The Pope to the US: ‘Migrants have helped shape the future of the nation’
The Pope emphasises how immigration and the founding values of human dignity have shaped the identity and unity of the United States of America. On Saturday 4 July, Pope Leo will be in Lampedusa
Key points
‘Over the past two hundred and fifty years, for so many peoples across the world, it has been the steadfast determination to realise the noble vision of the nation’s founding fathers that has made America synonymous with freedom, whilst the country opened its doors to successive waves of immigrants, enabling them and their children to help shape the nation’s future.”
This is one of the passages from the Pope’s speech on the occasion of his acceptance of the ‘Liberty Medal’ from the ‘National Constitutional Centre’ during a virtual link-up with Philadelphia. “It was precisely this love of freedom that inspired the United States, in the darkest hours of the last century, at the time of the two world wars, to look beyond itself and, at the cost of great sacrifices, to defend the cause of freedom beyond its own borders,” the Pontiff remarked in his address; he will be in Lampedusa on Saturday 4 July.
Pope: ‘Equality and rights must always be our guiding light’
‘The principles that inspired America’s founding fathers, rooted in the truth of the human person, united them in a single cause, in a common dream. That unity gave strength to that dream, giving rise, with God’s help, to 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 objectives tied to fleeting endeavours, but by ideals that do not fade with the passing of time,” the Pope emphasised in his address.
“May the principles we have reflected upon today – 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 for years to come,” the Pontiff expressed his hope.
Pope: ‘A nation’s greatness lies in its support for the defenceless’
“The first right enshrined by the nation’s founding fathers was the right to life, because no one who is denied life can enjoy freedom or pursue happiness,” the Pope continued during his virtual address from Philadelphia. “The vitality of a nation is deeply linked to the value it places on human life in all its forms and conditions, recognising the intrinsic dignity of every person by virtue of their very existence. The intrinsic value of every human life has inspired the noble hearts of generations to praise the marvellous works of the Creator (and to revere such a precious gift),” he added.
