S. Catholic leaders of the administration’s immigration crackdown. The cardinals said their goal is not partisan opposition, but urging the U.S. to reclaim moral leadership through restraint, humanitarian aid, and a foreign policy grounded in the common good.
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