Cardinal Blaise Cupich's harsh criticism of Iran war video
Condemning the Iran War video released by the White House, Cardinal Blaise Cupich warned that turning a real war into a media spectacle or video game calls into question the humanity and dignity of the victims.
The release of a White House propaganda video about military strikes on Iran has sparked a wave of criticism from politicians, artists and religious leaders. Among the reactions, Cardinal Blaise Kupic, Archbishop of Chicago and a leading figure in the Catholic Church in the United States, sharply condemned the move, calling it a disturbing example of war being turned into media entertainment.
The approximately 42-second video, which was posted on the X social network under the title "American-style justice," combined real-life footage of military strikes in Iran with scenes from Hollywood action movies and even elements inspired by video games.
Critics say such videos attempt to sensationalize military operations, making them look like entertainment products, an approach that many observers say marginalizes the real suffering of war victims.
Cardinal Kupich, in a statement posted on the website of the Archdiocese of Chicago, strongly criticized the video, writing: "It is disgusting to see a real war, with real deaths and real suffering, treated like a video game."
He also described the video as "a horrific spectacle," adding: "The release of such content at a time when the human toll from the war continues to rise shows a disregard for the suffering of the victims."
Cardinal Kupic continued his speech by referring to the number of victims and said: "While more than a thousand Iranian men, women, and children have died in US and Israeli missile attacks, turning this bitter reality into an exciting video is unacceptable."
In another part of his statement, the Catholic leader accused the US government of turning the suffering of the Iranian people into a form of entertainment. He wrote: “Our government considers the suffering of the Iranian people as a backdrop for its entertainment, as if it were just a new content that can be scrolled up and down while waiting in line at the supermarket checkout.”
According to him, such an approach shows that in the age of social media, the distance between the battlefield and people's mobile phone screens has drastically decreased, and the risk of normalizing violence has increased more than ever.
The video was not only criticized by religious leaders. Some actors and Hollywood figures also objected to the use of scenes from their films in the video and demanded its removal.
Reports indicate that the montage uses footage from popular films and series such as Iron Man, Braveheart, Top Gun, and Star Wars alongside real-life military attacks, a subject that critics say blurs the line between the reality of war and cinematic entertainment.
Cardinal Cupich concluded his statement by warning that if society becomes fascinated by military power and the sensational spectacle of war, there is a risk of losing moral sensitivity. “When we become fascinated by the destructive power of our armed forces, we lose our humanity,” he stressed.
The Diocese of Chicago, which Kupich leads, is one of the largest Catholic dioceses in the United States, and the cardinal's positions often find wide resonance in American moral and political debates.
As the war in the Middle East continues, many religious leaders and human rights activists warn that beyond political and military competition, we must not forget that at the heart of this crisis are the lives of people who face the real consequences of war every day.
