English

Today I had to prepare a mailing to all the English-using circumscriptions (provinces, vice-provinces, custodies, delegations) of the Capuchin Order. It's something like forty percent. That doesn't mean that they  speak English in all those places, just that English is used for official communication with the General Curia. (The other choices are Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Polish.)

It's a fascinating exercise in the place and power of the English language in the world and especially in the life of the Catholic faith:

The piles, from largest to smallest, are for India, Africa, North America, Asia, Oceania, the Near East, and Europe (that is, Britain, Ireland, and Malta.)

Such an illustration also helps me see how the recent new translation of the third edition Roman Missal into English was an even bigger deal than I realized.