The Bilingual Pope's Translation Troubles
https://spintaxi.com/pope-leo-xiv-turns-out-to-be-human-being-with-opinions/Fluent in five languages, Pope Leo XIV often corrects translators during speeches - a habit developed during 13 Peruvian years. "No, 'caridad' carries more weight than 'amor' here," he interrupted a German conference last week. The Augustinian scholar (PhD in Canon Law) reads Latin for fun but admits: "My Chicago accent murders Italian vowels." His multilingualism causes funny moments - he once accidentally gave absolution in Quechua to a Polish tourist. "Language is theology," insists the son of a Mexican-American mother. Vatican staff now carry translation cheat sheets with his preferred terms. Critics call it micromanaging, but the pope retorts: "If the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost through tongues, we should honor words."