Cardinal Cupich condemns White House video about Iran war

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago condemned what he called the « gamification » of war, imploring Americans to resist becoming desensitized to the « true costs of war » and to protect their humanity.  

In a statement issued March 7, Cupich took particular aim at a social media video posted by the White House Friday featuring footage from the ongoing war in Iran spliced with scenes from action movies and captioned « Justice the American way. » 

Cupich took issue with the video’s focus on entertainment.

« A real war with real death and real suffering being treated like it’s a video game — it’s sickening, » he wrote. 

Decrying the emerging trend of war gamification — used both as propaganda and as an incentive for combatants — Cupich wrote, « we now live in an era when the distance between the battlefield and the living room has been drastically reduced. »

Criticizing the White House video, Cupich invoked the human cost of the week-long war, including U.S. casualties who he said were « dishonored » by the post, as well as the Iranian school children killed on the first day of U.S. strikes. 

The cardinal also cited prediction markets allowing users to bet on the war – such as the recent settlement by Kalshi for allegedly failing to pay $54 million to those who bet money that former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah ​Ali Khamenei would leave office by March 1. That people derive entertainment from real world crises, Cupich said, was evidence of a « moral crisis. »

« The moral crisis we are facing is not just a matter of the war itself, but also how we, the observers, view violence, for war now has become a spectator sport or strategy game, » the statement read. 

Despite the administration’s appeal to excitement, Cupich warned that « we lose our humanity when we are thrilled by the destructive power of our military. We become addicted to the ‘spectacle’ of explosions. »

Cupich appealed to the consciences of all Americans, urging them to retain the sacred gift of their humanity.

« I know that the American people are better than this, » Cupich said. « We have the good sense to know that what is happening is not entertainment but war, and that Iran is a nation of people, not a video game others play to entertain us. »