Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York to receive religious liberty’s highest honor Committed champion of religious liberty named 2025 Canterbury Medalist

WASHINGTON – His Eminence, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, has been named Becket’s 2025 Canterbury Medalist for his lifelong commitment to the cause of religious liberty. The Canterbury Medal, religious liberty’s highest honor, recognizes an individual who has demonstrated courage and commitment to defending religious freedom in America and around the globe. As a shepherd of the Church, a national Catholic leader, and former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops—where he also served as chairman of its Committee for Religious Liberty—Cardinal Dolan’s career has been marked by an unwavering defense of religious liberty for all. Becket will honor Cardinal Dolan with the 2025 Canterbury Medal at its annual gala in New York on Thursday, May 22. 

Cardinal Dolan has led the Archdiocese of New York since 2009 and is widely recognized as one of the most influential Catholic voices in America. He served as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2010 to 2013, served a term as chairman of the Bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty, and has been an advocate for the rights of religious institutions and individuals alike. This month, Cardinal Dolan was chosen to join the newly established presidential commission on religious liberty, dedicated to protecting and advancing America’s core principle of religious freedom. Whether testifying before Congress, engaging with the press, or shepherding one of the largest Catholic populations in the country, Cardinal Dolan has staunchly defended the right of all people to live out their faith freely and publicly. 

“Religious freedom isn’t just about protecting what happens in church on Sundays—it’s about defending the right of every person to live their faith openly, every day of the week,” said His Eminence, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan. “It’s a gift from God—not from government—and it must be protected for people of all faiths. I’m grateful to receive the Canterbury Medal as part of this vital mission.” 

The Canterbury Medal draws its name from one of history’s most dramatic religious liberty stand-offs, which occurred between Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas à Becket, the law firm’s namesake, and King Henry II of England. The annual Canterbury Gala honors the award recipient in a black-tie event in New York and is attended by the world’s most distinguished religious leaders and religious liberty advocates. 

Past medalists include the late Nobel Peace Laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel; Cuban poet and former political prisoner Armando Valladares; Orthodox rabbi of the oldest Jewish congregation in the U.S., Rabbi Dr. Meir Soloveichik; First Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Dallin H. Oaks; and 62nd Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, Chaplain Barry C. Black. 

“His Eminence has been a towering figure in the fight for religious liberty, not just for Catholics, but for people of all faiths,” said Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket. “Cardinal Dolan’s leadership in the public square has shaped the national conscience on religious freedom and strengthened the resolve of those who defend it.” 

At every Canterbury Medal Gala, Becket also bestows an individual or group with the Legal Service Award, thanking them for their efforts to advance the cause of religious liberty for all. This year’s award will be given to Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, for its pro bono work with Becket and Clement Murphy PLLC to combat antisemitism on college campuses in Frankel v. Regents of the University of California.