From the Website of Vatican
links https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-07/pope-leo-xiv-awarded-liberty-medal-national-constitution-center.html
Pope Leo XIV awarded Liberty Medal: 'God bless America'
Accepting the prestigious Liberty Medal from the U.S. National Constitution Center for his lifelong commitment to promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression around the world, Pope Leo XIV addressed those gathered in Philadelphia from Rome, praying that the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States would be an occasion for a solemn recommitment to the fundamental ideals on which the country was founded, especially life and freedom.
During a private audience in April, a delegation from the National Constitution Center traveled to the Vatican to present the Pope with the 2026 Liberty Medal to honor his work in promoting religious freedom and freedom of conscience and expression throughout the world—these being ideals central to the founders of the United States in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Three months later on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Pope Leo XIV officially accepted the 38th Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center and offered a speech reflecting on the country's founding values, their role today, and what this award means to him.
"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 ideals enshrined at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence may continue to guide the flourishing of the nation in unity, justice and peace."
These were some of the Pope's opening words as he received the Liberty Medal on Friday. The National Constitution Center’s annual Liberty Medal honors men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty for people around the globe.
Pope Leo greeted those gathered in Philadelphia for the Liberty Medal (@Vatican Media)
From
Rome, Pope Leo addressed those gathered in Philadelphia, saying he was
honored to accept the medal, especially in this historic year marking
the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States with the
signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Inalienable rights
Offering
a warm greeting, the Holy Father said that "from our youth, most of us
have admired the eloquence of those words, with their resounding appeal
to the law of nature and to nature’s God as the basis of their assertion
that all men and women are created equal and endowed by their Creator
with certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness."
"While couched in the language
of the Enlightenment," he explained, "that claim is ultimately grounded
in an understanding of the human person inspired by the great biblical
vision of man and woman being created in the divine image."
"It
is indeed here," he said, "that we discover the basis of human dignity;
dignity which precedes the establishment of any State, and whose custody
constitutes its very purpose."
Nation's founders insisted on a land of freedom
Over
the past 250 years, Pope Leo said, it was the firm resolve to achieve
the noble vision of the nation’s founders that made America "a byword
for freedom," as the country opened its doors to successive waves of
immigrants, enabling them and their children to help shape the nation's
future.
He observed that this same love of freedom inspired the
United States, in the darkest hours of the last century, during the two
world wars, "to look beyond itself and, at great sacrifice, champion the
cause of freedom beyond its own borders."
As every American
knows, however, Pope Leo continued, the path to building a society
embodying those high ideals of liberty and justice for all was not
always easy and, in many respects, remains a work in progress that "must
be taken up anew in each generation and in the face of ever new
challenges."
An opportunity to reflect again on the nation's founding principles
Looking
to the future, the Holy Father said this historic anniversary presents
an opportunity to reflect once again on the nation’s founding
principles, expressing hope that America will remain true to the dream
that has earned it the title of the "land of the free and home of the
brave."
In his address, the Pope emphasized that the first right
enshrined by the nation’s founders was the right to life, noting that
no one deprived of life can enjoy liberty or pursue happiness.
In
this regard, he underscored, "a country’s vitality is deeply tied to
the value it affords to human life in every form and condition,
acknowledging the dignity endowed upon every human person by virtue of
their very existence."
Safeguarding the gift of life from conception to natural death
The
inherent worth of every human life, he continued, has led generations
to praise the marvelous works of the Creator (cf. Ps 139:14) and stand
in reverence before so precious a gift.
"It is precisely this
reverence," he said, "that we must continue to cultivate—one that sways
the hearts of individuals and inspires laws that recognize and safeguard
the gift from the moment of conception to natural death."
The
National Constitution Center’s annual Liberty Medal honors men and
women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of
liberty for people around the globe (@Vatican Media)
The Pope reminded those gathered of their responsibility as guardians and stewards of those entrusted to their care.
Measuring the moral greatness of a nation
"In
this regard, the moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all,
in its capacity to support, protect and cherish the lives of all,
especially the most vulnerable and those whose worth is questioned."
Turning
to liberty, the Pope reflected that it has always been among the
principles most cherished by those seeking a new beginning within
America's borders, often representing previously undreamed-of hope.
"The
desire for truth and freedom, as well as the very pursuit of
happiness," he said, "continues to inspire people of all generations to
ask fundamental questions regarding the meaning of life, our ultimate
purpose, and indeed about God, and it is proper for magnanimous hearts
to endeavor to answer these questions with sincerity."
He noted that these answers inevitably shape the direction of our lives.
Championing religious freedom
America
has long championed the religious freedom necessary for people to
follow the dictates of conscience without fear or coercion, the Pope
said, pointing to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
This
freedom, he continued, safeguards the inner sphere where convictions
are formed and conscience guides the decisions of the human heart. It
also protects the right of every person to worship according to his or
her beliefs and of individuals, communities and associations to express
their faith publicly.
The Pope added that this tradition of
religious freedom fostered interfaith dialogue and interreligious
cooperation in promoting the common good and enriching debate on the
great moral and ethical issues that have shaped the nation's history.
Commitment to peace
He
expressed hope that this tradition would continue to bear fruit in
public discourse marked by moderation, respect for differing views and
an ongoing effort to find common ground in promoting peace and
reconciliation at home and abroad.
Recalling that America's
forebears came from diverse backgrounds, religions and languages, he
noted that they nevertheless found common ground and the strength to
pursue a better future.
"The principles that inspired America’s
founders, rooted as they are in the truth of the human person," the Pope
said, "brought them together in a single cause, a common dream. Unity
lent strength to that dream, giving rise, under God, to the United
States of America. E pluribus unum — out of many, one."
For a nation to flourish, he added, it must be united not merely by temporary goals but by enduring ideals.
Human dignity, equality and the rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence
"May
the principles we have reflected upon today—a shared human dignity,
equality and the rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence—ever
be a source of such unity and a guiding light for the present moment
and for the years to come."
"In accepting this award," he said,
"I therefore pray that 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."
Commending those gathered, and the future of the United
States, to "to the One who is himself the source of true freedom and
lasting peace, the One whose very name is Peace," Pope Leo concluded,
"May God bless America!"
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