Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Gerard F. Powers, Director of Catholic Peacebuilding Studies, University of Notre Dame

What is and isn’t new about US bishops’ criticism of Trump’s foreign policy

Cardinals Robert McElroy, Joseph Tobin and Blase Cupich issued a statement on U.S. foreign policy on Jan. 19, 2026. Gregorio Borgia/Gregory Bull/AP Photo

In recent weeks, Catholic leaders have been increasingly outspoken in their criticism of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, especially its military intervention in Venezuela and saber-rattling over Greenland.

On Jan. 19, 2026, the three cardinals heading U.S. archdioceses – Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., and Joseph Tobin of Newark – issued a rare joint statement. “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 began, calling for “a genuinely moral foreign policy.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.