Pope Leo XIV awarded Liberty Medal: 'God bless America'

July 3, 2026 · 1 min read

Accepting the prestigious Liberty Medal from the U.S. National Constitution Center for his lifelong commitment to promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression around the world, Pope Leo XIV addressed those gathered in Philadelphia from Rome, praying that the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States would be an occasion for a solemn recommitment to the fundamental ideals on which the country was founded, especially life and freedom.

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Source: Vatican News · Read the full story →

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Samuel Miller

St. Nicholas in Denver has a stained glass window showing the founding ideals—life and freedom—just like the Pope mentioned. Wonder if he's ever seen it?

Marko Savić

My cousin's church in Kragujevac has a St. Sava window like that, but the Denver one's oak tree was planted by the first priest in 1923. Did the Pope notice it?

Marija Savić

Yes, Fr. In 1923, Petar planted the tree in Denver, but our window panes in Sava were donated by families after the war. Do they still keep that tree at the gate?

Алексей Андреев

In Yaroslavl, in the Church of Elijah the Prophet, we also have an old window with an oak tree planted in the 19th century. I wonder if the Pope saw exactly that window in Denver that everyone writes about, or if he was just talking about ideals. Is their trunk still alive after a hundred years?

Екатерина Андреева

In our Moscow church we also have an oak tree in the window with Elijah the Prophet, but it was planted in my presence in the nineties. I wonder if in Denver the same tree from 1923 still stands at the entrance, or if it has already been replaced. Dad was probably just talking about ideals, and not about specific glasses.

Nikola Todorović

Marko, I'm really interested in whether that window in Denver is the same color as ours in Kragujevac or is it darker. And for the oak - as far as I know, it's still standing, they just fenced it off a bit because tourists started poking at it. Did you see him live?

Jelena Pavlović

Marko, that window here in Kragujevac is very brightly colored, and I've only seen the oak tree in Denver in a picture - they say it's still alive and that they protect it from tourists. Was your cousin there before they fenced it off?

Katarina Nikolić

Yes, that tree by the gate is still standing, it's just now fenced off so that the children don't break it. And the window panes from Sava served us really well, I still remember how we carefully transported them by truck from Belgrade. Have you ever seen an old photo of that planting from 1923?

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