PHILADELPHIA — Pope Leo XIV said he was "honored" to accept the 2026 Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center (NCC) in livestreamed remarks delivered for the ceremony in Philadelphia on July 3.
"I am honored to accept the Liberty Medal of the National Constitution Center in this year that marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776," the Holy Father said.
Leo was born in Chicago but earned a bachelor's degree at Villanova University in the Philadelphia suburbs. The NCC presented the award to the pontiff in person at the Vatican on April 30, ahead of the ceremony.
In his remarks, Leo thanked those gathered in Philadelphia for the occasion. The NCC building overlooks the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, where the country's founders developed and adopted the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
"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," Leo said.
"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," he said.
The pontiff said that although the text employed "the language of the Enlightenment," the 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 that we discover the basis of human dignity; dignity which precedes the establishment of any state and whose custody constitutes its very purpose," Leo said.
Respecting the right to life "in every form and condition," he said, is directly tied to the nation's vitality. He said society must cultivate a reverence for life that "sways the hearts of individuals and inspires laws that recognize and safeguard this gift from the moment of conception to natural death."
The right to liberty, the pontiff said, is much deeper than simply doing what one wants. It is "founded upon the human person's capacity to know the truth and adhere to what is good, even at great cost — a sacrifice well known to many who have labored to shape this country," he said.
"The desire for truth and freedom, as well as the very pursuit of happiness, 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," Leo said.
The Holy Father said that religious freedom, to be "free from fear and coercion, as enshrined in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution," is needed to answer those questions.
"It is my hope that this tradition will continue to bear fruit in a public discourse marked by moderation, respect for the views of others, and an ongoing effort to find common ground in promoting the cause of peace and reconciliation, at home and abroad," he added.
The pope said he is praying that the 250th anniversary of the United States "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."
Archbishop Perez, Gov. Shapiro speak
The ceremony was attended by a few hundred guests and included other speakers, such as Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Perez, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, state Attorney General Dave Sunday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, and local Christian, Muslim, and Jewish religious leaders.
Perez said throughout Leo's life — as priest, bishop, cardinal, and pope — he has defended the "inherent dignity of all people and building pathways to peace," including a defense of religious freedom.
"True freedom stems from defending dignity and the value of every human being," he said.
Perez told EWTN News following the event that the pope's words "bring us back to our origins" as Americans regarding the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
"It was wonderful to hear him once again bring us back to center, that we all were created in a very image and likeness of God," the archbishop said. "Our human dignity and our rights flow from that. They flow from being created in God's image and likeness and from there flows our freedom and the heart that seeks God."
"It's a wonderful day for Philadelphia," Perez said. "It's a wonderful day for the country. It's a wonderful day for the world."
Shapiro congratulated the pope on receiving the award and thanked the Holy Father, on behalf of Pennsylvania, "for using your voice, your power, to advance religious liberty for all people."
The ceremony included the ringing of a replica of the Liberty Bell just outside the building. It was rung by Sunday, the attorney general, who recalled the words of Benjamin Franklin when the Founding Father was asked what form of government they had created after the constitutional convention: "A republic, if you can keep it."
"Our Constitution is the rock upon which we will build in the next 250 years," Sunday said.
