The Vatican’s Global Communication: The Role of Translation in the Papal Election
Summary
The papal election process is somewhat like a United Nations event where linguistically diverse communities come together to make decisions. Even in ones where the presiding languages are Latin and Italian and the main decisions are made mostly in those two tongues, an awful lot of talking, discussing, and decision-making happens in many different languages. Bad decision-making can happen if good communication doesn't happen first. And that's where translation comes in. Life can be somewhat like a United Nations event where linguistically diverse communities come together to make decisions.
1. The Multilingual Nature of the Vatican
As the center of the Catholic Church, the Vatican is multilingual like the Church itself, reflecting its global span. The cardinals who participate in the papal election come from every part of the world, speaking the languages of their lands. Of course, Latin is the Church's official language, but the business of the Conclave is not conducted in the dead tongue. The better to understand one another and to make better sense of their own thoughts, the cardinals opt for forms of speech that are more lively. Even personal experience, more relevant than ever in these present times, is shared not in Latin, but in a tongue the speaker and the listener can comprehend. Indeed, to understand the Vatican is to understand a Vatican that is well . . . multilingual.
2.The Role of Translation in the Papal Election
The papal election, which occurs within the Vatican, is a solemn and highly intricate event. It requires not only the cardinals but also the outside world to communicate clearly. Deliberation, voting, and results must be conveyed promptly and accurately so that the election process is transparent and understood by all. Translation is required not just for the spoken word but also for the written materials that are often in Latin or Italian. From the rituals performed during the election to the public addresses made by the newly elected Pope, each and every word must be translated with the utmost care. Why? Because if the Spanish Group is to maintain the election's appearance of transparency and ensure that all outside observers understand what's going on, we need to provide translation services that guarantee no ambiguity or misunderstanding. And we also must handle all this in a way that makes our service appear invisible to the observers inside the Vatican.
3. How Professional Translation Services Ensure Global Understanding
A worldwide occasion such as the papal election necessitates reaching a diverse audience. Ensuring that the announcement of the new Pope gets to all the right places (and right people) in a timely manner is the first part of the Communications Department's job.
Why is there a Communications Department at the Vatican? Because the Vatican has a global audience. We don't announce just for ourselves in St. Peter's; we announce for a billion people across the world. We don't even announce just for weekdays and Sundays; we also announce for all kinds of occasions and at all times.
What we announce has to be understood. Even more important, what we announce has to be believed. For that, it's got to have the smell test. Can it pass for real? Can it be trusted? English, Spanish, French, and many other languages lie behind the word "translation." The Spanish Group serves as an entrée into the world of over 90 languages. And for those who haven't quite got translation down, The Spanish Group ensures communication as thoroughly as it can be communicated.
Conclusion
The Spanish Group understands the necessity of precision in communication when the Catholic Church and the world stand on the brink of such a momentous event as the Vatican Conclave. Because its very nature as a global event of great consequence demands that all of its participants, no matter their tongue, share the same understanding, the role of translation services at such a time cannot be underestimated. And when it comes to the big event in St. Peter's Square, The Spanish Group understands all too well what is at stake. With utter clarity, we provide professional translation services that span well over 90 languages. Be they documents of great weight and formality, or lectures given in the heat of debate, our linguists ensure that all words and all worlds aras el mundo!
- Seamless multilingual communication is required at the Vatican Conclave.
- The Spanish Group provides translation services far and near, although in truth nonprofit translation is our specialization.
- Individual translators, working in pairs or teams, are the core of our multidisciplinary group. We have found that truly understanding a text—and consequently producing an excellent translation—requires dividing the work among pairs of translators and then pooling our resources.