Esperanto and the religions: the Catholics

The Catholics got there first

The chronology is often told backwards: the magazine came before the union.

• La gazeto aperis antaŭ la asocio. - The magazine appeared before the association.

Espero Katolika was long called the oldest Esperanto magazine still appearing. The record has gaps: it stopped in both world wars, and no issues appeared in 2022 and 2023, until four 2023 issues were printed together in March 2024. Founded in 1903 and published, with interruptions, ever since is the accurate sentence.

What the Vatican has actually done

More than sceptics expect, less than the movement sometimes claims. Four dated facts:

The 1990 approval came from the Congregation for Divine Worship, a Vatican department. The 1992 decree, from the Pontifical Council for the Laity, made IKUE an international association of the faithful of pontifical right: a real canonical category, not a courtesy.

Vatican Radio began weekly, went twice weekly in 1981 and three times a week from October 1998. It is one of the broadcasters in the listening guide.

John Paul II also addressed gatherings directly in Esperanto, in 1991 and 1997. Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, Archbishop of Prague, celebrated Mass in Esperanto at the 1995 IKUE congress.