Crux will live to see another day.
Veteran Vatican reporter John L. Allen Jr., associate editor of Crux, and the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, have announced that they will enter into a partnership in which Crux will remain an independent news outlet headed by Allen and Vatican correspondent Inés San Martín.
Allen said the joint project is designed to make one of the world’s best known Catholic news platforms even stronger. The partnership will combine the Knights’ resources and spirit of service with the journalistic experience and commitment of Crux.
As part of the project, Catholic Pulse, a news and commentary website operated by the Knights of Columbus, will merge with Crux, adding its resources to Crux’s blend of staff-generated reporting and analysis with pieces by respected guest contributors. The Crux website will feature the tagline: “Keeping its finger on the Catholic Pulse.”
The announcement comes less than a week after The Boston Globe announced that it would no longer support Crux financially, citing a lack of advertising revenue. The Globe launched the Catholic website in September, 2014 with Allen as its lead reporter, San Martín based in Rome, Michael O’Loughlin as national reporter, and Margery Eagan as a spirituality columnist. As announced last week, O’Loughlin and Eagan will not stay with the site.
The Globe is turning the site’s assets over to Allen, and will help him with his transition to the new website.
Reporting and analysis by Allen and San Martín will continue to focus primarily on the Vatican, the Church, and Catholic issues generally, as well as international religious freedom. Allen said the aim is to ensure that informed, responsible, and fair journalism helps to set the tone for discussion of Catholic affairs in the United States and around the world. Over time, plans call for additional contributors to add their commentary to the lineup.
The Knights will respect the editorial freedom of Crux, Allen said, trusting it to present news and commentary in a way that serves the good of the Church.
“We are very pleased to have the opportunity to join together in this important venture and look forward to this partnership with Crux, and with its principals, John Allen and Inés San Martín, as they continue to build on their record of thoughtful and intelligent journalism and commentary,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. “Crux is an important voice and key source of news for Catholics and about Catholic issues, and we are very pleased to be able to keep this important voice speaking to the Church and to the world.”
“We are thrilled with this partnership with the Knights of Columbus,” Allen said. “The Knights are one of the most dynamic and effective Catholic organizations in the world, and their generosity will help ensure that Crux can continue telling the broad Catholic story.”
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley of Boston added: “We are very pleased to know that the Knights of Columbus will be sponsoring Crux going forward. The original launch of this innovative forum for reporting news and sharing conversations concerning the Catholic Church was a great encouragement. We appreciate The Boston Globe having provided the startup for Crux, and are confident that the Knights of Columbus, under the capable leadership of Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, will achieve new levels of success with this important communications tool, on behalf of the work of the Church and the good of the wider community.”
The plans are for Knights of Columbus to be the main sponsor and partner. Crux will also continue to solicit advertising and may allow some level of additional co-sponsorship, especially for the coverage of specific topic areas that align with the joint Knights/Crux mission of providing quality Catholic journalism.
