(Remarks as prepared)
Graduates, there is one more group we must recognize today, without whom this celebration would not be possible: your parents, your families, and your loved ones.
So I ask you to please turn and join me in applauding all those who helped you get to this day.
We have heard great speeches today 鈥� and I do not have much more to add.
But as we close this ceremony (this chapter in your Notre Dame story), and as is tradition, allow me to offer you this: Never forget that your charge as a Notre Dame graduate is to be a force for good in the world.
And as you go out into the world, to build your careers and communities and deepen your awareness of God鈥檚 mysterious presence and action in your lives, I hope you will rely on the moral, intellectual, and ethical foundation you鈥檝e cultivated here, and that throughout your lives, you will walk alongside the friends that you鈥檝e made here.
Back in the fall, a number of us had the opportunity to meet with Pope Leo XIV.
One thing that struck me about Pope Leo is that he is humble, he is a superb listener and, as we have all recognized in his first year as pope, he is not afraid to proclaim the Gospel.
His example reminds us that humility combined with courage and grounded in love is a powerful force.
As members of the Notre Dame community, we are called to have a healthy sense of humility, to be courageous, and to ground our lives in love.
Having a healthy sense of humility means we recognize we do not have all the answers and we need each other in the search for truth.
It means we spend as much time and energy respectfully listening as we do speaking and espousing our own points of view.
Being courageous means that, even as we realize we do not have all the answers, we are not afraid to take a stand, especially in order to defend and promote respect for human dignity.
It means we do not run away from the pain, suffering, and injustice in the world, but that we run toward it in order to understand it and, to the extent we are able, address it.
Being grounded in love means that we always strive to let charity rule our lives in both word and deed.
It means refusing to be ruled by selfish interest and hatred.
So, I encourage you:
BE HUMBLE.
BE COURAGEOUS.
GROUND YOUR LIVES IN LOVE.
If you do so, you will certainly be a powerful force for good.
There are many challenges in our world today. There is too much violence and war, too much arrogance and bluster, too much suffering and injustice.
We know many people find it difficult to hope. But there is reason to hope.
When I look out at you all, I certainly find reason to hope. Because I know that, with all that you have learned here, you will take seriously the call to be a force for good; to be the humble, courageous, and compassionate leaders the world needs.
Class of 2026, as you go forth from here, be assured of our gratitude for you, and be assured of our prayers for you. I hope you will come back to Notre Dame often, because it is and always will be your home.
Congratulations! God bless you!
And Go Irish!