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Pope Leo XIV Accepts Liberty Medal and Urges U.S. to Recommit to Founding Ideals

He used the award, a July 4 letter and a visit to Lampedusa to press Americans to protect life, welcome migrants and temper public rhetoric.

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 accepted the National Constitution Center’s 2026 Liberty Medal in a livestreamed address from the Vatican on Friday and praised America’s tradition of religious freedom and welcome for immigrants.
  • The pope spent July 4 on the Italian island of Lampedusa, visited migrant memorials and centers, met migrants and issued a letter to Americans calling for compassion toward newcomers.
  • In both the speech and the letter he framed liberty through protecting human life “from conception until natural death,” a phrase that aligns with core Vatican teachings on abortion and euthanasia.
  • Leo urged a public discourse marked by moderation, respect and finding common ground, remarks widely read as an implicit critique of President Trump even as the Vatican and the administration continue limited diplomatic contacts.
  • The Liberty Medal honors those who advance freedom and human rights and organizers moved the Philadelphia ceremony indoors because of extreme heat, underscoring the symbolic weight of a U.S.-born pope speaking on the nation’s 250th anniversary.