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T r a d i t i o nF a m i l y a n dP r o p e r t y ®

July/August 2003

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America Needs Fatima Progress Report

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July/August 2003

To order, call toll free 1-888-317-5571Hard cover 380 pages b&w illustrations—Only $14.95

“With the integrity of his life asan authentic Catholic, Plinio Corrêade Oliveira offers us a confirmationof the Church’s fecundity,” writesCardinal Stickler in his preface toProf. Roberto de Mattei’s TheCrusader of the 20th Century: PlinioCorrêa de Oliveira.

The life of Prof. Plinio Corrêa deOliveira spans the century from 1908to 1995. His first and most prizedtitle was that of “Roman Catholic,”and it was as a man of faith that heconfronted the harrowing events ofthe twentieth century.

In the doctrinal field, the field ofaction, and in his personal life heprovided the elements for lightingthe way ahead in a dark century.

by Roberto de Mattei with a preface by

Alfons Maria Cardinal Stickler

The Crusader ofthe 20th Century:

Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

B I O G R A P H Y

Editor: C. Preston Noell III Associate Editors: Earl Appleby, Eugenia Guzman, John Horvat II, Thomas J. McKenna Photography: Gary J. Isbell Foreign Correspondents: Charles E. Schaffer, Austria; Jose Carlos Sepulveda, Brazil; Paul Foley, England; BenoitBemelmans, France; Beno Hofschulte, Germany; Juan M. Montes, Italy; Felipe Barandiaran, Spain

The American TFPThe American Society for the Defense of Tradi-tion, Family and Property (TFP) was founded in1973 to confront the profound crisis shaking themodern world. It is a civic, cultural and nonpar-tisan organization which, inspired by the tradi-tional teachings of the Supreme Magisterium ofthe Roman Catholic Church, works in a legal andpeaceful manner in the realm of ideas to defendand promote the principles of private ownership,family and perennial Christian values with their

twofold function: individual and social. TheTFP’s words and efforts have always been faith-fully at the service of Christian civilization.The first TFP was founded in Brazil by thefamous intellectual and Catholic leader Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira in 1960. His workinspired the formation of other autonomousTFPs across the globe, thus constituting theworld’s largest anticommunist and antisocialistnetwork of Catholic inspiration.

CRUSADECRUSADE®

July-August 2003

Contents T r a d i t i o nF a m i l y a n dP r o p e r t y ®

July/August 2003

Magazine

AAmmeerriiccaa NNeeeeddss FFaattiimmaa PPrrooggrreessss RReeppoorrtt iinnssiiddee!!

Magazine

July/August 2003

Cover: Statue of Our LadyHelp of Christians withNiagara Falls at night in thebackground

Crusade Magazine is a publication of The American Society forthe Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). Direct allrequests and inquiries to: Crusade Magazine, P.O. Box 341,Hanover, PA 17331 or e-mail to: [email protected]. Web:www.tfp.org, Tel.: 888-317-5571, Fax: (570) 450-6352. © 2003 byThe Foundation for a Christian Civilization, Inc. This publicationincludes images from Dynamic Graphics, Corel, and Art Todaywhich are protected by Copyright laws of the U.S. and elsewhere.ISSN 1096-3782LCCN 98-641433 M-64

Page 5 Defending the honor of Our Lady at MIT

Page 13 Obey in order to be free?

Page 9 TFP Student Action makes a point

Page 8 Fatima for all ages

Q U E S T I O N S && A N S W E R S 2

Forgive them, for they know not what they do?

C O M M E N TA RY 3Catholic Louisiana: The Road Less Traveled

A N F P R O G R E S S R E P O R TCatholics Confront Boston Blasphemy 5Our Readers Write 7Taking Our Lady to the Children 8Catholics Defend Fatima atRider University 8

T F P I N A C T I O N 9TFP Student Action

C O V E R S T O RYTrue Devotion, True Liberty

To You, Dear Atheist 1 0Service, a Joy 1 1Obey in Order to Be Free 1 3

S O C I E T Y 1 6Temporal Society in the Divine Plan

R E V O L U T I O N A N D C O U N T E R - R E V O L U T I O N I N H I S T O RY 1 9Luther’s Legacy of Disunity and Oppression—Part Two

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c r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 0 32

Forgive them, for they know not what they do?

B Y L U I S S O L I M E O

Answer: Your friend’s argument calls tomind what happened in the nineteenth cen-tury when scientific progress was dazzlingthe world. The great developments inphysics, chemistry, medicine, and mechanicsof that epoch paved the way for the techno-logical and industrial world of today. It wasbelieved that the world, finally freed from thedark era of religion and the limitations ofphilosophy, was entering an age ruled byhuman reason. Science would eliminate allnatural catastrophes, sickness, and, evencrime. All that was needed was education,and there was even a slogan for this: “Toopen schools is to close prisons.”

Despite outstanding scientific advances,what we see after a hundred years is that nat-ural catastrophes still occur; new illnessessuch as AIDS and SARS emerge; cancer andother illnesses are more frequent; and manyother common diseases still have no cure. Asfor the triumph of education, what we see isnot the closing of prisons but an increase inthe number of educated criminals, somewith college degrees.

Al Capone, for example, was well educat-ed. Many terrorist leaders we are now con-fronting studied and obtained degrees at var-ious prestigious European universities. Con-sider the numerous wrong-headed notionsthat emerge from our own universities.

Clearly, evildoing results much more froma deviation of the will than a deviation of theintellect. That is why it is not enough for aman to know that something is evil; he must

have enough will-power to resist its seduc-tions. The pleasures of drink or gamblingleading to excess or the possibility of becom-ing rich by dishonest means are examples.

The problem, then, is not merely one ofeducation. Moreover, God has placed in theheart of every man, through natural law, aclear notion of good and evil independent ofeducation, as Saint Paul says.1 Education may,and should, help reinforce this notion in us,but it is not education that instills it in us.

Why, then, do people sin? Why do we

contradict that moral law that has beenstamped on our very nature and proceed toviolate God’s explicit commandments?

To understand these questions, we mustturn to the notion of Original Sin and its con-sequences.

Original sinWe know through Revelation that God sub-jected our first parents, Adam and Eve, to atrial of their fidelity and love. Tempted by thedevil, both Adam and Eve failed the test andoffended God. As a punishment, they were

expelled from the Garden of Paradise, fellfrom divine favor, and lost the special giftsthey had possessed: integrity, whereby theynever fell ill; immortality; and perfect domin-ion over their passions as well as over ani-mals and plants.2

Since Adam and Eve were the first par-ents of all mankind, this original guilt waspassed on to all their descendants. Despiteour being cleansed of this sin thanks to thegraces of Our Lord’s Redemption, we are notexempt from its consequences, which predis-pose us to evil. It is only with the help ofsupernatural grace that we can conquer thistendency to evil and walk the path of virtue.

Nevertheless, in contrast to MartinLuther’s teachings, the effects of this sin donot corrupt our nature completely nor dothey eliminate our free will. The effects oforiginal sin only weaken our control over ourpassions, provoking in us a rebellion of thelower instincts against our reason and will.

Ignorance, then, is not the cause of theevil we do, and a good education does notsuffice to remove the tendency toward evilthat we inherited from original sin. To lead amoral life, we must constantly resort toprayer, engage in good works, and frequentthe sacraments.

Thus, to think that evil will one day disap-pear from the face of the earth either by meansof science, or even of religion, is a utopiannotion. We were placed in this life on trial so

Q u e s t i o n sa n d

A n s w e r s

?Question: A friend and I had a bit of an argument theother day. He upheld the idea that human beings arealways good and do evil only out of ignorance or lack ofeducation. He went as far as declaring that he believesthat people like Hitler and Saddam Hussein are more

victims of ignorance than truly bad people. In his opin-ion, all problems would be solved through better educa-tion. To prove his thesis, he cited the words of Our Lordon the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know notwhat they do.” What should I think about this?

Continued on page 21...

Send us yourquestions:

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c r u s a d e j u l y / a u g u s t 2 0 0 3 3

B Y J O H N H O R V A T I I

It is not often that one can pray theRosary aloud walking through NewOrleans’ French Quarter. But then, I wasnot on an ordinary tour of the city.

There are two ways visitors can expe-rience Louisiana.

One can take the beaten path that sooften appears in the travel feature pagesof newspapers and magazines. This wayis full of the ready-made experiences ofthe tourist who lives to tell his tale toothers. This is the Louisiana of MardiGras celebrations, plantation houses,carefree summer festivals, and historicmuseums.

However, there is a path less traveled:a journey through Catholic Louisianathat reveals a more authentic side of thestate.

Timely bookMy trip through Louisianacoincided with a busy one-weekpromotional tour of the Ameri-can TFP’s latest book, I HaveWeathered Other Storms: AResponse to the Scandals andDemocratic Reforms ThatThreaten the Catholic Church.The May 2003 tour includedbook signings and talks inNew Orleans, Alexandria,Baton Rouge, and Lafayette.Given the TFP’s long presencein the area, it was a naturalsetting for a speaking tourabout the book and the TFP’s ChurchShall Prevail Campaign.

The tour was opportune for anotherreason. The Church in Louisiana alsosuffers from the same worldwide crisiswithin the Church. Catholic Louisiana

faces Protestant inroads, widespreadimmorality, trendy supermarket Catholi-cism, and empty convents. Such threatsonly serve to underscore the timelinessof the TFP’s book and campaign.

Between talksMy journey through Catholic Louisianabegan between talks in New Orleans.

It was then that I went on a differentkind of tour of the French Quarter byjoining New Orleans Catholics prayingthe Rosary aloud past the voodoo shopsand depraved bars that have come tostain that once noble area. Every firstSaturday of the month, the spirited pil-grims from the “Crusade for the Con-

version of Greater New Orleans” gatherat Saint Patrick’s Church on CampStreet and pray the litany of Saint Joanof Arc. Many a tourist and native headturns as this intrepid group thenprocesses straight through the French

Quarter to Saint Louis Cathedral, thenation’s oldest.

It was then, too, that I visited thecity’s Confederate Memorial Hall, amuseum which houses a crown ofthorns woven by Blessed Pius IX himself

to console the then-imprisonedJefferson Davis. Although an Epis-copalian, Mr. Davis wore a brownscapular, which is also exhibited inthat small but impressive muse-um.

It is hard to walk the streets ofNew Orleans without encounter-ing Catholic Louisiana. Majesticchurches and buildings predatingour Nation’s birth abound. Onesenses not just the presence ofthe Church but a whole Catholicculture that built the city andstill permeates the atmosphere.

Outside New OrleansVenturing outside New Orleans, onegets much the same feeling. There it

is, the little things that impress: the smallhistoric churches, the connections withthe past, the French flavor of life.

In the church in St. Martinsville, I was told, are the baptismal font andEucharistic sanctuary lamp donated by

Catholic Louisiana:The Road Less Trav-eled

John Horvat found great interest inthe TFP’s most recent release, I HaveWeathered Other Storms, during hisMay 2003 Louisiana tour.

C o m m e n t a r y


King Louis XVI, which arrived as he wasbeing sent to the guillotine by Frenchrevolutionaries. At Sacred Heart Acade-my near Grand Coteaux, I was taken to aconvent chapel where Saint John Berch-mans appeared and cured a youngnovice. The miracle was one of the twoused in the Saint’s canonization process.In the Acadiana region, there are thedescendants of the thousands of cruellypersecuted Catholics from British Cana-da who found refuge and a home in thebayous and swamps in the late eigh-teenth century.*

Throughout the area, I felt as if I wereretracing the footsteps of missionaries,pioneering priests and nuns who gavetheir lives so that Louisiana might havethe Faith. Saint Mary Katherine Drexel,Saint Rose Philippine Duschesne, BlessedAndrew Seelos, and so many others trav-eled these same roads.

In line with the title of the TFP’s book,I could not help but reflect upon howthe Church in Louisiana has indeedweathered many storms. I pray that Shemight yet weather more.

Talking to CatholicsCatholic Louisiana cannot be reduced toold buildings and past memories. Per-haps the most expressive part of a visit istalking with Catholics themselves.

During the speaking tour throughsouthern Louisiana, I saw that explosivemixture of Faith and culture that forms awhole society. Despite the ravages ofmodernity, remnants of a Catholic cul-ture still survive, making for a refreshingexperience not often seen in secularAmerica.

One can see it in that Catholic con-sideration for others that goes a fewsteps beyond normal Southern hospital-ity. So contrary to cold business-like

relationships, the Catholic Louisianans Imet were effusive, affectionate, andgiven to conversation. They know howto enjoy the thoroughly “Catholic” expe-rience of eating well, and guests aretreated to the delights of Cajun cooking,New Orleans cuisine, or the ceremony ofa crawfish boil.

I was edified to find huge Catholicfamilies that get together for a Cajun feastand afterwards assemble, young and oldalike, to recite the Rosary. I wasimpressed with the general overtone ofthe faithful attached to priest and parishand how this frontally clashes with theproposed democratic reforms denouncedin our book.

Protest in Baton RougeAs the speaking tour was finishing, Ireceived word of a pending piece ofLouisiana legislation that suddenlyadded a political dimension to ourChurch Shall Prevail Campaign. HouseBill 1341, now in committee, wouldspecifically force priests to reveal sinsheard in confession when child abuse ispossibly involved.

The proposal raises many concerns.

Many Louisiana homeschoolers, forexample, fear that the bill could targetparents who are having difficulties withtheir children and ask advice in the con-fessional. In any case, there is no evi-dence that such a measure would helpresolve the problem of child abuse. Onthe contrary, many point to the fact thatturning priests in the confessional intoinformers for the state is usually associ-ated with a communist or Nazi regimerather than a free country.

Pursuing the issue, TFP members inLouisiana visited the capitol buildingand are presently rallying the TFP’smany friends and supporters to opposethis measure.

Asking Prompt SuccorA short working visit is never longenough. It is easy to leave with hasty oreven false impressions.

However, there is at least one placethat leaves a true and lasting impression.One cannot leave Catholic Louisianawithout a visit to the Ursuline conventin New Orleans. There one will find themiraculous statue of Our Lady ofPrompt Succor.

This impressive statue is a spiritualhighpoint of any visit to the state. Bookscould be written about the miracles,graces, and blessings already showeredupon her devotees. I am sure manypages are yet to be written.

Under the maternal gaze of thisextraordinary French statue, one feels acertainty of being heard, an overwhelm-ing kindness and special solicitude. Oneleaves not only knowing that succor isforthcoming but that it is comingpromptly!

Amidst the crisis that afflicts theChurch, that is exactly what is needed:prompt succor. May she grant it to allthose who have chosen the less traveledpath of standing up for Catholic doc-trine and morality and weathering themodern day storm.

(*) An account of this historic episode appeared inCrusade’s January/February 2003 issue.

Our Lady of Prompt Succor, Patroness ofLouisiana. Inset: The basilica that houses thebeautiful statue.

On May 16, twelve members of theAmerican Society for the Defense of Tra-dition, Family and Property departedfrom Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. Theirdestination: the Kresge Little Theater atthe Massachusetts Institute of Technolo-gy (MIT). Their purpose: a peaceful 2½hour rally in protest against The Most Fab-ulous Story Ever Told.

The play, which protesters dubbed TheMost “Blasphemous” Story Ever Told,scorns the Catholic Faith by portrayingOur Lady as a lesbian and mocks theBible’s creation story by representing ourfirst parents as a homosexual “couple”named Adam and Steve.

Local TFP activists in Boston, coordi-nated by veteran TFP member Edward

Ritchie, had already laid the groundworkfor the day’s event by handing out numer-ous invitations for the protest at localchurches.

Protesters convened at 6:15 p.m. onMassachusetts Avenue in front of the the-ater. As the podium was set up and theTFP’s vintage 16-foot red medieval stan-dards were raised, the demonstratorsnoted an undeniable air of confrontation.

This air could be expected to precedesuch a protest at MIT, whose reputationas a bastion of liberalism has been oftenconfirmed. “I cannot believe there is anorganization like this protesting at MIT!”said a former MIT employee. “At MIT?”asked local TFP friend Pat Hobby. “I can-not believe an organization like this exists

America Needs Fati-PROGRESS REPORTJuly ~ August 2003

Catholics CConfrontBoston BBlasphemyB Y M I C H A E L W H I T C R A F T

“The splendid turnoutI see before me here

today shows thatCatholics are finallycatching on, but we

need to continueto catch on.”

Protest against the play The Most Fabu-lous Story Ever Told at MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, May 17, 2003

More than 300 fervent Catholics came from seven states to protest and make reparation for Paul Rudnick’s abominable play, The Most FabulousStory Ever Told, which presents Our Blessed Mother as a lesbian.

c r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 0 3 5

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

on this planet! I never met a TFP man Ididn’t like.”

A small but persistent counter-protest formed and remained through-out the rally. Their ranks swelling attimes to as many as ten participants,they shouted horrible insults through abullhorn. During the Rosary, they evenwent so far as making a profane parodyof the Rosary prayers.

One particularly hostile male count-er-protester wore only lipstick and aracy spandex mini-dress. He continual-ly paced back and forth through thecrowd, at times stopping at the podiumto distract the speaker.

His provocative attitude, however,bore no fruit. The over 300 peacefulCatholic protesters continued their pro-gram undaunted. “I was a little con-cerned when I saw the counter-protestforming,” remarked one protester,” butwhen I saw the TFP members in controlof the situation, we all felt reassured.”

After the participants had prayedthe first five decades of the Rosary, oneof the protest organizers delivered ashort speech, reminding them of PopeLeo XIII’s words: “Nothing emboldensthe wicked so greatly as the lack ofcourage on the part of the good.” Hethen explained how Catholics’ lack ofcourage is to blame for much of theevil in today’s society.

He continued: “The splendid turnoutI see before me here today shows thatCatholics are finally catching on, but weneed to continue to catch on. We mustembolden ourselves and persistentlystand up against the enemies of HolyMother Church.”

Fatima Custodian Kevin Ritchie thenaddressed the crowd and showed thelink between the present blasphemiesand the prophecies of Our Lady of Fati-ma. He cited Church Fathers to provethat a Catholic can never merely standby with crossed arms while the Churchis under attack.

After finishing the Rosary, protesters

recited the Litany of Loretto, invokingthe Blessed Virgin under some of themany titles with which the Church hashonored her throughout the centuries.

A fiery Portuguese lady who hadcome all the way from Rhode Island witha busload of protesters, also gave a shortbut tremendously enthusiastic speech.She concluded with the recitation of theHail Mary in her native Portuguese.

As darkness began to fall, candleswere distributed. After lighting them,the protesters knelt to make the Conse-cration to Jesus Christ through thehands of Mary Most Holy, as outlinedby Saint Louis de Montfort.

It was particularly moving to notethe contrast between the insolence of

the play being performed such a shortdistance away and the fidelity of theprotesters, who offered the Blessed Vir-gin “their bodies and souls, their goodsboth interior and exterior and even thevalue of all their good actions past, pres-ent and future.”

Only the faint light of the candlespierced the darkness, casting waveringshadows of the unwavering faithfulkneeling on the darkened sidewalk.One had the impression of havingstepped into a time machine and trav-eled to the ancient catacombs. Howev-er, despite persecution and confronta-tion, these modern-day “catacomb-ians” were not afraid to publicly givewitness to their Faith.

The spectacle even silenced thecounter-protesters, whose braveryseemed to fizzle in face of the courageof the good, proving in reverse, so tospeak, the words of Pope Leo XIII.Wicked men are indeed abashed by theaudacity of the good.

Clearly, we Catholics must stand talland persistently defend the Faith in faceof adversity. Imitating Our Savior, Whonever wavered when confronting thePharisees or expelling merchants fromthe temple, Catholics today must neverembolden the wicked by any lack ofcourage on their part. Rather, they mustimitate the Virgin Mary, whom Solomonforesaw as being “terrible as an army setin array” (Cant. 6:9). They must alwaysdepend upon her for strength againstthe enemies of Holy Mother Church andpush onward toward the promised tri-umph of her Immaculate Heart.

One of the most impressiveaspects of anti-blasphemy

protests is the involvementof young Catholics. Far

right: 12-year-old CarolineBascom crowns the statue

of Our Lady of Fatima atthe opening ceremony

for the protest.

Imitating Our Savior, Who never wavered when confrontingthe Pharisees or expelling merchants from the temple, wemust never embolden the wicked by any lack of courage.


c r u s a d e J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 0 3 7

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

I will do everything in my power todefend Mary, Jesus’ mother. I know that shewould be very hurt and discouraged, andI’m sure that she is crying very frequently.I’m convinced that play [The Most FabulousStory Ever Told] you told me about wasshown 3 or 4 years ago in Manhattan,because I put out lots and lots of flyers inmany doctors’ offices, hospital lobbies, andmany other places. I remember that it wasshut down in New York because of all theprotests, but the devil will not quit!

R.C., Detroit

I’m mailing the postcard to MIT, andwill also write a personal letter next week.But I feel that it would be more effective if Iwrote to a particular person. Could youplease send me the name of the dean orpresident of MIT? Also, I would like to writeto the playwright himself, Paul Rudnick.

S.E., Farmington Hills, Mich.

Thank you very much for your lettersabout the protest scheduled for May 17th inCambridge. My husband and I are upsetabout this and plan to be present, God will-ing. He has back and leg trouble and I amrecovering from an operation, but with God’shelp and grace we will be present on that day.

We thank you and your fine organiza-tion for taking the lead in defending OurLord and Our Lady against these horribleinsults and blasphemies. We were presentin December when America Needs Fatimaprotested Jesus Has Two Mommies inSomerville. It was a joy to be able to joinwith other Catholics and publicly proclaimour devotion to her and to the Church.

M.M., Somerville, Mass.

Please count on me to join yourdemonstrations to protest the blasphemy atMIT. I have demonstrated in the past andwill do so again. I have the highest praisesand admiration for all the good you do. MayGod give you a long life, good health, andthe preservation to do what you are doing.

P.B., Brooklyn, N.Y.

Our Lady is the most wonderfulwoman God ever created. No lady lovespeople the way the Mother of God does. Itis outrageous that anyone (MIT for exam-ple) would have the unmitigated gall toproduce a play called The Most FabulousStory Ever Told. On its own, lesbianism isan abomination. It is the lowest of the lowto portray the Most Holy Mother of God insomething like this.

G.M., e-mail

What MIT plans to do in that play ishorrifying and despicable. Please rush 250cards as soon as possible, and I can assureyou the faithful in my parish will be reallyanxious to sign and mail them.

C.M., Oklahoma City

MIT has some “hell of a nerve” tomake a play about our Blessed Motherbeing a lesbian. I hope to God that the the-ater will burn down before the play starts.I’m very surprised at the person who isgoing to play the part. She is just a sickolike the one who wrote the story.

It is bad enough they crucified her SonJesus Christ; now they are crucifying her asa lesbian.

I pray to God they don’t make a pennyon this play.

Mr. Ritchie, I could use stronger words,but I don’t dare, not in a letter. Right now Iam madder than a hornet’s nest.

L.J., Lyndhurst, N.J.

My husband and I attended the MITprotest with our four children, and it was awonderful experience for all of us. I wasmuch impressed by the crowd and all ofthe young men who help to honor ourBlessed Mother and God through TFP. Yourorganization is a model for us all and theprecious gift we have in our Catholic Faith.I was energized and I know this will be anevent my children will never forget. Welook forward to another prayerful eventsuch as this. Lastly, I must tell you theaffect all of the prayer had on my two boys.They are both autistic and rarely able to sit

still, let alone stand, for long periods oftime. They were both mesmerized. Myyoungest sat for the entire two and a halfhours and listened intently to each Rosary,while my oldest stood by my side, happy tojust be a part of this holy moment. Thankyou! You are such a blessing to our family.

M.M., Spencer, Mass.

It is unbelievable that such horribleoffenses against Our Lady and Jesus wouldtake place at all, let alone at such a presti-gious institution as MIT. I am appalled! Youcan count on my fervent prayers that thistrash be cancelled so that others will not sinby attending it. Thank you TFP, for showingup and standing up for Mother Mary andJesus. May the Lord bless your efforts todefend and protect His Holy Name and thatof Our Precious Mother Mary!

S.C., Los Angeles

To the President, Administration, and Faculty: [of MIT]

I, along with millions of faithful, practic-ing Roman Catholics, urge and plead withyou not to display or promote the blasphe-mous and disgusting film, The Most Fabu-lous Story Ever Told. The story line of thatfilm is a most serious and vile insult to theBlessed Mother of God, the Virgin Mary,Most Holy and pure. There can be no otherpurpose for the filming and displaying ofsuch an abomination than to insult andtaunt Roman Catholics. However, the pri-mary and overriding insult is aimed at GodAlmighty. The Triune God chose the VirginMary to be the Mother of the Second Per-son of the Blessed Trinity in His mission toredeem the world. Such severe insults toChrist and His Mother will bring heavenlyretribution upon all of us. (…)

Do not ruin the reputation of your mostprestigious school of science. (…)

I would wager that you would not dis-play an equivalent insult to African-Ameri-cans or Mexican-Americans, nor to thegroups “protected” by the “politically cor-rect” categories.

G.C., Eatonville, Wash.

Our Readers Write...

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

For about a year now, America NeedsFatima, as part of its efforts to propagate theFatima message, has been donating beautiful30” statues of Our Lady of Fatima to schoolsacross the country.

To our joy, the schools customarily displaythese statues very prominently. At St. Michael’sSchool in Morgan, Minnesota, for example, thestatue stands at the entrance, where all thestudents have a chance to see Our Lady manytimes daily.

On this page are photographs of the statuesrecently placed in three schools: St. Michael’s,St. Ann’s School, staffed by the Congregationof Religious Sisters Filipini in Raritan, New Jer-sey, and St. Bede the Venerable School in Hol-

land, Pennsylvania.We thank our many ANF members who

have made this apostolate possible by theirgenerous contributions and prayers. With OurBlessed Mother’s help, we will continue todeliver statues to many more schools through-out America.

On Good Friday, the world premier of Chil-dren of Fatima was hosted at Rider Univer-sity near Trenton, New Jersey. News

reports say the play tells the story of a Philadelphiaboy from the 1960s whose overzealous mothertries to force him to become a priest. Catholicinstitutions, priests, and nuns are cast as rigid, old-fashioned, and downright silly. Struggling withthoughts of mortal sin, death and salvation, theboy from Philly becomes obsessed with the end ofthe world, which he fears will come when the Popeopens and reads the Third Secret of Fatima. As aresult, he challenges God to tell him the true secret.

America Needs Fatima members were insultedat the way the play mocks the gravity of Our Lady’sFatima message. Her secret is shown as foolish,exaggerated, and utterly irrelevant. The sad truthis that the world continues to ignore Our Lady’ssaving message of prayer, penance, and amend-

ment of life. Productions such as this help soothethe consciences of many who look at Fatima andthink: “That’s too serious. It’s over anyway. Let’senjoy life.”

To protest this derisive play, ANF membersstood on public property in front of Rider Univer-sity praying the Rosary and singing hymns of repa-ration to our Blessed Mother.

The banner and the presence of committedCatholics praying the Rosary in public caused quitea stir. Students and staff alike came out to debatethe play. Some students tried to prove that theprotest was foolish, but the vehemence of theirarguments suggested that some consciences werepricked. On the other hand, other students werevery supportive of the protest. One girl loudlyapplauded and said: “It’s about time someonestands up and does something about this.”

Taking Our Ladyto the Children

Below left: Fr. Robert J. Wyffels speaks to children of St. Michael’s School in Morgan, Minn., about the story ofFatima and the beautiful statue donated to their school. Right: Michael Drake from ANF presents a Fatima statueto Sister Bernadette Marie, S.S.C., principal of St. Bede the Venerable School in Holland, Penn. Below right: 540children from St. Bede’s prayed the Rosary and sang hymns to Our Lady of Fatima.

Catholics Defend Fatima at RiderUniversity

Above: Children from St. Ann’sSchool in Raritan, New Jersey,receive a 30” statue of OurLady of Fatima from ThomasMcKenna of America NeedsFatima to be displayed in aprominent place at theirschool. Left: a group picture


It’s no secret. Moral relativism is conquering territoryon university campuses. Bizarre body piercing, immoralfashions, promiscuity, and vulgarity are in. Honor, purity,virtue, and good manners are out. As the distinctionbetween good and evil becomes increasingly blurry,Catholic students struggle to keep their Faith. Unfortu-nately, too many fail. And that is why the TFP StudentAction stepped into action.

Over the past few months, TFPStudent Action has visited severaluniversities, including Penn State,George Washington University, theUniversity of Maryland, and GeorgeMason University. Members addressissues like abortion, the scandals inthe Catholic Church, socialism, andjust war under the prism of Catholic teaching and thenatural law. With a motivated team of young volunteers,TFP Student Action’s mission on campuses is to promoteCatholic principles. “There’s nothing more exciting forme than to be standing on a busy university campus side-walk defending Catholic principles—especially whenthose principles are controversial, unpopular, or sparkdebate. It’s a real challenge and a privilege,” said TFP vol-unteer Cesar Franco, 19.

On April 30, members of TFP Student Action were

invited by Adam Ramey, a George Washington Universi-ty student, to a radio debate on the subject of abortion onGW Radio. Pro-abortion groups such as Voices for Choic-es, and Medical Students for Choice were also invited toparticipate, but it seems they did not have the nerve toshow up for the debate. This gave TFP representativesmore radio time to explain why the sin of abortion is eviland to encourage radio listeners to oppose it.

For many students, the TFP is aconsolation. At Penn State’s maincampus at College Station, forexample, students exclaimed, “It’sabout time you’ve gotten here,” and“Thank you for being out here. It’svery consoling to see people outhere voicing the opinion of the

sound majority.” A group of students at George Wash-ington University in Washington, D.C., were likewisedelighted to receive flyers and said, “Thanks for beinghere. You are saying the right stuff. A lot of people appre-ciate your being here. We thank you again.”

Of course, not all comments were so positive. AtGeorge Mason University someone insisted, “You haveno right to be here! This is unacceptable! You betterleave… If you don’t get out of here now, I’m calling thepolice.”

B Y J O H N R I T C H I E

From left to right: CesarFranco, James Bascom,Michael Drake, andJohn Ritchie discussabortion on GW Radiothis April.

Tackling Hot Issues

“It’s very consoling tosee people out here

voicing the opinion ofthe sound majority.”

T F P i nA c t i o n

Members of TFP StudentAction found great interest among studentswhile campaigning atGeorge Mason Universityin Fairfax, Virginia.

To You, Dear Atheist

Dear? This adjective may set readers wonder-ing. After all, they have watched me through

my articles and other means, fighting atheism fordecades, especially the most actively imperialisticform it has assumed in the course of history, thatof Marxist atheism.

How, then, can one justify the adjective “dear”?The explanation is this:

God wills the salvation of all men: of the good,so that they may receive the reward of their mer-its in heaven; of the bad so that they, touched bygrace, may make amends and attain heaven.Therefore, from different standpoints and for dif-ferent reasons, both the former and the latter aredear to God. Now, since they are dear to God, howcould they not be so to a Catholic? Yes, dear, evenwhen a Catholic fights against them in defense ofthe Church and Christendom. So, for example, atthe very moment that a crusader fiercely fought aMohammedan during the reconquest of the HolySepulcher, he could have addressed theMohammedan in all sincerity as “dear brother.”

The expression “dear atheist” is valid, therefore,and includes a range of fine distinctions, for thereare distinctions in atheism. Naturally, a specificsense of the word “dear” applies according to the

distinction. Thus, there are atheists who rejoice tosuch an extent over their conviction that “Goddoes not exist” that if some evident fact such as astupendous miracle should convince them of thecontrary, they might easily rage against God andeven seek to kill Him, if it were possible.

Other atheists are so caught up in the things ofthe earth that their atheism lies not so much indenying the existence of God, but in completeunconcern over the matter. They are not so much“atheists” in the most radical sense of the word,but rather “a-theists,” that is, laicists. God doesn’tfit in their concept of life and the world. If theywere proven the existence of God, they wouldthink the world could go on just the same with orwithout Him. They would go on banishing Himcompletely from earthly affairs.

There is still a third kind of atheist: these,crushed by the burdens and disappointments oflife and finding, through bitter personal experi-ence, that the things of this world are no morethan “vanity and vexation of spirit” (Eccles. 1:14),wish, deep down, that God exist. But confused bythe sophistries of atheism, which they formerlyembraced, and bound by its rationalistic mentalhabits, they are now groping in the darkness,unable to find the God whom they once rejected.When I meditate on that apostrophe of Jesus

C o v e rS t o r y

True Devot

B Y P L I N I O C O R R Ê A D E O L I V E I R A

In 1980, Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira wrote three articles explainingthe timeliness of St. Louis de Montfort’s “slavery of love” to Jesus Christthrough Mary. Indeed, nothing could be so contrary to the spirit of ourage, and yet, nothing can truly provide such a complete solution.


Christ, “Come to me, all you that labor, and areburdened, and I will refresh you” (Matt. 11:28), Ithink especially of this kind of atheist and feelespecially inclined to call them “dear atheists.”

This explains the types of atheists to whomthese reflections are particularly addressed.Nevertheless, it is not only them that I have inmind, but many other readers who are muchmore dear to me: some brothers in the CatholicFaith, members, as I am, of the Mystical Body ofJesus Christ.

Having read a reference I made to the spiritu-ality of Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort,they wanted me to say something more about thematter. So, I write this article for my brothers inthe Faith, but with an eye toward the atheists.

Now I speak to the dear atheists, hoping totouch them to the depth of their souls, in thesame text in which I speak to my dear brothers inthe Faith.

Imagine yourself, dear atheist, in one of thoseintervals of the daily life of old. The toil of a hardday’s work is behind you with all its sweat, effortand pettiness. Now your spirit is calm, and opensto deeper impressions. In those days, life affordedample moments of leisure in which to contem-plate the good things of the past, the accomplish-ments of the present, though harsh at times, andpromises of the future. As a result, the soulrelaxed and refurbished itself in the pleasantkaleidoscope of such thoughts.

In today’s scanty moments of leisure, on thecontrary, it is the neurotic din of disappoint-ments, worries, wild ambitions, and stress thatrise to the surface. And over this noise, hovers aleaden question: “What am I living for?”

Service, a JoyImagine, then, that before your spirit—bruised

by life, calloused, feverish and, perhaps, evenwounded—a vision appears. It is one of thosevisions of which your childhood innocence, nowmany years dead, used to dream. A beautifulqueen majestic and smiling takes you by the handand leads you into the rays of a peaceful, rainbow-colored light. The atmosphere is pure and suf-fused with all the perfumes of nature: flowers,incense or what have you. And you, dear atheist,let yourself be drawn.

You walk, eyes fixed on that person who iseven more beautiful than the lights envelopingher, and more aromatic than the perfumes flow-ing from her, magnificent attributes that shereceives from an invisible sovereign source not tobe confused with her but that shines through her.

You recognize how much foolishness there isin the vast ocean of your bitterness. But now it isforgotten. You sense that, far above the dailysphere in which your sorrows rage and multiply,there is a sublime and tranquil order that you willfinally be able to enter. You perceive that only inthis higher order will you find that happiness yousought among the worms but which really dwellsbeyond the stars.

As you gaze upon the Lady, it seems to youthat you already knew her. You search her coun-tenance, trying to identify what it is that seems sofamiliar to you. In something about her eyes, in acertain loving note in her smile, in some of theassurance that she radiates—rich in manyexpressions and shades of affection—you recog-nize certain indescribable flashes of soul that you

A queen, allmajestic andsmiling, leadsyou by the handinto the rays ofradiant, peaceful,rainbow-coloredlight surroundingher in an effort tohelp you.

ion, True LibertyTo You, Dear AtheistService, a JoyObey in Order to Be Free


saw in the most generous motions of the soul ofyour earthly mother; or, if one of the many formsof orphanhood today have befallen you, themother you would have liked to have.

You look closer, and you see still more; not justa mother, your mother, but someone—Some-one—who seems to you to be the refinement andthe most complete synthesis of all the mothersthat were, are, and will be, of all the motherlyvirtues that man’s intelligence and heart canknow. Even more, she seems to radiate the com-plete ensemble of virtues that only saints, flyingon the wings of grace and heroism, know how toimagine and approach. She is the mother of all

children and of all mothers. She is the motherof all men. She is the mother of the Man. Yes,

of the God-Man, the God who becameMan in her virginal womb, in orderto redeem all men. She is a Motherdefined by one word—mare, (Latinfor sea)—whence, in turn, comes aname, a name that is a heaven:MARY.

Through her come to you all graces and favorsfrom the divine sun, infinitely superior but seem-ing to dwell in her (like the sun’s rays seem todwell in stained-glass windows). You ask andyou are heeded. You make a wish and you aregranted it. From the depth of the peace begin-ning to anoint and envelop you, you sense a kindof happiness emerging that is the radiant oppo-site of that which, until a short while ago, youfrantically pursued. This earthly happiness—ifyou did possess it—you finally cast aside as wornout, useless, like a child pushing aside toys thatare no longer entertaining.

Like a lily arising in a swamp or a springwelling up in a desert, something new begins toappear in the frustrated egoist that you were.This something new is not egoism, the exclu-sivist love of yourself, but it is love; love of eternalprinciples, of shining ideals, of lofty and spotlesscauses, that you recognize in the ineffable Ladyand that you begin to desire to serve.

Behold the name of your new happiness: toserve, to dedicate yourself, to offer up all thatyou are and all that belongs to you. This happi-

ness you will find in everything you formerlyavoided: un-rewarded dedication, misunder-stood goodwill, logic scorned by hypocritesor ignored by “deaf ” ears, confrontationwith calumny that at times howls like a hur-

ricane, then discreetly hisses like a serpent,and finally lies like a fowl breeze. Your joy nowconsists in resisting so much infamy, ad-

vancing and overcoming, even thoughyou be wounded, rejected, or ignored.

Everything for the service of the Lady“clothed with the sun, and the moonunder her feet, and on her head acrown of twelve stars” (Apoc. 12:1).Yes, everything to serve her, andthose who follow her.

You thought that happinesswas to have everything. Now, onthe contrary, you find that happi-ness consists in giving yourselfcompletely.

Perhaps you fear that I may bedreaming and making youdream as you read these lines.No, I do not dream, nor do Imake you dream. How colorlessare these lines in comparisonwith the True Devotion to the


La Virgen Blanca, (the WhiteVirgin), Toledo, Spain


Blessed Virgin Mary by Saint Louis Grignion deMontfort. In this work, the famous missionary ofthe end of the seventeenth century and the begin-ning of the eighteenth (whose followers were the“Chouans,” heroes of the fight against the atheisticand egalitarian French Revolution of the late eigh-teenth century) justified, through an impeccablylogical reasoning founded on the most solid truthsof the Faith, the profile of the sanctity of Mary. Hedeeply scrutinized the meaning of her virginalmotherhood, her role in the Redemption of thehuman race, her position as Queen of Heaven andEarth, co-Redemptrix of men, and Universal Medi-atrix of the graces that come to us from God aswell as of the prayers of suffering mankind toAlmighty God. In light of all this, the Saint ana-lyzes the providence of Mary and shows how theMother of the God-Man has each man in mind,loving each of us with greater love than all themothers in the world could concentrate on onechild.

It was to attract you to the consideration ofthese great treasures, these great thoughts, andthese great truths, that I decided to write to you. Atthe same time, I fulfilled the desire of several broth-ers in the Faith, who want nothing more than tohave you in their midst, very close… to her.

If grace has deigned to bedew my words, youhave felt within yourself something like a distantmusic, so in tune with yourself and with your liveli-est aspirations that one would say it was composedfor you, that you felt a thirst for harmony, and thatyou were born to give yourself to it. In a word, youare ordered for it, and without it you are nothingbut disorder.

And if, in the great harmony of the universe,even the most insignificant grain of sand, the mostobscure drop of water, and the lowest worm of theearth have their place and their function, will it notbe the same with the highest peaks of the order ofthe universe that is, the panorama of truths I havejust presented to you through metaphors andwhich Saint Louis de Montfort logically and con-sistently deduces from the Catholic Faith, fromthat Faith which Saint Paul, in turn, defined as “ra-tionabile obsequium” (Rom. 12:1)?

If this panorama that sets you in order and with-out which you are only chaos is false, then you, likeevery man, are out of place, a misfit, in this uni-verse so supremely ordered. Can you imagine thisbeing true of yourself, of us, of all men, who, asmen, are in reality the royal apex of that order?

To believe that this is so, to believe in such amonstrous contradiction placed at the very apex ofso perfect an order, is indeed, irrational. It is theheight of absurdity.

Obey in Order to Be Free

No, dear atheist; echoing the words of BishopSaint Remigius upon baptizing Clovis, the firstChristian king of the Franks, I say to you: “Burnwhat you have adored and adore what you haveburned.” Yes, burn egoism, doubt, apathy, and,moved by the love of God, love and serve and fightfor the Faith, for the Church, and for Christian civ-ilization. Sacrifice yourself. Renounce yourself.

How? As they did throughout the ages. As thosewho fought, for Jesus Christ, the “good fight” (2Tim. 4:7).

And you will do it remarkably well if you followthe method defined and justified by Saint Louis deMontfort. It concerns the “slavery of love” to theBlessed Virgin.

Slavery… a harsh and strange word, especiallyfor modern ears, accustomed to hearing at everymoment about disalienation and freedom, and evermore inclined to the grand anarchy which, like thegrim reaper with scythe in hand, seems to laughsinisterly at men as it awaits them at the thresholdof the exit from the twentieth century.

Now, there is a slavery that frees, and a freedomthat enslaves.

A man fulfilling his obligations was formerlysaid to be a “slave of duty.” In fact, he was a man atthe height of his liberty, a man who, through a com-pletely personal act of will, understood the waysthat befell him to follow, deliberated with manlyvigor to pursue them, and overcame the assaults ofthe disorderly passions that tried to blind him,weaken his will, and block the way he had freelychosen. Free was the man who, having gained thissupreme victory, walked with a firm step in theproper direction.

On the contrary, he who allowed himself to be

The Swiss Guard willingly dedicates hislife to serve and protectthe Supreme Pontiff.

Slavery… aharsh andstrange word,especially formodern earsaccustomed tohearing atevery momentaboutdisalienationand freedom.


dragged by the unruly passions in a direction nei-ther approved by his reason nor preferred by hiswill, was a “slave.” These really defeated peoplewere called “slaves of vice.” By slavery to vice theyhad “liberated” themselves from the wholesomedominion of reason.

Leo XIII brilliantly and skillfully explainedthese concepts of liberty and servitude in hisencyclical Libertas.

Today everything is inverted. A hippie goingabout aimlessly with a flower in his hand, orspreading terror at hispleasure with a bomb in hishand is regarded as a modelof a “free” man. On the con-trary, whoever lives in obe-dience to the laws of Godand of men is considered tobe bound rather than free.

In the current perspec-tive, free is one whom thelaw permits to buy thedrugs he wants, to use themas he wishes, and, finally, toenslave himself to them.Enslaving and tyrannical isthe law forbidding men tobecome enslaved to drugs.

In this cross-eyed per-spective derived from aninversion of values, the reli-gious vow by which amonk, in all awareness andin all freedom, renouncesany step backward and sur-renders himself to theabnegated service of thehighest Christian ideals, isenslaving. In that act, inorder to protect his deci-sion against the tyranny ofhis own weakness, themonk subjects himself tothe authority of vigilantsuperiors. Today, whoevercommits to remain free from bad passions is liableto be considered a vile slave, as if his superiorimposed upon him a yoke that cut off his will.Instead, the superior serves as a handrail for ele-vated souls that aspire, freely and fearlessly—with-out yielding to the dangerous vertigo of theheights—to reach the top of the stairways of thehighest ideals.

In brief, some consider him free who, with hisreason fogged and his will shattered and driven bythe madness of his senses, is capable of sliding

voluptuously downward in the toboggan of badmanners. And he is a “slave” who serves his ownreason, overcomes with his will power his ownpassions, obeys divine and human laws, and putsorder into practice.

In that perspective, “slave,” above all, is he who,in order to more completely guarantee his liberty,freely chooses to submit himself to authoritiesthat guide him toward his goal. This is how far weare led by the present atmosphere, impregnatedwith Freudianism!

It was from another per-spective that Saint Louis deMontfort devised the “slav-ery of love” to Our Lady, aslavery proper to all agesand to all states in life: lay-man, priest, religious, andso on.

What does the word“love” mean here, joined tothe word “slavery” in a sur-prising way, since the latteris dominion brutallyimposed by the strong uponthe weak, by the egotisticalupon the wretched whomhe exploits?

In sound philosophy,“love” is the act by whichthe will freely wants some-thing. In this way, also incurrent language, “to want”and “to love” are words thatcan be used in the samesense. “Slavery of love” is thenoble apex of the act bywhich someone freely giveshimself to an ideal or acause, or, at times, bindshimself to another.

The holy affection andthe duties of matrimonyhave something that bind,that join, that ennoble. In

Spanish, handcuffs are called “spouses.” The meta-phor makes us smile; and since it alludes to indis-solubility, it can bring a chill to those who believein divorce. In English we speak of the “bonds” ofmatrimony. More binding than the state of a mar-ried man is that of a priest. And, in a certain sense,still more binding is that of the religious. The high-er the state freely chosen, the stronger the bond,and the more authentic the liberty.

So, Saint Louis de Montfort proposes that thefaithful consecrate themselves freely to the

“Slavery of love” is the nobleapex of the act by which

someone freely giveshimself to an ideal or a

cause, or, at times, bindshimself to another.

Blessed Virgin as “slaves of love,” giving hertheir bodies and souls, their goods, bothinterior and exterior, and even the value ofall their good actions, past, present, andfuture, so that Our Lady may dispose ofthem for the greater glory of God, in timeand in eternity (cf. “Consecration to JesusChrist, the Incarnate Wisdom, through theBlessed Virgin Mary”). In exchange, as asublime Mother, Our Lady obtains for her“slaves of love” the graces of God that ele-vate their intellects to the most lucidunderstanding of the highest themes of theFaith, that grant their wills an angelicstrength to rise freely to those ideals and toconquer all the interior and exterior obsta-cles that unduly oppose themselves tothem.

But, someone will ask, how will a monk,already subject under vow to the authorityof a superior, be able to begin practicingthis diaphanous and angelic liberty?

Nothing is easier. If he is a monkthrough a call of God (vocation), it is there-fore by the will of God that the religiousobeys his superiors. The will of God is thewill of Our Lady. In this way, whenever areligious is consecrated as a “slave of love”to Our Lady, it is as her slave that he obeyshis own superior. The voice of this superioris, for him, like the very voice of Our Ladyon earth.

Calling all men to the heights of libertyafforded by the “slavery of love,” Saint Louisde Montfort employs terms so prudentthat they allow ample room for importantdistinctions. His “slavery of love,” so repletewith special meaning for thepersons bound by vow tothe religious state, can beequally practiced by secularpriests or laymen because,unlike the religious vows thatbind for a certain period orfor an entire life, the “slave of

love” can leave this most elevated condi-tion at any moment without ipso factocommitting sin. And while the religiouswho disobeys his rule incurs a sin, the lay“slave of love” does not commit any sin bythe simple fact of contradicting in some-thing the total generosity of the gift hemade. The layman maintains himself inthis condition of slavery through a free act,implicitly or explicitly repeated each day,or better, at each instant.

The “slavery of love” is, then, for all thefaithful that angelic and supreme libertywith which Our Lady awaits us at thethreshold of the twenty-first century, smil-ing and attractive, inviting us to her reign,according to her promise in Fatima: “Final-ly, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”

Come, dear atheist, convert and walkwith me, with all the “slaves of love” ofMary, toward that reign of supremelyordered freedom and of supremely freeorder, to which the Slave of Our Lord, theQueen of Heaven, invites you.

Turn aside from the threshold at whichthe devil, like the grim reaper with his mor-bid laugh, holds in his hand the scythe ofsupremely enslaving freedom and ofsupremely libertarian enslavement, thescythe of anarchy.

About the Author

The author of 15 booksand over 2,500 in-depth arti-cles and essays, Plinio Corrêade Oliveira held the chair ofModern and ContemporaryHistory at the PontificalCatholic University of SãoPaulo, Brazil. He was also thefounder of the Brazilian Soci-ety for the Defense of Tradi-tion, Family and Property andserved as its president fromits inception in 1960 until hisdeath in 1995.

Considered by many asone of the greatest Catholicfigures of our time, Prof. deOliveira traversed the twenti-eth century in defense of theChurch, the Papacy, andChristian civilization.

Along the way he strenu-ously fought Nazism, commu-nism, and other forms ofsocialism; described anddenounced the revolution inhuman tendencies, andopposed the mysteriousprocess of self-demolitionwithin the Catholic Church.

His word and pen were atthe service of Christian civi-lization. A statement of theHoly See regarding his mostwidely circulated book, TheChurch in the CommunistState: the Impossible Coexis-tence, can fittingly be used todescribe his entire life’s intel-lectual work: “A most faithfulecho of all the Documents ofthe Supreme Magisterium ofthe Church.”


These poor souls, likethousands of others, have

searched for their freedomin vain by doing whatever

they like, only to findthemselves enslaved to

the most tyrannical oflords: human vices. Is this

true freedom? Does notfreedom have something

to do with happiness?


TemporalB Y J O H N M O R E

Emitte Spiritum tuum etcreabuntur: et renov-abis faciem terrae—

Send forth Thy Spirit, and theyshall be created, and Thou shalt

renew the face of the earth.With this ejaculation, borrowed

from Psalm 103 and prayed after theEpistle in the Mass for Pentecost, we

beseech the Holy Ghost, through theintercession of His most beloved spouse,

His most urgent coming and the subsequentrenewal of society.

Necessarily, this renewal is an integral part ofthe triumph Our Lady announced in Fatimawhen she promised, “Finally, my ImmaculateHeart will Triumph,” since the triumph of herImmaculate Heart can only mean the renovationof the world according the spirit of Her DivineSpouse.

In these chaotic times when newspapers dailyreport all sorts of miseries, tragedies, and crimes,as well as oceans of sin, it is difficult to imaginehow an ideal society will be when “the face of theearth is renewed.”

When the promises of Fatima are fulfilled andthese times come, the restorative graces will alsocome to allow us to understand, accept, andpractice the concepts of a society seeking tofollow the counsel of the Gospel: “Be youtherefore perfect, as also your heavenlyFather is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).

The Medieval modelThere was a time when, fundamentally,

such a society did exist. This was inMedieval Christendom, a timePope Leo XIII described in hisencyclical Immortale Dei: “Therewas a time when the philosophy ofthe Gospel governed the states. Inthat epoch, the influence of Christ-

ian wisdom and its divine virtue permeated thelaws, institutions, and customs of the peoples, allcategories and all relations of civil society. Thenthe religion instituted by Jesus Christ, solidly estab-lished in the degree of dignity due to it, flourishedeverywhere thanks to the favor of princes and thelegitimate protection of magistrates. Then thepriesthood and the empire were united in a happyconcord and by the friendly interchange of goodoffices. So organized, civil society gave fruits supe-rior to all expectations, whose memory subsistsand will subsist, registered as it is in innumerabledocuments that no artifice of the adversaries candestroy or obscure.”

We thus have a model and, by studying it, mayform an idea of what this society can be. Still, thisfuture society will not be a mere repetition of theshining Middle Ages. Despite much decadence,there has been good progress that should evi-dently be adopted. Besides, much has been devel-oped about this theme to be incorporated as well.Above all, if we consider that our expectation ofthe triumph of Our Lady includes a restorativeand loving action of the Holy Ghost, it may not betoo daring to affirm that this new “Middle Ages”will be to the historic one as gold to silver.

The renowned Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveiragave this subject much thought. It is in light ofhis reflections that we will speculate about thetheme of civil, or temporal society. This subjectbeing so vast, as to be more the matter for a bookthan an article, we can only hope to begin hereand continue in future articles.

A fundamental notionAs in a building of a magnificent cathedral, let usbegin with the foundations.

The society willed by God, like all things ofGod, is essentially simple in its conception yet,through no fault of the Creator but through thatof man weakened by Original Sin, difficult in itsexecution.

S o c i e t y

Actual size ofsequoia seeds


We may find the fundamental principles ofthis society contained in the natural order of theuniverse established by God.

When we contemplate a mighty Sequoia, withits huge trunk, displaying branches and thou-sands of leaves, we can scarcely believe it all camefrom a tiny seed. Yet, reality is that this giant ofthe forest did indeed emerged from a tiny organ-ism. The great Sequoia is the realization of a mag-nificent plan already potentially existent in theseed. Everything about the Sequoia—its size,constitution, color, the form of its leaves and eventhe odor of its bark, was entirely present in thedivine “blueprint” inside the seed.

The same happens with the rose in itsnumerous varieties, colors, and perfumes. If arose seed is planted, it will invariably producethe rose that the Divine Author designed. It isthe same with the entire plant and animalworlds. This is God’s supreme, wonderful gov-ernment of living nature.

A basis of organicismThe idea by which a living organism developsfrom its native plan established by the Creatorcan be called the foundation of a healthy organi-cism. Thus, by a special desire of the Creator, notwo creatures will be the same. There will be notwo identical roses. They may all be of onespecies, all red, and of the same quality, but theywill not be identical, just as all the petals of onerose will also be different.

This same principle applies to man, a beingsuperior to plants and animals because he wasgiven a spiritual soul, endowed with intellect andwill. This is the fundamental difference betweenman and the plant and animal worlds.

Yet, God established plans for man just as Hedid for the great Sequoia or the beautiful rose.Just as in the seed of a plant, so also in the humanembryo: everything is already meticulouslyplanned. Each embryo will develop into a uniquehuman being with specific intellect, tempera-ment, personal preferences, talents and even amission specially designed for that person. Every-thing is carefully planned in that embryo withinfinite divine care.

Each man and woman thus has a special“blueprint,” whereby there will never be two thesame in the history of mankind. Each is a uniquework of art.

Abortion and cloningobstruct the Divine planThus another aspect of abortion and cloningemerges. Both are what could be called sacrile-gious interferences in the plans of God. God, inHis infinite wisdom, wished to create a collectionof people in the history of mankind, each specifi-cally designed by Him. Each is so special that heor she will not be repeated—all for His greaterglory. Abortion eliminates a matchless work ofart of the Creator that will not be seen again. Nocollector is satisfied unless his collection is com-

Societyin the Divine Plan — Part I

Everything about the great sequoia—its size,constitution, color, the form of its leaves and even the

odor of its bark—was entirely present in the divine“blueprint” inside the seed.

plete. Imagine the Divine Collector! Inthe case of cloning, man tries to createfalse pieces for the collection. They arefalse because they are not the work ofthe Divine Artist.

Collaborating with ordeforming the Divine planNevertheless, there is a fundamental dif-ference between the organic develop-ment of plants and animals and that ofman. The former abide by the Divineplan as designed, while man, because ofhis free will, can warp the plan by choos-ing to follow his own will instead.

The will and intellect are spiritualqualities that unable man to cooperatewith the original plan. By doing so, mancan develop the original design andennoble it by his conformity to thedivine will. If man chooses to do the con-trary, says Prof. de Oliveira,

…he will only be damaging himself.For the sake of some vanity or ambition,he may seek a false position; a positionthat will contradict his natural inclina-tion and temperament. This would bethe expression of his bad side which hemust fight to correct. However, if hechooses not to fight and opts for thisbad side, he will be putting down hisown legitimate and organic inclinationsfor the sake of following his own plan forwhich he will come to grief. For exam-ple, a man can think: “I love sculptingand painting. I know that I could

become a great sculptor orpainter. However, sculptors andpainters are not successful inthese times. I must be a busi-nessman and make money. Eventhough my whole being clamorsfor sculpting and painting, Imust suppress it in favor of mak-ing money and becoming rich—and, thus, important in society.”

In the same way, a man whofeels inclined to music must

dedicate his special attention to it. Hewill be fulfilled and contribute uniquelyto society. The same holds for numerousother vocations and professions such asthat of priest, doctor, diplomat, archi-tect, poet, writer, monk, politician,nobleman, prince, baker, builder, and somany others in this rich variety willed byGod to complete and enhance temporalsociety. A society of persons docile to theDivine plan for each individual can wellbe called an “organic society.”

* * *For this present article we will stop

with this basic notion: God’s originalplan for every person is deeplyimprinted in them. They must loving-ly conform to the Divine Will and usetheir intellect to cooperate, develop,and enhance that plan and not theirown. This constitutes the fundamentalprinciple of the organic society, as wecall it.

In the next article we will deal withother aspects of an organic temporalsociety not only from the natural pointof view but also the supernatural. Wewill speak of the role of the Church aswell as that of virtue, grace, and sanctity.We will touch on the constitution of thefamily as the mother-cell of society, theorganic formation of guilds, the varioustypes of professions such as that ofmusicians, hunters, gardeners, archi-tects, and so forth. We will also addressmany aspects of industry and universi-ties as well as that of the organicism ofsocial classes and types of governments.

“Emitte Spiritum tuum et creabuntur:et renovabis faciem terrae.”

God’s original plan for every person is deeplyimprinted in them. They must lovingly conform to the

Divine Will and use their intellect to cooperate,develop, and enhance that plan and not their own.


B Y J E R E M I A S W E L L S

Chapter VII

R e v o l u t i o na n d

c o u n t e r -r e v o l u t i o ni n H i s t o r y

Luther’s Legacy ofDisunity and OppressionPart Two: Cujus regio, illius religio

Up until the Peasant’s War in 1525, theLutheran revolution moved forward throughthe intemperate, provocative writings ofMartin Luther that appealed to the passionsof discontented Germans. Also in the earlystages, he received invaluable support fromthe unruly elements of the humanists, butthen death and disaffection took their toll.The warlord Franz von Sickingen died fromwounds inflicted by the army of the bishop ofTrier, and the degenerate, literary light ofanti-papalism, Ulrich von Hutten, died fromsyphilis in 1523. One year later, Erasmus, themost influential of the humanists, who “laidthe egg that Luther hatched,” left the Luther-an camp when the latter denied free will.

But more importantly, Luther realizedsomething was needed to give his revolu-tionary movement a sense of direction otherthan just negative bashing of the Church. Byhis own admission, the disgruntled here-siarch recognized that the moral and spiritu-al lives of the Lutherans had fallen into adeplorable state of decadence. All he hadaccomplished was the repudiation of theauthority of the Catholic Church in manyareas with nothing to replace it. He fearedthe movement would founder on the rocks ofsocial unrest and endless liturgical renova-tions. For all the destructiveness caused bythe early malcontents, they did not establisha concrete organization, because they lackedthe necessary skills. For that reason thedespairing heretic advocated a state-churchcontrolled by the princes of the Empire whosaw the wealth of the Church as a reward fortheir nefarious activities.

The Elector of SaxonyAs we have already noted, the Elector of

Saxony, Frederick the Wise, Luther’s jurisdic-tional prince, provided invaluable protection

in his dispute with the Papacy and theEmperor, although it seems Frederick died aCatholic. He was replaced by his brother,John the Steadfast, in 1525 and by the latter’sson in 1532, both of whom eagerly embracedLutheranism.

Under John the civil power took completecontrol over the Lutheran congregation andeventually over all religious activity in his ter-ritory. He determined what rights the indi-vidual pastors had and supervised the beliefs,teachings, and functions of the new minis-ters. Those who disagreed could move else-where. Moreover, he secularized the richmaterial resources of the Church by confis-cating monasteries, churches, hospitals, andschools, thus diverting its wealth for his ownpersonal advantage. The subjugation of reli-gion to secular authority brought mankindto a new wretched depth in the battle formen’s souls.

Several other territorial princes, mostnotably Philip of Hesse and Albert of Hohen-zollern, and free cities such as Nuremberg,Mainz, Strasbourg, and Frankfurt followedsuit. However, the most egregious andunconscionable theft took place in Prussia.

The Teutonic KnightsOf the three great religious military

orders that defended Christianity in theHoly Land before its expulsion in 1291, theTeutonic Knights were the last to be organ-ized. Since they were called in by their fel-low-Germans to assist in converting and civ-ilizing the pagan tribes in Prussia and Livo-nia (modern Estonia and part of Latvia),they were also the first to find honorableemployment elsewhere. Not only did theydestroy paganism through conversion but,by building forts at strategic locations, theybecame territorial lords as well. At theheight of their expansion, the monk-war-riors controlled a wide swath of land alongthe Baltic Sea from the Electorate of Bran-denburg to the Gulf of Finland.

The crusade to convert the Lithuaniansin the fourteenth century revived the chival-ric spirit in Europe and once again combinedmartial activity with service to God and theBlessed Virgin. During a lull in the HundredYears War, over 400 French and Englishnoblemen swelled the ranks of the MilitaryOrder in its campaign against the last of theEuropean pagans

By the end of the century, a decadencehad begun to set in which coincided with theGreat Western Schism, causing, as we havenoted, a spiritual dissolution that disturbedall of Christendom. During the period ofdecline, the once-powerful Order saw its ter-ritory diminish to the duchy of Prussia.

If the suppression of the Templars can be


TeutonicKnight


considered the height of tragedy, then thedemise of the Teutonic Knights can be con-sidered the height of infamy. In 1525, theGrandmaster, Albert of Hohenzollern (acousin of the Archbishop of Mainz), aban-doned his vows of poverty, chastity, and obe-dience, secularized the Order, converted toLuther’s heresy at the latter’s urging, andturned Prussia into a Lutheran State. Whenhe made himself the Duke of Prussia, heusurped the lands of the Knights and madethem the territory of his new duchy.

Philip of HesseNestled between the Rhine River and LowerSaxony, the illustrious and ancient territoryof Hesse, converted from paganism by SaintBoniface, came under the control of theLandgrave (prince) Philip, who ruthlesslyabolished the very foundation of Catholicismin his land. In 1526 he confiscated all Churchproperty. Those priests and monks thatremained were strictly forbidden to sayMass, hear confessions, or administer any ofthe other sacraments. Freedom of con-science was disallowed in Hesse.

But Philip went far beyond his own terri-tory. Using his ample political skills and inassociation with the Elector of Saxony andthe Margrave of Brandenburg, he organizedthe Lutheran territories and free cities into aunified Protestant state. At the Diet of Spey-er in 1529, the Catholic majority passed adecree that granted the new religion a rightto exist but insisted that they tolerateCatholics in their territories and avoid fur-ther innovations until a General Council hadbeen summoned. The rebellious minorityprotested against this conciliatory edict,thus drawing down upon themselves thegeneric term by which they have been knownever since: Protestants. In the land wherethey had gained power, however, they had nointention of granting toleration nor of dis-continuing their attack on the Church.Although some optimistic souls on bothsides, including Charles V, hoped some com-promise could be reached, the sundering ofChristendom proved to be irreversible.

William Thomas Walsh, after studyingthe international hatred for the Church overthe centuries from the scribes and the Phar-isees, the Donatists, and Islam to the FrenchRevolution, the Communists, and the Nazis,knew that there was something “moreimportant [in the religious rebellion] than

the mere preaching of an exasperated monk.”He realized “that the spirit in Protestantism(even more evident in Calvinism) soughtnothing less than the utter destruction of theCatholic Church.”*

While the Catholics grew more timid andthe Protestants bolder, Charles returned toGermany in 1530, but he accomplished verylittle. He left two years later not to return foranother nine. Both he and his brother Ferdi-nand, now King of the Romans, and otherCatholic princes realized that the only solu-tion to the problem was a General Council,but Pope Clement VII (a cousin of Leo X)would have none of it. He had no intention ofexposing the skeletons in his Medicean closet.

While Charles was tied up in seeminglyendless struggles with Francis I, the Moslems,and a rebellion in the Netherlands, Philipformed the Schmalkaldic League. This addeda defensive, military posture to his political

organization, but then he compromised hisposition by giving in to his overwhelmingsensuality. His ardent desire to marry a sec-ond woman with the first wife still livingforced Luther, because of the landgrave’simportance, to approve a bigamist marriage.This was done as Luther and his chief assis-tant, Melanchton, expressed it, “in order toprovide for the welfare of his body and soul,and to bring greater glory to God.” The cere-mony was performed by a Lutheran preacherwho had himself accumulated three wives.

Battle of MuhlbergThroughout the period leading up to thefinal military conflict, the power of the

Lutheran rebels increased through treatyafter treaty and concession after concession.The terminal illness and death of Francis Iafter the fourth war released Charles fromany danger, at least temporarily, from thatdirection and allowed him to turn his atten-tion to the problem of German disunity. Histypical, optimistic, political approach towhat was essentially a religious problembrought him into conflict with Pope Paul III(Clement had died in 1534) and the Councilof Trent. Charles was particularly irked whenthe Council published a decree that statedthat man had a free will and could redeemhimself through grace derived from prayerand good works, which removed any bar-gaining room. But the intransigent attitudeof the Landgrave Philip and the Elector JohnFrederick and their associates forced him torealize that his only option was through amilitary campaign.

In the closing months of 1546, Charlesentered southern Germany with a sizablearmy. By cleverly maneuvering his troopsand avoiding a pitched battle, he scatteredthe disorganized forces of his enemies andoccupied the chief cities. The followingspring, the Emperor, riding at the head of50,000 men, entered Saxony and crossed theElbe River undetected. At dusk on April 24,the Duke of Alba, one of the great com-manders of the century, led his Spanish sol-diers against a surprised John Frederick andcompletely devastated his army at Muhlberg.The Elector was captured. Philip of Hesse,hoping to gain lenient terms, surrendered,but nevertheless was imprisoned along withJohn Frederick for five years.

After Muhlberg Charles refused to followup either militarily or diplomatically, per-haps, as Walsh has noted, because many ofhis advisors were secret Lutherans. His fail-ure to complete the conquest of the remain-ing Protestant cities and the princes inNorth Germany voided all the advantages ofhis great victory at Muhlberg. During thisperiod, Charles alternated between bouts ofpiety and overindulgence in food, drink, andsensual companionship. With so many ene-mies sitting on the horizon, Christendomneeded a champion with undivided atten-tion, and although the Emperor fell short,many others were coming into prominence.

To his credit, Charles remained faithful tohis wife, Isabel of Portugal, reputed to be themost beautiful woman in Europe, during the

*Special note: See Philip II (N.Y., 1937), pp. 242ff,249ff. In fact, look up all the references to MartinLuther from these pages for better understandingof Walsh’s thinking on the matter.

From that point on, he[Francis Borgia] considered

all those treasures of theworld, in which people

place so much importance,sheer vanity and anobstacle to salvation.


that, through our personal effort and the helpof God’s grace, we might prove our love forGod through our faith and good works.

As to the phrase of Our Lord, “forgivethem for they know not what they do,”3 itdoes not signify that those who crucified OurLord were ignorant of the evil they commit-ted or were guiltless. Rather, it signified onlythat they did not realize the full extent ofwhat they did because they did not have aclear notion of the divinity of the Savior. Still,

they could have had no doubt that He wasinnocent, a just man and a prophet like noother before Him, as the Divine Master’spreaching and miracles attested.

As for the priests and doctors of the Law,their ignorance of His divinity was culpable, afruit of their passions and rejection of grace.

Saint Luke tells us that when Our Lorddied and the sky darkened and the veil of thetemple was rent, a Roman soldier standingby the cross exclaimed: “Indeed, this was ajust man.” And, the Evangelist continues, “all

the multitude of them that were cometogether to that sight, and saw the thingsthat were done, returned striking theirbreasts.”4

Notes:1. “The Gentiles, who have not the Law, do by

nature those things that are of the Law…showthat the demands of the Law are written in theirhearts” (Rom 2:14-15).

2. Gen. 2:16–17; 3:1–19.3. Luke 23:34.4. Luke 23:47–48.

Continued from page 2...

thirteen years of their marriage. Whenshe died in 1539, he suffered from suchgrief that he asked her young chamber-lain, the Marques de Lombay, to leadthe funeral cortege from Toledo toGranada for burial. Before the inter-ment, the Marques opened the coffinfor one last look and gasped in horrorwhen he saw what decomposition haddone to the beautiful face that hadonce been compared to Our Lady’s.From that point on, he considered allthose treasures of the world, in whichpeople place so much importance,sheer vanity and an obstacle to salva-tion. A few years later he joined anoth-er Spanish nobleman who hadrenounced earthly rewards, Ignatius ofLoyola, and has since been canonizedas Saint Francis Borgia.

Hostilities broke out once again, butit was no longer a religious war; it was awar of rapine, slaughter, theft, treach-ery, and total injustice. Quarrelingagain with the Papacy (this time with bothPaul III and Paul IV), worn out with Frenchwars (now with Francis’ son Henry II), con-stantly betrayed by shifting alliances, Charles,tired, discouraged, and frequently sick, abdi-cated the imperial crown lands to Ferdinandand his Spanish possessions including theNetherlands to his son Philip II.

Luther’s final daysLuther’s last years were disturbed by bitterdisputes, by the disreputable lives of his fol-lowers, and by his troubled conscience. Thehopeless failure of his attempt at reforma-tion severely affected him, giving rise to ahost of nervous disorders and physical dis-eases. A study of Catholic saints show that

they practiced the virtues of patience, gen-erosity of spirit, and humility in abundance.Luther, on the other hand, displayed an iras-cible, mean-tempered disposition.

On a business trip to Eisleben, the city ofhis birth, Luther suffered a fatal attack in hisroom. Many relatives and associates crowd-ed into a small sitting room where the dyingheretic lay on a couch. To the end heremained unyielding in the doctrines he hadpreached and in his hatred of the Pope.

EpilogueCharles retired to a Spanish monasterywhere he lived in prayer and penance until hedied in 1558. His was a life full of great deci-sions, conferences with the world’s most

illustrious leaders, and involvement inwars and battles across all of Europeand North Africa. But these events didnot define his role in history. Whatgave his reign its significance was thaton his watch the unity of Christendomwas severely damaged. The heresy towhich Charles had given political free-dom began to destroy the internation-al community constituted under theMystical Body of Christ.

With Charles in retirement and themajor antagonists either dead ordying, a final peace was concluded in1555. This settlement, known as theReligious Peace of Augsberg, broughtto an end the great struggle that hadbeen raging for thirty-five years. It wasa triumph for the Revolution and adefeat for Catholic order both in theChurch and in society. The less-than-Catholic principle cujus regio, illiusreligio (the ruler determines the faithof his subjects) was firmly established

and the plunder of over three decades waslegitimized. Religious liberty was annihilat-ed. The peace became for the German peo-ple a source of sufferings, grave injustices,and future dissension.

Bibliographical noteFor the bibliography, see Chapters V and VI.

Invaluable throughout was A. Guggenberger, S.J.,A General History of the Christian Era (St. Louis,1925) and the Catholic Encylopedia, especially thearticles on Martin Luther and Charles V.

The Empress Isabel. Painting by Titian in the Prado, Madrid

M any years ago, when I visited the SainteChapelle in Paris for the first time, Ithought this lower level was the main

chapel. I found it so beautiful that I uttered anexclamation, a rare thing for me because I am notgiven to outward manifestations. I was delighted!Then someone told me I should go up to the chapelbecause the flow of visitors was increasing.

It was only then I learned that this lower floorhad been constructed for the servants. Because theinhabitants of the palace were many and the kingliked to attend Mass with all of them, two Masseswere celebrated, one above and the other below.The upper part not being large enough to containall, the servants attended Mass below.

In analyzing this lower chapel, I was first struckby something in the proportions of this chapel thatis different from what we normally find in otherchurches. For the sake of the praying person, theseproportions create at the same time an elevated yetintimate ambiance. The person feels as if God isreceiving him or her into His own personal office.

How is this achieved? In the following manner:the columns, thin and slight and not broad andheavy rise upward opening at the top like palmtrees whose leaves meet at the ceiling. They meet so

harmoniously, so gradually and so perfectly thatthey give one the impression that they remainpoised on high at meeting point. Yet, this highpoint is very much at one’s reach. While intimatethey give the impression of great elevation; and inelevation they give the impression of great intima-cy. In such an ambiance, man senses the grandeurof God but, at the same time, feels attracted to theCreator.

The arches have a fascinating effect on thehuman spirit. Yet, if one such arch is beautiful, theensemble of arches is yet more beautiful.

Sacred Scripture states that after God createdthe world, He rested on the seventh day and con-templated His work. And He found that each thingwas beautiful but that the whole creation was morebeautiful than each individual part. In the SainteChapelle we find the same. Each column is beauti-ful and the paintings and stained glass windowsenhance this beauty. But the whole chapel surpass-es them all.

Note:Sainte Chapelle in Paris, built next to the Palace of Justice by

architect Pierre de Montreuil during the reign of Saint Louis IX,13th century. Built in two levels, higher and lower, the higherlevel housed the precious relics brought by this holy king from

Sainte ChapelleChapelleSainte

B Y P L I N I O C O R R Ê A D E O L I V E I R A