L'Action française et le Vatican

L'Action française et le Vatican is a book by the French journalist and politician Charles Maurras, director of L'Action française, published in 1927. The text is a collection of letters, articles and statements relating to the condemnation of Action Française by Pope Pius XI.

Context
On August 25, 1926, Cardinal Andrieu, hostile to the theses of Charles Maurras, launched a warning approved by the papacy against the French Action demanding its submission. On December 20, 1926, the Pope ordered the Catholics to break with Action Française and published the decree of the Congregation of Index of January 29, 1914 which condemns seven works by Maurras : Le Chemin de Paradis, Anthinéa, Les Amants de Venise, Trois Idées politiques, L'Avenir de l'intelligence, La Politique religieuse and Si le coup de force est possible. Through the decree of the Roman inquisition dated December 29, 1926 Pope Pius XI confirms the condemnation of his predecessor Benedict XV and extends it to the daily L'Action française. Catholics who remained loyal to Action Française were not excommunicated "but treated with the greatest severity as public sinners, deprived of the sacraments and religious funerals".

Presentation
Considered the "yellow book" of Action Française, this work is introduced by a preface by Charles Maurras and Léon Daudet. According to historian Olivier Dard, it is a "major printed source for understanding the crisis" with the papacy but it is also a "weapon of combat and conquest of public opinion".

Around the book
In parallel with this publication, Charles Maurras republished Le Chemin de Paradis redacted and commented on to respond to Catholic objections.

Antonio Gramsci cites Action française and the Vatican for its study of the condemnation of Action française in its Prison Noteboks.