I am a little confused. In past years, The Angelus was offering a great variety of articles and there was always something of interest to pick from. Lately, and especially with the recent facelift, you have returned to the theme issue. This is not bad in itself, but I confess that I feel sometimes stifled especially as you try to focus virtually all the articles and pictures on the theme itself. Would you consider opening the horizon of each issue so that we traditionalists, who come from different backgrounds and have diverse interests, can again get more out of each issue?
I thank you for your interesting observation. You are indeed a very keen reader to realize that we have shifted back to the themes and not only that, but you are analyzing rightly the content when you say that many—not quite all as this is really impossible—of the contributions to any issue tend to focus on the theme itself.
This being said, we have considered that there is much to gain in returning to the theme presentation which was in vogue back in the days of Fr. Novak under Fr. Scott. In an interview I gave to Fr. Novak on this precise question—which we will soon get into print—he gave his opinion on the matter, which was rather pragmatic, and that is that “If it helps people get the magazine and read it, so be it!”
Again, perhaps we are using the theme approach as we are offering a focus to our readers and deepen important world and Church issues. This is why it is critical to choose a broad enough subject and offer as varied view points as diverse authors with professional expertise can offer. As you may have seen, last year, we started with the first sacraments and so, we decided we would finish the sevenfold series this year with the present issue on sacred Orders and leaving the Extreme Unction, quite fittingly I think, for November. We also try to offer fewer theological questions and rather more social topics related to family and education. What we have seen, indeed, is that our children growing up in modern society are getting further away from the basics of culture, education, and Catholic response to social pressure. Hence, the constant urge on our part to remind our traditionalist reader, whether parent or tutor or teacher, to study and live by the principles of the social teaching of the Church.
In our Society chapels, I have come across several English magazines published by other Society districts. I am thinking particularly of England. Canada might even be reverting to the idea of its own publication, more like the Regina Coeli Report. But I am thinking also of the Asian district’s Apostle, which seems quite popular. And the African district also has its own publication. Has anyone thought of joining all these editorial productions to unify and simplify the work? Is that possible or even worthwhile?
The question has come lately to our attention. But between the initial thought and the final product, there could be a long and arduous road. And you will have observed yourself how different the “charism” of each of these publications is, and how tough a battle it would be to please people living in such far-flung regions when it come to pamphlets or magazines. For what comes across at first glance is that these other publications read more like our present Regina Coeli Report than The Angelus.
The Angelus Press and its monthly voice, The Angelus magazine, were authorized by the Archbishop in 1979 to promote the principles of the Society of St. Pius X in the U.S. district, which are those of the Church of all times, against the modern trends following the Vatican II tsunami. Other publications had existed elsewhere across the world to uphold the Christian heritage. So, this may explain why our review has always offered substantial arguments and thought-provoking articles fitting to college-educated readers, although it tries to balance it with more down-to-earth analysis.
There is no doubt that unifying the printed word is an interesting idea, that of joining forces and of bringing to the table more brains and more thoughts. You may realize that it would also create delicate problems of who is ultimately in charge, who is going to give up, and what is going to be lost in the process—not to mention the economical aspect, most crucial in third world countries where a US $9.95 magazine would total a week’s salary for a family!