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Pope: Native languages are a defence against ideological dictatorship


Source: Vatican News Service/UNESCO

Today is International Mother Language Day. Promoted by UNESCO, this day seeks to encourage language and cultural diversity, as well as the abilitiy to speak more than one language.

During a homily at Casa Santa Marta last November, the Pope said: The mother tongue is a bastion against ideological and cultural colonialisation. Not being able to speak one's native language is a way of erasing history in order to undermine freedom of thought. Each dialect "has historical roots" he said.

Two things defend people against colonialisation: memory and dialect, the Pope said. "Who preserves memory and dialect?... Women - who are stronger than men." he said. It is only the strength that women have that is "capable of resisting a cutural and idealogical colonialisation"... History bears witness to this from the Bible to the dicatorial genocide in Europe of the last century.

On 7 January this year, during a baptism service, Pope Francis told parents that faith is transmitted through 'Mummy's and Daddy's language. "Do not forget that. Your task is to pass on the faith - but do it in the dialect of the love in your home."

True faith is learned from our mother's lips, in that language which only the child can understand.

Read more about the day: https://en.unesco.org/international-days/international-mother-language-day

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