Catholic Liberalism, Episode III: Lamennais & the Origins of Liberalism, 1817-1834

In the third installment of our series on Catholic Liberalism, we take a look at the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Felicite Robert de Lamennais (1782-1854), the apologist, writer and priest who inspired a young generations of Catholics to engage with the modern world, but whose embrace of liberalism clashed with the Vatican. Though Rome condemned his teachings, he left a legacy that influenced the Church in its attempts to come to grips with the modern world, and ensured that Catholic liberalism would long outlive him.