In Rome, three U.S. Catholic cardinals issued a poignant plea to the Trump administration, urging it to recalibrate its foreign policy by adopting a moral compass. Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington, and Joseph Tobin of Newark, N.J., emphasized that current actions—including military interventions in Venezuela, threats to acquire Greenland, and significant cuts to foreign aid—risk inflicting immense suffering globally instead of fostering peace.
In their joint statement, they warned that lacking a moral vision has led to a discourse surrounding U.S. foreign policy that is steeped in polarization and narrow self-interests. Cardinal McElroy remarked to the Associated Press that both the United States and the world are morally adrift regarding foreign policy, asserting that the U.S. possesses a profound ability to affect global change.
Notably, the cardinals' statement comes amid consistent criticisms from the U.S. Catholic hierarchy regarding the Trump administration's practices, including a strong condemnation of mass deportations and public vilification of migrants last November.
The cardinals' concerns stemmed from a recent address by Pope Leo XIV, in which he criticized military force as a method of asserting dominance among nations, undermining peace in the post-World War II legal order. Without naming specific countries, Pope Leo’s remarks resonated with the timing of U.S. military engagement in Venezuela and aggressive posturing towards Greenland.
In their statement, the cardinals deliberated the ethical ramifications behind the use of military force, scrutinizing the implications it has on human dignity, religious liberty, and the promotion of life rights worldwide. Cardinal Tobin illustrated the ethical framework the cardinals hope to see, arguing against prioritizing national interest at the expense of inhumane treatment of others.
Initially prompted by discussions with other cardinals in January, the trio sought to convey their concerns and rally for a more ethically guided foreign policy that supports the common good, rather than supporting narrow national interests.
Cardinals Cupich and McElroy emphasized that their mission isn't to chastise the administration but to encourage it to restore its moral standing in global affairs, involving citizens in a wholesome discourse around basic human decency and diplomacy.
