Three US Cardinals: Foreign policy must respect human dignity, religious liberty

Three US Cardinals released a rare joint statement on Monday regarding American foreign policy, picking up several themes from 

The statement was signed by Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago; Cardinal Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington; and Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark.  

“In 2026, 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,” they wrote.

The Cardinals said recent events in Venezuela, Ukraine, and Greenland raise “basic questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace.”

They highlighted the sovereign right of nations to self-determination, saying this principle appears increasingly fragile in the current conflictual geopolitics.

Efforts for just and sustainable peace have been subjected to partisanship, polarization, and destructive policies, despite peace being crucial to humanity’s well-being, said the three Cardinals.

“Our country’s moral role in confronting evil around the world, sustaining the right to life and human dignity, and supporting religious liberty are all under examination,” they noted.

Given this situation, the Cardinals said Pope Leo’s “State of the World” address on January 9 offers a “truly moral foundation” for international relations and a pathway for American foreign policy.