So, the big question on everyone's mind since the smoke cleared from the Sistine Chapel back in May 2025: does the new pope speak English? Honestly, it's the first time in history where the answer isn't just a "kind of" or a "he’s working on it." Since we are talking about Pope Leo XIV, the first-ever American pope, the answer is a resounding, native-born yes. He doesn't just "speak" it; he thinks, jokes, and probably dreams in it.
It’s a massive shift. For years, we watched Pope Francis—who was wonderful but clearly struggled with English phonetics—stick mostly to Italian and Spanish. He even spent a few months in Dublin once specifically to learn English, but he later admitted it was the hardest language for him to wrap his head around. Now? We have a guy from the Chicago suburbs sitting in the Chair of Peter.
Who Exactly is Pope Leo XIV?
Before he was Leo XIV, he was Robert Francis Prevost. Born in Chicago in 1955, he grew up in Dolton, Illinois. If you've ever heard a midwestern accent, you know exactly what his English sounds like—clear, direct, and without that "Vatican-official" lilt we’ve gotten used to over the decades.
He didn't just stay in Chicago, though. He’s a citizen of Peru too. He spent over twenty years there as a missionary and a bishop. Because of that, he is basically a bridge between the two most powerful blocks of the Catholic Church: the English-speaking West and the Spanish-speaking South.
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Does the New Pope Speak English in Official Speeches?
You bet he does. Unlike his predecessors, who often relied on translators or carefully rehearsed English scripts that sometimes felt a bit stiff, Leo XIV is using English as a primary tool for diplomacy.
Just look at his recent address to the Diplomatic Corps on January 9, 2026. While the "language of diplomacy" at the Vatican is traditionally French, and the administrative language is Italian, Leo didn't hesitate to weave English into his calls for peace in war-torn regions. He’s using it to reach a younger, digital-first audience that doesn't necessarily speak Italian.
- Native Language: English (Chicago-born).
- Second Language: Spanish (fluent, from decades in Peru).
- Administrative Languages: Italian and French.
- Sacred Languages: Latin and a bit of German (he’s even been spotted on Duolingo).
Why His English Matters for the Church
It’s not just about convenience. When the Pope speaks English natively, the "filter" is gone.
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Think about it. When a Pope has to be translated, the nuance often gets lost. A word in Italian might have a slightly different "vibe" when it hits English ears. With Leo XIV, what you see is what you get. He’s been known to toss out the script during Q&A sessions with students or pilgrims. During a November 2024 meeting with high schoolers, he spoke entirely in English, using conversational phrases that made him feel more like a teacher than a distant monarch.
Some traditionalists in Rome are actually a bit nervous about this. They worry that the "Americanization" of the papacy might happen too fast. But for the 1.4 billion Catholics out there, many of whom live in English-speaking countries like the U.S., Philippines, or parts of Africa, hearing a Pope who doesn't trip over English vowels is a breath of fresh air.
The "Polyglot" Pope
Even though his English is his "home base," don't think he’s a one-trick pony. The guy is a legit polyglot.
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- He is completely fluent in Spanish—he spent half his life in Peru, after all.
- His Italian is top-tier because he lived and worked in Rome for years as the head of the Augustinians and later the Dicastery for Bishops.
- He’s proficient in French and Portuguese.
- Rumor has it he even says some of his private prayers in Quechua, a language he picked up during his missionary days in the Andes.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often assume that because he’s the "American Pope," he’s going to be all about American politics. That’s a mistake. While he’s registered to vote in the Chicago suburbs and has been vocal about immigration on his old X account (formerly Twitter), his worldview is deeply shaped by his time in the Global South.
He’s an Augustinian. That means he focuses on community and "the heart." When he speaks English, he isn't just speaking to Americans; he’s speaking to a global world that uses English as its common tongue.
Actionable Insights for Following the Pope
If you want to keep up with his English-language addresses, here is how you do it without getting lost in the Vatican's complex website:
- Check Vatican News (English Section): They now prioritize his English-language video clips since they don't need voiceovers anymore.
- Watch the Wednesday General Audiences: He started a new series in January 2026 about Vatican II. He often does a summary in English at the end for the pilgrims in the square.
- Look for the "Unscripted" Moments: Leo is famous for walking up to the crowd. His English is most "human" when he’s just chatting with people behind the barricades.
The era of the English-speaking Pope isn't just coming; it’s here. It’ll be interesting to see how this changes the way the Vatican communicates over the next few years. For the first time, the "leader of the universal church" sounds a lot like the guy next door.
To stay updated on his specific speeches, you can follow the official Holy See Press Office transcripts which are now released in English almost simultaneously with the Italian versions.