albrecht's funeral right now. fw ♪♪ good to be with you. i am katy tur. the country and the world will say good-bye to former secretary of state, madeline albright. her former boss, you see him right there, president clinton, her friend and fellow secretary of state, hillary clinton. you see her as well. alongside president biden, they will all speak. the secretary's journey to the top diplomat started out as one

of the darkest chapters in world history. she was born in progress in 1937. she was only a child when the nazis invaded and her family was forced to flee. three of her grandparents died in the holocaust. to keep her and her siblings safe, they converted to catholicism. she was confirmed by a vote of 99-0. imagine that. she called herself an eternal optimist, and warned as soon as 2018 that democracy's problems could be overcome only if we never take democracy for

granted. joining me now is hallie jackson, and nbc's mike, and that was a brief introduction for a woman that served this country for a long portion of her life, a remarkable woman. i wonder how you will be remembering her today? >> you know, for the next couple of hours the country and the world should pause and wander not just the secretary, not only a informidable woman, and she's an emblem of an enormous number of tributaries. the language you are about to hear comes from the 16th century, the book of common

prayer and the book of hymns, and she created a world order that saw us toward the end of the century, and one of the things she always believed and understood that for all of us the work of the world goes on, and democracy is fragile. >> she understood the most elemental kind of conflict, which is what we are seeing in ukraine. a strong man, a strong nation

wanted a weaker nation. she saw, she lived, her family suffered and died when those -- when that elemental appetite is allowed to go unchecked, so she struggled to put democracy not just in an intellectual sense, but into action in europe understanding that democracies tend not to go to war with each other, but huh talk raw sees. >> you and i are the same age, halle, and one of the reason i grew up thinking there was no position in this country i couldn't obtain is because for years, madeline albright was

here, and she took on large roles. tell me how she got there? >> so glad you brought this up, because she shared this story -- you will see her three daughters speak here today, and her grandchildren, beloved, of course, and one of them said, well, grandma, i thought only girls were secretaries of state. she didn't understand, because she was young and she didn't see who she paved the way, and susan rice talked about secretary albright, and also in the words of susan rice, a regular, warm, friend and mother. you have to remember that as she

was blazing this trail, she was doing so as a mom, and she was doing so while reaching down and lifting a hand and pulling up the ladder, the next generation of women behind her. that's something we have heard of a lot since her passing, and people shared these stories about what her legacy means broadly, and also personally, and you will look in the audience today at the national cathedral, all levels of people at the state department, right, highest to lowest coming out to pay their respect to a woman that meant so much to them. she had that famous line that there's a special place in hell for women that don't help other women, and she took that seriously and quite literally. she was very engaged, katy, in what was happening in the last moments of her life, and she had an op-ed warning about the climate and putin's war and it

proved to be a good prediction >> yeah, she got in push back when saying that when hillary clinton was running for president. >> it's so interesting as you look at the arc of president biden's career, and today he is resuming the role on eulogyist is chief, and he puts a lot of work and effort and thought into the remarks he will make today. and joe biden, the very first

meeting when he took a post was the confirmation hearing of secretary and then u.n. ambassador of secretary albright. she made it clear nato expansion was not an adversarial move towards russia, and that's issue president biden is facing now and i will be interested to see how much he refers to that in the course of his remarks, because it's notable, the presence here beyond president biden, of course, we are also going to hear remembrances from president clinton and secretary clinton, and you mentioned albright advocated for her as

well, and her own experience as somebody that came to this country as an immigrant fleeing prosecution about what the former president, president trump represented. and absent today from the service is any representative from trump's administration. and condoleezza rice was a student of albright's father, and we will hear an inner session from susan rice. i want to take note as well about some of the accessories you are seeing in the cathedral today. first, masks, the family has asked for everybody to wear a mask, and we are going to see president biden -- this is a

crowded gathering today, one of several he will be attending in the days ahead, and more pointedly, i think you will see on all of the attendees today, a number of them -- in the case of women, a number of broaches, accessories meant to send a message on their own. we also saw as the casket was arriving, the protective detail was wearing pins, and it's part of her life and appreciated of what she would wear. >> she had a book called "read by pins." what you are seeing is president biden greeting everybody in the front view, former presidents, and his former president obama that he served with, and former vice president al gore. if my eyes are not failing me

either, halle, i believe chelsea clinton is between secretary of state hillary clinton and vice president al gore. the service is about to begin, and we want to pause once it does. john, i want to get one last word in for you about the moment we are in right now. >> democracies are under assault around the world, and she gave her life to defending the values that shape all of us, and one thing to feel remarkable about today is she led an extraordinary life and did it in the service of the country she always believed to have the capacity to be extraordinary. >> the choir has finished and

the organ is playing. you can said president biden having a couple laughs with former president obama and michelle obama. here to remember the life of a remarkable woman, and to grieve her passing and also to celebrate her legacy in all that she had done. it's worth underscoring when you look out into the crowd, you see some extremely prominent, high-powered successful women. susan rice, condoleezza rice, hillary clinton, and the list goes on. those paths were paved in large part by madeleine albright.

in order to make real the declaration of independence. a document that has changed more lives around the world and continues to do so and madeleine albright gave her life to the central founding ideal of the country, which is that we are all created equal. you will hear it expressed through a religious language beginning in a moment. the notion that we are all god's creatures, and all nations are of one blood. she believed that.

and the united states of america was founded on this idea. we're not perfect, but nobody else told us we had to set this as a standard. we set it for ourselves. if we are ever going to meet it, we need people of the caliber and skill and devotion of people like madeleine albright, and many of the people we are seeing, again, imperfect figures because we are imperfect people, and a democracy is the fullest manifestation of all of us, and we are going to have good days and bad days, and good eras and bad eras, and madeleine albright would insist we make this one a good one. >> we cannot take democracy for granted. she had firsthand experience in this, and talking about fleeing

from the nazis when she was a child, and again from communists when she was a bit older, and she said i have this feeling that but for the grace of god we would have been dead, and she was drawn to public service because of the fact that i am free. >> her experience as a young person, as a refugee leaving her home country and coming to america, and as you noted, that shaped her in so many ways, and she got the first glimpse of the statue of liberty when she was a child, when she was 11 years old and immigrating to the country, and what it meant to be on the united nations, and looking at 14 other men, as she pointed out, as the only woman and to be

nervous to speak her first words, and then looking at the name plate saying united nations of america, and knowing that was her home, and understanding in that moment that she needed to give voice to u.s. democracy and that she was the vessel, essentially, by which to do that. it's a powerful thing, katy, as we look to approaching the service beginning. >> there was some talk about her maybe becoming a politician in the czech republic, maybe ascending to the presidency there? >> well, you know, they could have done worse and probably have, as of we. what you are seeing now is called the reception of the body. >> i'm going to let us listen in right now. >> let us pray with confidence to god, the giver of life, that

he will raise her to perfection in the company of the saints. deliver your servant madeleine albright, and deliver her and set her free from every bond where with the father and the holy spirit you live and reign one god forever and ever, amen. >> let us also pray for all who mourn that they may cast their care on god and know the consolation of his love. almighty god, look with pity upon the sorrows of your servants for whom we pray, and remember them, lord, in mercy,

and innerish them, and lift up your countenance upon them and give them peace through jesus christ, our lord. amen. amen ♪ ♪ ♪

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[ bell tolling ] [ bell tolling ] i am resurrection and i am life, says the lord. whoever has faith in me shall have faith even though she dies.

and everyone who has life and has committed herself to me in faith shall not die forever. as for me, i know that my redeemer lives, and at last he shall stand upon the earth. after my awakening, he shall raise me up and in my body i shall see god. i, myself, shall see and my eyes behold him, who is my friend, and not a stranger. for none of us has life in herself, and none becomes her own master when she dies, for if we have life we are alive in the lord, and if we die, we die in the lord. so then whether we live or die,

we are the lord's possession. happy from now on are those who die in the lord, for they rest from their labors. from their labors.

good morning. my name is randy hollerith, and i am the dean at the national cathedral, and on behalf of the entire cathedral community, welcome, welcome to this house of prayer for all people. it is an honor to host this service for madeleine albright. to anne, alice and katie and the entire family, our hearts are with you and from across the country and around the world who grieve the great loss of this american. secretary madeleine albright was a friend to this cathedral. twice over she served as a chapter of the cathedral's

governing board. she was a parent and grandparents of the students here and she was loved and admired by all who knew her. we say good-bye today to a remarkable human being. madeleine was a leader, mentor, trailblazer, reconciler and patriot. she was a person of deep faith who always held firm to the highest ideals of her faith and her country. she has died, but she has not been lost. madeleine lives now in god, and she leaves all of us a legacy that will serve as a blessing for many, many years to come. having fought the good fight and kept the faith, granter we besieged thee, dear god, the

crown of life that does not fadeth away. amen. amen ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

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freedom endures against all odds in the face of every aggressor, because there are always those who will fight for that freedom. in the 20th and 21st century, freedom had no greater champion than madeleine albright. anne, alice, katie, your mom was a force, a force of nature. with her goodness and grace, her humanity and intellect, she turned the tide of history.

david, daniel, jack, jake, ben and ellie, you are too young to remember this, but when the iron curtain fell and the berlin wall came down, our world faced one of those inflexion points once in a generation moment of upheaval, and opportunities as well. people in nations around the world were deciding the future they wanted to make for themselves, and your grandmother, your grandmother, as a madam ambassador and first female secretary of state in american history made sure those nations and those people knew exactly where the united states of america stood. and what we stood for. you know, and all through it, her beloved sister, kathy, and

her brother john, can attest, she never forgot where she came from or who she was. president obama, president and secretary clinton, vice president al gore, members of congress, cabinet members past and present, today we honor a truly proud american who made all of us prouder to be americans. i also want to welcome the distinguished guests and dignitaries who travel from around the world to celebrate a daughter of the czech republic who knew what it meant to endure war and flee persecution. with her friend, when he died, i remember when madeleine

eulogized him, and she said he reminded us constantly of our obligations to one another. these words, these words apply equally to madeleine. when i got word that madeleine passed, i was in midair on my way to europe to meet with our nato allies in brussels to help try and continue to keep the strong, strong alliances together, our organization and international response to russia's brutal and unjustifiable war against ukraine, and it was not lost on me that madeleine was a big part of the reason nato was still strong and galvanized as it is

today. a few days later i travelled to poland and spoke about all at stake in our world in democracy and freedom, which is under assault from forces of autocracy and oppression. many are tired of hearing me say i think we are at another inflexion point in world history where there is literally a severe confrontation between autocrats and democratic nations. president clinton, bill, it was not lost on me that you spoke at the same warsaw castle i was about to speak at 25 years earlier, and in my case it was the evening. the interior of the castle, the courtyard holds about 500 or 600

people, and mostly poles from ukraine were there when i spoke, and i know some of them spoke english but not likely their first language. when i mentioned the name, and they were respectful what i was saying, and when i mentioned the name of madeleine albright, there was a deafening cheer. they all stopped everything and started to cheer. it was spontaneous. it was real. her name is still synonymous with america as a force for good in the world. madeleine never minced words or wasted time when she saw something needed fixing, or someone who needed helping. she just got to work. as a member of the senate

foreign relations committee from the time i was a kid -- god, those were the good ole days, i was the chairman or the ranking member for a good part of that time. in the '90s, i could attest that madeleine with the significant help with the president of the united states, kept the committee really busy. in our work, to halt genocide and support new democracies in eastern and central europe, to develop plain columbia, and in all of those undertakings, madeleine was an incomparable

ally. she always had a knack for explaining to the people why it mattered to them that people everywhere in the world were struggling to breathe free. and madeleine didn't stop when she left government. for decades she was a nexus to the foreign policy community. always, and i mean always on top of the latest developments, always speaking out for democracy and always the first to sound the alarm about fascism. presidents and leaders around the world continued to solicit her advice, including me. last year i asked her to chair a board, and she built businesses and pumped out "new york times"

best sellers, and i think i have read them all. you know. and she mentioned generations of foreign policy experts, the quote, foreign policy establishment. you know, the thing that i noted that was deliberate and remarkable about her, not unlike secretary clinton, was that she made sure that young women knew they belonged at every single table having to do with national security, without exception. today, across our government and around the world, madeleine's protégés are legion. many are here today, each carrying with them a spark lit

by her passion and her brilliance. i think part of the reason why madeleine was such a successful diplomat is that she understood something that i have always believed and my boss, president obama, when i was vice president used to kid me because i would repeat so often, because i believed she understood something i've always believed, that all politics, especially in the national politics is personal, and ultimately it's personal. she could go toe-to-toe with the toughest dictators and then turn around and literally teach a fellow ambassador how to do the macarena on the floor of the u.n. security council. you all think i'm kidding. i'm not kidding. she thought it was too difficult

to teach me how to dance, though. she was right. no matter where she was, she understood people. she cared about people, and all of that was grounded in an education gained by watching her father, her mentor as well. she learned diplomacy at the dinner table, and throughout her life nothing mattered to madeleine more than the family, nothing. madeleine had the same rule that i do and others here do. no matter what's happening in my day, as president obama can tell you, or who i am meeting with, if one of my children calls, i take the call. she was the same way. anne, alice, katie, each of you

is literally a tribute to her enormous capacity to love. i know it's hard, but i promise you, she's always with you in your mind, in your heart, and part of your soul. i promise you, you are going to have a tough decision. you will be asking yourself, what would she want me to do? not a joke. remember i said it. that's going to happen. kathy and john, the connection the three of you maintain throughout your lives was always an anchor to madeleine, through all the ups and downs of life. what a gift. what a gift. what a family. from that first atlantic

crossing on the "uss america," and emblazed with the words united states of america, madeleine understood her story was america's story. her story was america's story. she loved to speak about america, as the indispensable nation. to her, the phrase was never a statement of arrogance. it was about gratitude for all this country made possible for her was a testimony to her belief and the endless possibilities that only america could help unlock around the world and her understanding of what america's power could achieve when it's united with and motivated by enduring

american values. that's why she loved nothing more than swearing in new citizens to this great nation of ours. she would light up, reminding them that she once stood where they stood. having gained the blessings of liberty, she wanted nothing more than to share them around the globe. for madeleine, from my perspective, there was no higher mission, no greater honor than to serve this great experiment of freedom known as the united states of america. may her memory continue to be a blessing to our nation. and may they remember her words and her deeds.

may she always be a light to all those in the darkest places, reminder of our obligation to one another. god bless madeleine albright. god bless madeleine albright

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anne, alice, katie, to all the spouses, grandchildren, sister kathy and brother john,

thank you for giving hilary and meng a chance to say a few word. mr. president, president and mrs. obama, vice president gore, to all the members of congress and the diplomatic corps and cabinets past and present and especially to all of you who had the distinct honor and i hope the joy of working with madeleine albright. our last conversation. two weeks before she passed and we always spent the first few minutes telling stories that we swore were true and joking with each other and then i said, tell

me how you're feeling. she said, look, i got a little problem here but, i've got a perfectly good doctor. exactly what he tells me todo do so i'm getting good care and whatever happens will best outcome i can get. let's don't waste any time on that. the only thing that really matters is whatn kind of world we're going to leave to our grandchildren. i will never forget that conversation as long asi i liv. it was so perfectly madeleine. yeah, i'd like to live to be 90, 95, 100, but the thing that really matters is what's going to happen tore our grandchildres generation. are we going to lose our freedom, are we going to lose our democracy? have we decided after all that all that matters are our differences in this fleeting life instead of what we have in common. and so, madeleine made a

decision that with her last breath she would go out with her boots on. in h this case supporting president biden and all of america's efforts to help ukraine. what kind of world are we going to leave to our grandchildren? that question is kind of up in the air. but not because of madeleine albright. i was honored to be part of her life for more than 30 years. i was thrilled that when chelsea got to meet her and what an influence she had on chelsea and lots of other young women, i was amazed by the friendship she formed withsh hillary and gratel for that, but i met her a long

time ago. she was working in the dukakis campaign and i'm a graduate of georgetown where she taught, so i knew her by reputation and i knew she'd been voted the best teacher by the students twice, but when i finally met her, i realized that she was even better than advertised.e she was smart, tough-minded, talented of the she had a great sense ofed humor and a clear grp of the post cold war world we were moving into. and so when i was elected i asked madeleine to manage the transition for the national council, which wound up filled with incredibly gifted, balanced people and we had more problems than wee could say gre over and we needed every one of

them, and as i watched her more, i decided to ask her to be the ambassador to the united nations, because her life story was about toer become the storyf the last part of the 20th century and much of the world and because she could be the voice of america at its best. and after four years in which she continued to defy expectations and sometimes raise eyebrows, not that i have to say this, she would never forgive me if i didn't mention this at her funeral, when the cubans shot down the brothers to the rescue plane ts in violation of international law, they had a conversation in which madeleine

got a copy of on their radios between the planes about how they had shown their cajonnys by shooting down a totally defenseless couple of planes were dropping pro-democracy leaflets in cuba. and parenthetically then certainly outside cuban airspace when they were shot down but it wasy illegal to do it. so madeleine says, that's not cojones, that's cowardice and all of a sudden it was on the lips of everybody in south florida. and she was being criticized. some people said so undiplomatic. it's unladylike, and i called her and i said i'm just jealous,

it's the best line delivered by anybody in this administration since i've been here. and keep on going and it was great. we spent a happy day together two years ago in kosovo, 20 years after the conflict there, freed them ofnf a genuine threa of genocide. we walked hand in hand through pristina on a sunny, sunny june day, down the street there were about 250,000 people there, there were a lot of people in a small country like that, and we came to the subject of our stroll, which was a beautiful bust of madeleine in a shrub

surrounded tall stand that was their tribute to her for being there for them. we see that legacy honored, all the things she did with kosovo, withit bosnia, we see it in so many ways. today we have the president, prime minister and former prime kosovo here. we have the foreign minister of bosnia and herzegovina. it took us until the slaughter of srebrenica but finally got together enough to do what's being done in a different way to try to save ukraine.