Popes used to avoid accepting secular prizes and awards. Leo XIV will accept/receive the 2026 Liberty Medal from the internationally unknown National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. They honour his support for religious liberty and freedom of conscience, and human dignity - all of them non-Catholic ideological frameworks. The award will be presented on July 3, ahead of the 250th anniversary of American independence. The Pope is expected to accept the medal virtually from the Vatican. The National Constitution Center describes itself as a nonpartisan institution dedicated to constitutional education. However, it is part of the American establishment civic ecosystem and often hosts former presidents, senior government officials, judges, military leaders, and foreign-policy figures.