Jean-Théodore Laurent: Between Power and Downfall

In the mid-1840s, Laurent, born in 1804 as the son of a Luxembourg father in Aachen, is at the height of his power. He completed part of his studies in Liège, where he is influenced by the libertarian theories of the Belgian Catholics. In 1839, he is consecrated as bishop in partibus. On December 1, 1841, he is appointed Apostolic Vicar of Luxembourg. In the bitter trench warfare he engages in with the liberal bourgeoisie, he can count on the support of the monarch. When the monarch withdraws his support in the spring of 1848, Laurent is recalled by Rome.