Pope Leo to receive National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal in July
Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope, will be awarded the National Constitution Center's 38th Liberty Medal on the eve of the United States' 250th anniversary in July.
Leo will deliver an acceptance speech virtually from the Vatican during a public ceremony outside the National Constitution Center on Independence Mall on July 3.
"The Holy Father is deeply grateful to the National Constitution Centre for this prestigious award, in such a meaningful anniversary for the American People, as they are called to reflect on the 250 years of their history, holding the Constitution of the United States and Liberty as hallmarks of their heritage for future generations," Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said in a press release.
The National Constitution Center said 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."
Leo, a Villanova University alumnus, was elected to lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics and succeed Pope Francis in May 2025.
The ceremony will take place with Independence Hall — the place where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed — in the background.
The NCC said the ceremony will highlight the city's role in the U.S.'s founding and will bring together civic and faith leaders to reflect on the nation's founding ideals 250 years later.
Vince Stango, interim president and CEO of the NCC, said the Liberty Medal "invites us to consider how the ideals of freedom are carried forward across generations and around the world."
"In formal Vatican statements and public addresses, His Holiness has affirmed that peace cannot exist without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression, principles that closely align with constitutional protections guaranteed by the First Amendment," Stango said.
Previous winners of the Liberty Medal include U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Sen. John McCain, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, Ken Burns, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Dalai Lama, Malala Yousafzai and Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush.
