Yet another revealing 'error' in a Vatican translation

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Nov 03, 2014

Surprise, surprise! When the Vatican finally released an English-language version of the final report from the Synod, the translation contained at least one blatant omission. And I bet you can’t guess what effect this “error” will have on readers’ understanding.

Credit Father Robert Imbelli for spotting the problem.

The official translation says that the Synod fathers came together to “discern how the Church and society can renew their commitment to the family.”

The Italian original, in the same passage, says that the bishops were working per discernere le vie con cui rinnovare la Chiesa e la società nel loro impegno per la famiglia fondata sul matrimonio tra uomo e donna [emphasis added].

If the words in bold above had been included, the English text would have spoken about renewing “their commitment to the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman.” But those words were not included in the translation.

An oversight, no doubt.

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.

Sound Off! CatholicCulture.org supporters weigh in.

All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!

  • Posted by: bernie4871 - Nov. 04, 2014 8:09 PM ET USA

    So who is minding the store over there? That omission is outrageous. Now that they have been exposed again, I wonder if any of the participants will make their objections known.

  • Posted by: dfp3234574 - Nov. 04, 2014 9:41 AM ET USA

    Wow. You don't even have to know Italian to see how pathetic that is.