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Pope Leo XIV Receives Liberty Medal via Video from Rome
Pope Leo XIV accepted the 2026 Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center on July 3 and addressed the audience remotely from Rome. He called for renewed commitment to founding principles including protection of migrants and human dignity.
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Pope Leo XIV received the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center on July 3, 2026, during a video appearance from Rome. Le Monde reported that the Philadelphia-based center awarded the medal for his lifelong work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression. The pope spoke on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
He prayed for the United States to recommit to its founding ideals of protecting life and human dignity, stating that America was founded by courageous men and women who dreamed of liberty and a better life for themselves and their children. Leo referred to migrants as part of the noble vision of the Founding Fathers.
He said the country opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants, enabling them and their children to shape the nation's future.
He added that the moral greatness of a nation is manifested in its capacity to support, protect and cherish the lives of all, especially the most vulnerable. The Chicago-born pope, the first US-born pontiff, planned to spend July 4 at Lampedusa, Sicily. Le Monde noted the location's significance as a destination for migrants fleeing conflict and hardship.
Past recipients of the Liberty Medal include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and US Rep. John Lewis.
