The Old Catholic movement is the best kept secret in Christendom. The fact that there is a valid (if "illicit") form of catholicism that is independent of Rome and which values local control seems scandalous to some and a cause for delight or even relief in others. The Old Catholic churches have branches-both official and unofficial-all over the world. They constitute one of the most interesting and diverse movements in Christian history, a movement worthy of greater visibility and academic attention. Here is the story of this unlikely legacy, from its beginnings in the fourteenth century...