“Immigrants have helped shape the future of the United States.” These were the words of Pope Leo XIV on the eve of his trip to Lampedusa tomorrow, which falls on the anniversary of U.S. Independence. “The Pope made a free choice; it seems to me a decision that will take on a life of its own. There are clear signs,” noted the Archbishop of Agrigento, Monsignor Alessandro Damiano.
The Pontiff’s speech
“Over the past two hundred and fifty years, and for so many peoples around the world, it was the firm determination to realize the noble vision of the nation’s founding fathers that made America a byword for freedom, as the country opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants, allowing them and their children to help shape the nation’s future,” he said in one passage of his remarks when accepting the Liberty Medal from the National Constitution Center, delivered by video link from Philadelphia.
“It was precisely this love of liberty that inspired the United States, in the darkest hours of the last century during the two world wars, to look beyond itself and, at great cost, to defend the cause of freedom beyond its borders,” he added.
The Pope urged America to remain faithful to the founding fathers’ vision of liberty. “As every American knows, however,” Leo observed, “the path to building a society that embodies those high ideals of freedom and justice for all has not always been easy and, in many respects, is still unfolding. Indeed, the effort to realize this vision must be undertaken anew in every generation and in the face of ever‐new challenges.” He continued: “Today, as we look to the future, this historic anniversary offers us an opportunity once again to reflect on the nation’s founding principles, in the hope that America will always remain true to the dream that earned it the title land of the free and home of the brave.”
“The principles that inspired America’s founders, rooted in the truth of the human person, united them in a single cause, a shared dream. Unity gave strength to that dream and, with God’s help, brought forth the United States of America. E pluribus unum — out of many, one. For a nation to prosper, it must be truly united; united not by temporary aims but by ideals that do not fade with time.” “May the principles we have reflected on today — a shared human dignity, equality, and the rights enshrined in the Declaration of Independence — always be a source of such unity and a guiding light for the present and the years to come,” he said.
“As a son of this great nation, founded by courageous men and women who dreamed of liberty and a better life for themselves and their children, I join you in asking God’s blessing on America’s future, that the high ideals set forth at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence may continue to guide the nation’s prosperity in unity, justice, and peace,” he concluded.
Cardinal Reina: “An unimpeachable response from Pope Leo to Trump”
“Pope Leo is carrying out his mission impeccably, his ministry as successor of Peter, the sweet Christ on earth as he was once called. His task is to echo the Gospel in every time and season. And Pope Leo has given an impeccable response to President Trump, namely that my duty is to defend the dignity of every human person,” said Cardinal Vicar for the Diocese of Rome, Baldassare Reina, speaking on Tg2 Post.
“To remind people of the value of peace has been, in a sense, his first major admonition, and one he has consistently supported over time. That is what a Pope must do, and that is what Pope Leo is doing. Again, the attacks by President Trump,” Reina reiterated, “seem to me to be entirely unfounded, directed at an authority that is not primarily political but above all religious. That is what a Pope must do. I therefore hope that dialogue with the United States, which is unquestionably a great democracy, can resume, including with Italy. We view this situation with some concern. However, to prevent the Pope from saying what he said in recent weeks is, frankly, unacceptable.” Asked whether he thought Trump might respond to what Pope Leo said today, Reina replied, “I think so.”