# What language do the Cardinals speak? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 19, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-language-do-the-cardinals-speak/300157 "2005-04-19T23:50:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-language-do-the-cardinals-speak/300157/1 "2005-04-19T23:50:19Z")
I was reading an article today about the conclave and it mentioned language ability as being one of the considerations for choosing the next pope in this global media age. Which led me to wonder; what language do the cardinals speak when they’re together? Do they all speak Latin? Enough so to converse together? From what I’ve read there’s no outsiders present, so no translaters. Do the more multilingual cardinals pitch in and translate for their less skilled colleagues (and complain later about how the US cardinals can’t speak anything but English)? And on a related note, what languages does Pope Benedict speak? ---
**Author:** ![Eurograff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Eurograff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eurograff)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-language-do-the-cardinals-speak/300157/2 "2005-04-19T23:57:53Z")
There was [an earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=310159) about this. They all can speak enough Latin to be able to communicate, perhaps having to resort to Italian sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-language-do-the-cardinals-speak/300157/3 "2005-04-20T00:10:06Z")
> [@](#): > > What language do the Cardinals speak? I know it doesn’t sound like it, but I have it on good authority that English is the standard tongue in St. Louis. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-language-do-the-cardinals-speak/300157/4 "2005-04-20T00:15:34Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > And on a related note, what languages does Pope Benedict speak? According to the German Wikipedia, he is fluent in German, Spanish, Italian, French, Latin and English. In addition to that, he can read ancient Greek and Hebrew. German should be obvious. He took Latin and Greek in school. Hebrew (in addition to Latin and Greek) was required for his theology degree. He has been living in Italy for at least 24 years. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-language-do-the-cardinals-speak/300157/5 "2005-04-20T02:13:57Z")
Any ideas on what language is spoken in the Papal household? Not the formal stuff; I’m talking about when the Pope’s staff asks the Holy Father what he’d like for dinner or if he caught last night’s soccer game. Do they use Latin for casual conversations? Switch over to Italian? Is there a Polish speaking staff that’s now being replaced by German speakers? ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-language-do-the-cardinals-speak/300157/6 "2005-04-20T02:33:38Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Any ideas on what language is spoken in the Papal household? Not the formal stuff; I’m talking about when the Pope’s staff asks the Holy Father what he’d like for dinner or if he caught last night’s soccer game. Do they use Latin for casual conversations? Switch over to Italian? Is there a Polish speaking staff that’s now being replaced by German speakers? Italian mostly, I’d think. I doubt the housekeepers speak Latin. I did read about one Polish nun that JP2 had around for awhile that he enjoyed speaking his native tongue with.