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Pope Leo XIV Accepts Liberty Medal and Calls for Recommitment to America's Founding Ideals

He used the award platform to frame migration, life and religious‑liberty issues as moral tests for the nation and will visit Lampedusa on July 4 to underline his message.

Pope Leo XIV waves during the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St.Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Monday, June 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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The painted wall portrait of the current Pope Leo XIV, is seen in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome on January 25, 2026.
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Overview

  • Pope Leo XIV formally accepted the National Constitution Center’s 2026 Liberty Medal in a livestreamed address from the Vatican that was shown at an indoor ceremony in Philadelphia on Friday, July 3, 2026.
  • In his remarks he urged Americans to recommit to unity, justice, peace, human dignity and religious freedom while using Vatican language that referenced protection “from conception until natural death.”
  • The presentation drew about 500 guests and representatives from more than 30 faith traditions, and included remarks from civic leaders such as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, and Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez.
  • Leo tied his speech to a long‑running focus on migrants, praising America’s immigrant tradition and planning a symbolic July 4 visit to Lampedusa that echoes Pope Francis’s earlier outreach and spotlights migrant dignity.
  • The address sharpens ongoing tensions between the pope and President Donald Trump over migration and foreign‑policy issues even as diplomatic contacts, including a May U.S. delegation visit to the Vatican, have continued and could shape public debate at home.