Panini launches My Pope magazine in Switzerland
The Italian Panini publishing house is launching a German-language Pope magazine. Entitled Mein Papst (My Pope), the magazine will be published in Switzerland, Germany and Austria from next week with an initial print run of 250,000 copies.
"Close to the people, humane and serious" is the motto of the magazine, which will report on the life and work of the pontiff on 72 pages every month. According to Kath.ch, Mein Papst will be available at newsstands in Switzerland from March 18 for 2.90 francs. The core target group is women over 40, and the launch issue focuses on the pre-Easter Holy Week with Francis and his life story. "The Pope of hearts - Francis is one of us" is the cover story. Another article deals with the papal apartment. There are also travel tips, puzzles and recipes.
However, articles on sensitive theological topics such as celibacy and the position of women in the church are not to be expected. "We're clearly leaving that on the page," says Mein-Papst editor-in-chief Karin Grassl. But there are "2 posters with a message" as an extra. The magazine from the collectible picture publisher Panini is modeled on the magazine Il Mio Papa, which has been published weekly in Italy for a year now. According to kath.ch, such formats traditionally have a large readership south of the Alps. One of the largest weekly magazines in Italy, with more than three million readers, is called The Christian Family. (SDA)
Picture: Panini
