Three U.S. Catholic cardinals have publicly urged the Trump administration to consider a moral compass when shaping its foreign policy. Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington and Joseph Tobin of Newark, N.J., warned that without a moral vision, current debates risk causing suffering rather than promoting peace, specifically citing U.S. Actions in Venezuela, threats regarding Greenland, and cuts to foreign aid.
A Shift in Church Voice
This statement is unusual in that it came directly from the three cardinals, rather than through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which has approximately four hundred members and a more complex statement-drafting process. The statement was released shortly after the new president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, met with President Donald Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance at the White House.
The cardinals’ concerns echo those of Pope Leo, whose statements on peace, immigration, climate change, and the rule of law have led some to believe he opposes the Trump administration’s policies. The three cardinals have close ties to the current Pope; Cupich and Tobin served with a key Vatican official, and McElroy was appointed to a high-profile role in Washington at that official’s direction.
New Leadership in New York
On Friday, St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan will host the installation of Ronald Hicks as the new Archbishop of New York, succeeding Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who reached the age of seventy-five last year. Hicks, formerly the Bishop of Joliet, Illinois, was born in 1967 and spent five years in El Salvador working with orphans and at-risk children.
Hicks has expressed admiration for Óscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador who was murdered after denouncing the military regime. He has similarly been involved in prison ministry and addressed climate change as bishop of Joliet, following Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical on the issue. His appointment is seen as a departure from the style of the more outspoken Cardinal Dolan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted the cardinals’ statement?
The cardinals urged the Trump administration to use a moral compass in its foreign policy, citing concerns about actions in Venezuela, threats regarding Greenland, and cuts in foreign aid.
Who are the cardinals involved?
Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington, and Joseph Tobin of Newark, N.J., jointly issued the statement.
Who is the new Archbishop of New York?
Ronald Hicks, formerly the Bishop of Joliet, Illinois, will be installed as the new Archbishop of New York on Friday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
As Archbishop Hicks takes on his new role, will his leadership style and priorities align with the evolving landscape of the U.S. Catholic Church and its engagement with national policy?
