Cardinals Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago; Robert W. McElroy, Archbishop of Washington; and Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, today issued a joint statement measuring U.S. foreign policy in light of the principles set forth by Pope Leo XIV in his  January 9, 2016, address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

Full text: 

Drawing a moral vision of American foreign policy

In 2026, the United States has entered the deepest and most heated debate about the moral foundations of its actions in the world since the end of the Cold War. Events in Venezuela, Ukraine, and Greenland have raised fundamental questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace. The sovereign rights of nations to self-determination appear all too fragile in a world of escalating conflicts. The balance between national interest and the common good is framed in sharply polarized terms. Our country’s moral role in confronting evil in the world, in defending the right to life and human dignity, and in supporting religious freedom is being examined. And the building of a just and sustainable peace, so crucial to the well-being of humanity now and in the future, is being reduced to partisan categories that fuel polarization and destructive politics.

For all these reasons, Pope Leo’s contribution in outlining a truly moral basis for international relations before the Vatican diplomatic corps this month has provided us with an enduring ethical compass to guide U.S. foreign policy in the years to come. He stated:

“In our time, the weakness of multilateralism is a particular cause for concern internationally. Diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by diplomacy based on force, whether wielded by individuals or groups of allies. War is fashionable again, and a zeal for war is spreading. The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined. Peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good in itself, or in pursuit of ‘the establishment of the ordered universe willed by God with a more perfect form of justice between men and women.’ Instead, peace is sought through arms as a condition for asserting one’s own dominance.”

Pope Leo also reiterates the Catholic teaching that “the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of all other human rights” and that abortion and euthanasia are destructive of that right. He points to the need for international assistance to safeguard the most central elements of human dignity, which are under attack due to the movement by wealthy nations to reduce or eliminate their contributions to foreign humanitarian aid programs. Finally, the Holy Father addresses the increasing violations of conscience and religious freedom in the name of an ideological or religious purity that crushes freedom itself.

As pastors and citizens, we embrace this vision for establishing a genuinely moral foreign policy for our nation. We seek to build a truly just and lasting peace, the peace that Jesus proclaimed in the Gospel. We renounce war as an instrument for narrow national interests and proclaim that military action should be seen only as a last resort in extreme situations, not as a normal instrument of national policy. We seek a foreign policy that respects and promotes the right to human life, religious freedom, and the strengthening of human dignity throughout the world, especially through economic assistance.

Our nation’s debate on the moral foundations of American politics is plagued by polarization, partisanship, and narrow economic and social interests. Pope Leo has given us the lens through which to elevate it to a much higher level. We will preach, teach, and advocate in the coming months to make that higher level possible.

Signatories :

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago;
Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, Archbishop of Washington;
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark

This  statement  represents a public intervention by three American cardinals, who directly invoke the words of Pope Leo XIV.