Those who read Italian will soon have another daily source to turn to... Obviously, I am posting this here because most of the names involved in this new venture are known to be supportive of Benedict XVI and his Pontificate ...
Messori, Tornielli et al launch
daily online opinion journal tomorrow
MILAN, Dec. 8 (Translated from ADNKronos) - Tomorrow, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, an online opinion journal,
La Bussola Quotidiano (The Daily Compass], will be launched to offer "a Catholic perspective in judging events of the day,from the certainty that the Christian experience is capable of fully embracing and respecting the dignity of man".
The new daily at
www.labussolaquotidiana.it [the actual site is not available as of today] arose from the friendship which developed among some Italian newsmen from their common experience contributing to the monthly journal
Il Timone [The Tiller).
Its editorial director is Vittorio Messori, best-selling author of books like
Hypothesis on Jesus and
The Ratzinger Report - considered the leading Catholic writer living today.
Managing editor is Andrea Tornielli, Vatican correspondent for
Il Giornale [himself the author of several religious books including a biography of Benedict XVI and what is so far considered teh definitive biography of Pius XII], who will be assisted by editors Riccardo Cascioli, Marco Respinti and Antonio Giuliano.
The roster of contributors includes Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, president of the Vatican bank IOR; Mons. Luigi Negri, Bishop of Montefeltre-San Marino; Robi Ronza, Massimo Introvigne, Giorgio Torelli, Gianfranco Fabi, Rino Cammilleri, Paolo Rodari, Claudio Risè, Vincenzo Sansonetti, Saverio Gaeta, Francesco Agnoli, Carlo Bellieni, Bernardo Cervellera, Mario Palmaro, Giacomo Samek Lodovici, Piero Gheddo, Giorgio Carbone, Roberto Marchesini, Jacopo Guerriero and Gianni Valente.
"We do not have ideological positions to defend, not even Catholic," the Bussola group says in a statement. "In the daily flow of news, we wish to defend and promote an idea of man that is commensurate with his dignity. And therefore, no aspect of reality shall be extraneous for us: from social emergencies to the economy, cultural expressions and sports - all shall be treated by seeking to catch the human destiny that emerges from the particulars of each event".
BQ's motto is «In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas» (Unity in the essential, freedom about what is doubtful or dubious, charity in every thing) and propose news and analyses of facts or events ignored by the major communications media.
A weekend edition will contain analyses in depth and some special reports particularly those dedicated to the family.
I Googled Il Timone, and it turns out that Bussola is sort of an expansion of the monthly printed magazine, based in Milan and distributed in Italian parishes, to an online daily journal, 11 years after Il Timone first came into being in 1998 as a 'magazine of popular apologetics'. As its banner reads above, its purposes are:
- To 'give reason' for the Catholic faith
- To promote a culture that arises from the faith
- To defend the Church and the Pope from opposition and lies
The stable of writers for Bussola and Timone are obviously identical. An online introduction of Bussola in Timone says the organizing meeting took place in Milan last October 7, and in its sub-head, describes the event as "Catholics faithful to the Pope mobilize":
Right photo, Mons. Negri of Montefeltre-San Marino, celebrates Mass on Oct. 7; left photo, four of the Bussola team, from left, Massimo Introvigne, Vittorio Messori, Marco Invernizzi, and Franco Ciccarello. Nelow, the introductory press conference in October:, from left, Gianpaolo Barra, Andrea Tornielli, Messori, and Cesare Ponti, president of the 'Supporters of Bussola'.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 01/04/2011 04:00]