The Cross

the Cross is a catholic French daily newspaper, property of the group Bayard Presse since 1880.

Monthly magazine with the daily newspaper

When in 1880 the first number of appears the Cross , the newspaper is a monthly magazine. It becomes a daily newspaper on June 16th, 1883. If the father Emmanuel d' Alzon (1810-1880), founder of the Assomptionniste S and the oblates of the Assumption, is on the initiative of this publication, the true promoter is the father Vincent-of-Paul Bailly.

When the augustins of the Assumption understand that with the formula of monthly magazine, they cannot reach the necessary number readers, they decide to convert the Cross into a daily newspaper and to sell this one like a sheet with a penny.

the Cross succeeds in federating certain catholic currents while seeking to place itself above the parties and of the political options, but, lasting the Affaire Dreyfus, it is violently antidreyfusarde and anti-semite. In 1890, the Cross affirms being the catholic newspaper anti Juif of France. (" It happens sometimes that historians omit in this quotation the catholic word . the Cross retorted thus with a polemic of catholic origin, insinuating that Jews played a big role in his rédaction" writing No5el Copin in his livre" I thus doubt I crois" Flammarion - Desclée de Brouwer, 1996).

January 25th, 1900, the congregation of the assomptionnists is legally dissolved by Waldeck-Rousseau, and the publisher of the Cross , the Good Press, is repurchased by Paul Feron-Vrau.

The revival

During several years, the Cross appears under two formats. The first is that of a periodical of small size intended for the popular customers, the second that of a newspaper large size intended for a more demanding public and more cultivated. In 1927, the Merklen father, resulting from an Alsatian big family, having become editor association, the Cross opens his columns with the social questions. It is it which is on the initiative of the creation of the catholic Action and it is thanks to it that the Christian working Jeunesse (JOC) is attached to the Église of France. It is about an ideological turning of the newspaper, up to that point related to the preserving catholic tradition, which passes gradually from the statute of religious daily newspaper to that of daily newspaper of general information.

The Second world war sees the Cross being folded up on Bordeaux, then on Limoges. The newspaper will cease appearing only tardily, on June 21st, 1944. It will be authorized to reappear only on February 1st, 1945.

It is the father Gabel who governs the revival of the newspaper. Editor association as from 1949, it introduces new headings, like the sport, the cinema, the fashion or the theater. February 1st, 1956, the Cross appears for the first time without the crucifix which decorates the “one” of the newspaper since its creation. During this period, the newspaper is shown openly favorable to the worker priests and engages actively against torture in Algeria.

Under the direction of the young father Antoine Wenger, editor association of 1957 to 1969, the Cross supports the council the Vatican II (1962-1965) which opens the Catholic church with realities and the challenges of modernity (recognition of pluralism, of the place primoridale of the individual conscience, the human rights and the religious liberty) and makes leave with Catholicism any nostalgia of Christendom: revival of the comprehension of Rélévation, return to the biblical sources, new figure of the Church, less hierarchical, encouragement of the oecumenical dialog with the Protestant and orthodoxe Christians and of the interreligieux dialog… The newspaper, with the tuning fork with the Church of France, will make much to make known and to develop the intuitions of the Council.

In March 1968, it leaves under a format tabloïd. In January 1972, it becomes the Cross-L' Event . The choice of this new title indicates a will of the drafting to show that the newspaper is not only one religious newspaper, but a daily newspaper like the others, attentive with the social phenomena. It preserves a faithful national audience since 87% of the sales are done by subscription, but the weakness of the diffusion and the modesty of the advertizing resources involve operating deficits which are covered by the benefit of the other publications of the group Bayard presses ( the Pilgrim , Our Time , various publications for children, of which Pomme Api ).

A newspaper centenary

To celebrate its centenary in 1983, the Cross-L' Event obtains a new model, much more attractive, opens new headings and sees arriving at the month of June 1983 as editor association, director of the drafting No5el Copin. It will remain it until the end of the year 1994, when it leaves in retirement. The number of its readers continues however to decrease.

In 1995, fresh impulse is given by Bruno Frappat, new director of the drafting of the Cross and former director of the drafting of the Monde . Whereas the whole of the press is confronted with a disaffection of the assistantship, the passage in the morning, on January 11th 1999, allowed the Cross to increase its sales with a paid diffusion of 103.404 specimens in 2005 against 87.891 specimens in 2001 (figures OJD).

In addition the Bayard group develops a double strategy. On the one hand, it invests in the modernization of the Cross with the introduction of the electronic drafting and starting, in 1987, of a data bank in full text of the daily newspaper. In addition, the group accentuates its diversification: it increases its presence on the market of the childish press and catholic documentation by the creation of new titles. It also launches out in the coproduction of television programs for the children and the internationalization of certain titles, Our time for example.

In 2000, the leader-writer Michel Kubler declares his opposition to Dominus Iesus. In 2005, Dominique Quinio becomes director of the drafting of the newspaper.

November 21st, 2006, the newspaper is modernized by proposing a new formula (evolution of the model, on the graphic plan and in the organization of the headings). Internet site of the www.la-croix.com daily newspaper is him also renewed.

The newspaper is said very attached to the council the Vatican II. Moreover, he criticizes sometimes the preserving elements known center of the Church, which reveals controversies sometimes.

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