Calling on America to recommit itself to its founding principles of unity and peace at home and abroad, Pope Leo XIV accepted the Liberty Medal on Friday during a ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
The Catholic Church’s first American pope addressed a crowd representing more than 30 different religions in a virtual speech he made from the Vatican while wearing the medal he was presented earlier this year.
“As a son of this great country, founded by courageous men and women who dreamed of liberty and of a better life for themselves and for their children, I join you in asking God’s blessings upon America’s future, that the lofty ideas enshrined at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence may continue to guide the flourishing of the nation in unity, justice and peace,” the pope said.
Pope Leo VIX accepted the Liberty Medal, July 3, 2026, during a ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia that the pontiff attended virtually
WPVI
Vince Stango, interim president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, said the pontiff was chosen for the award “in recognition of his life-long work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience around the world, ideas enshrined by America’s founders and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.”
During the ceremony, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the Constitution Center and Philadelphia were fitting places to present the award, noting that the Chicago-born pope attended college at Villanova University in suburban Philadelphia.
Shapiro called Pope Leo “a religious leader who has made an extraordinary impact on our world.”
Pope Leo XIV accepts the Liberty Medal presented to him by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, July 3, 2026.
WPVI
The governor said the pontiff is someone who has devoted his life to religious liberty and done so much to protect religious freedom “not just for the Catholic faith, but for the people all across the globe.”
On the eve of America’s 250th birthday, the pope told the audience, “In order for a nation to flourish, it must be truly united, united not by goals bound to momentary endeavors, but by ideals that do not fade with the passing of time.”
The pope said the first right enshrined by the nation’s founders “was the right to life,” adding that “no one who is deprived of the right to life can enjoy liberty or pursue true happiness.
Pope Leo VIX accepts the Liberty Medal, July 3, 2026, during a ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, which he attended virtually from the Vatican.
WPVI
“A country’s vitality is deeply tied to the value it affords the human life in every form and condition, acknowledging the dignity endowed upon every human person by virtue of their very existence,” he said.
While he did not mention the immigration crackdown imposed by the Trump administration, the pontiff said the United States’ acceptance of “successive waves of immigrants” has “made America a byword for freedom.”
“Today, as we look to the future, this historic anniversary presents us with the opportunity to reflect once again on the nation’s founding principles in the hope that America will remain ever true to the dream that has earned it the title of ‘The land of the free, and home of the brave.'”
Pope Leo ended his speech to loud applause, saying, “In accepting this award, I therefore pray this, the 250th anniversary of the founding of this great nation, may be the occasion of a solemn recommitment to these ideals that have made America a country that values peace and prosperity, a country characterized by generosity and nobility of heart.”
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