A new chapter in the still unfolding story of "La Croix International"

It was the end of April 2014. Mick Kelly, the Australian Jesuit who was then the executive director of the Union of Catholic Asia News (UCAN), rang me and asked if I would like to join him in a new online publishing endeavor. His idea was to create something similar to the Guardian Weekly but specifically for a Catholic readership. Like that century-old UK journal, it would consist mainly of feature stories, commentaries, and reviews, but with a special emphasis on analysis and opinion pieces. And it, too, also be in partnership with other publications. The secular media giant in London was linked with Le Monde and the Washington Post and was publishing a selection of their articles. Mick was able to secure working agreements with notable Catholic publishers at Commonweal in New York, Eureka Street in Melbourne, and Bayard (La Croix and Urbi et Orbi) in Paris. Material from these partners and others would be added to articles that journalists from across Asia were penning for UCAN. It sounded like an exciting and challenging new project. Mick asked me to be the Rome-based editor of this new publication. It would be called Global Pulse Magazine and be for subscribers only. My task was to select "each day (Monday to Friday) three stories drawn from the contributing publishers involved in the project... write the signature 'Letter from Rome' for UCAN each week...(and) each month, write two features or opinion pieces for UCAN".

The partnership with Bayard

Mick and a small team at the UCAN offices in Bangkok (Thailand) were already at work to create the website, database, and all the other technical things that, thankfully, were completed by the time I joined them in September to help add the final touches to the project.

"Global Pulse Magazine provides unique insights on issues that matter – in the Church and in the wider world of politics, religion, ethics, society and culture," our first mission statement said. "The content is aimed at an international, English-speaking readership that values good writing and thoughtful assessments from the best Catholic publishers." At last, we were ready to go. Our first "issue" appeared online in early October 2014. Those fledgling days and months required much time and great effort. There were more than a few setbacks and a whole lot of trial-and-error episodes (especially with translations). But we were up and running and gaining subscribers. There were only a few of us working full-time on the project, mainly the managing editor in Bangkok (we had a series of them) and I in Rome. The new online publication was owned by UCAN, but the material from our partner publications that we were able to offer our readers was essential to our early success. And our partnership with Bayard, especially, was growing very strong. Much of that was due to the keen interest and foresight displayed by Arnaud Broustet, the "directeur délégué" of La Croix who managed Bayard's stake in the project. Most of us, except for Mick Kelly, had no idea how interested he really was.

A meeting was held in Bangkok at the end of January 2016. Arnaud and a member of his team came from Paris and I flew in from Rome. The objective of the gathering was to continue strategizing on ways to grow our subscription base and diversify what we were offering readers. Before those meetings got underway, Mick told me, "The French are going to buy the company. It won't happen now, but it will by the end of the year." He was wrong. During the very first sessions of the three-day gathering, Arnaud announced: "We want to buy Global Pulse." No doubt everyone in the room heard my jaw hit the floor. I couldn't believe it. Arnaud then said, "We want to rename the publication. What shall we call it?" Without hesitation, I said: "La Croix International!" Arnaud gave me a puzzled look. "But is La Croix known in the English-speaking world, Bob?" he asked. "No," I said. "But it is in the Vatican. And it's a well-established brand that gives us instant credibility." That seemed absolutely clear to me. And Arnaud immediately agreed. It took some time to do all the legal paperwork and figure out the logistics (thankfully, I was again spared from most of that), but we finally launched La Croix International the following October. A new chapter in the story.

Consolidating the "La Croix" brand, identity, and personality

It's hard to believe we are now coming up to eight years as the "LCI", as we often refer to the Bayard-owned publication. And while some English-speakers still call us "La Croy" -- pronouncing the name like the flavored sparkling water (LaCroix) made in the United States --, there is no question that La Croix International is now on the global Catholic map. It has taken all these years to achieve that and we could have never done it without the contribution of so many people. They include our original partners in the Global Pulse project and the many individuals around the world who have eagerly submitted opinion and analysis pieces, scholarly articles, reviews and even poetry for publication -- most of the time without charge. One of the indispensable figures in this latest chapter of our story has been Ivan Fernandes, the LCI managing editor. He's always kept our train running on time, as it were. And for those times when it has not, don't blame him. Blame me!

You will have noticed that La Croix International recently launched a new website. But this is not something that happened overnight. And it's not a mere facelift, either. Behind the re-designed site is a challenging new project that has been in the works for well over a year or so. The aim is to more firmly consolidate the La Croix brand, identity, and personality, while continuing to offer readers quality journalism. The project is the brainchild of Jean-Pierre Denis, who became the director of Bayard's international publications about four years ago. And a little more than one year ago he was able to convince Xavier Le Normand, a multilingual and energetic young French journalist with global experience, to be the LCI editor-in-chief. The "new" La Croix International -- which is currently in French and English and will eventually be in Spanish -- is only just getting started. It is an ambitious endeavor that will require as much time and energy as the upstart Global Pulse did. It opens yet another new chapter in the LCI story.

It has been a privilege

But it is also where my part in this still-ongoing story comes to an end. After nearly 10 years, it is time to take a break and eventually move on to the next chapter in my own life and journalistic career. This is not something I decided to do on the spur of the moment. I've been thinking about leaving LCI for several months now. But it was extremely difficult for me to finally do it, all the more because of the great people I work with -- that especially includes Loup Besmond de Senneville, the Vatican correspondent for La Croix. Not only has he been a stellar colleague, he's become a good and supportive friend since he arrived in Rome four years ago. It has been a great pleasure working with him. The people at Bayard did not make it easy for me to finally say "goodbye", either. They include some very fine people in a great and storied organization. I want to very publicly thank all of them. And I want to especially thank Mick Kelly for asking me to help him start this story back in 2014. It has been a great privilege.

And now I plan to spend the next few months on a sort of sabbatical, tackling a few personal projects that really don't have much to do with Catholic writing or Vatican watching. Resuming an earlier attempt to learn what many call the "most difficult language in the world" is my top priority. (You can take a guess what language that is.) I began studying it in 2001 after working 11 years at Vatican Radio. But that study adventure quickly came to an end when a man named John Wilkins made me an offer I could not refuse. Twenty-three years later, it's time to try again.

But before saying goodbye, I must also thank all of you, our readers. Thank you for your encouragement, your constructive criticism, and -- in many cases -- your friendship. Please continue showing the same support to my (now) former colleagues at La Croix International. And spare a thought or a prayer for me now and then.

Arrivederci!