Former speaker details time spent with Pope Francis during commencement address

Novi — Standing before Madonna University’s most recent graduates, the former U.S. speaker of the House revealed what prompted him to resign from Congress in September 2015: the Holy Spirit.

Former U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) gave the commencement address May 7 to Madonna’s Class of 2016 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, describing his encounter with Pope Francis during the pontiff’s visit to the U.S. as a pivotal moment.

“One of the proudest moments was having Pope Francis address Congress. For 25 years, I was trying to get him to come, and to my surprise, Pope Francis accepted the invitation,” said Boehner, who was presented with an honorary doctorate degree of laws from the university from Madonna board chairman Judge Michael J. Talbot.

“Pope Francis agreed to bless my grandson, and I was thinking how great it would be if he would baptize him in Washington, but I was told he would have to do it in a church,” Boehner said. “Then, we were in a private meeting, no cameras around, and it was me, my chief of staff and seven cardinals. I had my family there, and he said, ‘Give me a glass of water.’ I thought, ‘This is it, he’s going to do it right here.’ Then he took the glass of water in his right hand, and took a drink.”

On Sept. 25, a day after Pope Francis addressed Congress, Boehner announced his resignation. During the commencement, Boehner said the pope’s visit and the Holy Spirit inspired his decision.

“I was standing next to him in the Capitol building, just him and me, waiting to go outside,” Boehner said. “Then he said, ‘Pray for me,’ and I tho



ught, ‘Who am I to pray for you?’ The next day, I decided to retire, and after the pope left, a peace came to me. I thought to myself, after the pope visits Congress, how much better does it get?”

After completing an interview with CBS’ John Dickerson, Dickerson, a fellow Catholic, asked Boehner off-camera whether the Holy Spirit inspired his decision, Boehner said. Boehner thought about the question until he sought counsel from Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl.

“I asked the cardinal if it was possible the Holy Spirit was guiding me when I met Pope Francis,” Boehner said. “He said, ‘John, sometimes in our lives, you don’t recognize the Holy Spirit but in retrospect.’”

The Xavier University graduate acknowledged he was the first member of the laity to give the commencement address in Madonna University’s 79-year history, but added he “was an altar boy.”

Madonna President Michael Grandillo introduced Boehner as a lifelong supporter of Catholic education and as an example of someone who “appreciated the art of disagreeing without being disagreeable.”

“John Boehner spent his whole life chasing the American Dream, showing anything is possible,” Grandillo said.

During his speech, Boehner congratulated graduates on all they had achieved and gave them advice on “character decisions,” which he said were more important than “career decisions.”

“Work hard, do things for the right reason, listen to others, and finally, focus on who you want to be, not on what you want to do,” Boehner said. “People will remember you more by the person you are than whatever you will accomplish.”