We are 90

On October 16, 1920, The Southern Cross published its debut edition, featuring a photo and message of Pope Benedict XV on the front-page. This week, one week short of our 4 700th edition, we look back at 90 years of The Southern Cross—and also to the future.

Much has changed in the Church and the world since The Southern Cross first appeared. The newspaper has lived through economic crises, a world war, apartheid, and anti-Catholicism in South Africa. It has reported on eight popes, the first locally-born bishop and Vatican II. The Southern Cross evolved to reflect the Church of its times and adapted to keep up with technological advances.

The Southern Cross has been an integral part of the life of the Church for almost a century, providing a home for the Body of Christ throughout our vast territory. It will doubtless continue that mission.

Addressing Catholic communications specialists in Rome earlier this month, Pope Benedict noted the importance of Catholics making use of the New Media, but also emphasised that the printed Catholic press—such as the newspaper you are holding right now—remains essential for Church communities. Indirectly, Pope Benedict restates the call made by a succession of his predecessors: that every Catholic home should have a Catholic newspaper.

The pontifical expectation has not been fully realised in South Africa, where the Catholic media is not found in every Catholic home. Nonetheless, The Southern Cross celebrates its 90th anniversary in robust health. At a time when newspapers are struggling to survive, The Southern Cross has managed to hold its circulation steady.

This achievement has been recognised by South Africa’s Marketing Mix magazine, which earlier this year named The Southern Cross as one of the top performing newspapers in the country.

The credit for this is not due alone to the staff of the newspaper, nor to the committed board of directors of the Catholic Newspaper & Publishing Company Ltd, which publishes The Southern Cross. The achievement also belongs to those people in the parishes who distribute and promote The Southern Cross—the parishioners who receive the weekly parcels, the priests who mention the newspaper in the notices at Mass, and those who ensure that their fellow Catholics buy it, and to those who loyally buy and read the newspaper. And the biggest credit, of course, is due to Our Father, whose Holy Spirit we feel present in our work every day.

The Southern Cross is South Africa’s only nationally distributed Christian weekly newspaper. It is a notable distinction that, alone among the country’s denominations, Catholics manage to sustain a weekly newspaper—more so one that is financially entirely independent.

In compiling this week’s special 16-page supplement we were acutely aware that The Southern Cross is a community newspaper in the best sense of the word: we rely on friends and supporters to collaborate in the social communications apostolate: our friends and supporters, our generous Associates, our advertisers, and those who contribute towards the content.

Naturally we review the long history of the newspaper as well as look ahead to the future, and present the good wishes from advertisers whose kind support has made this special supplement possible.

We hope that our valued readers have enjoyed the company of The Southern Cross on their lives’ pilgrimage so far, and will continue to do so in the future.