Parsing Pope Francis

I am a stickler for good translations. Maybe it comes from trying to translate documents from Spanish to English in the last few years.

Examining some of the mainline translations of statements and talks of Pope Francis has revealed a few problems.

One is that English translators don’t seem to like the word “fetishism” which Pope Francis has used a number of times. They usually translate it as “idolatry,” which is understandable, but misses the strong sense that fetishism has. Perhaps the relation of this word to Karl Marx’s “fetishism of commodity” has made some translators squeamish. But there is a discussion of fetishism in a Catholic context by John Kavanaugh’s Following Christ in a Consumer Society on pages 33-35 in the 25^th anniversary edition. That discussion opens up the meaning of fetishism and, for me, seems very much closer to what Pope Francis says than the concept of idolatry.

They also seem to have softened the pope's remarks, at least once.

In Brazil Pope Francis told Argentinian young people: “Quiero lío en las diócesis.” It was politely translated as “I want a mess… I want trouble in the dioceses.” It would much better be translated as “Raise a ruckus.”

But there are several places in the English translation of the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, where the English translation seems to miss what the Spanish and Italian texts say.

1) Base communities

Paragraph 29 reads:

Other Church institutions, basic communities and small communities, movements, and forms of association are a source of enrichment for the Church, raised up by the Spirit for evangelizing different areas and sectors.

What the English translates as basic communities is “comunidades de base “ in Spanish and “comunità di base” in Italian. Anyone who has studied Latin America in the last 45 years would know that “comunidades de base” are a specific structure of evangelization which are called “base communities.” They grew up in the 1960s and was recommended as an important part in the renovation of pastoral structures by the 1968 Conference of Latin American bishops at Medellín.

“Comunidades de base” has been normally tranlated as “base communities,” partly to emphaize that they come from the base of society and of the church. “Basic communities” misses the history, the context, and the sense of the concept.

2) Fetishism - again

Paragraph 55 reads in part:

"The worship of the ancient golden calf (cf. Ex 32:1-35) has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose. The worldwide crisis affecting finance and the economy lays bare their imbalances and, above all, their lack of real concern for human beings; man is reduced to one of his needs alone: consumption."

Reading this translation one would never guess that “idolatry of money and an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose” is in Spanish “el fetichismo del dinero y en la dictadura de la economía sin un rostro y sin un objetivo verdaderamente humano” and, in Italian, “nel feticismo del denaro e nella dittatura di una economia senza volto e senza uno scopo veramente umano.” I think the text would better read “the fetichism of money and the dictatorship of a faceless economy, lacking a truly human purpose.”

3) Mistrust and disenchantment

Paragraph 79 reads, in English: 

At times our media culture and some intellectual circles convey a marked scepticism with regard to the Church’s message, along with a certain cynicism.

“Skepticism” is the English translation for what Spanish translates as “desconfianza” and Italain “sfiducia.” Mistrust would be a better translation in my opinion.

Where the English uses “cynicism,” the Spanish uses “desencanto” and the Italian “disincanto.” Disenchantment or disillusion would seem closer to the intent of this sentence.

To me the English looks like a more “cultural wars” translation. Skepticism and cynicism seem like “fighting words” to me.

4) Protagonists

In paragraph 106, Pope Francis writes of young people and the need for the young to exercise greater leadership. As the English translation reads: 

Even if it is not always easy to approach young people, progress has been made in two areas: the awareness that the entire community is called to evangelize and educate the young, and the urgent need for the young to exercise greater leadership.

That’s all well and good. It is very important that the young take up leadership; but this way of phrasing it makes me think that the young are being called to take up roles of leadership.

Reading the Spanish and the Italian I detect a nuance that makes me think that Pope Francis means something more radical.

He speaks of the urgency that the young have a greater protagonism.

Aunque no siempre es fácil abordar a los jóvenes, se creció en dos aspectos: la conciencia de que toda la comunidad los evangeliza y educa, y la urgencia de que ellos tengan un protagonismo mayor. 

Anche se non sempre è facile accostare i giovani, si sono fatti progressi in due ambiti: la consapevolezza che tutta la comunità li evangelizza e li educa, e l’urgenza che essi abbiano un maggiore protagonismo.

Leadership is one thing, but protagonism means, in my understanding, that they become primary actors.

My experience is that people often talk about involving young people and giving them leadership roles. But when the young want to start making decisions and setting agenda, becoming protagonists, some of the older leaders are not so willing to cede power and authority to them.

5) Entrega or sacrifice

There is one translation that is probably a question of the difficulty of saying some things in English.

In paragraph 269, Pope Francis is translated as writing:

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is nothing else than the culmination of the way he lived his entire life.

The word translated as “the sacrifice” is “la entrega” in Spanish and “il donarsi” in Italian. I may be overly sensitive to the use of the word “la entrega” which means “handing oneself over.”

To translate it as sacrifice might be fine, but sacrifice is something different from handing oneself over – giving of oneself.

People here in Central America may speak highly of someone's entrega, their personal commitment and involvement with the people. In addition, in the Spanish Eucharistic prayers "On the night he was betrayed" or "Given up to death" is translated as "cuando iba a ser entregado [a su Pasión]." Entrega is the word used to translate the Latin "tradere" - to hand over.

6) A creative and good translation

There is one place where the English seems to have gotten it right, providing not a literal translation, but a translation of the concept.

Paragraph 85 begins:

One of the more serious temptations which stifles boldness and zeal is a defeatism which turns us into querulous and disillusioned pessimists, “sourpusses.”

Did the pope really write “sourpusses”? I don’t know since I don’t know what language he used for the text that would be translated.

But the Spanish reads: “con cara de vinagre” – with a vinegar face. “Sourpusses" does the trick for me as an accurate translation.

The dangers of translation

Translation is a different task and I know my limitations. But I expect more from professionals in the Vatican.

And so, as you read the document, which I highly recommend, be careful and look at the text in other languages, if you can. It might bring out new insights – or even open up new vistas to living the joy of the Gospel.