America's Top Catholic Cardinals Denounce Trump's Foreign Policy as Nation's 'Moral Role' Faces Crisis

The three highest-ranking Catholic archbishops in the United States have issued a rare joint statement condemning the direction of American foreign policy, declaring that the country's 'moral role in confronting evil around the world' is now under question as military action becomes normalised rather than a last resort. Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington and Joseph Tobin of Newark warned on Monday that the United States has 'entered into the most profound and searing debate about the moral foundation for America's actions in the world since the end of the Cold War'.

The statement, which echoes Pope Leo XIV's fiery speech earlier this month denouncing a spreading 'zeal for war', did not directly name President Donald Trump but cited recent developments in Venezuela, Russia's war in Ukraine and threats against Greenland as evidence that nations' rights to self-determination appear 'fragile'. The joint declaration represents an escalation in the American Catholic Church's willingness to challenge the Trump administration, following November's condemnation by the entire US conference of Catholic bishops over mass deportation policies.

Cardinals Demand Genuinely Moral Foreign Policy

Cardinal McElroy stated that 'most of the United States and the world are adrift morally in terms of foreign policy', whilst emphasising his belief that America still holds 'tremendous impact upon the world'. The cardinals warned that without a moral vision, the current debate over Washington's foreign policy has become mired in 'polarisation, partisanship, and narrow economic and social interests'.

The three archbishops renounced 'war as an instrument for narrow national interests' and insisted that 'military action must be seen only as a last resort in extreme situations, not a normal instrument of national policy'. Cardinal Tobin said: 'It can't be that my prosperity is predicated on inhuman treatment of others. The real argument isn't just my right or individual rights, but what is the common good.'

Cardinals Cupich and McElroy revealed they were inspired to issue the statement after hearing from fellow cardinals during a 7-8 January meeting at the Vatican. These cardinals expressed alarm about US action in Venezuela, cuts in foreign aid and threats to acquire Greenland. Pope Leo's 45-minute speech to the diplomatic corps the following day provided the language they needed.

Pope Leo's Warning on War and Force

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, warned diplomats on 9 January that 'war is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading', declaring that 'a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force'. The pontiff stated that the principle established after the Second World War prohibiting nations from using force to violate borders 'has been completely undermined'.

Leo emphasised that peace is no longer sought as a gift but 'through weapons as a condition for asserting one's own dominion', a mentality that 'gravely threatens the rule of law'. The pope previously criticised Trump's immigration policies, stating in September that those who oppose abortion but favour 'inhuman' treatment of migrants are not truly 'pro-life'.

Specific Policy Flashpoints Cited

Cardinal Cupich acknowledged that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's prosecution could be viewed positively, but not the manner in which it was executed via US military incursion. 'When we go ahead and do it in such a way that is portrayed as saying, "Because we can do it, we're going to do it, that might makes right" — that's a troublesome development', he said.

Trump has argued that the United States needs control of Greenland for national security purposes. The president imposed a 10 per cent tariff on Greenland over the weekend, escalating tensions with Denmark. Cardinal Tobin lamented the Trump administration's significant cuts to the US Agency for International Development last year.

'We cannot stand by whilst decisions are made that condemn millions to lives trapped permanently at the edge of existence', Cardinal Cupich stated. 'Pope Leo has given us clear direction and we must apply his teachings to the conduct of our nation and its leaders.'

Insistence on Non-Partisanship

Despite the statement's clear criticism, Cardinal Tobin emphasised: 'We're not endorsing a political party or a political movement.' He insisted that the faithful and 'all people of good will' have a role to play in making 'an argument of basic human decency'.

The joint statement warned that 'the building of just and sustainable peace, so crucial to humanity's well-being now and in the future, is being reduced to partisan categories that encourage polarisation and destructive policies'. With approximately 52 million Catholics in the United States, the intervention carries substantial weight, particularly as Pope Leo XIV's status as the first American pontiff adds unique resonance to the Vatican's concerns.