Top U.S. archbishops denounce American foreign policy

"The three highest-ranking heads of Roman Catholic archdioceses in the United States issued a strongly worded statement on Monday criticizing the Trump administration's foreign policy without mentioning President Trump by name. Cardinals Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, and Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, say America's actions raise moral questions. "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," the statement reads."

""A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies. War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading," Leo said in his Jan. 9 address. "Peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one's own dominion. This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence.""

"The senior leaders cited the recent events in Venezuela, Ukraine and Greenland, which they said "have raised basic questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace." The White House did not immediately respond to NPR's request for comment. The statement by the American cardinals was inspired by a recent speech Pope Leo XIV gave to ambassadors to the Holy See."

Three senior U.S. Catholic archbishops voiced strong moral concern about recent American foreign policy choices and their implications for human dignity and religious liberty. The cardinals called for a foreign policy that upholds the right to life, advances religious freedom, and enhances human dignity, especially through economic assistance. They cited events in Venezuela, Ukraine and Greenland as prompting questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace. The cardinals' statement drew on Pope Leo XIV's warning about the weakening of multilateral diplomacy and the resurgence of a force-based approach to international relations. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read at www.npr.org