{{Short description|French journalist (1945–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Henri Tincq | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = | birth_name = <!-- only use if different from name --> | birth_date = 2 November 1945 | birth_place = Fouquières-lès-Lens, France | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2020|03|29|1945|11|02}} | death_place = Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France | other_names = | occupation = Journalist | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = }} '''Henri Tincq''' (2 November 1945 – 29 March 2020) was a French journalist and Vatican expert.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.la-croix.com/Religion/Mort-Henri-Tincq-grande-plume-linformation-religieuse-2020-03-30-1201086863|title=Mort de Henri Tincq, grande plume de l'information religieuse|date=30 March 2020|work=La Croix|language=French}}</ref>
He was a religious specialist for the newspaper ''Le Monde'' from 1985 to 2008 after having worked for the newspaper ''La Croix''. He also worked for the magazine ''Slate''.
==Biography== Tincq obtained a degree in philosophy from Sciences Po in Paris and a degree in journalism from the École supérieure de journalisme de Lille. His most notable work is ''Larousse des religions'', and he chaired the Association des journalistes de l’information religieuse (AJIR) from 1994 to 1999.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ajir-asso.com/qui-sommes-nous/|title=Liste des derniers présidents|work=AJIR|language=French}}</ref>
Tincq had an interest in the history of popes. Following the election of Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, he established a list of "progressive objectives" for the Catholic Church for Benedict's papacy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tradinews.blogspot.com/2012/01/les-eveques-de-france-resistent-au.html|title=Les évêques de France résistent au Vatican sur la messe en latin|date=6 November 2006|work=TradiNews|language=French}}</ref> He was opposed to the fundamentalist movement, and he was highly critical of Benedict's positions in favor of the movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tradinews.blogspot.com/2012/01/la-derive-sectaire-des-catholiques.html|title=La dérive sectaire des catholiques traditionalistes|date=21 September 2004|work=TradiNews|language=French}}</ref> Tincq expressed disappointment in the way Benedict leaned towards traditionalism during matters of morality.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/web/chat/0,46-0@2-3210,55-640890,0.html|title=Qui est Josef Ratzinger ?|date=20 April 2005|work=Le Monde|language=French|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917034522/http://www.lemonde.fr/web/chat/0,46-0@2-3210,55-640890,0.html|archivedate=17 September 2008|access-date=2 April 2020}}</ref>
Tincq was delighted that Benedict organized a second meeting of major religions, as inter-religious dialogue often turned against traditionalism and skepticism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.fr/story/45649/fanatisme-religieux|title=L'Assise contre le fanatisme religieux|date=29 October 2011|work=Slate|language=French}}</ref> He was worried about the Islamist risings in North Africa and the fate of Christians in Egypt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.fr/story/45467/peur-charia-islamistes-tunisie-libye|title=Faut-il avoir peur de la victoire des islamistes en Tunisie et de la charia en Libye?|date=25 October 2011|work=Slate|language=French}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.fr/story/44999/coptes-egypte-syrie-avenir-incertain|title=Egypte, Syrie: l'avenir incertain des chrétiens arabes|date=13 October 2011|work=Slate|language=French}}</ref> He also had great praise for Benedict's speech in front of the German Bundestag.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slate.fr/story/44337/pape-benoit-xv-discours-politique-bundestag|title=La leçon de politique de Benoît XVI|date=28 September 2011|work=Slate|language=French}}</ref>
Tincq was often viewed as more friendly to Protestants, but often hostile to Orthodox Christians.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://plunkett.hautetfort.com/archive/2007/10/01/visite-du-patriarche-de-moscou-%E2%80%93-les-medias-cherchent-a-mett.html#more|title=Visite du patriarche de Moscou – Les médias cherchent à mettre le diocèse de Paris en position fausse par rapport à Benoît XVI|date=2 October 2007|work=Patrice de Plunkett|language=French}}</ref>
Tincq died of COVID-19 on 29 March 2020, in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges at the age of 74.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lesechos.fr/tech-medias/medias/disparition-le-journaliste-henri-tincq-est-mort-frappe-par-le-covid-19-1191000|title=Disparition: le journaliste Henri Tincq est mort, frappé par le Covid 19|date=1 April 2020|work=Les Echos|language=French}}</ref>
==Awards and honours== *Templeton Prize in Journalism (2001)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cath.ch/newsf/geneve-le-prix-john-templeton-decerne-a-henri-tincq-du-monde/|title=Genève: Le Prix John Templeton décerné à Henri Tincq du «Monde»|date=3 September 2002|work=cath.ch|language=French}}</ref> *Knight of the Legion of Honour<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000645536&categorieLien=id|title=Décret du 6 avril 2007 portant promotion et nomination|date=8 April 2007|work=Legifrance.gouv.fr|language=French}}</ref>
==Publications== *''L'Église pour la démocratie'' (1991) *''L'Étoile et la Croix'' (1993) *''Les Médias et l’Église : évangélisation et information'' (1997) *''Défis au pape du troisième millénaire : le pontificat de Jean-Paul II, les dossiers du successeur'' (1997) *''Les Génies du christianisme : histoires de prophètes de pécheurs et de saints'' (1999) *''Vivre l'islam'' (2003) *''Une France sans Dieu'' (2003) *''Larousse des religions'' (2005) *''Ces papes qui ont fait l'histoire'' (2006) *''Petit Larousse des religions'' (2007) *''Les Catholiques'' (2008) *''Catholicisme : le retour des intégristes'' (2009) *''Jean-Marie Lustiger : le cardinal prophète'' (2012) *''La Grande Peur des catholiques de France'' (2018) ==References== {{reflist}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tincq, Henri}} Category:1945 births Category:2020 deaths Category:20th-century French journalists Category:21st-century French journalists Category:Sciences Po alumni Category:Templeton Prize laureates Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in France Category:People from the Pas-de-Calais Category:French Roman Catholics Category:École supérieure de journalisme de Lille alumni Category:French recipients of the Legion of Honour Category:20th-century French male journalists Category:21st-century French male journalists