Extreme heat moves National Constitution Center's ceremony awarding Pope Leo Liberty Medal indoors
Extreme heat in Philadelphia is forcing the National Constitution Center's celebration of Pope Leo XIV on Friday indoors.
Leo will receive the nonprofit's 38th Liberty Medal and deliver an acceptance speech virtually from the Vatican on Friday, the eve of the United States' 250th anniversary.
The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place with Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, in the background. Instead, the ceremony will move inside the NCC at 525 Arch Street in Center City.
The NCC says the ceremony will begin at 10:45 a.m. Friday, 15 minutes earlier than originally scheduled.
The move comes as the city declared a heat emergency beginning at 11 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Saturday, the Fourth of July.
Leo was announced as the Liberty Medal recipient in March. A Villanova University alumnus, Leo was chosen for the honor for his "lifelong work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression around the world, ideals enshrined by America's founders in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution," the National Constitution Center said.
Leo was elected to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics and succeed Pope Francis in May 2025.
The Liberty Medal ceremony is just one of a handful of events already impacted by the heat wave in the Philadelphia region.
On Monday, Philadelphia's Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade producer Todd Marcocci said the parade's route was shortened to about 1 mile because of the heat wave.
The heat wave has also forced the FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill to shorten its hours on July Fourth and adjust its match schedule starting Tuesday through Friday.
In Montgomery County, the excessive heat has forced Norristown to cancel its July Fourth parade. A county spokesperson said the borough's "Party in the Park" at Harding and Fornance streets remains scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday.
In South Jersey, the heat has impacted at least one Fourth of July celebration.
Stratford in Camden County says its July Fourth parade remains as scheduled, but all activities planned afterward are canceled because of the heat.
"The health and safety of our residents and volunteers are our highest priority. With the anticipated heat, we believe this is the best decision to help ensure everyone can celebrate safely and make alternate plans," the borough wrote in a statement on social media.