BESSE, JEAN-MARTIAL - Benedictine, b. at Saint-Angel (Corrèze) on 29 Oct. 1861, d. at Ligugé on 26 July 1920. In 1885 he was ordained priest in the abbey of St-Martin at Ligugé, where he spent most of his life. He was especially devoted to the study of the monastic tradition: a contributor to important reviews and newspapers, director of La vie et les arts liturgiques, founder of the Revue Mabillon, he made his learned voice heard everywhere.
Among his many noteworthy works are: La France monastique. Recueil historique des archevêchés, évêchés, abbayes et prieurés de France, a massive work left unfinished because of his death, of which nine volumes were published (Paris-Ligugé 1906-20); Eglise et monarchie (Paris 1910); Le catholicisme libéral (ibid. 1911); L'Eglise et les libertés modernes. Le « Syllabus » (ibid. 1913); La Messe (ibid. 1918).