Pope Leo XIV awarded Liberty Medal: 'God bless America'
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
"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."
Pope Leo XIV expressed this sentiment as he received the 38th Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center on Friday 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 Center’s annual Liberty Medal honors men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty for people around the globe.
From Rome, Pope Leo addressed those gathered in Philadelphia, saying he was honored to accept the medal, especially in this historic year marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States with the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Inalienable rights
Offering a warm greeting, the Holy Father said that "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."
"While couched in the language of the Enlightenment," he explained, "that 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," he said, "that we discover the basis of human dignity; dignity which precedes the establishment of any State, and whose custody constitutes its very purpose."
Nation's founders insisted on a land of freedom
Over the past 250 years, Pope Leo said, it was the firm resolve to achieve the noble vision of the nation’s founders that made America "a byword for freedom," as the country opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants, enabling them and their children to help shape the nation's future.
He observed that this same love of freedom inspired the United States, in the darkest hours of the last century, during the two world wars, "to look beyond itself and, at great sacrifice, champion the cause of freedom beyond its own borders."
As every American knows, however, Pope Leo continued, the path to building a society embodying those high ideals of liberty and justice for all was not always easy and, in many respects, remains a work in progress that "must be taken up anew in each generation and in the face of ever new challenges."
An opportunity to reflect again on the nation's founding principles
Looking to the future, the Holy Father said this historic anniversary presents an opportunity to reflect once again on the nation’s founding principles, expressing hope that America will remain true to the dream that has earned it the title of the "land of the free and home of the brave."
In his address, the Pope emphasized that the first right enshrined by the nation’s founders was the right to life, noting that no one deprived of life can enjoy liberty or pursue happiness.
In this regard, he underscored, "a country’s vitality is deeply tied to the value it affords to human life in every form and condition, acknowledging the dignity endowed upon every human person by virtue of their very existence."
Safeguarding the gift of life from conception to natural death
The inherent worth of every human life, he continued, has led generations to praise the marvelous works of the Creator (cf. Ps 139:14) and stand in reverence before so precious a gift.
"It is precisely this reverence," he said, "that we must continue to cultivate—one that sways the hearts of individuals and inspires laws that recognize and safeguard the gift from the moment of conception to natural death."
The Pope reminded those gathered of their responsibility as guardians and stewards of those entrusted to their care.
Measuring the moral greatness of a nation
"In this regard, the moral greatness of a nation is manifested, above all, in its capacity to support, protect and cherish the lives of all, especially the most vulnerable and those whose worth is questioned."
Turning to liberty, the Pope reflected that it has always been among the principles most cherished by those seeking a new beginning within America's borders, often representing previously undreamed-of hope.
"The desire for truth and freedom, as well as the very pursuit of happiness," he said, "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."
He noted that these answers inevitably shape the direction of our lives.
Championing religious freedom
America has long championed the religious freedom necessary for people to follow the dictates of conscience without fear or coercion, the Pope said, pointing to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
This freedom, he continued, safeguards the inner sphere where convictions are formed and conscience guides the decisions of the human heart. It also protects the right of every person to worship according to his or her beliefs and of individuals, communities and associations to express their faith publicly.
The Pope added that this tradition of religious freedom fostered interfaith dialogue and interreligious cooperation in promoting the common good and enriching debate on the great moral and ethical issues that have shaped the nation's history.
Commitment to peace
He expressed hope that this tradition would continue to bear fruit in public discourse marked by moderation, respect for differing views and an ongoing effort to find common ground in promoting peace and reconciliation at home and abroad.
Recalling that America's forebears came from diverse backgrounds, religions and languages, he noted that they nevertheless found common ground and the strength to pursue a better future.
"The principles that inspired America’s founders, rooted as they are in the truth of the human person," the Pope said, "brought them together in a single cause, a common dream. Unity lent strength to that dream, giving rise, under God, to the United States of America. E pluribus unum — out of many, one."
For a nation to flourish, he added, it must be united not merely by temporary goals but by enduring ideals.
Human dignity, equality and the rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence
"May the principles we have reflected upon today—a shared human dignity, equality and the rights laid out in the Declaration of Independence—ever be a source of such unity and a guiding light for the present moment and for the years to come."
"In accepting this award," he said, "I therefore pray that this, the 250th anniversary of the founding of this great nation, 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."
Commending those gathered, and the future of the United States, to "to the One who is himself the source of true freedom and lasting peace, the One whose very name is Peace," Pope Leo concluded, "May God bless America!
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