Count Bernard de Vésins (13 March 1869 – 6 July 1951) was a French soldier, essayist, practicing Catholic and right-wing Action Française militant. He was hostile to Freemasons, Jews and socialists, whom he considered to be working together in conspiracy to undermine the traditional Catholic values of France. In the 1920s he was President of the Ligue d'Action Française during a period when the Catholic Church was disassociating itself from the movement.
Life
Family
Marie Joseph Pierre Bernard de Lévezou de Vésins was born in Bourges, Cher, on 13 March 1869. His father was Count Victor de Lévezou de Vesins, and his mother was the daughter of Adrien de Forcade, sieur de La Grézère. On 15 April 1893 in Versailles he married Marie Augustine Camille de Gastebois (born 9 February 1874). They had two children, Marie Thérèse (1895–1988) and Gabrielle (1897–1928).
Pre-World War I
The political organization of Henri Vaugeois's Action Française movement, the Ligue d'Action Française, was launched in the spring of 1905, as was the Action Française Federation of Students, directed by Lucien Moreau. Members pledged to fight the republican regime and to support restoration of the monarchy under Prince Philippe, Duke of Orléans (1869–1926). Bernard de Vésins was among the many early members of the Action Française who were practicing Catholics, and included the art historian Louis Dimier and the essayist Léon de Montesquiou. They helped Charles Maurras (1868–1952) develop the royalist league's pro-Catholic policies. The league led resistance to the inventaires in the winter of 1905–06. In Versailles, Bernard de Vésins was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison.
World War I (1914–18) During World War I (1914–18) Vésins served in the 8th Field Artillery Regiment (8e RAC) and the 228th Artillery Regiment (228e RA). He was a colonel in the army. Vésins was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour on 29 April 1919, and was awarded the Croix de guerre 1914–1918 with palm and star.
Post World War I
In the French legislative elections of 16 November 1919 Bernard de Vésins, president of the League, was defeated in the first district of Paris. Major Catholic conferences were organized under the auspices of Cardinal Mercier, starting in the winter of 1921–22. Charles Maurras and Bernard de Vesins attended in 1922. In late 1922 Georges Valois started working towards creating an Estates General of French Production, a movement that would bring together industrialists and leaders of labour unions to work on solutions to social and economic issues. The textile manufacturer Eugène Mathon headed the national committee, which included Valois, Jacques Arthuys, Bernard de Vésins and several others.
On 5 September 1926 Pope Pius XI wrote to Cardinal Andrieu confirming that the faithful were not free to blindly follow the leaders of the Action Française in matters that regard faith or morals. He wrote that their publications included "manifestations of a new religious, moral and social system, for example concerning God, the Incarnation, the Church and, generally, Catholic dogmas and morals, mainly in their necessary relations with politics, which is logically subordinate to morality. In essence, there is evidence in these manifestations of a revival of paganism to which naturalism is attached ... " The Ligue d'Action Française at first reacted mildly, and sent a respectful address to Cardinal Andrieu on 8 September signed by its leaders. On 16 September Bernard de Vésins, president of the League, sent a letter to the Pope that spoke of submission. However, the League did not recognise any wrong other than in detail.
French Church leaders tried to downplay any dispute between Rome and the League. On 22 November 1926 Bernard de Vésins announced to the League's annual congress that the Institut d'Action Française was being reopened, and had asked the Archbishop of Paris for theologians who would guard league members against the dangers the Pope had pointed out. However, a few days afterwards Admiral Schwerer, honorary president of the League, said that as a Catholic he was subject to the Church in religious matters, but as a Frenchman he was subject to the leaders of the League in political matters. He spoke out against people who were propagating abominable calumnies about the league to the Holy Father (the Pope).