Cardinals urge Trump to step back from threats on Greenland and Venezuela

America Magazine • January 19, 2026 • world

Key Points:

Three American cardinals—Cupich, McElroy, and Tobin—issued a rare direct rebuke to the Trump administration, urging a shift in U.S. foreign policy away from military interventions toward protecting life and promoting human dignity.
Citing Pope Leo XIV's warning about the resurgence of warlike zeal and the weakening of multilateral peace institutions, the cardinals called for a moral foreign policy grounded in dialogue, respect for national sovereignty, and economic assistance.
The cardinals criticized recent U.S. actions, including the administration's controversial interest in annexing Greenland, as undermining international relations and risking global peace, emphasizing that military force should only be a last resort.
They highlighted the polarization in U.S. debate over foreign