Pope Leo XIV praised the United States’ tradition of welcoming immigrants in his first major address to his home country, delivered in a video appearance to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia as he received the Liberty Medal ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.
In the remarks from the Vatican, he said the word “America” had become a “byword for freedom” around the world because of the way the country welcomed immigrants. He tied that message to the nation’s founding ideals and urged Americans to remain true to the “dream” behind the country’s identity as “the land of the free and home of the brave.”
The pope did not name President Donald Trump or any other U.S. political leader, and he also called for unity and long-term solutions to the country’s challenges. He previously criticized Trump’s immigration policies as “inhuman,” and he delivered the address shortly before he was scheduled to travel to Lampedusa, Italy, a key stop on one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.
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