Pope Leo XIV to Receive the 2026 Liberty Medal on the Eve 250th Anniversary of the USA Via LIVE Telecast

The National Constitution Center announced that the Liberty Medal 2026 recipient is His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
In a public ceremony on July 3, the eve of America’s 250th, the Holy Father will deliver acceptance remarks via live telecast.
This special Liberty Medal ceremony is presented in partnership with the City of Philadelphia Government and Wawa Welcome America as part of the city’s Independence Week events.
The 2026 Liberty Medal

The National Constitution Center will honor His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and reflect on how America’s founding ideals of freedom of religion, freedom of thought, and freedom of expression continue to resonate globally.

About the Liberty Medal

The National Constitution 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. On July 3, 2026, the eve of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, we will award the 38th annual Liberty Medal to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV 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 2026 Liberty Medal Ceremony

The 38th annual Liberty Medal will be awarded to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at a public ceremony held on July 3, 2026, the eve of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, outside the National Constitution Center on Independence Mall in Philadelphia. The award recognizes Pope Leo’s 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. Pope Leo XIV intends to deliver live acceptance remarks virtually from the Vatican, which will be livestreamed to those in attendance on Independence Mall as well as online via the Center’s website.

Taking place against the backdrop of Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed, the ceremony will reflect on the enduring meaning of liberty at a moment of historic national reflection and will underscore Philadelphia’s central role in both the nation’s founding and its ongoing civic life. The event will bring together civic leaders, faith leaders, and members of the public to consider how America’s founding ideals articulated 250 years ago continue to resonate globally.

The 2026 Liberty Medal Recipient

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Ill., is the first pope from the Order of Saint Augustine and the second American-born pontiff. He was elected supreme pontiff on May 8, 2025, after decades of pastoral leadership, missionary work, and service in the global Catholic Church.

Prevost was raised in Chicago and studied at the Minor Seminary of the Augustinian Fathers before attending Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in mathematics in 1977 and also pursued studies in philosophy. That same year, he entered the Order of Saint Augustine, making his first profession in 1978 and his solemn vows in 1981. He completed theological studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and was ordained a priest on June 19, 1982, in Rome. He went on to study canon law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), earning a licentiate in 1984 and later completing a doctorate focused on the governance of the Augustinian order.

Much of Father Prevost’s early ministry was devoted to missionary and pastoral work in Peru, where he served for more than a decade beginning in the mid-1980s. In Trujillo, he held multiple leadership roles within the Augustinian community, taught theology and canon law at the Major Seminary of San Carlos y San Marcelo, and ministered in parishes serving working-class and marginalized communities.

In 1999, he was elected provincial prior of the Augustinian Province of Chicago. Two years later, the worldwide Augustinian order elected him prior general, its highest leadership role. He served two terms, guiding the global community of Augustinians until 2013.

Pope Francis appointed Prevost apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014, and he was ordained a bishop later that year. In 2015, he was formally appointed bishop of Chiclayo, where he served until 2023. During this time, he also held leadership roles within the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, including service as second vice president and participation in several national commissions.

In 2023, Pope Francis called him to Rome to serve as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, placing him at the center of the Church’s global leadership and episcopal appointments. Later that year, Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals.

On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Prevost was elected pope, taking the name Leo XIV. His episcopal motto, “In Illo Uno Unum” (“In the One Christ we are one”), reflects a theme of unity drawn from the writings of Saint Augustine.

Tickets and Sponsorships

The Liberty Medal is made possible thanks to support from corporations, foundations, and individuals with proceeds going to further the work of the National Constitution Center. Ticket and sponsorship opportunities will be available for reserved seating and special programming at the National Constitution Center. For more information or to be notified when online registration opens, click the link below, or contact libertymedal@constitutioncenter.org.

Source - https://constitutioncenter.org/about/liberty-medal