President Joe Biden celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on Thursday, joking about his Irish heritage during a speech on Capitol Hill.
“Father, before I begin — bless me, Father, for I’m about to sin,” he said as he began his speech by crossing himself and addressing the priest in the room. “I, well, I just want you to know, I may be Irish, but I’m not stupid.”
Biden was referring to his decision to marry his wife, Jill.
The president attended the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon hosted by Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Capitol Hill.
He appeared wistful by the spirit of the bipartisan event, expressing his desire for more events with both Republicans and Democrats.
“We should have more times like this where Democrats and Republicans get together, and we actually not only agree on one thing, but we remind ourselves we actually like each other,” he said, prompting laughter and applause.
The president delivered a rambling speech, recalling his Irish heritage and multiple sayings from members of his Irish family.
“My grandfather, Ambrose Finnegan, used to say — and I mean this — he’d say, ‘Joey, if you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough,’” Biden recalled.
“My dad’s expression was, ‘Family is the beginning, the middle, and the end,” he added afterward.
He also recalled a simple slogan from his mother.
“My mom’s expression, for real, was, ‘Joey, get up. Just get up. Get up,’” he recalled.
He also remembered another favorite saying from his mother.
“My mother’s expression, gotten from her grandfather, was, you know, ‘As long as you’re alive, you have an obligation to strive. And you’re not dead until you’ve seen the face of God.’
He focused on the importance of the Irish understanding of equality, quoting his dad.
“My dad’s: ‘No one is better than you, and you’re no better than anyone else,’” he recalled. “Not a joke.”
After his speech House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered an Irish toast to the president before he left, but not before he recalled another saying from his grandmother.
“Well, my grandmother had one. She said, ‘May those who love us, love us. And those who don’t, may they turn their ankle, so we know they’re coming by their limp,’” he grinned.
