Archbishop Timothy Broglio’s recent remarks challenge the fundamental principles of military obedience, igniting a moral debate among U.S. troops.

Archbishop’s Provocative Remarks

During a BBC interview on January 18, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, asserted that it may be morally acceptable for U.S. service members to disobey orders that conflict with their personal conscience.

This statement comes amid discussions of potential deployments by the Trump administration, including to Minneapolis under the Insurrection Act and military action to seize Greenland from Denmark.

Broglio’s comments have sparked a conversation about the role of personal conscience in military obedience, especially within the context of Catholic moral theology. Unlike discussions of unlawful orders under U.S. military law, which require that orders be “manifestly unlawful” to be disobeyed, Broglio invokes a higher moral standard rooted in Catholic teachings. This raises significant questions about the balance between personal ethics and legal obligations for troops.

Historical and Political Context

The U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, led by Broglio since 2007, provides spiritual guidance to Catholic troops. His remarks draw upon Catholic just war theory and conscience rights, tracing back to the teachings of Pope Leo XIII. This guidance comes at a time when Trump’s aggressive foreign policies have included military strikes in several countries and heightened rhetoric about annexing Greenland, a Danish territory.

Broglio’s comments also intersect with domestic tensions, notably the anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, raising the stakes for Catholic service members, who comprise 20-25% of U.S. troops, in navigating potentially morally questionable orders. The Archbishop’s stance underscores the moral dilemmas these troops face, caught between their duties and their conscience.

Reactions and Implications

Broglio’s statements have not gone unnoticed. On January 19, 2026, Cardinals Blase J. Cupich, Robert W. McElroy, and Joseph W. Tobin issued a joint statement criticizing U.S. foreign policy. They aligned their views with Pope Leo XIV’s diplomatic addresses, advocating for a genuinely moral foreign policy.

The White House, through spokesperson Anna Kelly, defended its actions as stabilizing efforts, pointing to successes like the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and strikes on Iran. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has remained silent on Broglio’s remarks, leaving the military community to grapple with the ethical and legal ramifications of selective disobedience.

Broader Impact and Expert Perspectives

The implications of Broglio’s comments are significant. In the short term, they may erode trust in command structures if troops hesitate to follow orders they deem morally questionable. The risk of courts-martial looms for those who refuse orders without legal protection. In the long term, this stance could normalize selective objection, undermine military discipline, and potentially tarnish the U.S.’s global image, as Broglio warned.

Catholic Archbishop Says It May Be ‘Morally Acceptable’ for U.S. Troops to Disobey Orders https://t.co/lyAGpE3QLI

— Fearless45 (@Fearless45Trump) January 21, 2026

Experts like Brenner Fissell, a professor at Villanova, emphasize that U.S. law does not align with Catholic ethics, underlining that troops must obey orders unless they are patently unlawful. The debate continues to unfold as the world watches, with Broglio’s moral guidance adding a complex layer to the ongoing discourse on military obedience and ethics.

Sources:

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2026/01/21/archbishop-says-its-morally-acceptable-for-troops-to-defy-orders/

https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/54180

Archbishop Broglio: It is ‘morally acceptable’ for troops to disobey ‘morally questionable’ orders on Greenland

https://time.com/7353662/trump-military-orders-disobey-venezuela-greenland-europe-catholic-leaders/