Tablet colludes in defamation of Cardinal

UPDATE: On Friday the 2nd of January I received a reply from The Tablet, informing me that a correction had been published in the upcoming print edition of the magazine.

Dear Ms Pepinster,

I am writing to call your attention to a grave error in your item on Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro, printed on your website on the 27th of February. [I later realised that it was also published in the print edition]

Your title and interpretation of the Cardinal’s words are based on a clear case of mistranslation.

What the cardinal actually said, in Portuguese: “A mulher deve poder ficar em casa, ou, se trabalhar fora, num horário reduzido, de maneira que possa aplicar-se naquilo em que a sua função é essencial, que é a educação dos filhos.”

Your article translates this as: “The woman should stay at home, or if she works outside the home, it should be only part-time, so that she can dedicate herself to her essential function which is to bring up the children”

However a correct translation is: “The woman should be able to stay at home or, if she works outsider the home, part-time, so that she can dedicate herself to a function in which she is essential, which is the education of children”

As I am sure you understand, to say that a woman should “be able” to stay at home is very different from saying that she “should stay at home”. Also, to say that a woman is essential in the education of her children is very different from saying that educating children is her essential role.

In publishing this report you have done the cardinal a grave injustice, which I believe merits an apollogy. You have also simply parroted the Portuguese secular press, in which these deturpations first arose, which is somewhat less than what we expect from an informed Catholic Magazine.

Yours,

Filipe d’Avillez

A propósito deste assunto, remeto para aqui.