Louis Veuillot

Born in Boynes, France, on October 11, 1813, Louis Veuillot left school young and began working early, but he educated himself through reading and journalism. He eventually became best known as the leading voice of the ultramontane Catholic press in France, especially through his long association with the newspaper L'Univers.

Veuillot's life took a decisive turn after a visit to Rome, which deepened his Catholic commitment and shaped the rest of his career. He wrote with great energy and certainty, defending the authority of the papacy and attacking liberal Catholic and secular opponents, which made him highly influential and deeply controversial in equal measure.

He also published books, travel writing, memoir-like works, and religious reflections, and he remained an important figure in French Catholic letters until his death in Paris on April 7, 1883. Readers coming to him today usually meet a writer whose force of personality is impossible to miss, whether they admire his arguments or resist them.