Senior U.S. Catholic leaders issued an unusually blunt warning over the direction of American foreign policy, arguing that recent threats involving Greenland and broader military posturing risk undermining NATO cohesion and destabilizing long-standing U.S. alliances.
In a rare joint statement, Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington, and Joseph Tobin of Newark said the United States has entered one of its most serious moral and strategic debates since the Cold War, as questions mount over the use of military power and national self-determination.
While the clerics did not name President Donald Trump directly, the statement referenced recent geopolitical flashpoints including tensions over Greenland, the war in Ukraine, and developments in Venezuela, warning that the sovereignty of nations is increasingly vulnerable.
The statement echoes remarks made earlier this month by Pope Leo XIV, who sharply criticized what he described as a growing global appetite for war. Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, has previously expressed concern over U.S. immigration policy and the expanding use of coercive state power.
According to the cardinals, military force should only ever be used as an absolute last resort and must not become a routine instrument of national policy. They cautioned that pursuing narrow national interests through threats or pressure campaigns risks eroding the moral authority the United States has historically claimed on the world stage.
The reference to Greenland comes amid heightened tensions after repeated assertions from the Trump administration that U.S. control of the Arctic territory is vital for national security. Denmark, a NATO ally, has rejected those claims, warning that any attempt to use military or economic pressure against Greenland would fundamentally damage the alliance.
The Catholic leaders stressed that the right of nations to self-determination must remain central to international order, particularly as global power competition intensifies. They argued that peace cannot be sustained through intimidation, even when framed as strategic necessity.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the statement.
The intervention by the three highest-ranking U.S. Catholic archbishops is notable not only for its tone but for its timing, as transatlantic relations face renewed strain and NATO unity is tested by overlapping security crises. Analysts say the warning underscores growing concern, even among traditionally cautious institutions, that aggressive foreign policy tactics could produce long-term diplomatic fallout.
