As President of The Catholic University of America, it is my distinct honor and privilege to preside at this convocation in honor of His Excellency, the Honorable Valdas Adamkus, President of the Republic of Lithuania. The words of the citation read by Dean Suziedelis only moments ago, draw our attention to the life of a man whose character was formed in the crucible of oppression. He sought the truth in human existence. The natural limitation of reason and the inconstancy of the heart often obscure and distort a person's search.
Truth can also drown in a welter of other concerns.
The Honorable Valdas Adamkus was not and is not afraid of the demands of truth. His heart has been and remains constant and his attention fixed on the truth. It is, indeed, fitting then that The Catholic University of America celebrate the life and accomplishments of man who, while having spent 50 years of his life serving as a moral leader in our nation, has never abandoned the people of his own native land and who has returned to them as their President. You have taken our noble mission, your Excellency, and made it your own. For that, The Catholic University of America thanks you and, through the degree conferred upon you, honors you this afternoon as one of our very own.