''L'Avenir'' was a

daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...

published in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

starting on October 16, 1830. A journal of opinion, its subtitle described it as a "political, scientific, and literary journal," with the motto "God and liberty." It defended the ideals of

liberal Catholicism Liberal Catholicism was a current of thought within the Catholic Church influenced by classical liberalism and promoting the separation of church and state, freedom of religion in the civic arena, expanded suffrage, and broad-based education. ...

and was condemned by the papal encyclical '' Mirari vos''. The publication was suspended by its authors on November 15, 1831, and did not resume afterward.

Foundation of the newspaper

''L'Avenir'' emerged during a highly anticlerical revolutionary period following the

July Revolution The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution (), Second French Revolution, or ("Three Glorious ays), was a second French Revolution after French Revolution, the first of 1789–99. It led to the overthrow of King Cha ...

of 1830, which established a bourgeois regime known as the

July Monarchy The July Monarchy (), officially the ''Kingdom of France'' (), was a liberalism, liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 9 August 1830, after the revolutionary victory of the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 26 Februar ...

. The revolution opposed the monarchical symbols of the Bourbon Restoration reminiscent of the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

, as well as a

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in France that was largely Legitimist, Gallican, and

reactionary In politics, a reactionary is a person who favors a return to a previous state of society which they believe possessed positive characteristics absent from contemporary.''The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought'' Third Edition, (1999) p. 729. ...

. The church was strongly tied to the

Concordat of 1801 The Concordat of 1801 was an agreement between the First French Republic and the Holy See, signed by First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII on 15 July 1801 in Paris. It remained in effect until 1905, except in Alsace–Lorraine, ...

, which intertwined the throne and altar. The writers of ''L'Avenir'' sought to reconcile

liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...

and

democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

with

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Their motto, "God and liberty," underscored a commitment to

separation of church and state The separation of church and state is a philosophical and Jurisprudence, jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the State (polity), state. Conceptually, the term refers to ...

, exalting papal

sovereignty Sovereignty can generally be defined as supreme authority. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within a state as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the person, body or institution that has the ultimate au ...

in spiritual matters and popular sovereignty in civil affairs. A prospectus was published on August 14, 1830, announcing the creation of the newspaper to expand the mission of the '' Mémorial catholique''. This prospectus was written by Philippe Gerbet, who spearheaded the project.

Revolutionary anticlerical context

After King

Charles X Charles X may refer to: * Charles X of France (1757–1836) * Charles X Gustav (1622–1660), King of Sweden * Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon (1523–1590), recognized as Charles X of France but renounced the royal title See also * * King Charle ...

issued the July Ordinances, dissolving the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourb ...

and restricting press freedom, protests erupted. These culminated in the king's abdication and the ascension of Louis-Philippe I as king. This era of political change fostered an antireligious climate, with liberal and popular press denouncing a supposed "Catholic conspiracy." Acts of violence included the ransacking of

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...

and the Archbishop's Palace, forcing Hyacinthe-Louis de Quélen, Archbishop of Paris, into hiding.

Early days of ''L'Avenir''

In response to this hostility, Félicité de La Mennais decided to launch a new newspaper advocating for a liberal Catholic voice. The ''L'Avenir'' company was founded on September 8, 1830, with contributors including La Mennais, Gerbet, Charles de Coux, and Augustin Harel du Tancrel. The newspaper operated from Rue Jacob in Paris, with its first issue released on October 16, 1830. Though modestly printed (circulation of around 1,500 copies), ''L'Avenir'' inspired enthusiasm among young romantics in France and abroad. Articles often tackled key issues such as freedom of education, separation of church and state, and solidarity with Catholics in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Editorial committee

The editorial committee included prominent liberal Catholic figures such as Henri Lacordaire, Charles de Montalembert, and René François Rohrbacher. Influenced by La Mennais, these contributors were disillusioned with the aristocratic society of the Restoration era. Writers like Chateaubriand and

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

expressed admiration for the publication, further cementing its intellectual significance.

Ideas and objectives

''L'Avenir'' advocated for the church's freedom from state control and total independence in spiritual matters, aligned with Ultramontanism. The editors also supported the

freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic Media (communication), media, especially publication, published materials, shoul ...

, freedom of conscience, and freedom of education—the latter seen as essential for religious and intellectual liberty.

Focus on education

A major campaign of the newspaper was freedom of education. It opposed the state monopoly held by the University of France and called for the creation of independent Catholic schools. In 1831, the ''L'Avenir'' team founded a free school in Paris, which authorities soon shut down, leading to a legal battle.

Challenges and closure

The newspaper faced financial difficulties, partly due to boycotts encouraged by conservative bishops. After just over a year of publication, ''L'Avenir'' ceased operation on November 15, 1831.

Legacy

Despite its short lifespan, ''L'Avenir'' profoundly influenced liberal Catholic thought. Its legacy extended to initiatives like the Société de Saint-Vincent-de-Paul and later political movements advocating

Catholic social teaching Catholic social teaching (CST) is an area of Catholic doctrine which is concerned with human dignity and the common good in society. It addresses oppression, the role of the state, subsidiarity, social organization, social justice, and w ...

. Internationally, the journal inspired francophone publications, such as ''L'Avenir'' in Montreal, Canada, launched in 1847.

References

Sources

* {{cite book , last=Milbach , first=Sylvain , chapter=Perspectives catholiques sur la révolution. ''L’Avenir'' de Lamennais , chapter-url=https://shs-cairn-info.acces.bibl.ulaval.ca/quand-les-socialistes-inventaient-l-avenir--9782707185914-page-62?lang=fr , pages=62–74 , lang=fr , date=2015 , title=Quand les socialistes inventaient l’avenir: Presse, théories et expériences, 1825-1860 , editor1=Thomas Bouchet , editor2=Vincent Bourdeau , editor3=Edward Castleton , editor4=Ludovic Frobert , editor5=François Jarrige , location=Paris , publisher=La Découverte , isbn=9782707185914