Visiting Ireland, the Pope has spoken in Italian, preached in Spanish, and chatted in French to people from Burkina Faso. But he has only given a blessing in English.
He did not speak it much, if at all, when he visited the United States, either. But then, although he will not live to see it, his own mother tongue will be that country's principal language soon enough.
The "Anglosphere" is as dead as the EU. Getting out of the latter, and arguably out of the former in that sense, is our chance to deal instead with the great rising powers of Eurasia, Latin America, and Africa.
India has less and less of an Anglophone, Anglophile elite; it is still there, but it runs things less and less. China has never had one.
And yes, I do speak French. A bit of Spanish, too; I must brush up. But mostly French. I love it, and that is reason enough in itself. But it is also the key to much of Africa. And there will soon enough be a President of France who understands which way the world is heading.
Britain, however, seems determined to take longer to catch up.
He did not speak it much, if at all, when he visited the United States, either. But then, although he will not live to see it, his own mother tongue will be that country's principal language soon enough.
The "Anglosphere" is as dead as the EU. Getting out of the latter, and arguably out of the former in that sense, is our chance to deal instead with the great rising powers of Eurasia, Latin America, and Africa.
India has less and less of an Anglophone, Anglophile elite; it is still there, but it runs things less and less. China has never had one.
Britain, however, seems determined to take longer to catch up.
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