Pope Leo — the first U.S.-born pontiff, born Robert Prevost and raised in Chicago — has become an outspoken moral voice on international conflict and U.S. immigration enforcement, prompting three senior American cardinals to publicly explain the church’s position.
Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington and Joseph Tobin of Newark spoke in a rare joint interview about how the pope’s pastoral tone and targeted public remarks have affected church leaders and parishioners. They said clergy are hearing widespread anxiety in the pews about threats to peace abroad and human suffering from current domestic policies.
The cardinals stressed that Pope Leo generally avoids commenting on every partisan issue but speaks forcefully when he sees fundamental moral questions at stake. He has prayed for a ceasefire, urged leaders and citizens to “work for peace and to reject war always,” and used a Palm Sunday homily to warn that violence and warmongering silence the prayers of those who engage in it. He also condemned rhetoric that threatens the destruction of cultures or peoples as unacceptable.
On the prospect of military action against Iran, Cardinal Cupich said such a war would not meet Catholic just-war criteria, which require narrowly focused aims to restore justice and peace. He criticized what he called the “gamification” of violence on social media, where edited clips and sensational posts can turn human suffering into entertainment and dehumanize victims, including children and service members.
Pope Leo’s remarks come amid intense diplomatic debate and international calls for restraint. When asked about hopes for the Middle East, the pope said he is praying for peace and ceasefires that respect all parties and open a path to long-delayed solutions.
The cardinals also addressed U.S. immigration enforcement, a flashpoint since President Trump campaigned on and pursued more aggressive border policies. Cardinal Joseph Tobin described some enforcement practices as “lawless,” saying tactics that hide identities, induce terror or forcibly evict people can violate constitutional protections. He urged public testimony and accountability, noting that clergy and laypeople are compelled to speak out by the “enormous, profound level of human suffering” they witness.
Cardinal Robert McElroy, who previously served as bishop in San Diego, said pastors in dioceses with large immigrant populations report deep fear among parishioners. He pointed to a steep drop in Spanish-language Mass attendance — about 30 percent in his archdiocese compared with the prior year — which pastors attribute to fear of enforcement and sudden large-scale targeting of people who had been living quietly in the U.S. for years.
The cardinals were careful to frame their comments as pastoral care rather than partisan politics. They described Pope Leo as a global pastor who is deliberate about what he addresses but unafraid to speak where moral clarity is needed. That clarity, they said, is drawing people to the church: several U.S. dioceses have reported increased interest, with some archdioceses seeing their largest numbers of converts in recent years since the pope’s election.
The interview also highlighted Vatican efforts to assist migrants and vulnerable people. At Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence southeast of Rome, a First Job Training Center has been launched to teach sustainable farming, cooking and other skills for migrants and locals in need. Father Manuel Dorantes, a Chicago native who worked under both Pope Francis and Pope Leo, described plans to train roughly 1,000 people a year at the estate as a model dioceses could replicate worldwide. The cardinals said the pope has continued and expanded the Vatican’s use of resources to support migrants, making outreach central to the church’s mission.
Pope Leo has also made symbolic gestures tied to migration: he plans to visit Lampedusa — the Mediterranean island where many migrants arrive and where numerous lives have been lost at sea — on July 4, a date that carries resonance for Americans. Cardinal Tobin said the pilgrimage underscores the pope’s priority to stand with the marginalized and the downtrodden.
The cardinals acknowledged that not every parishioner wants clergy to enter political debates, but many expect moral leadership when human dignity and suffering are at stake. Their collective message urges restraint on the international stage and humane, rights-respecting responses at home, grounded in questions of justice, proportionality and the protection of the vulnerable.