Pope Leo urged Americans to uphold the foundational ideals of the Declaration of Independence by praising the nation's history of welcoming immigrants during his first major address to his home country, as reported by The Guardian.
The first US leader of the Roman Catholic church delivered his live speech from the Vatican to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia while receiving the Center's Liberty Medal.
He expressed hope that principles of unity, justice, and peace would guide the nation during its 250th anniversary celebrations.
"This historic anniversary presents us with the opportunity to reflect once again on the nation's founding principles in the hope that America will remain ever true to the dream that has earned it the title of land of the free and home of the brave," said Pope Leo.
His remarks served as a latest implicit rebuke to Donald Trump, with whom the pontiff has previously clashed regarding immigration policies and the US-Israeli war in Iran.
The pope is scheduled to mark the anniversary on Saturday with a brief helicopter visit to Lampedusa, a southern Italian island serving as a primary entry point for Mediterranean migrants.
During the upcoming itinerary, the pontiff will visit a local cemetery containing unmarked graves, the Porta d'Europa memorial, and a pier named after his predecessor, Pope Francis.
The visit comes shortly after US Vice-President JD Vance called the Vatican's immigration views troubling following a meeting last year where he extended a White House invitation that the pope has yet to accept.
Symbolic and Political Significance
Vatican journalist and author Marco Politi noted that the trip carries immense symbolic and political significance for both European and American political landscapes.
"Leo's trip to Lampedusa is strongly symbolic and is also a political sign. He is focusing on the theme of immigration.
This means reaffirming what he recently said in Spain about the dignity of every human being, but the trip is also a political message against the persecution of immigrants and what is being done by ICE agents in the US.
Furthermore, it is a strong political message against all the parties in Europe who sow hatred and polarise," said Marco Politi.
Italian Red Cross data published by Vatican News indicates that over 182,000 people have transited Lampedusa's reception center over the past three years.
Despite a drop in arrivals, the International Organization for Migration reported nearly 1,000 people dead or missing in the Mediterranean between January and early April.
Vatican correspondent Andrea Vreede highlighted that the timing of the papal journey directly coincides with American Independence Day celebrations.
"The pope is telling Trump what is important to him, and that is migrants. He chose 4 July to make this point," said Andrea Vreede.
The pontiff will conclude his trip by celebrating mass and speaking with humanitarian workers and survivors before departing the island shortly after midday.
Kandeh Abdourahman, a cultural mediator for the International Rescue Committee who crossed the Mediterranean in 2015, emphasized the deep personal resonance of the papal visit for displaced individuals worldwide.
"I was one of those thousands who crossed the Mediterranean and landed in Lampedusa in 2015, exhausted and uncertain.
The pope's visit speaks to every one of us – a reminder that our stories are seen, that 'welcome' is not just a word but an act of humanity that can help us reach all 118 million people displaced in the world today," said Kandeh Abdourahman.
