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| La Procure | |
|---|---|
| Name | La Procure |
| Type | Religious bookseller and publisher |
| Founded | 1930s |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Country | France |
| Topics | Catholicism, spirituality, theology, liturgy, Bible |
La Procure La Procure is a Paris-based Catholic bookseller and publisher known for distribution of religious texts, devotional materials, scholarly works, and sacramental resources. Founded in the 20th century, it operates as a retail, publishing, and distribution hub serving clergy, monastic communities, academic institutions, and lay readers across Europe and francophone regions. The institution has intersected with prominent Catholic figures, congregations, theological movements, and ecclesiastical publishers.
La Procure traces origins to the interwar and postwar cultural reshaping of Catholic institutions in France, emerging alongside contemporaries such as Éditions du Cerf, La Croix-affiliated outlets, and diocesan bookshops. In the context of the Second Vatican Council and the liturgical reforms that followed, La Procure expanded inventories of texts by authors like Henri de Lubac, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Karl Rahner, and Joseph Ratzinger while also distributing classic editions of Saint Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Teresa of Ávila, and John Henry Newman. The enterprise adapted through periods marked by events such as the May 1968 events in France and broader European secularization trends, positioning itself between traditionalist currents exemplified by figures like Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and reformist theologians associated with the French School of Spirituality.
Over decades La Procure built relationships with publishing houses including Éditions Fayard, Gallimard, Flammarion, and specialized Catholic presses such as Éditions du Cerf and Centre National du Livre partners, navigating market shifts caused by the rise of online bookselling led by platforms like Amazon (company) and digital initiatives from cultural institutions such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
La Procure positions itself to support pastoral life, academic study, and private devotion by curating works across biblical studies, patristics, liturgy, and spiritual formation. It sources titles from international producers including Ignatius Press, Paulist Press, Cambridge University Press, and Oxford University Press, while promoting francophone scholarship from houses such as Éditions du Cerf and Les Éditions du Seuil. Activities encompass retail sales, online commerce, wholesale distribution to seminaries and religious orders like the Dominican Order and Jesuits (Society of Jesus), and organizing in-store events featuring speakers such as Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, Dominique Wolton, or contemporary authors linked to Université catholique de Lille.
La Procure also engages with liturgical calendars and sacramental seasons—partnering with ecclesial events like World Youth Day and national celebrations in coordination with episcopal conferences such as the Conference of French Bishops. It liaises with heritage institutions like the Musée du Louvre and Notre-Dame de Paris for thematic offerings tied to exhibitions and ecclesiastical restorations.
Beyond retailing, La Procure has produced catalogs, devotional guides, prayer books, and annotated editions of scriptural texts, collaborating with translators and editors affiliated with École Biblique de Jérusalem, Pontifical Biblical Institute, and university presses including Université Paris-Sorbonne. It distributes editions of the Bible in French translations such as the Bible de Jérusalem and scholarly commentaries by authors from Collège des Bernardins and the Institut Catholique de Paris. Product lines include catechetical materials aligned with catechisms like the Catechism of the Catholic Church, liturgical books for Roman Rite celebrations, and popular biographies of saints such as Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint Francis of Assisi, and Pope John Paul II.
La Procure’s print catalogs have historically featured collaborations with cultural magazines like Revue des deux Mondes and theological journals such as Concilium and Études, offering curated collections for clergy, scholars, and lay readers.
Headquartered in central Paris, La Procure maintains flagship premises in a district frequented by clergy, seminarians, and tourists visiting religious sites such as Île de la Cité and Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Distribution extends through a national network of shops, online platforms, and partnerships with religious bookstores across francophone countries including Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and former francophone Africa such as Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire. Logistics have engaged with carriers and cultural distributors like La Poste and European book wholesalers tied to networks represented at the Frankfurt Book Fair and Salon du Livre.
La Procure operates as a hybrid structure combining retail management, editorial departments, and distribution logistics. Governance has involved boards with members drawn from ecclesiastical circles, lay entrepreneurs, and publishing professionals connected to institutions such as the Institut Catholique de Paris and diocesan curiae. Editorial collaborations recruit scholars affiliated with Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, École pratique des hautes études, and cloistered translators from religious orders such as the Benedictines.
Financial models mix retail revenue, wholesale contracts with seminaries and parishes, and partnerships with philanthropic entities and foundations like Fondation de France for cultural projects.
La Procure has faced critique over perceived editorial choices, including accusations of favoring conservative or progressive theological trends at different times—a tension mirrored in debates involving personalities such as Cardinal Robert Sarah and Cardinal Christophe Schönborn. Disputes have arisen around pricing policies impacting access in developing francophone regions and around digital transition strategies amid competition from multinational retailers like Barnes & Noble and digital distributors exemplified by Google Books. Occasional controversies touched on stock decisions concerning works by controversial authors linked to debates within the Catholic Church.
La Procure has been influential in shaping francophone Catholic reading habits, supporting intellectual currents associated with Nouvelle Théologie, lay movements like Opus Dei, and spiritual revivals connected to figures such as Jean Vanier and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. It is frequently cited in bibliographies of works from institutions like the Institut Catholique de Paris and appears in cultural reportage by outlets including Le Monde and Le Figaro. Through decades of curatorial activity, La Procure contributed to dissemination of patrimonial texts and contemporary scholarship, affecting liturgical practice, seminary curricula, and parish resources across francophone communities.
Category:Bookshops Category:Catholic publishers