On the eve of America’s birthday, the first American pope takes center stage

By Danny Freeman, CNN

PHILADELPHIA (CNN) — Reverend Paul Galetto says there has been a swell of enthusiasm for Pope Leo XIV across the greater Philadelphia region since his election.

“The people love having somebody who better relates to them and understands them,” the leader of St. Paul Parish in the heart of South Philly told CNN this week.

So, Galetto was delighted to learn that the first American pope would be speaking live and receiving an award less than two miles from his church, on the eve of the nation’s 250th birthday. A perfect fit, he argues, for this moment in the United States.

“I’m glad that the committee had the courage to select Pope Leo for the award, because if there’s anybody that wants to speak about freedom, it is he,” said Galetto.

On Friday, Pope Leo formally accepted the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center, a non-partisan non-profit located across from Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

The pontif spoke to a large multi-faith audience at the center, in full view of Independence Hall, where the Founding Fathers declared independence from Great Britain 250 years ago.

In his acceptance speech, broadcast on a huge screen, the pope called for “respect for the views of others and an ongoing effort to find common ground in promoting the cause of peace and reconciliation, at home and abroad.”

He praised his country’s history of welcoming new arrivals, recalling how it had “opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants, enabling them and their children to play their part in shaping the future of the nation.”

The pope spoke of the “inherent worth of every human life,” stressing the importance of Christian values in inspiring “laws that recognize and safeguard this gift from the moment of conception to natural death.”

He ended his remarks with the words, “may God bless America.”

The pope was chosen for his “lifelong work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression around the world,” according to the center, which is dedicated to educating the public about the US Constitution and has been a frequent host of civic-minded events, including presidential debates.

The Liberty Medal honors, “individuals and organizations of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.”

While the pope is from Chicago, Philadelphia claims him too – as an undergraduate alum of nearby Villanova University.

“It made sense to connect a Philadelphia story, an American story, and a global story,” said Vince Stango, the interim president and CEO of the National Constitution Center.

“And who better to embody those connections than the first US-born pope?” asked Stango, a proud Villanova alum himself.

At a private ceremony at the Vatican in April, Stango presented the pope with the medal in person.

“I would just like to recall the words signed by the founding fathers of the nation 250 years ago in Philadelphia in the Declaration of Independence,” said Pope Leo.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men have received fundamental rights from our creator. And they include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

“May those values continue to inspire all of us in the United States and throughout the world, and together, hopefully, we can all work that those freedoms will indeed be a part of the lives of all people everywhere,” the pope continued.

Message “of hope”

The award is not meant to be partisan – the medal has gone to such figures as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the late Senator John McCain and filmmaker Ken Burns.

Though observers are conscious of flare ups between US President Donald Trump and Pope Leo during the first year of the latter’s papacy and the former’s second term in office.

“I think [the pope] has been a conciliatory figure,” said Michael Moreland, University Professor of Law and Religion at Villanova.

“Notwithstanding some controversies here and there, he can be a source of unity and pride certainly for American Catholics especially, but [also] for Americans generally at a time of sometimes national division,” Moreland said.

“I hope that the pope’s message will be one of hope, and one of global citizens coming together to create that more perfect union, whether it’s a more perfect union in the US or a more perfect union on the global stage,” said Stango ahead of the event.

Galetto, himself a Villanova board member, has known Pope Leo for years, back when he known as Robert, or Bob, Prevost.

“One of the things about Bob – which is also the thing about Leo – was he’s never afraid to say the truth,” said Galetto, who will be in attendance on Friday

“I think there are probably going to be some powerful statements in (his speech), and he will give a message about freedom that may get a reaction from some people.”

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CNN’s Christopher Lamb contributed reporting.