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August 1937. The editorial board of the weekly magazine Sept announced the end of the publication, which could seem trifling during this harsh time for the press. But beyond the apparent financial motive for the closing of the newspaper, some people saw a direct intervention of the Vatican in French politics. This paper is based on material from the secret Vatican archive of Pope Pius XI, opened to public consultation in 2006. It provides an insight into the policies of Pius XI concerning the Popular Front. The end of Sept can be interpreted as a crucial moment when the boundaries of politics, moral issues and religious commitments were reshaped. It also reveals the intensification of the role of the Vatican Curia in the control of the Catholic press in France.