The Journey of Translating Church Documents for Nepali-speaking Catholics
Translators from Darjeeling-Sikkim and Nepal recently came together for a two-day Pastoral Literature Translation Workshop, held at the beautiful Divya Vani Pastoral Centre in Darjeeling, India, on September 10-11.
The workshop aimed to focus on translating crucial Church documents for the Nepali-speaking Catholics in the region. With 12 dedicated participants, including resource persons, the event was organized as a continuation of a previous workshop in Bangkok back in June 2024, under the guidance of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) Office of Social Communication.
The primary goal of the workshop was to establish translation teams for major Asian languages, ensuring that essential Church documents reach the faithful across linguistic barriers. Participants expressed their enthusiasm for the project, with many experienced translators gaining valuable insights into new tools and methods during the workshop.
One of the key priorities discussed was the completion of the Nepali Bible, essential for the Nepali-speaking Catholic community. In response to Pope Francis’ call for Catholics to delve into the four Vatican II documents as part of the Jubilee 2025 preparations, the team committed to translating these texts into Nepali by Christmas 2024.
Moreover, the team also planned on translating the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) incrementally, developing a Nepali glossary of religious terms, and working on translating the Lives of Saints and the Church’s social teachings.
The next meeting of the translation team is scheduled to take place in Damak, Nepal, on November 15, 2024.
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