So when I read about how the Pope has six separate e-mail addresses, each for a different language, my first thought was "Only six?" What, does the Vatican only get so many free addresses with their hosting plan? I know that those six languages probably cover the vast majority of the world's Catholics, but still. It doesn't hurt to reach out.

Then I went to the site and realised that it wasn't just a pull-down menu of languages or anything -- there are six separate sites, one in each language. So I guess I can understand why they didn't duplicate that for every language in the world.

(But why isn't Latin one of the languages they do have? If they won't use it, who will?)

It's also interesting that the Pope's name changes depending on which language you say it in, unlike regular names in the modern era (people named Juan don't usually get called John by English speakers).

In other Pope-and-language news, he's already under fire for not speaking enough Spanish. Interestingly, that article also calls English "the official world language". Don't they mean de facto, almost the opposite of official? I doubt that the French would allow a UN resolution declaring English the official language of the catering committee, let alone the entire world. (And I don't know who but the UN would even dream of claiming the authority to decide Official World Xs. Well... maybe the Vatican.)