Pope Leo XIV tells US that immigrants shaped the nation's future, calling for unity on 250th anniversary eve
In a live video address from the Vatican to Philadelphia, the first U.S. pope received the Liberty Medal and used the 250th anniversary of Independence to praise America's tradition of welcoming immigrants, a message widely seen as an implicit rebuke of Donald Trump.
A son of the nation speaks
Pope Leo XIV accepted the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center in a virtual ceremony on Friday, the eve of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Speaking from the Vatican, the pope, who was born in Chicago, called himself a "son of this great nation" and prayed that its founding ideals of "unity, justice and peace" would guide the country forward. The medal had been privately conferred on him in recent days, and he wore it during the broadcast.
As a son of this great nation, founded by brave men and women who dreamed of freedom and a better life for themselves and their children, I join you in asking God's blessing on America's future.
Waves of immigrants as nation builders
The centrepiece of the speech was a tribute to the role of immigration in forging American identity. Leo said that over the past 250 years "successive waves of immigrants" and their children had helped shape the United States, turning the word America into a "byword for freedom" worldwide.
For many peoples around the world, there has been an unwavering determination to realise the noble vision of the Founding Fathers, making America synonymous with freedom, as the country opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants.
He linked that openness to the nation's moral strength, arguing that America's love of liberty had inspired it, during the darkest hours of the last century, to defend freedom beyond its borders.
Veiled criticism of Trump
Although Leo never mentioned President Donald Trump by name, the address was widely interpreted as a challenge to the administration's tough immigration stance. The pope has previously described Trump's policies as "inhuman". In April the tension escalated into a direct exchange: Trump called the pontiff "weak" and "incompetent", to which Leo replied that he was not afraid of the Trump administration.
The moral greatness of a nation manifests itself above all in its capacity to support, protect and value the life of all, in particular the most vulnerable.
A call for common ground
Leo urged Americans to foster a public debate marked by moderation and respect for differing opinions, and to seek common ground in order to promote peace and reconciliation. He invoked the motto "E pluribus unum", recalling that the Founding Fathers, despite their diverse origins and religions, found the strength to build a shared future.
For a nation to flourish it must be truly united; united not by goals tied to momentary enterprises, but by ideals that do not fade with the passing of time.
The address, delivered before Pennsylvania's governor, Philadelphia's mayor and representatives of several faiths, was an explicit wish that the 250th anniversary become a "solemn renewal" of the commitment to those founding ideals.
