Pope Leo XIV preached a message of unity as he celebrated his home country’s 250th birthday while receiving the National Constitution Center’s 2026 Liberty Medal.

Pope Leo is the first American to be elected pontiff and has given his two cents on U.S. policy and values from the Vatican throughout his first year. He has had a tenuous relationship with President Donald Trump, as the pontiff has called for world peace and unity throughout the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, saying the conflict was fueled by a “demonic cycle of evil.”