Christian Moral Principles and the Sovereignty of Greenland

American Catholics who voted pro-life in the last Presidential election may have found themselves doing a double-take this month. Our President, widely considered a pro-life candidate, made threats of military action against an ally. He said that America would acquire Greenland “one way or another,” and hinted that the U.S. military would use force if needed. He then pledged to impose tariffs on countries that oppose his taking over Greenland. His foreign policy decisions drew a statement of rebuke from Church leaders.

Our President’s threats regarding Greenland are inconsistent with Christian moral principles, and in particular, with the culture of life.

A Beacon of Hope, a Leader’s Error

That hypothesis may be upsetting to Catholic supporters of President Trump. He has been a beacon of hope for the pro-life cause. He placed conservative judges on the Supreme Court and took action to limit funding for abortions. His opponent in the 2024 election was decidedly worse in terms of Catholic morality on abortion, marriage, and gender issues. Furthermore, the push for America to acquire Greenland has legitimate reasoning behind it in terms of national and international security. Conservative Americans, pleased with Trump’s successes, bristle at the seemingly constant criticism he receives at the hands of extreme left-wing politicians and media. When Church leaders join the critics of our President, we may be tempted to scorn their interference in political affairs.

However, let us recall that the Holy Spirit lives in the Church and guides our Pope and his brother bishops. Faith and holiness belong to worldly pursuits as well as in church activities. On our part, we must not let loyalty and gratefulness for Trump’s support on some issues cloud our vision. We need to acknowledge when our elected officials fall short of the mark. Recognizing a leader’s error does not take away the good he has done and will continue to do.

A Standard Moral Principle

This being said, it now appears that objections to some of the President’s statements of early January are moot; he has in essence, retracted them. In his January 21 speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, President Trump said he would not use force to acquire Greenland. Additionally, after meeting with other national leaders, he told reporters that he agreed not to impose tariffs as leverage to get control of Greenland. Negotiations continue, and it is likely that by the time this article is published, the world will be breathing a sigh of relief, as a satisfactory plan for Arctic security is in place.

This makes no difference in the discussion about the morality of Trump’s foreign policy regarding America’s interest in Greenland. The platitude, “All’s well that ends well,” is not harmonious with Catholic morality. This is a standard moral principle: we may not do evil in hopes that good will come of it (Romans 3:8).

Trump’s blustery threats have insulted the sovereignty of Greenland and its kingdom, Denmark, and have put both NATO and America’s international reputation at risk. The people of Greenland have stated that they do not want to be American. Denmark has declined America’s offers to purchase Greenland. The consequences of breaking our NATO alliance are severe.

Pope Leo XIV on War

In his January 9 address to the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, Pope Leo XIV lamented, “War is back in vogue, and a zeal for war is spreading.” He warned against a “mentality of confrontation, which is the precursor to war” (Vatican). Trump’s words constituted this mentality of confrontation. The precursor to war had been present, and it caused international strife.

Pope Leo highlights the importance of NATO: “A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force … The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined” (Vatican).

No Laughing Matter

Hours before Trump’s speech at Davos, commentators on ABC Radio spoke with former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland about the President’s push for Greenland. McFarland predicted that the President was already in negotiations with NATO leaders about Greenland. She hypothesized possible scenarios. The U.S. might lease the territory, might purchase it, or might lease with an option to buy. Alluding to Trump’s association with real estate, the commentator then half-joked, “It’s the art of the deal!” The speakers in the conversation laughed, and the dialogue became light-hearted.

The problem with this kind of reaction is that it trivializes a significant happening. This is no laughing matter. President Trump’s tactics constitute an injustice to Greenland, to NATO, and to America. Even if he was bluffing, his threats caused widespread turmoil. He unsettled the people of Greenland, caused Denmark to put its citizens on alert for preparations for war, and shook the trust of our European allies. This illustrates another principle of Christian morality: We must avoid even the appearance of evil, lest we risk causing scandal.

The scandal here is the promotion of the idea that war is an acceptable means of acquisition. To Christians, to civilized humans, war is only a last resort, when defending the innocent requires it. War requires a willingness to kill.

And this is why pro-life voters ought to be doing a double-take this month. In fact, they may rightfully feel sucker punched. To speak words of war in hopes of intimidating an ally is not pro-life. There is no “art of the deal” here. Rather, Trump’s words of war and his threat of manipulative tariffs constitute a dangerous departure from reason, ethics, and justice.

This doesn’t erase the good that President Trump has done for the pro-life cause, for America, and for the world. But it should caution us to scrutinize candidates for elected office. Promising pro-life legislation is political. And it is important. But promoting a culture of life is virtue.

A Moral Foreign Policy

Following Pope Leo’s speech to the Vatican Diplomatic Corps, three American Cardinals issued a statement that reflects Pope Leo’s vision for establishing “a genuinely moral foreign policy for our nation.” They note:

We renounce war as an instrument for narrow national interests. Our nation’s debate on the moral foundation for American policy is beset by polarization, partisanship, and narrow economic and social interests. Pope Leo has given us the prism through which to raise it to a much higher level. We will preach, teach, and advocate in the coming months to make that higher level possible (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington).

Some may argue that for international security, America needs to own Greenland. This seems to depend on which official is talking. The “framework” as of this article’s writing hints that NATO countries are coming together to create the “Golden Dome” over the Arctic. In this way, security, sovereignty, and justice can all be preserved.

A nation cannot simply say, “We need your land,” and then take it. It is somewhat frightening that our President seemed willing to take this approach. Even more astounding is hearing Americans repeat his rhetoric. Two years ago, none of us would have advocated sending military troops to Greenland. Last week, posts abounded on social media with heartless statements about how easily we could conquer them. Attitudes reflect leadership. How much virtue, then, should we insist on in our leaders?

When I was in Catholic grammar school, we concluded our daily prayers with this plea: “God bless our President and our country.” Let us revive this prayer. Certainly, the President of the USA has one of the most demanding jobs in the world. He needs and deserves our prayers. God bless President Trump and the USA.