Catholic Leaders Criticize Trump Administration's Foreign Policy

Bishops say U.S. has entered "the most profound and searing debate" about moral foundations of foreign actions since Cold War

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Catholic leaders, including three U.S. cardinals and the archbishop of the Military Services, have issued rare public statements criticizing the Trump administration's foreign policy, especially its military interventions in Venezuela and potential actions against Greenland. The statements reflect the Catholic Church's long-standing "just war" tradition, which takes a more restrictive view on the use of force than the administration's more permissive approach.

Why it matters

The Catholic Church's teachings on just war have guided leaders' opposition to many U.S. military interventions over the decades, putting them at odds with more permissive foreign policy approaches. The recent statements suggest the church may take a more public and vigorous stance against the Trump administration's "norm-busting" foreign policy.

The details

In a rare joint statement, three U.S. cardinals said the U.S. has entered "the most profound and searing debate about the moral foundation for America's actions in the world since the end of the Cold War." They quoted Pope Leo XIV's criticism of the "zeal for war" spreading. Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services also issued a detailed critique of the morality and legality of the administration's actions, and said he could not see any circumstances where an invasion of Greenland would be just.

  • On Jan. 19, 2026, the three cardinals issued their joint statement.
  • In December 2025, Archbishop Broglio criticized the administration's strikes against boats in the Caribbean.
  • In January 2026, Archbishop Broglio questioned the morality of a potential invasion of Greenland in an interview with the BBC.

The players

Blase Cupich

Cardinal and archbishop of Chicago.

Robert McElroy

Cardinal and archbishop of Washington, D.C.

Joseph Tobin

Cardinal and archbishop of Newark.

Timothy Broglio

Archbishop who leads the Archdiocese for the Military Services.

Pope Leo XIV

The current Pope, who deplored the "zeal for war" spreading in his annual address to the Vatican's diplomatic corps.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Blase Cupich, Robert McElroy, and Joseph Tobin, U.S. Cardinals (Joint statement)

“I cannot see any circumstances that it would.”

— Timothy Broglio, Archbishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services (BBC)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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