Villanova grad Pope Leo XIV to receive Liberty Medal

Driving the news: Leo will deliver his acceptance remarks from the Vatican on July 3, with the speech livestreamed outside Independence Hall, the center tells Axios.

Context: The Liberty Medal, created in 1988, honors people or organizations embodying American ideals of liberty, free speech and religious freedom.

• The list of previous honorees spans a "who's who" of world leaders, activists and well-known Americans, including the late Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zoom in: Leo has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration's policies since becoming pope last May, previously condemning the president's "zeal for war" following U.S. military operations in the Caribbean and the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

• He has also criticized the administration's immigration crackdown, calling for immigrants to be treated with "dignity."

What they're saying: Leo's engagement with religious leaders across all faiths has been admirable, and he's championed "principles that closely align with constitutional protections guaranteed by the First Amendment," National Constitution Center interim President and CEO Vince Stango said in a statement.

If you watch: NBCUniversal will telecast the ceremony live around the world.