Dalai Lama cancels trip to receive Liberty Medal

PHILADELPHIA Citing health issues, the Dalai Lama on Friday canceled his October visit to Philadelphia, where he was to be awarded the Liberty Medal.

His website reported that he was in the United States for a medical checkup and that his doctors had “advised His Holiness to rest for the next several weeks.”

The statement continued, “We deeply regret the inconvenience caused by this decision and apologize to all the people who have worked so hard in organizing the visit as well as to the public. We thank you for your support and understanding.”

The Dalai Lama turned 80 in July. He was at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., this week for a medical evaluation, the clinic reported.

Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, which awards the Liberty Medal, said the Dalai Lama’s office was making arrangements for a representative to accept the honor in absentia on Oct. 26, the day of the ceremony.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dalai Lama as he recovers his strength,” Rosen said.

“We’re pretty sad,” said Tsering Jurme, a member of the Philadelphia’s Tibetan community who has been working to bring the Dalai Lama here to visit.

“We’re really disappointed. Of course we want the Dalai Lama to be healthy and well,” Jurme said.

The Dalai Lama had been scheduled to hold a teaching session at La Salle University on the day of the Liberty Medal ceremony.

He also was to give a talk at Temple University the following day.

His trip was to include visits to Colorado and Utah.

Past recipients of the medal, established in 1988, include female-education activist Malala Yousafzai, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Muhammad Ali, Bono, and Steven Spielberg. The medal honors women and men who strive to secure liberty for people around the world. It comes with a $100,000 prize.

When this year’s medal announcement was made in June, Rosen said the Dalai Lama had been under consideration for years, and this was the year he was able to accept.

“He’s been a global conscience for tolerance, dialogue, and compassion,” Rosen said.

(Staff writer Jeff Gammage contributed to this report.)

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