IN I830 a small but unusually able group of men launched what proved to be the first significant Liberal Catholic movement in France. This movement, which centered around the newspaper Avenir, was active for only thirteen months; but despite its brevity it set forth, at least in embryonic form, all the fundamental ideas that were to appear in later manifestations of Liberal Catholicism. At the same time, because it was the first action of its kind in France and lacked precedents by which to operate, the Avenir movement could and did include elements that later efforts, taught by its failure, would avoid. For it was distinctly a product of its age, an attempt not only to find the proper role for the Church in a France newly emerged from revolution, but also to solve all the major problems of modern society. It was an ambitious attempt and, though quickly snuffed out, displayed a spirit which can never cease to be of interest. Studies of the Avenir movement have generally stressed the importance of certain key ideas that the movement promoted, such as complete separation of Church and state, the right of revolution, universal suffrage, and association of Catholics and liberals in defense of the rights of all. No one can contest the significance of these and other concepts commonly and correctly associated with the Avenir movement. But the very significance of such ideas has frequently led students to mistake their role in the movement. It has been generally assumed that the efforts of all the leaders of the movement must have been devoted to the promotion of ideas so novel to the French Church. In fact, however, as we shall see, the leaders were in outright disagreement about some of the most vital matters with which they