U.S. Catholic Cardinals Issue Rare Joint Statement Criticizing American Foreign Policy

Leading Cardinals Question U.S. Foreign Policy Direction

In a rare and strongly worded joint statement issued on Monday, January 19, 2026, three prominent U.S. Catholic Cardinals voiced significant concerns regarding the moral foundations of American foreign policy and the nation's increasing reliance on military action. Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago, Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, and Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark called for a 'genuinely moral foreign policy' for the United States, emphasizing that military intervention should only be considered as a last resort.

The Cardinals' statement highlighted 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.'

Specific Criticisms and Papal Influence

The joint statement specifically cited recent developments in Venezuela, Russia's war in Ukraine, and the Trump administration's threats against Greenland as examples that 'have raised basic questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace.'

The Cardinals' intervention was notably inspired by an address delivered on January 9, 2026, by Pope Leo XIV to the Vatican's diplomatic corps. Pope Leo XIV, described as the first U.S.-born pontiff, had offered a substantial critique of global foreign policy, lamenting the weakening of multilateralism and the spread of a 'zeal for war.'

The Cardinals echoed the Pope's concerns, stating that 'a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force.' They further asserted that the post-World War II principle prohibiting nations from using force to violate the borders of others 'has been completely undermined.'

Call for a Moral Foreign Policy

The archbishops stressed that 'military action must be seen only as a last resort in extreme situations, not a normal instrument of national policy.' They advocated for a foreign policy that 'respects and advances the right to human life, religious liberty, and the enhancement of human dignity throughout the world, especially through economic assistance.'

In a related development, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA, had also commented on January 18, 2026, that he could not envision circumstances under which a U.S. invasion of Greenland would constitute a 'just war.' He suggested that U.S. troops could morally disobey orders for such an action, stating that the rhetoric surrounding Greenland 'tarnishes the image of the United States.'

The Cardinals' statement underscores a growing concern within the U.S. Catholic hierarchy regarding the ethical direction of the nation's international engagements, urging a return to principles of peace, human dignity, and multilateralism.