American cardinals have condemned U.S. foreign policy, questioning its moral role

Three influential U.S. Catholic archbishops have issued a joint statement sharply condemning America’s current foreign policy. They expressed serious doubts about the country’s “moral role in confronting evil around the world,” emphasizing that military action should be used only as a last resort. This position echoes recent calls by Pope Leo of the Vatican, who condemned the world’s “pursuit of war.”

According to the UNN news outlet, the cardinals pointed out in their statement that “in 2026, the United States has entered into the deepest and fiercest debate about the moral basis for America’s actions in the world since the end of the Cold War.” This indicates a serious internal division and the need to rethink the country’s global strategy.

Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., and Joseph Tobin of Newark are among the signatories of the statement. Their appeal directly reflects concerns raised by Pope Leo earlier this month. The pontiff, in a speech at the Vatican, strongly condemned the escalation of conflicts and the worldwide “drive to war,” calling for peaceful resolution and diplomacy.

Thus, the highest clergy of the Catholic Church in the United States joins the global chorus of voices calling for a revision of approaches to international relations, insisting on moral principles and avoiding excessive use of military force.

Recall, we reported earlier that Pope Leo XIV, the first American in office, was on a collision course with US President Donald Trump. The latest divergence between the Vatican and the White House came after Trump’s comments about Venezuela, to which the pontiff responded with a call to defend the country’s sovereignty, indicating deepening ideological differences on a number of key issues.