In what language do Synod participants communicate?

In a Synod whose theme is synodality, it's all about listening. “With the help of the Holy Spirit, we must listen to and understand these voices — that is, the ideas, the expectations, the proposals — so as to discern together the voice of God speaking to the Church,” declared the Pope in his opening homily at the Synod.

However, in order to listen and understand, we need to speak the same language. This is not a given at the Synod, which brings together people from almost 120 different countries. For example, an African bishop from a French-speaking country will have to listen to the morning prayer in Maori, Chinese, or Pidgin English (spoken in Nigeria), then follow presentations in Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese, and be willing to chat with a Japanese or Austrian colleague during the coffee break.

While Latin is the official language of the Church, this is not the case within the Synod, where the official language is Italian. It was in 2014 that Pope Francis decided to replace the language of Cicero, unfamiliar to participants, with that of Dante.

However, Italian, which is officially spoken in no other country than Italy itself (apart from the canton of Lugano in Switzerland), is far from being the lingua franca for the entire assembly, which includes around 20 Italians out of 368 members. And this is despite the fact that many of the participants have worked in the Curia, or have passed through one of Italy's pontifical universities.

To remedy this situation, the Synod on Synodality has four other official languages: English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The round tables at which participants are seated in Paul VI Hall are divided into language groups to facilitate communication among people speaking the same language.

And when it's necessary to listen or speak to the whole room, live translation is available thanks to interpreters in these five languages, plus German. Although excluded from the official languages, Goethe's language is available thanks to funding from the countries concerned.

Apart from official speeches, particularly during breaks, members continue to talk amongst themselves, often juggling several languages.

“There are many people who speak two, three, or even many more languages, and they don't hesitate to change language groups to get a broader view of what's going on in the assembly,” explains a person involved in Synod communications. “People sometimes have difficulties, but they understand each other,” she says.

For some, however, this international linguistic context can be tricky. For example, two members of the French-speaking language group admitted that they had difficulty expressing themselves in French, which is not the only language spoken in their country. They also found themselves frustrated by not being able to speak with someone who spoke other languages. “Fortunately, some of them act as interpreters,” says one member.

There is only one special case, that of the two bishops from mainland China taking part in the assembly. Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang of Hangzhou and Bishop Vincent Zhan Silu of Xiapu speak only Mandarin. Apart from the handful of members and participants from Taiwan and Hong Kong — including the bishop of the latter city, Cardinal Stephen Chow — it is therefore impossible for them to communicate with the participants.

“They are the only ones who have an interpreter with them,” explains a person involved in the organization of the Synod. It was thanks to this interpreter that the two bishops were able to make their contributions, as well as exchange views with Pope Francis.