By Jack Tomczuk
The first American-born pope will be participating – at least remotely – in Philadelphia’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Pope Leo XIV, leader of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, will accept the National Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal on Friday, July 3, the organization announced this week. Leo is expected to deliver live remarks from the Vatican, which will be livestreamed to spectators on Independence Mall, officials said.
The center, in a news release, cited Leo’s “lifelong work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression around the world,” and highlighted his role in fostering interfaith dialogue.
“From its founding, America has understood liberty of conscience as essential to human freedom and self-government,” NCC Board Chair Mike George said in a statement. “Pope Leo XIV’s moral leadership and his defense of religious freedom and free expression embodies these enduring principles. Honoring him with the Liberty Medal affirms the universal power of these ideals and their relevance far beyond our borders.”
Villanova University “played a critical role” in the pontiff’s selection and participation, the NCC said. Leo, a Chicago native born Robert Prevost, graduated from the Main Line college in 1977, and the College of Cardinals elected him as pope during a conclave in May.
Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, leader of Philadelphia’s Catholic Church, said he has worked alongside Leo on a number of initiatives over the years and is “deeply grateful and joyful” that the pope will receive the Liberty Medal.
“His papacy, only about a year old, has already been a time marked by desire for genuine encounter with all people and filled with the compassionate love of Jesus Christ,” Perez said in a statement. “That love is a pure one. It unconditionally embraces the stranger, the immigrant, the poor, the unhoused, the sick, those struggling with addiction, and all those in need. It does so without discrimination.”
Leo reportedly turned down a hand-delivered invitation from Vice President JD Vance to visit the United States to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, also known as the Semiquicentennial. He is scheduled to spend July 4 in Lampedusa, an Italian island that is the entry point for many migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea.
NCC representatives said the July 3 Liberty Medal ceremony will also feature “civic leaders, faith leaders, and members of the public to consider how America’s founding ideals articulated 250 years ago continue to resonate in a global context today.”
The medal has been awarded by Philadelphia institutions since 1988 and, for the past two decades, has been hosted by the Constitution Center. Previous recipients have included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Leo will accept the honor as part of Welcome America Inc.’s 16-day 250th celebration, which will run from Juneteenth to the Fourth of July. Earlier this week, organizers announced concerts July 2 and July 3 outside Independence Hall – headlined by Queen Latifah and Idina Menzel, respectively – among other events.
During the Semiquincentennial year, Philadelphia is also set to host FIFA World Cup matches, the MLB All-Star Game and other activities.