A Michigan Catholic priest tweets in Latin for Pope Francis.

Some 230,000 people follow Spanish-speaking Pope Francis’ Twitter feed in Latin, a language that draws more users than German, Polish or Arabic. And one of the Vatican-based authors who translates Francis’ 140-character pronouncements into Latin is Msgr. Daniel Gallagher, a Catholic priest who graduated from then-Traverse City High School and the University of Michigan.

Gallagher, on loan to the Vatican from the Diocese of Gaylord, is the only American among seven specialists in the Office of Latin Letters at the Vatican Secretary of State. Gallagher and his colleagues help the pope conduct business in Latin, the official language of the Roman Catholic Church.

“The opportunity to compose in Latin as a job and day after day is very unique,” said Gallagher. “Most people who are involved in Latin at higher levels are there because they’re studying it. That’s a different ballgame than writing Latin, which is very unique. We’re the only place in the world … that it’s an official requirement.” More.

See: Detroit Free Press

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