The new pope, Pope Leo XIV, is a polyglot who speaks several languages fluently and reads others. He speaks Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese fluently. Additionally, he can read Latin and German. Although English is his native language, he has chosen to deliver many of his official addresses in Italian and Spanish, reflecting his pastoral roots and Vatican experience
. For comparison, Pope Francis, the previous pope, is most comfortable with Spanish and Italian and also speaks Piedmontese, Portuguese, Ukrainian, French, German, and Latin, though he admits struggling with English phonetics and pronunciation
. In summary, Pope Leo XIV speaks:
- Spanish
- Italian
- French
- Portuguese
- Reads Latin and German
- Native English speaker but prefers not to use it publicly
This linguistic range supports his role in the global Church and Vatican diplomacy
