Trending Now - Pope Leo to Accept Liberty Medal via Remote Broadcast

WHO:

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, born Robert F. Prevost

National Constitution Center

President Donald Trump

Past Liberty Medal recipients: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S. Rep. John Lewis

WHAT:

Pope Leo XIV will accept the Liberty Medal via remote broadcast

The Liberty Medal is awarded for “lifelong work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression”

Leo declined an invitation from Trump to visit the U.S. for the 250th anniversary of American independence

WHERE:

The Liberty Medal will be awarded in Philadelphia, specifically at Independence Mall

Pope Leo XIV will be broadcasting from the Vatican

He will spend July 4 on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa

WHEN:

The Liberty Medal ceremony will take place on July 3, 2026

Pope Leo XIV graduated from Villanova University in 1977

Pope Francis visited Philadelphia during a trip across the U.S. in 2015

WHY:

The award recognizes Leo's commitment to promoting ideals enshrined in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution

Leo's decision to spend July 4 on Lampedusa aligns with his focus on the plight of migrants

HOW:

Leo will give an address via video link at an outdoor public ceremony in front of the National Constitution Center, which faces Independence Hall

(UPDATED March 16, 2026 19:24 UTC)

In a significant event, Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, will accept the Liberty Medal on July 3, 2026, during a ceremony at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, where he will address the audience via video link from the Vatican. This award honors his lifelong commitment to promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience, ideals that resonate with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, although he declined an invitation from Trump to visit the U.S. for the 250th anniversary of American independence. As part of his observance of July 4, Pope Leo XIV plans to spend the day on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, highlighting his focus on the plight of migrants.