Roman Catholic Church leaders are speaking out about some of the recent foreign policy actions by the Trump administration.

Cardinal Blase Cupich the archbishop of Chicago joined 2 other American Cardinals and writing a strongly worded statement questioning recent actions in Venezuela and Greenland.

The statement opens, quote in Twenty-twenty 6.

The United States has entered into the most profound and searing debate about the Moral foundation for America's actions in the world.

Since the end of the Cold War.

Meanwhile, faith leaders are also pushing back on the Trump administration's actions against undocumented immigrants.

Joining us now to discuss this is Cardinal Blase Cupich Archbishop of Chicago.

Welcome back.

Thank you for joining us, Arnold.

Thank you, Brent.

It's going to be here.

So in your joint statement with those 2 other cardinals, as we mentioned of Newark in Washington, D.C., you all say, quote, as pastors entrusted with the teaching of our people.

We cannot stand by while decisions are made that condemned millions to lives trapped permanently at the edge of existence.

What role does the church have in times of political turmoil?

Well, we have an important role citizens living in a democracy.

>> To raise our voices and we want to make sure that there is a moral framework that is taken in consideration as various policies are formed.

We and making this statement saw that the consensus set the end of the second World War about how nations work together is evaporating.

That is the consensus about the sovereignty of nations and their borders with Ukraine invasion by Russia and Ukraine.

Also in the Venezuelan action.

Also, how different disputes are resolved in a peaceful way through dialogue, although that seems to be going by the wayside.

And so we wanted to make sure that we don't lose the perspective of what is morally corrected.

Morley, the framework that should be used and foreign policy developed, it hurts has been outspoken on different issues over time.

Of course.

>> How church leaders decide when it's time to speak up.

>> Well, I think we want to make sure that included in the debate and the national debate is a moral framework and we wanted to make sure particularly that the voice of the people whose rights are violated, where a lack of human dignity is observed.

that was the case with the way mass deportation was going on in the country that the voices of the of the week are heard and we wanted to make sure that the that was part of the discussion in society as well.

>> The pope in a recent address said, quote, War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading.

The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others has been completely undermined.

Peace is no longer saw it as a gift.

And it goes on to say instead pieces sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one's own dominion.

In your letter, you all specifically raised events that you're seeing in Venezuela, Greenland and Ukraine has cause for concern.

What was it that you're seeing happening in those 3 countries that made you speak up?

>> Well, much along the lines with the pope said where borders sovereignty of nations.

is not respected where we also have a situation in which there are disputes as there always have been between nations are not resolved in a peaceful way through dialogue, but rather through the use of force and we were seeing a message that might makes right.

The defense of nations taking action simply because they can do that is is really a a recipe for disaster in the world and peace no longer be a gift that we pursue but rather war in order to get one said Dominion and one one's way in politics seems to be way forward for some people.

Eu, 3 cardinals representing, as we mentioned, Chicago, Newark in Washington, D.C.

>> All of you might have some parishioners who support the president and his administration and what they're doing.

What do you say to them?

Well, I think >> this was not aimed and we didn't name anyone in end.

The document itself, we just want to make sure that when we discuss these matters, we take into consideration a moral framework.

Our aim is really to engage the participation of people in the questions that we have an and and to make sure that when they engage them, they have the proper understanding of what at stake whenever we don't pay attention to a moral discipline society.

The other Pope said something very I think important.

He said the real crisis we're facing today relativism where we're reducing truth to one's opinion or to alternative facts.

And I think that that is something that we have to avoid and our people need to reflect about that.

I think unless we unless deal with that, that issue of what's really true, we saw this and the Minnesota shooting this past where it's very clear from what we saw on the tape.

That this man's life was when she was taken.

And yet there seem to be an alternative narrative.

There that try it in some way direct people's attention away from what they really saw.

That's a crisis when we do not have a kind of basis for truth that we can understand in society.

Was there about with other cardinals about having them join you in this Welty, do we do?

You are the only 3 cardinals who are heads of dioceses.

>> So with the full breadth cardinals who have dioceses, we're we're in this we we decided that we were in Rome for the consistory with the Holy Father.

We heard a lot of voices from cardinals from around the world to expect crest alarm.

What's taking place.

And then the day after we left from the pope came up with is statement his presentation to the diplomatic corps in the Vatican and which erase some of the same issues.

So in a ways, as you quoted from what he said here, he gave us the lay in which to be able to make his message more broadly known in their country.

All OK.

So you mentioned a couple of times what's happening here at home.

Of course, the Department of Homeland Security has used.

>> Bible verses in promotional materials.

Or One video includes a quote from Proverbs.

28 that says, quote, the wicked flee when no man pursue with.

But the righteous are bold as a lion they proceed proceed to show militarized agents appearing to read a building.

What is your reaction to seeing a Bible verses and the word of God being used this way?

>> Well, I think you the people who have undocumented status in our country as the week.

It is totally unfair and unjust.

There was a story today coverage in the Wall Street Journal.

It gave statistics of how many people are the quote, worst of the worst 5%.

The rest of the people have no have no criminal conviction.

And so we have a situation in which people are treated inhumanely because their status is being demonized by language.

So I think we have to be very careful of quoting scripture to marginalize a certain group of people.

And in many ways show a lack respect for their human dignity.

>> Schools, hospitals, funerals, public demonstrations, weddings, houses of worship.

They've all been targeted by ICE and immigration agents after President Trump revoked the directive preventing a rest in, quote, sensitive areas.

How's decision affected local parishes?

>> Well, we see a lower number of people free to come to worship.

And that's very sad.

But you list a number of places but also individuals because of the color of their skin.

I've had some priest who are of a different color being targeted and arrested.

Stop because of their color asking them to prove that their citizens, that's not America.

We don't live.

We should not have to live in a country where people have to carry around their documents all the time.

it really is troubling to have a people no matter what their status in life stop simply because of the color of their skin.

>> Cardinal, we also have to ask because last night the archdiocese said that the closure of 6 Catholic schools in the area due to low enrollment at the end of this school year.

That announcement was made on this has been an ongoing issue for for the Catholic schools here.

One of these closures say about the status of Catholic schools and what is their future look like?

>> Well, first of all, it's always a tragedy when we have to close the school.

But we have a situation where demographics irony against this.

We see that even in the public schools where there are closures.

So the numbers just aren't there anymore.

And the other hand, we know that some of the schools have been impacted because we did not have a renewal of the tax credit scholarship program that allowed poor families to have the same choice of choose a school that best fits their children simply with that bill was not passed and renewed.

We people, people of means have have the freedom to be able to choose a school that best fits their children.

Why shouldn't 4 people have that choice?

And now there is a federal program that the governor can up to 9 that will allow that to take place.

And we hope that the signs signs on to at the same any of your schools their families being impacted as well by what's happening with immigration and are they either withdrawing roar?

>> Moving their families to to a different country or out of the area?

No, we haven't seen so much of But what day they are if, in fact we when we close the school and children don't have the school that they had in the past, we are looking for ways in which they can go to a nearby Catholic school.