Mongolian becomes 52nd language in Vatican News family

By Vatican News

Vatican Radio–Vatican News now speaks the language of Mongolia. Mongolian joins the 51 languages already present, both written and spoken, thanks to a collaboration with the local Church.

All Sunday Angelus and Wednesday catechesis will be translated and published on the Vatican portal’s new dedicated language page.

“We are happy about this new possibility to read the words of the Holy Father in Mongolian,” emphasizes Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar. “It is one of the fruits of his recent visit to the land of the eternal blue sky, which touched the hearts of Mongolian Catholics, but also of many people of other religious beliefs, positively impressed by the great human and spiritual testimony of Pope Francis.

“His words have stuck with us,” the cardinal reiterated, “many people have commented, ‘highlighting the values of our tradition.’ Now the ordinary magisterium of the Successor of Peter is available in the Mongolian language. A new tool for evangelization, which we hope will unleash its full potential through today’s communication channels.”

“It seems like a small thing,” said Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, “but to us, it seems and is as great as Mongolia itself. Speaking all languages, as many languages as possible, is our mission, our service. Doing it not alone, but with those living in the territories where our words reach, teaches us the importance of facing challenges together, walking together, doing ‘great things’ in the daily effort of seemingly small things. Step by step.”

“In the Church,” Dr. Ruffini emphasized, “there is no great and no small. Speaking Mongolian will also help the entire Church rediscover the importance of what seems small in the world’s eyes and of planting little seeds. We will receive more than we give. As Pope Francis often repeats, God’s revelation occurs in littleness: ‘The Spirit chooses the small, always; because it ‘cannot enter the big, the proud, the self-sufficient.’“

“The journey to Mongolia in September 2023 was extraordinary,” noted Andrea Tornielli, Editorial Director of Vatican Media, “for the testimony we all received from that small and still emerging Church, devoted to serving others. The drone photo with the Successor of Peter and all the Catholics of the country, who number 1,500, is historic. As a sign of attention to this small community, to foster communion, thanks to the collaboration of Cardinal Marengo, we have decided to open a Mongolian language page on Vatican News, thus bringing the languages used by the Vatican media system to 52 for now. It is a tribute to our Mongolian brothers and sisters, as well as their evangelical testimony in Mongolia.”

“Our mission is to spread the Gospel throughout the world, give voice to local Churches, read events through the lens of Catholic social doctrine, never leave anyone alone,” highlighted Massimiliano Menichetti, Head of Vatican Radio-Vatican News. “We started working on this project during the Pope’s trip to Mongolia, inspired by His support for this small community. We start by publishing on the Vatican News portal, but later there might also be audio production. We are working on synergistic models with local Churches, precisely to give more and more voice to that hope that changes the world.”