Pope Leo praises US history of welcoming immigrants at 250th anniversary

The first American-born pope delivered live remarks from the Vatican while accepting the National Constitution Center's Liberty Medal, awarded for his advocacy of religious liberty and freedom of conscience.

Pope Leo ‌praised the United States’ ⁠history of welcoming immigrants in his ⁠first major address to his home country on Friday, urging in a video appearance that Americans live up ‌to the ideals put forward in the Declaration of Independence.

Pope Leo XIV prayed Friday for the United States to recommit itself to its founding ideals of protecting life and human dignity as he participated remotely in an event on the eve of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Leo will mark the United States’s 250th anniversary on Saturday with a brief visit to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, one of the main entry points to Europe for people making the perilous sea crossing from north Africa in search of refuge.