'60 Minutes' accused of using left-leaning Cardinals to bait Trump into feud with Vatican
Raymond Arroyo labeled the media strategy 'pope-a-doping,' saying it was designed to provoke a White House-Vatican clash
By Madison Colombo Fox News
Published April 16, 2026 11:58am EDT
Some conservative commentators accused CBS’s "60 Minutes" of airing a segment featuring three "left-wing" cardinals who criticized the Trump administration’s immigration and Iran policies.
Father Gerald Murray and author Robert Royal joined Raymond Arroyo on "The Prayerful Posse" to discuss whether the situation was meant to spark a conflict between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV.
"The three of them are billed as so-called influential, but none of them hold offices in the U.S. Bishops' Conference, and they have never been elected," Royal said.
He compared the group to "The Squad" in U.S. politics, calling them "a very definite and pretty left-wing group of just three."
The "60 Minutes" episode featured three cardinals described in the segment as representing the church, though Royal argued they do not hold official leadership roles or speak for their peers.
During the episode, the cardinals criticized several Trump administration priorities, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the conflict in Iran. Cardinal Joseph Tobin said agents act in a way to "terrify people."
Cardinal Robert McElroy also declared that under the Catholic faith, the fighting in Iran is "not a just war."
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https://www.foxnews.com/media/60-minutes-accused-using-left-leaning-cardinals-bait-trump-feud-vatican
