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Leo XIV receives the Liberty Medal

Pope Leo XIV was awarded the Liberty Medal from the U.S. National Constitution Center.

He was the recipient of the 38^th Liberty Medal for his lifelong work promoting religious liberty and freedom of conscience and expression worldwide. Because he is the first U.S.- born Pope, this milestone presentation was made to him virtually from Philadelphia to the Vatican on July 3, 2026, in a special ceremony marking the 250^th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

In contrast, the Popes prior to Vatican II strongly condemned these liberties proper to the Modern World.

Indeed, Pope Pius VI declaimed religious liberty as a "monstrous right," as we can read below:

"The necessary effect of the constitution decreed by the Assembly is to annihilate the Catholic Religion and, with her, the obedience owed to Kings. With this purpose it establishes as a right of man in society this absolute liberty that not only insures the right to be indifferent to religious opinions, but also grants full license to freely think, speak, write and even print whatever one wishes on religious matters – even the most disordered imaginings. It is a monstrous right, which the Assembly claims, however, results from equality and the natural liberties of all men." (Pius VI, Brief Quod aliquantum, March 10, 1791)

Also, Pope Gregory XVI defined this freedom of conscience as "a delirium":

"From this infected source of 'indifferentism' flows that absurd and erroneous maxim, or rather this delirium, that it is necessary to grant everyone 'freedom of conscience.' This most pernicious error has its way prepared by a full and immoderate freedom of opinion that is widely spread for the ruin of religious and civil society. Some repeat with extreme impudence that it brings an advantage for religion. However, St. Augustine asked: “What could be a worse evil for the soul than the liberty of error?” (Gregory XVI, Encyclical Mirari vos, August 15, 1832)

Pope Pius IX condemned in his Syllabus of Errors the following norm, which seems to be the guideline of all the Conciliar Popes:

"The Roman Pontiff can, and ought to, reconcile himself, and come to terms with progress, liberalism and modern civilization." (Allocution Jamdudum cernimus, March 18, 1861, apud Syllabus of Errors, #80)

Now then, since there is a flagrant contradiction between the Magisterium of the Popes before Vatican II and Pope Leo's teachings, which earned him the Liberty Medal, we lay Catholics ask: Is he still Catholic?

But when we considered that Leo XIV is just repeating the same doctrine of the previous Conciliar Popes, we ask: Are these seven Popes Catholic or do they belong to a different religion?

Last row, from the left: Popes Pius VI, Gregory XVI & Pius IX

Photos from this video & the Internet

Posted July 12, 2026

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