Who are the three US cardinals criticising Trump: destructive policies

The cardinals of Washington, Chicago and Newark, through a joint statement, take a position on US foreign policy. "The moral role of the United States of America in confronting evil in the world and in building a just peace is reduced to partisan categories that encourage polarisation and destructive policies," is the heart of the message launched today by Cardinals Blase Joseph Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, Robert McElroy, Archbishop of Washington, and Joseph William Tobin, Archbishop of Newark.

The text, as also reported in the Holy See's daily newspaper, takes as its starting point the fact that, in the new year, "the United States has entered into the deepest and most heated debate on the moral basis of America's actions in the world since the end of the Cold War". It cites 'events in Venezuela, Ukraine and Greenland', which 'have raised fundamental questions about the use of military force and the meaning of peace'.

In this sense, the three cardinals point out that "the balance between national interest and the common good is framed in highly polarised terms". Moreover, "the moral role of the United States of America in confronting evil in the world, upholding the right to life and human dignity, and supporting religious freedom is under scrutiny," they continue, "and the building of a just and sustainable peace, so crucial to the well-being of humanity, is being reduced to partisan categories that encourage polarisation and destructive policies.

In the text, the three cardinals assess the international action of the United States in the light of the principles expressed by Pope Leo XIV in his address to the Diplomatic Corps on 9 January. In particular, they cite the passage in which the Pontiff states that "the weakness of multilateralism is a cause for particular concern" and that "a diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus between all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, on the part of individuals or groups of allies" because "war is back in fashion and warlike zeal is spreading".

The Cardinal of Washington, Robert Walter McElroy, was created Cardinal in 2022 by Pope Francis, who then appointed him Archbishop of Washington in January 2025; he is an advocate for migrants and a leading progressive voice in the Church, with doctorates in Moral Theology and Political Science.