Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/740

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PERIODICAL


676


PERIODICAL


Rcstonition, anil at tin' samo tiiiip a largo section of- the Monarchist press was hotitilc to the C'luin-h. In his book on the "Congregation" M . ( ieolTroy dri', rand- maison has drawn up a list of eighteen antielerical articles puhlished hv tlie " Constitutionnel " in the single month of September, 1826.

Under the Monarchy of July the first noteworthy incident waa the publication of the "Avenir" (see Lamennais). The Legitimist Press, of Catholic ten- dencies, offered a \igorous opposition to the Monarchy of July, the chief organs being the "Quotidienne" (see Lauuentie) and the old "Gazette", of which the Abb6 de Genonde was long the principal editor. Cr^tineau-Joly (q. v.) issued a provincial journal, the "Gazette du Dauphind", a fearless instrument of Catholic and Legitimist propaganda. The first really serious attempt at Catholic journalism belongs to this period. On Sunday, 3 Nov., 1S33, appeared the first number of the "Univers religieux, politique, scien- tifique et litteraire". Its motto was: "Unity in what is certain, liberty in what is doubtful, charity, truth, and impartiality in all. " It was founded by the Abb6 Migne. Offsetting the "Ami de la Religion" and the "Journal des villes ct dcs campagnes", which were of Galilean tendencies, the "Univers", with which the "Tribune", founded by Bailly, was soon merged, represented the most distinctly Roman tendency. Montalembert became associated with the "Univers" in 1835; Louis Veuillot contributed to it his first article in 1839. The "Univers", as the centre of the Catholic campaigns for liberty of instruction, assured a widespread circulation to the claims of the bishops and the speeches of Montalembert and Lacordaire. The "Opinion Publique", founded in 1848 by Alfred Nettement, was a Royalist Catholic journal, which was assured a literary reputation by the contributions of Barbey d'Aurevilly and Arraand de Pontmartin. In the same year, at the instance of Ozanam and the Abbe Maret, Lacordaire founded the "Ere Nouvelle", which within three months received 3200 subscrip- tions, chiefly among the younger clergy, but which did not last long.

Under the Second Empire several very serious dis- cussions occupied the attention of the Catholic Press: viz., the use of the pagan classics in secondary studies (see Gau.me) ; the controversy aroused by the baptism of the Jewish child Mortara, of Bologna, who had been baptized during a serious illness by a Christian servant without the knowledge of his parents, and subsequently reared as a Christian at the command of the Pontifical Government; and the discussions con- cerning the Roman question. In the course of the discussions on the last-named topic the "Univers" was suppressed by an imperial decree of 29 Jan., 1860, as being guilty of having "compromised public order, the independence of the State, the authority and the dignity of religion". It reappeared 15 April, 1867, and played a very important part during the years preceding the Vatican Council. The "Frangais", founded 1 April, 1868, by Augustin Cochin and Mgr Dupanloup, received contributions from the Due de Broglie, M. Thureau-Dangin (at present permanent secretary of the French Academy), and the future minister Buffet, and was constantly engaged in contro- versy with the "Univers".

The law of 29 July, 1881, definitely established the complete freedom of the press, and submitted to juries formed of simple citizens the political suits brought by officials against newspapers. The law of 1893 against Anarchist abuses was a restriction of the absolute liberty of the Press, but this law is seldom enforced. The characteristic fact of the history of the Press under the Third Republic is the development of five-centime journals, inaugurated as early as 1836 by the foundation of the "Presse" under the auspices of Emile de Girardin.

At the present time the two Catholic journals of


Paris arc the "Univers" and the "Croix". For the former, see France. The "Croix" is published by the Maison de la Bonne Presse, which originated in the foundation in 1873 of the "Pelerin", a bulletin of societies and an organ of pilgrimages, which in 1867 became an illustrated journal, amusing and sometimes satirical; its present circulation is 3fJ(),000. In 1880 a monthly review, the "Croix", was founded, which became a daily in June, 1883, after the second peni- tential crusade to the Holy Places organized by the Assumptionists. After the Associations Law the Maison de la Bonne Presse was purchased in 1900 bj' M. Paul Feron-Vrau; it employs a staff of about 600 persons. For its great journal, the "Croix", it has throughout the country more than 10,000 committees and nearly 50,000 promoters. It has more direct sub- scriptions than any Parisian journal, and its circula- tion places it fourth in rank. It costs one sou (five centimes), and since 1 Jan., 1907, has had six large pages. For purposes of propaganda there is a smaller paper issued daily, which is delivered in quantities to the clergy for 8 or 9 centimes weekly. The " Croix du Dimanche ", appearing weekly, besides the news of the week, gives agricultural information in a supplement called the "Laboureur". The "Croix illustrde" has appeared since 24 Dec, 1900, and soon reached a cir- culation of 50,000 copies. The Ligue de I'Ave Maria, founded Oct., 1888, under the inspiration of Admiral Guicquel des Touches, has had a monthly, the "Petit Journal bleu", since 1897, with a circulation of over 100,000. Its direct subscription price is only 25 cen- times yearly, and a number of copies for propaganda may be secured for a half-centime per copy.

The Maison de la Bonne Presse also publishes the "Action Catholique" (founded 1899), a monthly re- view; the "Chronique de la Bonne Presse", a weekly, founded 25 April, 1900, to give information concerning the movement of ideas in the Press; the "Confe- rences", a semi-monthly review which supplies ac- counts of conferences; the "Fa.scinateur", which gives notes on photographic slides and views for Catholic con- ferences; the "Cosmos", a popular scientific review, founded by the Abbe Moigno in 1852; the "Contem- porains", founded in 1892, which each week gives the biography of some celebrated person; "Echos d'Orient", founded in 1896 and devoted to Oriental and Byzantine questions; "Questions Actuelles", a weekly, founded in 1887, which publishes all recent documents bearing on political and religious ques- tions; the "Revue d'Organization et de D(?fense Reli- gieuse", foundedin 1908, asemi-monthly review, which studies religious questions from a legal standpoint; the "Mois Litt(5raire et Pittoresque", a popular re- view founded in 1899; the "Vies des Saints", founded in 1880; "Noel", for children, founded in 1895; and two reviews devoted to the two capitals of Chris- tendom : "Rome", founded Dec, 1903; and "Jeru- salem", founded July, 1904. In a single year 350,000 letters reach the Maison de la Bonne Presse.

Another Parisian Catholic daily is the "D6mo- cratie", founded by M. Sangnier, former president of the "Sillon". The first number appeared a few days previous to the Encyclical of Pius X on the "Sillon" (Aug., 1910), and the publication has continued with the authority of Cardinal Merry del Val. The "Libre Parole", an anti-Semitic journal founded in 1891 by M.Edouard Drumont,has since 1910been marked by a Catholic tendency owing to the collaboration of several members of the Association Catholique de la Jeunesse Frangaise. At Saint-Maixent (Deux-S6vres) has been founded the Maison de la Bonne Presse de I'Ouest, which publishes parochial bulletins and almanacs. The circulation of the bulletins equalled (1908) nearly 100,000 monthly copies for 300 parishes, that of yearly almanacs nearly 200,000 copies for more than 800 parishes.

By means of fourteen combinations the "Croix" of