Three of the United States’ highest-ranking Catholic archbishops have raised serious concerns about the country’s approach to international relations, urging that morality must guide America’s actions on the world stage. In a rare joint statement, Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington, and Joseph Tobin of Newark stressed that military force should only be used as an absolute last resort.
“In 2026, the United States faces one of the most profound debates about the moral foundation for its actions in the world since the end of the Cold War,” the three leaders said, highlighting the need for ethical reflection in foreign policy decisions.
Their statement echoes warnings made earlier this month by Pope Leo during a fiery speech at the Vatican, in which he criticized the world’s “zeal for war.” As the first US-born pope, Leo has previously expressed concerns about policies of the Trump administration, particularly regarding immigration.
The archbishops pointed to current global tensions—including developments in Venezuela, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and threats against Greenland—as evidence that the rights of nations to self-determination remain “fragile.”
“The events in Venezuela, Ukraine, and Greenland have raised fundamental questions about the use of military force and the true meaning of peace,” the clerics said, emphasizing that decisions on war and peace require a careful moral compass.
While the statement did not explicitly name President Trump, it clearly challenges any approach that treats military action as a routine tool of national policy. Instead, the archbishops called for a “genuinely moral foreign policy” that renounces war for narrow national interests.
In an era where international conflicts often dominate headlines, the voices of these church leaders remind Americans that ethical considerations should not be sidelined. As citizens and global participants, the question now is whether the United States will heed this moral guidance or continue to prioritize power over principle.
