c. 2014 Religion News Service
ROME (RNS) Il Mio Papa, a new weekly magazine that will focus entirely on Pope Francis — complete with a weekly centerfold poster of the pontiff — is scheduled to hit Italian newsstands on Wednesday (March 5).
The magazine, whose name translates to “My Pope,” will go heavy on photography and colorful layouts, according to a news release from publisher Mondadori. It’s the first magazine entirely devoted to just one pontiff.
The magazine will include stories about people and events that inspire the pope; background information on papal remarks; a “saints of the week” column; a collection of international cartoons about the pope; and a list of that week’s television programs dedicated to issues related to faith and Christianity.
The publisher said it envisions the magazine being a “meeting place” for the faithful to send in letters, poems and drawings related to Francis’ papacy.
Mondadori has high hopes for the publication, saying it plans to sell around 3 million copies in the first month, or about 750,000 each week. That would make it one of the company’s best-selling publications.
The magazine is not produced in collaboration with the Vatican.
Founded in 1907, Mondadori is Italy’s largest publisher in terms of revenue and total circulation. Since 1991, it is a key part of the media empire of controversial three-time Italian prime minister and billionaire media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi.
The company’s other titles include popular gossip magazine Chi; women’s style publication Grazia; center-right news magazine Panorama; and Sorrisi e Canzoni, Italy’s version of TV Guide.
