Père Didon (Henri Didon)

Overview

Henri Didon (1840–1900), French Dominican preacher. His 1879 series of conferences on the indissolubility of marriage was bitterly attacked by the secular press and broken off at the request of the Archbishop of Paris; he published it as a book (Catholic Encyclopedia, «Henri Didon»; Wikipedia, «Henri Didon»). The Mon Journal t.13 index lists him as «Didon Père : 132-133, 206».

Relevance to Marie

• In December 1879 Mme de Mouzay writes «une très belle réponse aux conférences du Père Didon», which Marie and Mme de Daillens carry anonymously to the offices of Juliette Adam's Nouvelle Revue (086.0634, 086/1879-12-09).
• On 10 December 1879 Marie and Mme de Mouzay call on him «au couvent des Dominicains»: «le prédicateur dont la gloire grandit à vue d'œil depuis deux ans et dont en ce moment tout Paris s'occupe» (086.0635). Marie describes him at length (086.0636–0646): handsome in his white habit, compared with Cassagnac, «une grande distinction», with «des inflexions de voix passant des notes caressantes à des éclats presque terribles». She asks to paint his portrait; he does not refuse but calls it «difficile, presque impossible». She is half afraid of him: «C'est un être qui pourrait avoir de l'influence sur moi» (086.0644).
• In March 1880 a LAN note identifies «le père Didon» as the opponent of divorce in the debate around Alfred Naquet (087.0719).

References in Diary

• 1879-12-09 (086.0634); 1879-12-10 (086.0635–0646); 1880-03-26 (087.0719)
• 068/1877-02-17 has «Ah ! Didon, Ah ! Enée» in a margin note: that is Dido of Carthage, not this man.

Sources

• Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent), «Henri Didon».
• Wikipedia EN, «Henri Didon».
• Mon Journal t.13 (L'Âge d'Homme), index.