French cardinal; archbishop of Paris.
 
ALS – Autograph Letter Signed, 2.25 pages on heraldic crested stationery, 1938. In French.  Addressed to a noble lady. A cordial letter apologizing for the delay in writing. He thanks the lady for the souvenir, also mentioning that he cherishes the memory of the party in Villeneuve that she had, and enjoys reading the greetings another friend (not named) has written to his friends. Likewise, he thanks her for her invitation and sends his regards.Some ink bleed on the third panel of page three, not affecting handwriting. Folds and in need to minor conservation.  Overall nice example.
 
NOTA BENE:  According to the Archdiocesan Archivist, much of the incoming/outgoing correspondence of Cardinal Verdier was destroyed prior to and during WWII for fear that it might land in Nazi hands.
 
During his episcopate, Verdier built over 100 churches to minister to working class neighborhoods that had sprung up around Paris. An advocate of social justice, he regularly denounced racism from his cathedral pulpit, making pointed reference to Nazi Germany.  Verdier, along with Cardinals Schuster and van Roey, supported Pope Pius XI in his condemnation of Kristallnacht. He often slipped away from his office to work in a soup kitchen run by the Little Sisters of Paris. He also was a strong opponent of Fascism, describing World War II as …a crusade…We are struggling to preserve the freedom of people throughout the world, whether they be great or small peoples, and to preserve their possessions and their very lives. No other war has had aims that are more spiritual, moral, and, in sum, more Christian.