Pope Leo — the first U.S.-born pontiff, born Robert Prevost and raised in Chicago — has emerged as a vocal moral voice on international conflict and U.S. immigration policy, prompting three influential American cardinals to speak publicly about the church’s stance.
Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington and Joseph Tobin of Newark granted a rare joint interview, describing how Pope Leo’s pastoral approach and public pronouncements have moved church leaders and parishioners. The cardinals said they hear anxieties in the pews about threats to peace and the human suffering produced by current policies.
Pope Leo has avoided running commentary on every political matter, the cardinals said, but he has spoken strongly on what he calls fundamental moral questions. He has publicly prayed for a ceasefire and urged political leaders and citizens to “work for peace and to reject war always.” In a Palm Sunday homily, the pope warned that Jesus does not hear the prayers of those who wage war, and he later condemned language that threatens cultural or civilizational destruction as “truly unacceptable.”
Cardinal Cupich said the war with Iran does not meet Catholic just-war criteria — there must be a narrowly focused aim to restore justice and peace. He criticized what he called the “gamification” of military action when the suffering of people is turned into entertainment through social media posts and edited clips. “We’re dehumanizing the victims of war by turning the suffering of people and the killing of children and our own soldiers into entertainment,” Cupich said. The cardinal called that approach “sickening” and inconsistent with the church’s moral teachings.
Pope Leo’s remarks have come amid robust diplomatic debate and a chorus of international leaders pressing for restraint. When asked directly about hopes for the Middle East, the pope said he is praying for peace and for ceasefires that allow respect for all parties and a path to solutions that have been delayed for too long.
The cardinals also weighed in on U.S. immigration actions, which have been a flashpoint since President Trump campaigned on and pursued aggressive border enforcement and deportation measures. Cardinal Joseph Tobin called some U.S. enforcement practices “lawless” and said the way officials have acted to hide identities, induce terror and evict people violates constitutional protections. He urged public testimony and accountability, saying that clergy and laity are being moved to speak out by the “enormous, profound level of human suffering” they witness.
Cardinal Robert McElroy, who served previously as bishop in San Diego, said pastors in dioceses that serve large immigrant populations are seeing severe fear among parishioners. He noted a marked decline in Spanish-language Mass attendance and said pastors report people who have been living quietly in the country for years suddenly targeted at scale. “They live under fear,” McElroy said, adding that in his archdiocese Spanish Mass attendance fell by about 30 percent compared with the year before — a decline he attributed to fear of enforcement and upheaval.
The cardinals emphasized that their interventions are pastoral rather than political punditry. They said Pope Leo himself is the pastor of the world: measured and deliberate in what he addresses, but outspoken where moral clarity is needed. That clarity, they say, is drawing Catholics to the church. In some U.S. dioceses, the cardinals reported increases in conversions and more people seeking spiritual support since the pope’s election.
The interview also highlighted Vatican initiatives to assist migrants and vulnerable people. At Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence southeast of Rome, officials have launched a First Job Training Center focused on education and integration for migrants and locals in need, teaching sustainable farming, cooking and other skills. Father Manuel Dorantes — a Chicago native who worked with Pope Francis and continued under Pope Leo — described plans to train about 1,000 people a year at the estate as a model for dioceses worldwide. The Pope’s predecessor had begun opening the Vatican’s resources to migrants; Pope Leo has continued and expanded these efforts, and the cardinals said that outreach is central to the church’s mission.
Pope Leo’s schedule has included symbolic gestures tied to migration and welcome. The pope plans to visit Lampedusa — the Mediterranean island where tens of thousands of migrants have landed and many have drowned in attempts to reach Europe — on July 4, a date that carries resonance for Americans. Cardinal Tobin said the pilgrimage signals the pope’s priority to stand with the marginalized and downcast.
The cardinals said that while not every parishioner wants political commentary from clergy, many expect moral leadership when human dignity and suffering are at stake. Their remarks reflect concern that militarized responses and punitive immigration measures pose moral questions about justice, proportionality and the protection of the vulnerable. The Catholic leadership they represent is urging restraint on the international stage and humane, rights-respecting approaches at home.
So far in 2026, U.S. dioceses have reported a notable rise in interest in the church, with some archdioceses seeing the largest numbers of converts in recent years. The cardinals said Pope Leo’s pastoral tone, his attention to migrants, and his moral appeals have helped renew engagement among Catholics and others seeking a clear moral compass amid geopolitical and domestic turmoil.