Crusade mag vol 188 March-April, 2024

Three Ways To Practice Your Faith To Practice Your Faith Three Ways in Bu siness

It Is Cowardly Not to Fight for the Faith

BY POPE LEO XIII

Amid such reckless and widespread folly of opinion, it is, as We have said, the office of the Church to undertake the defense of truth and uproot errors from the mind, and this charge has to be at all times sacredly observed by her, seeing that the honor of God and the salvation of men are confided to her keeping. But when necessity compels, not those only who are invested with power of rule are bound to safeguard the integrity of faith, but, as Saint Thomas maintains, “Each one is under obligation to show forth his faith, either to instruct and encourage others of the faithful, or to repel the attacks of the unbelievers.” To recoil before an enemy, or to keep silence when from all sides such clamors are raised against truth, is the part of a man either devoid of character or who entertains doubt as to the truth of

what he professes to believe. In both cases such mode of behaving is base and is insulting to God, and both are incompatible with the salvation of mankind. This kind of conduct is profitable only to the enemies of the faith, for nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good. n

MCALL TO CHIVALRY SUMMER CAMPS

uch more than just a camp, these first-rate programs invite boys ages thirteen to eighteen to follow in the footsteps of crusader saints, and discover the treasures of Christian civilization. Activities include informative talks, rosary processions, challenging games, adventurous hikes, treasure hunts, skits and medieval banquets.

To learn more about these unique formation opportunities, just write to Domenick Galatolo (dgalatolo16@gmail.com).

(Pope Leo XIII, Sapientiæ Christianæ, January 10, 1890, in The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII [New York: Benzinger Brothers, 1903], pp. 188-189).

Pope Leo XIII, who occupied the Chair of Saint Peter from 1878-1903 © Wikimedia Commons

Crusade Magazine is a publication of The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). Direct all requests and inquiries to: Crusade Magazine, P.O. Box 341, Hanover, PA 17331 or email to: crusade@ TFP.org. Web: www.TFP.org, Tel.: (888) 317-5571. © 2024 by The Foundation for a Christian Civilization, Inc. This publication may include images from iStockphoto™ and Dreamstime™ which are protected by copyright laws of the U.S. and elsewhere. ISSN 1096-3782 LCCN 98-641433

M-188 (HF2403)

Crusade

Editor: Michael Gorre

Associate Editor: C. Michael Drake

Contributing Editors: James Bascom, Ben Broussard, Vincent Gorre, Stacie Hiserman, John Horvat II, Tonia Long, Robert Nunez, Gustavo Solimeo, Luiz Solimeo, Rex Teodosio, Renato Vasconcelos

The American TFP

The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) is an organization of lay Catholic Americans concerned about the moral crisis shaking the remnants of Christian civilization. Its earliest origins date back to January 1971, when the first TFP members started to group around the publication Crusade for a Christian Civilization. It is a civic, cultural and nonpartisan organization which, inspired by the traditional teachings of the Supreme Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, works in a legal and peaceful manner in the realm of ideas to defend

and promote the principles of private ownership, family and perennial Christian values with their twofold function: individual and social. The TFP’s words and efforts have always been faithfully at the service of Christian civilization. The first TFP was founded in Brazil by the famous intellectual and Catholic leader Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira in 1960. His work inspired the formation of other autonomous TFP sister organizations across the globe, thus constituting the world’s largest anticommunist and antisocialist network of Catholic inspiration.

The confessional: An effective tool of a good economy

Easter calls the soul to the light of hope and confidence in Divine Providence

A necessary familial bond not to be broken

Attendees of the TFP Student Action Conference take their faith to the streets with manly enthusiasm in defense of the unborn

Psywar 101: How the left uses language to manipulate public opinion

© photo credit

© Erin Alexis Randolph|Dreamstime.com

© Altrendo Images|Shutterstock.com

3,000 Doctors Sue Biden Administration

A group of 3,000 doctors and medical professionals has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), challenging a mandate that expands the definition of “sex” in federal civil rights statutes to include “gender identity” and “sexual orientation.” The doctors argue that the rule compels them to provide “genderaffirming” care, including hormone treatments and surgeries, to children seeking transition, even if it contradicts their medical judgment or religious beliefs. While the case was initially dismissed, strong evidence suggests that the U.S. Department of Justice could reverse its stance.

High Arctic Ice Level Challenges

Global Warming Narratives

Arctic sea ice is experiencing a remarkable recovery, reaching its highest level in twentyone years as of January 8, contrary to claims of a warming climate. The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported the third-highest monthly gain in sea ice in December, exceeding averages for the years 2011–2020, 2001–2010, and 1991–2000. This recovery trend, observed since around 2007, challenges alarmist narratives predicting the disappearance of summer sea ice within twelve years. The data suggests cyclical natural climate variations and underscores the importance of considering ocean currents and atmospheric heat exchanges in understanding Arctic glaciology.

Californians Reject Transgender Ideology

Despite Democratic efforts to promote gender ideology in California, a poll reveals that a majority of residents reject such views. The survey, conducted by Spry Strategies with 1,000 likely California voters, indicates that sixty-two percent believe sex is binary, with respondents stating that one can only be male or female. The survey reflects a widespread rejection of erasing biological sex from legal and policy considerations, with significant increases in opposition to protransgender laws compared to a poll conducted three years ago.

Abortions Fall One Year After Supreme Court Ruling

In the aftermath of the landmark Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which overturned Roe v. Wade, thirty-two states have reported a combined 424,242 legal abortions in 2022, reflecting a decrease of 31,951 compared to the previous year. Despite this decline, states like California, New Mexico and New York, known for lenient abortion laws, have not yet reported their 2022 totals. The data indicates an

8% overall reduction in abortion rates across the reporting states. Pro-life laws, particularly those related to heartbeat or conception, correlate with decreased abortions, while states allowing abortions up to fifteen weeks or later saw increases. Texas led with a significant decrease of 33,572 abortions, while Florida, despite a fifteenweek limit, experienced a rise.

Religious Processions Draw Millions

The Black Nazarene procession in the Philippines, among the world’s largest religious devotions, returned to its traditional size for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, attracting an estimated 6.5 million devotees. Known as Traslación, the annual event involves devotees carrying a replica of a lifesize statue of Jesus with a black wooden cross across Manila. Meanwhile, in Venezuela, over 2.7 million people gathered in Barquisimeto for the Divine Shepherdess procession, celebrating the image of the Virgin Mary. The procession covered over four miles, concluding at the metropolitan cathedral of Barquisimeto, where Archbishop Emeritus Mariano Parra celebrated Mass. The event, held for the 166th time, is recognized as one of the world’s largest manifestations of Marian devotion.

Judge Dismisses Lawsuit against Catholic Newspaper

In a victory for Catholic speech, County Superior Court Judge Steven David tossed out a lawsuit against the Irish Rover, a Catholic student newspaper serving the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. Tamara Kay, a sociology and global affairs professor at Notre Dame, sued the Irish Rover in June 2023 for defamation and false reporting after they published two articles exposing her public pro-abortion activism in defiance of Catholic moral teaching. The Court concluded that Kay could not publicly advocate for abortion “and expect that it will not become newsworthy at Notre Dame and elsewhere.”

Catholic Clergy of England Reaffirm Catholic Teaching

The British Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, an association of over 500 Catholic clergy in the United Kingdom, published an official letter reaffirming traditional Catholic teaching and firmly rejecting the blessing of same-sex couples following the publication of the Vatican’s Fiducia Supplicans. The clergy cited the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which states that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered” (CCC 2357). n

The Importance of Setting a Good Example

BY FR. FERREOL GIRARDEY

Example is more powerful than precept. Therefore, parents, it is your sacred obligation to conduct yourselves in a way that your children can look up to you as models both in the social life and in the practice of the Christian virtues.

They should be able to discover in you sufficient grounds for believing that there is nobody in the world so industrious, so temperate, so upright, so truthful, so virtuous, and so worthy of their respect and confidence as their own dear father and mother.

But your children, who, in their childhood, are more acute than they are supposed to be, must actually perceive in you good reasons for forming so exalted an opinion of you. Your conduct should, then, be such as to win and deserve their good opinion and esteem and convince them that you are their worthy

models, their best friends, their most disinterested advisers, in whom they may place all confidence, to whom they may securely and advantageously entrust all their most hidden secrets, and whose advice they may safely ask and follow.

Strive always to act so that your children may revere and cherish you so much that they never undertake anything of importance without your consent and are always ready to make any sacrifice rather than displease, disappoint, or cause you pain. n

Taken from: Popular Instructions to Parents on the Bringing Up of Children, by Fr. Ferreol Girardey. The book was published in 1897 and is in the public domain.

Dedication of the Family to the Holy Family

OJesus, our most amiable Redeemer, who did condescend to come down from heaven, not only to redeem and save us but also to be our model by Thy example, Thou did deign to spend the greater part of Thy life in obscurity at Nazareth, where Thou was subject to Mary and Joseph, thus sanctifying the Christian family and becoming the model thereof. We now consecrate ourselves wholly to Thee. Vouchsafe to accept this our consecration, and to protect us and maintain us all through life in Thy holy fear and love, and in mutual concord and charity, so that we may ever be on earth one in heart and soul, and obtain eternal glory in heaven.

OMary, the most beloved Mother of Jesus Christ, and our own most loving Mother, deign, by thy compassionate mercy and love, to obtain from Jesus, thy Son, a ready acceptance of our consecration and all the graces we need to become a truly Christian family.

Odear

Saint Joseph, holy and faithful protector of Jesus and Mary, help us, by thy powerful influence with them, in all our corporal and spiritual wants, and especially at the hour of our death, so that we may one day all be united in heaven with thee to praise and love Jesus and Mary forever and ever. Amen.

The innocence of a child draws her to that which will deepen her connection to God. The role of a pious father in this regard cannot be overestimated.

Keeping Grandchildren Away from Grandparents

BY EDWIN BENSON

Many aging and retired people express deep unhappiness in their relationships with children and grandchildren.

Cries of Anguish

The depth of that unhappiness was recently expressed in a pair of articles by the conservative pundit Dennis Prager. In the first, Mr. Prager describes a nightmare situation.

“Parent after parent calls my radio show, often close to tears, sometimes actually sobbing, pouring their heart out to me about being alone on holidays despite having children and grandchildren. In virtually every case, the parent is conservative, and the child is on the left.”

Mr. Prager speculates that there are three reasons for such heartlessness. The first is that committed leftists are unlikely to acknowledge any absolute moral code, such as that imposed by the Fourth Commandment— “Honor thy father and mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thou mayst live a long time, and it may be well with thee in the land, which the Lord thy God will give thee” (Deut. 5:16).

Political Ideologies Override Family Obligations

The second reason is related to the first. One product of lives dedicated to secular concerns is the lack of conscience. The leftist’s dedication

to “social justice” overrides any internal voice warning that keeping children from grandparents is deeply unjust to both.

Finally, Mr. Prager thinks that college has a significant adverse effect on the parent-child relationship. He argues that four years of leftist indoctrination drives a wedge that is difficult, perhaps impossible, for the parent to dislodge.

No one should be surprised at the intolerance of the supposedly tolerant. Those most likely to demand respect for their views are often the least apt to display such consideration in return.

A Part of the Natural Law

The relationship between parents and children is the most basic after the relationship with God and among spouses. As with all relationships in this sinful and decadent world, many parentchild relationships are broken. Sometimes, the fault lies with the parents, and other times with the children. Often, these broken relationships manifest themselves in rebellion. The “woke” vocabulary of “repression” and “social justice” are merely new weapons.

Both filial and parental love are functions of natural law, valid for all times and all people, even those who have never been exposed to Christian doctrine.

Before going further, though, it makes sense to describe the obligations that Holy Mother Church lays upon adult children.

What Does it Mean to Honor Your Parents?

The Catechism of the Council of Trent lays out the level of respect children owe their parents.*

“[Fathers] are, so to say, images of the immortal God. In them we behold a picture of our own origin; from them we have received existence, God made use of them to infuse into us a soul and reason, by them, we were led to the Sacraments, instructed in our religion, schooled in right conduct and holiness, and trained in civil and human knowledge.”

The dynamics of the extended family offer opportunities for interaction among young and old alike, thereby negating the epidemic of loneliness that pervades the modern family model.

© Wikimedia Commons

“[T]he name mother is mentioned in this Commandment, in order to remind us of her benefits and claims in our regard, of the care and solicitude with which she bore us, and of the pain and labor with which she gave us birth and brought us up.”

“The honor which children are commanded to pay to their parents should be the spontaneous offering of sincere and dutiful love. This is nothing more than their due, since for love of us, they shrink from no labor, no exertion, no danger.”

Of course, there are obligations for the parents as well.

“As the law of God commands children to honor, obey, and respect their parents, so are there reciprocal duties that parents owe to their children. Parents are obliged to bring up their children in the knowledge and practice of religion, and to give them the best rules for the regulation of their lives; so that, instructed and trained in religion, they may serve God holily and constantly.”

The Catechism does not mention living with grandparents, which was uncommon in 1566. The average life expectancy at the time was less than forty-five years.

Deeper Reasons

So, how can this current lack of respect for one’s parents be explained?

Indeed, Mr. Prager’s three reasons are a good starting point, but such an unnatural situation

must have roots that go far deeper than college influences. It lies in a form of reciprocal selfishness.

Unfortunately, many modern parents have, or had, stunted (sometimes non-existent) relationships with their own grandparents. Since the sixties, many people retired about the time that their grandchildren were born. Many such retirees sacrificed family to seek “sun and fun” lifestyles in retirement communities in Florida or Arizona. These decisions limited their interactions with their grandchildren to short visits.

Many young parents treated their own parents’ visits as nuisances—obligations that intruded on regular life. They forced their children to display affection for a pair of older adults that the children

Both filial and parental love are functions of natural law, valid for all times and all people, even those who have never been exposed to Christian doctrine.

barely knew. Between generations, increasingly common divorces and realignments with new partners further complicated the situation. Holidays often became tests of loyalty.

Even children with marginally satisfying relationships with their grandparents saw complex and ridiculous intergenerational conflicts in movies or television programs.

Coming from such experiences, these children, now grown to adulthood with children of their own, see little reason to perpetuate these uncomfortable situations. The political differences only make these situations worse.

As with most familial ties, the solution is in sacrifice. The precise forms that these selfless acts take will vary according to circumstances. They are neither novel nor unusual. They all lie in protecting one of God’s most fortunate and essential gifts to humanity—the family. n

*All quotations from the Catechism of the Council of Trent come from the 1923 translation by John A. McHugh, O.P. and Charles J. Callan, O.P., pages 249-257.

These grandparents offer their grandchildren an opportunity to escape technology and experience the simple joys of a leisurely outdoor stroll.

© David Pereiras Villagra|Dreamstime.com

PLINIO CORRÊA DE OLIVEIRA

The True

Meaning of Easter

BY PLINIO CORRÊA DE OLIVEIRA

The Resurrection represents the eternal and definitive triumph of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the complete defeat of His adversaries, and the supreme argument of our faith. Saint Paul said that our faith would be in vain if Christ had not resurrected. The whole edifice of our beliefs is founded on the supernatural fact of the Resurrection. Let us then meditate on this highly elevated subject.

Christ Our Lord was not resurrected—He resurrected. He was dead. Lazarus was resurrected. Someone other than him, in this case, Our Lord, called him back to life. As for the Divine Redeemer, no one resurrected Him. He resurrected Himself, needing no one to call Him back to life. He took His life back when He so willed.

Everything said of Our Lord can be analogically applied to the Holy Catholic Church. In the Church’s history, we often see that precisely when She seemed irremediably lost, and all the symptoms of catastrophe seemed to undermine Her, events took place that kept Her alive against all the expectations of Her adversaries.

Russian troops ensured the free election of a Sovereign Pontiff precisely at the moment a vacancy in the See of Peter would have caused such grievous damages for Holy Mother Church that, humanly speaking, she might not have been able to overcome them.

Such are the marvelous means that Divine Providence employs to demonstrate that God has the supreme government of all things. However, let us not think that the Church owes Her salvation to Constantine, Charlemagne, John of Austria, or Russian troops. Even when She seems entirely abandoned and lacks the most indispensable natural resources for survival, let us be certain that Holy Mother Church will not die. Like Our Lord, She will rise with Her divine strength. And the more inexplicable the seeming resurrection of the Church may be from the human standpoint (we say seeming because, unlike Our Lord, the Church will never die a real death), the more glorious Her victory will be.

A curious fact is that sometimes the Church’s enemies come to Her aid rather than Her friends. For example, in a most sensitive period for Catholicism like Napoleon’s era, an extremely unusual episode occurred: a conclave convened for the election of Pius VII under the protection of Russian troops, all schismatic and under the command of a schismatic sovereign. In Russia itself, the practice of the Catholic religion was curbed in a thousand ways. Yet, in Italy,

In these murky and sad days, let us thus confide. However, to restore all things in the Kingdom of Christ, let us confide not in this or that power, man, or ideological current but in Divine Providence, which will once again force the sea to open wide, move mountains, and cause the whole earth to tremble if necessary to fulfill the divine promise: “The gates of Hell shall not prevail against Her.”

Hence, even amid the sadness of the contemporary world, Holy Church uses the vibrant and most chaste

The sacrality of an Easter Vigil Mass communicates something of the confidence that quietly beats in the heart of every devout Catholic.

[A]mid the sadness of the contemporary world, Holy Church uses the vibrant and most chaste joys of Easter to highlight the triumphal certainty that God is the Supreme Lord of all things. . .

joys of Easter to highlight the triumphal certainty that God is the Supreme Lord of all things, that His Christ is the King of Glory Who overcame death and crushed the devil, that His Church is the Queen of Immense Majesty, capable of rising again from amid the ruins, dissipating all darkness, and shining with an even more glorious triumph precisely when the most terrible and most irremediable defeat seems to await her.

The regularity with which the various cycles of the liturgical year succeed one another in the Church’s calendar is truly an affirmation of the celestial majesty of the Church. She remains undisturbed no matter how much the events of human history change around Her and despite the ups and downs of politics and finances as they continue their disorderly race, for She is above the caprices of human passions.

She is above, yet not indifferent to them. When the sorrowful days of Holy Week are commemorated during times of tranquility and happiness, the Church, like a solicitous mother, seeks to revive in her children a spirit of abnegation, a sense of heroic suffering, a spirit of renunciation of the triviality of everyday life, a total devotion to ideals that give life a higher meaning. Better than a “higher meaning,” these ideals give life the only meaning there is, the Christian one.

But the Church is not a mother just when She teaches us the great and austere mission of suffering. She is also a mother when pain and annihilation have reached an extreme. She lets the light of Christian hope shine before our eyes, opening unto us the serene horizons that the virtue of confidence places before all true children of God.

The joy and sorrow of the soul are a necessary result of love. When man has what he loves, he is joyful. When the object of his love is missing, he becomes sad.

Today, men place all their love on superficial things. That is why they only become emotional about superficial things—above all, personal misfortunes such as poor health, uncertain finances, ungrateful friends, the promotion that never comes, and so on. All these are secondary for the faithful Catholic who cares above all for the greater glory of God,

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the salvation of his soul, and the exaltation of Holy Mother Church.

A Catholic’s greatest suffering should be seeing the Church in Her current condition. There are many reasons for sadness, some of which point to a not-so-distant catastrophe. However, Christian hope continues. The Easter celebration itself teaches us this reason for hope.

When Our Lord Jesus Christ died, the Jews sealed His tomb and had soldiers placed to guard it. They thought the whole episode was over. In their wickedness, they had denied that Our Lord was the Son of God. They did not want to admit He could destroy the prison sepulcher in which He lay and, above all, rise from the dead. Yet all this happened. Our Lord resurrected Himself without any human assistance, and by His orders, the heavy sepulchral stone was effortlessly and quickly removed, as if it was a cloud. He resurrected.

Likewise, the immortal Church may appear abandoned, sullied, and persecuted. She may lie under the sepulchral weight of the heaviest trials and appear defeated. But She has within Herself a supernatural and interior strength, which comes from God, and that assures Her a victory as splendid as it is unlikely.

That is the great lesson of Easter. It is the great consolation of upright souls who love God’s Church: Christ died and rose again. The immortal Church rises from Her trials, glorious like Christ, in the radiant dawn of His Resurrection. n

The preceding combined articles were originally published in O Legionário on April 25, 1943 and April 1, 1945. They have been translated and adapted for publication without the author’s revision. –Ed.

A traditional symbol of the Resurrection, these Ukranian Easter eggs take on the vibrancy implied by this stupendous miracle.

To Practice Your Faith Three Ways in Business

BY JOHN HORVAT II

Some Catholics think the Christian business model should be based on charity. A truly Catholic entrepreneur should think not about making money but about giving it away to live more faithfully to the Gospel.

To illustrate this misconception, I will tell a story of a conversation between Saint John Bosco, who lived in the nineteenth century, and a simple blacksmith who supported the saint’s works. They talked about the economy.

The Blacksmith and Saint John Bosco

The blacksmith asked Saint John Bosco:

“Do you know what my biggest worry is?”

“Surely it must be to live and die in the grace of God.”

“No, I’m not worried about death. I take care, though, to be prepared for it when it comes. My biggest worry is this: I am a blacksmith, and I am very much troubled when, after finishing a job, I have to decide on the price I must charge. As I enter the charge in my book, I ask myself: Will the good Lord write down the same amount? If I charge more, won’t that be a charge against me? To play it safe, I always charge twenty percent less than the ordinary rate.”

Therefore, some people think this case represents the ideal Catholic business model. Wouldn’t it be

wonderful if everyone could do this? How much better and cheaper life would be if this were the norm!

A Beautiful Story but Not the Norm

I agree it is a beautiful story, but charging twenty percent less cannot be the norm of a Catholic economy. We would drive the price down to almost nothing. We cannot run an economy like that.

The reason is simple. Even in the best of times, there will always be crooks and sharks that will take advantage of our goodness and run us out of business.

Catholic economics must not be reduced to a fuzzy feel-good thing where we give everything away.

The Catholic business model must allow us to do what we must: make a good living with a surplus, help the poor, or invest in new ventures that benefit all society. The purpose of economics is human flourishing through the practice of virtue in common.

Charity is not an economic principle and cannot be the criteria for transactions. Saint John Bosco’s blacksmith is a beautiful exception but can never be the rule for Catholic economics.

A True Economy Is a Moral One

A Catholic economy is a moral economy that involves human acts and, therefore, must deal with moral principles that govern and determine the right or wrong of those acts.

Therefore, I would like to present three practical points on how we can practice our Catholic faith in business to help orient us in our business dealings and deepen our faith.

A Passion for Justice

The first point is to practice justice. If we want one word to describe the Church’s economic teaching, that word is justice. We must have a passion for justice in a Catholic economy.

Saint Thomas Aquinas defines the virtue of justice as “to render to each one his own.”

In economic matters, that means commutative justice, not social justice. Commutative justice is

Even a blacksmith should charge the full value of his services, lest the entire economy suffer.

the kind of justice that assures that one party will give to another strictly what is due. For example, justice is rendered when our payment for an apple corresponds to its worth.

The more exact the price corresponds to the value of the object, the greater the justice. This needs to be emphasized. The Church wants us to get the price we deserve for our goods and services.

She does not want us to sin by charging too much, but we can also sin by charging too little because we must first render justice to our families and ourselves. We should generously recompense ourselves for our efforts. We cannot deprive ourselves of what is due to us and ours.

Confession from an Economic Perspective

The Church has an amazing treasury of insights into how this justice might be practiced in business.

Curiously, these insights used to be found in the confessional.

In medieval times, priests had confession manuals that listed problems people had in confessions with instructions on how to deal with them.

Merchants would go to confession with very concrete problems about buying and selling. And these manuals published answers to the questions of these merchants.

One modern scholar collected ninety of these medieval confessional manuals. From them, he made a very good summary of Church teachings and norms about what constituted justice in the marketplace.

Although a Protestant, he concluded that the confessional is one of the most effective tools of a good economy.

Why Confession Matters

It makes sense. Confession represents a passion for justice.

We submit to laws in civil society because our bad actions can hurt the common good. Such

actions are illegal and must be prosecuted. A businessman, for example, can be prosecuted for engaging in fraud.

However, some actions are sinful but not illegal, like telling a little lie about a product. In confession, our zeal for justice is such that we accuse ourselves of this fault and accept a penance. This climate of honesty creates excellent business conditions.

The Catholic business model must allow us to do what we must: make a good living with a surplus, help the poor, or invest in new ventures that benefit all society.

Jewels of Wisdom

What I like about these moral manuals that oriented economic acts of that time was that they were full of wisdom and prudence that calmly considered man’s flexible economic needs. Here is another example.

Moralists tell us that merchants must point out major defects in merchandise to avoid fraud. On the other hand, the merchant was not required to point out obvious defects since he might deprive himself of its just price by his emphasis.

And there were all sorts of similar norms about haggling, just price, just wage, price gouging, monopolies, and buying and selling. Such flexible and simple norms found their way into a thousand economic customs and laws so that we might more easily practice justice.

The Church is the best institution to keep business honest and just. Before the Church, the market was dog-eat-dog. The Church introduced and defined norms of justice so we can act with certainty that

When the laity participates in the sacraments of the Church, especially the sacrament of Confession, they are equipped to make good decisions in their business dealings.

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we are doing the right thing. She requires that we make restitution when we steal or defraud others. She gives us recourse to the sacrament of confession so that we constantly examine our consciences in the practice of justice and seek forgiveness.

Therefore, our first objective is to practice justice, not social justice, but to focus on rendering their due to all. As Catholics, we are perfectly positioned to stand out in our present dog-eat-dog world.

The Practice of Charity

If we practice justice, we are ready to ascend to the second point of a Catholic economy: the practice of charity.

As mentioned, charity is not an economic principle. I stand by that statement. Naturally, charity cannot govern economic transactions since each party must be strictly given its due for an economy to function justly.

Thus, the Church always urges us to practice the Christian duty to engage in almsgiving by helping the poor, supporting our parishes, and giving to good causes and organizations that serve the common good.

Sometimes, Christian businessmen in the past made God their official partner. They would put ‘the Lord God’ as an entry in their spreadsheets, making him the representative of the poor with a fixed percent of profits that would be applied to benefit the needy.

In a Catholic economy, we see a constant concern for the poor, both material and spiritual. The Catholic notion of just price and just wage had particularly the poor in mind. The Church condemned unfair business practices that exploited the vulnerability of the poor.

The Testimony of Saints

The saints call for charity as a perfect complement to justice.

Saint Bonaventure says that charity contains justice. “If one does not love one’s neighbor, it is not easy to do him justice.”

I like the quote of Saint Antoninus, a late medieval preacher who taught that charity “binds men together in a brotherhood that is a true and perfect oneness. The entrance of charity into the social order makes it possible for men to be self-sacrificing in favor of the common good. Charity helps us love our neighbor as ourselves. It recalls our common origin, our redemption by Christ, our sanctification through the Holy Spirit.”

Promoting a Climate of Harmony

However, I would like to stress that charity is not only about giving to others. Charity makes perfect business sense and helps our bottom line and our ROI as it should.

However, if only justice prevails, the economy will be cold and rigid. It will lack that human touch we so need. It favors a frenzied and inhuman pace of business that gives rise to inordinate desires.

That is why we need charity. It regulates justice and helps prevent greed and excesses.

Charity Tempers, Not Replaces Justice

Thus, the Church always teaches that charity should temper, not replace justice. Justice also tempers charity since it prevents people from going bankrupt by giving everything away to charities.

However, the Church never mandates charity; mandated charity is not charity but extortion. Either charity is given freely, or it is better not given.

Just as confession creates a climate of moral honesty, charity promotes a climate of harmony and a true union of hearts and minds. It diminishes the need for regulation and security. “Without charity,” writes one Catholic author (William Thomas Gaughan), “all of the finest regulations made by wellintentioned men in the interests of the common good come to nothing.”

Charity facilitates those intense family-like bonds that unite people in sacrifice and fuse them to form a true society and culture and make economies flourish. This charity communicates a sweetness to life in this vale of tears by prompting solicitude for one another. Above all, it increases our love of God and gives Him glory.

Imagine a world imbued with supernatural Christian charity, and we have an idea of what a Catholic economy and culture might look like.

Human interaction is a vital and enriching byproduct of any thriving organic Christian economy.

Catholic entrepreneurs are perfectly positioned to stand out in this field.

Making a Sacrifice

The third point of practicing the faith in today’s economy is much more difficult.

Up to this point, we are asked to practice justice. It is hard, but it makes perfect business sense, especially in the long term. It is also not optional. We must practice this justice and sin when we do not.

Next, we are asked to practice voluntary charity, which is a little more difficult. It tempers our tendency to greed. Sometimes, it is hard to practice, but it can also be personally gratifying, especially when those who receive this charity are grateful. We feel good when we practice charity. It also makes business sense since it fosters a climate of understanding and caring for others.

This third point goes beyond justice and charity.

The Church does not teach a prosperity Gospel that says God will make us rich when we practice virtue. He can make us rich, but He is not obliged to do it. God does what is best for us. The Calvinists see riches as a sign of the predestined. We do not.

This third point of practicing the faith in business consists of bearing with the trials that can suddenly appear. It calls on us to carry our crosses.

A Way of the Cross Economy

This kind of Catholic economy has a name. Some authors call it a “Way of the Cross” economy.

Economics is about justice. Charity tempers justice. The Cross purifies and strengthens justice by trial, much as fire strengthens iron. The Cross takes away

A Catholic economy is governed by justice, tempered by charity, and purified by the Cross. With this, everything becomes possible.

our attachments and affections for the things of this world and unites us more to God and to God’s will for our neighbor and us.

If Christ is indeed our ideal, then we must imitate Him. A Way of the Cross economy means accepting every suffering that comes our way in our business dealings as we seek the consuming ideal of the Cross of Christ.

Ways to Carry Crosses in Business

The Catholic entrepreneur can do this in many ways.

One way of following the Cross is in our day-today struggles. We can do this by pursuing the Cross of excellence in everything we do. Take things to the end, as Our Lord did, because we want to offer society a standard of excellence and beauty that will uplift everyone. We carry our little crosses daily by being role models for others, setting high standards, and putting up with obstacles.

However, we especially practice the Way of the Cross economy by bearing with the big trials that visit us. The Catholic entrepreneur can suffer from disasters, betrayals, ingratitude, and misunderstanding. He suffers as Christ suffered—unjustly. He embraces these crosses even when it does not make sense, even when it hurts or leads to persecution.

If received well, this suffering strengthens and purifies us and uplifts all society.

Curiously, even secular business authors and economists agree that this Way of the Cross exists in economic life. In the business world, they recognize that there needs to be those who suffer (and therefore carry their crosses) if society is to flourish . . . and it often does not make economic sense, but we do it anyway.

In every business climate, we will always find this self-sacrificing core of people that sustains the company or the local economy by carrying their crosses.

A More Recent Example

I could give an example of a saint or merchant from the distant past, but the temptation would be to think it impossible today.

Therefore, I have a recent example showing that it can be done today, and not just by Catholics. I will cite a case that has always touched me.

My example of the Cross involves the heroism of Aaron Feuerstein, an entrepreneur who died in 2021.

A Way of the Cross economy means accepting every suffering that comes our way in our business dealings as we seek the Cross of Christ.

© Chris Cooper-Smith|Alamy Stock

Photo

We must put Mary in charge of all our assets. She is the best of asset managers, offering the best return on investment.

He is remembered as a businessman who failed by all modern metrics. At one point, everything went wrong. However, what made him famous was his attitude in the face of adversity.

After his fabric mill burned down, he made the decision to pay all his workers their full salary while he rebuilt the company. He did this at considerable expense when he could have simply retired. The word of his gesture turned him into an instant yet unwilling national hero.

The Cross Is Contrary to Our Times

Why? Because in these times of maximizing profits, people like him are not supposed to exist. A dog-eat-dog world does not reward such acts. However, Mr. Feuerstein received over 30,000 letters from admirers. He reflected that what he did should be the norm, not the exception.

I want to stress Mr. Feuerstein was not obliged to do what he did. He could have done less. However, the fact that he did what he did shows that it can be done even today. The fact that his case stood out was a sad reflection of the times.

This carrying of the Cross does not always make good business sense. However, sometimes, we have to throw the ledger away and do our duty. We must take things to the end, cost what it may—because it is the right thing to do.

If the isolated case of Aaron Feuerstein stands out, imagine a whole society—Christian civilization— dominated by those who constantly practice these acts of heroic generosity.

The Positive Impact of the Cross

This kind of heroism has an impact. When this spirit of self-sacrifice prevails, it sets the tone for all society, creates strong relationships, and gives the economy a resilience and strength that stands under trial.

Here, I recall the words of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) founder Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, who observed that the currency in a Christian civilization is not dollars or pounds but suffering. With that currency, everything becomes possible. Without it, everything falls apart.

The Church is the ideal institution to help us carry our crosses. She teaches us the value of suffering. She comforts us with graces and sacraments.

Thus, a Catholic economy is not the feel-good, give-everything-away festival that many progressives

and socialists imagine it should be. It is a means of sanctification.

To summarize: a Catholic economy is governed by justice, tempered by charity, and purified by the Cross. With this, everything becomes possible.

Free Financial Advice

To conclude, I offer four pieces of free financial advice. Usually, when we offer free financial advice, it comes with numerous disclaimers to protect us from liability if it goes wrong.

However, I stand by my advice without qualifications. I guarantee a return on investment. We cannot go wrong.

If we want to practice the faith in business, here are the four things to do:

1. Have a passion for justice by focusing on rendering unto all their due and remembering that confession is still an effective economic tool.

2. Second, give generously to good causes.

3. Third, accept the daily crosses that come so that we will know what to do when a Feuerstein moment comes.

4. Finally, nothing Catholic is complete without Our Lady. We can never go wrong in putting our Catholic businesses under her patronage— even in a visible way. We should consecrate our businesses and ourselves to her according to the method of Saint Louis de Montfort.

We must put Mary in charge of all our assets. She is the best of asset managers, offering the best return on investment.

Economy comes from the ancient Greek οἰκονομία (oikonomia), which is a term for the “way (nomos) to run a household (oikos).” In the kingdom, the queen manages the royal household. We should put our households and businesses under her protection, and we can be assured that she will never fail us, no matter how great the trials may be. n

This essay was adapted from a talk by the author to a group of Catholic entrepreneurs.

Our Lady, Help of Christians, will govern our economy if we invite her to do so, placing ourselves under her maternal patronage.

America Needs Fatima ®

From the Desk of Robert Ritchie

Dear Soldier of Our Lady,

Our children are under attack and Our Lady is calling on YOU! While libraries were once one of the safest places for our children, they have now become sanctuaries for sin!

School and children’s libraries across the country are filled with immoral books featuring graphic content and promoting a pro-LGBTQ agenda. Children of all ages are being exposed to pornography, homosexuality, and gender confusion, all masquerading as child-friendly books.

Concerned parents are horrified by the pro-LGBTQ children’s books they are finding on the shelves at their library, which was once a place of learning where children could develop good character and strong moral values.

I know you want to help protect our children’s innocence. That’s why I’m asking you to pledge to lead a rosary rally for a special campaign in April against pornographic and pro-LGBTQ books in libraries.

Sign up to host a rosary rally on either Wednesday, April 17 or Saturday, April 20 at 12 noon your local time. It’s easy to do: just gather your friends, family, and community members in front of a school or library, and lead them in praying the rosary. To help you have a successful rally, we will send you a banner, special manuals, and other materials, completely free.

It’s easy to sign up: just email Protest@TFP.org, or please scan the QR code below, or visit our website at https://americaneedsfatima.org/april-rally-captain-sign-up.

Together, we can answer Our Lady’s call and peacefully and legally come together to protect our children against those who are trying to destroy their innocence.

Sincerely,

In Jesus and Mary,

Robert E. Ritchie, Executive Director

TAKEN FROM ANF’S PUBLICATION, BATTLELINES

Abolishing Sacrilegious Pride Masses in Churches

Rosary rally warriors across the country are always on the lookout for pride Masses scheduled in their towns.

Rally Captain Andres is among many who have answered the call to host peaceful and legal rallies of reparation against these sinful Masses held in churches. Every Sunday for more than six months, Andres has been praying outside St. John the Evangelist Church in San Diego in reparation for the evening pride Mass held there and the blasphemy of honoring unnatural relationships.

Andres said he plans to continue these weekly rallies and is always working to spread the word about them so other prayer warriors will join him.

Defending Catholic Truth and Christian Civilization

Approximately 150 University of Notre Dame students attended a peaceful protest against a drag show on campus in conjunction with a university-approved class about drag ideology. Alumni, TFP-ANF friends and supporters from multiple states, and TFP Student Action members also attended. The TFP Student Action members expressed that Notre Dame was abandoning its

Catholic heritage and insulting Our Lady’s purity by promoting such a scandalous and perverse event.

Notre Dame students were outraged by the university’s support of the drag show. One student said, “If they want to call themselves a Catholic school, they actually need to uphold Catholic values.” Another urged others to speak out: “As Catholics, we’re not called to remain silent. Obviously, we’re called to love all persons, but love doesn’t mean sniveling on the sidelines. Love means doing something about it. Fear is not of the Lord, so don’t be afraid. Do something about it. Speak up! You can do it! Keep your eyes on God the whole time.”

Courageously Upholding Our Lady’s Values

Rally Captain Alexavier and his family did not let anything stop them from praying the rosary in the names of Jesus and Our Lady.

When Alexavier heard about a drag show and bingo being held in Sanford, North Carolina, he and his family showed up to hold a peaceful rosary rally. Although they were afraid of other protesters who wore masks and were carrying Confederate flags, they courageously remained in the area and prayed from inside their car.

Alexavier said it was important to him to host a rally and thanked TFP-ANF. “We prayed the rosary for those people and their confusion, decisions, and actions. Thank you for your great effort in helping in these difficult matters. We need Jesus and Mary but also every one of us to make his and her presence very real, with respect and love.”

Will you please help TFP-ANF by joining a protest rosary rally close to your home?

Just text PROTEST to 87837 or contact Jose Ferraz toll-free at (844) 830-3570 to participate in a peaceful rally near you!

Proclaiming Devotion to the Holy Rosary

TFP-ANF friends and supporters across the country are diligently spreading Our Lady’s Fatima message by hosting peaceful rosary rallies.

Rally participant Francisco said a ninety-year-old woman in Port Saint Lucy, Florida, has been holding rallies for the past seventeen years. Fifty people attended her rally this year. Francisco said it was a sign from Our Lady that it had never rained once during these rosary rallies.

In Annapolis, Maryland, Noemi held a rally against a blasphemous movie called Satanic Hispanics. She held the rally at a busy intersection where passersby saw her and said a nice lady stopped to take a picture of her when she saw her praying.

In Racine, Wisconsin, Captains Chris and Annemarie held a rally against a drag brunch at Gateway Technical College. Despite some opposition, they had many favorable honks and waves of support during the rally.

Preserving the True Meaning of Christmas

Rally captains put their faith on display to uphold the true meaning of Christmas and protest drag queen Christmasthemed events in their towns.

Rally Captain Gloria gathered a group outside the Aztec Theater in San Antonio, Texas, to protest a drag queen Christmas show. “The rally was very successful! My friends were very

excited to take a stand against this blasphemy. I am praying that more brave prayer warriors will join me in the future,” she said.

In Tucson, Arizona, Rally Captain Brizza organized a rally outside of Centennial Hall to protest a drag Christmas show there. The group held many signs, including a banner that said, “Christmas is about Christ and Innocence. Stop blaspheming it with drag.” Brizza said, “We had a couple of attacks, but we continued to pray. Planned Parenthood was also there getting signatures from people so we also put up our pro-life posters.”

Rally Captain Debbie held a rosary rally of reparation against a Holiday Drag Brunch in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Our Lady’s Message Is the Same in Every Language

When we pray the rosary in different languages, the words change but Our Lady’s message is always the same. Three of our dedicated rosary rally captains shared how they held public rosary rallies and prayed in English, Spanish and Tagalog.

Rally Captain Yvonne in El Paso, Texas, led a rally of nearly 100 people outside of a bustling shopping center that was located along a busy highway. A priest presided at the rally and held up a monstrance. A cloud in the shape of a cross appeared over the group while they were praying. Heaven was blessing their public witness of the Catholic faith!

In St. Petersburg, Florida, Rally Captain Coki had two groups of rosary warriors,  including the church’s pastor, Fr. Don Amodeo, praying in English and Spanish in front of Nativity Catholic Church.

Rally Captain Patricia held two rallies outside of St. Madeleine Catholic Church in Pomona, California. “Both rosary rallies were a success. One was a Spanish rosary, and at the other we prayed in English, Spanish, Latin, and Tagalog,” she said. n

Our Readers and Viewers Write

“Guys, I really appreciate what you are doing. I’m not American, I’m from India but I do understand the current situation over there to some extent, especially in the colleges and with the current generation. You have my support and blessings. I hope that the unborn children do get a voice through your work and I deeply respect and appreciate what you are doing. I would join you guys in an instant if I was there and would take all the insults and the spittings in fun and stride. It is a very important work that you all are doing. Uphold your values always and put the family first. Appreciate it very much.”

YouTube Viewer

“This was very cool to watch. I would like to see more. I would be standing with you all if I could. Keep up the good work protecting life. And I LOVE the difference in the demeanor between you and them, it’s as if THEY all have evil spirits among them. You’re so calm just like Christ. May you always be blessed in the Lord! And may He continue to protect you on a daily basis. Love you all!”

YouTube Viewer

“Hello everyone, I wanted to say I have Catholic background but was not raised religious. I got pregnant at 19 and went to get an abortion, I spoke with a wonderful nun who showed me kindness when no one else did, she was out there protesting and telling me please don’t let my daughter end up in a trash bag, she

is a precious child of God. I now have a beautiful daughter and I was so lucky to give my parents a grandchild. It wasn’t easy but nothing in life is, it sure was worth it because my father died when she was 9 years old but he died after meeting the love of his life, my daughter. Thank you, you have saved many lives. May God bless you always!”

ANF Apostolate

YouTube Viewer

“Greetings from Ireland. I just want to let you know that I admire your courage. It is very hard nowadays, to stand up for what is morally right. Sadly I even find this within my own family. Some of the people you encountered look as if they are possessed they are so enraged and verbally abusive.”

YouTube Viewer

“I was a very committed Marxist for years. I dedicated most of my time and energy to helping run a socialist newspaper.I came home to the Church this year and I’m horrified now by the stuff I believed at the time. So thankful that you’re doing this work and speaking the truth about this ideology.”

YouTube Viewer

“I’m a born-again Christian and although we disagree on some things regarding the gospel, I love what you guys are doing. May God bless you, protect you, and give you the strength to keep on fighting. It’s good to see you young men out there fighting for what’s right.”

YouTube Viewer

“End of year greetings to all of you there! I wish to extend to everyone my admiration and respect and gratitude for the immense work you are doing for the cause of Truth, the True faith, and Christ’s Mother, especially her pivotal message from Fatima. No one does what your organization does; in degree, precision of issues, or valor in the face of ferocious opposition. May the Lady of Fatima send legions of her angels to protect and guard you, and to lift you up away from danger when it threatens. In the end, truth will triumph—as will Mary’s Immaculate Heart! Take heart from that, no matter what comes. In closing, I wish you all at America Needs Fatima and The American TFP a most blessed Merry Christmas and a Holy New Year as we advance for Our Lady’s cause into 2024. With Our Mother Mary at our side, we can face all. She is our hope for America from the far Left that seeks to gain more power by evil influence for this country and the world.”

A. H., New Orleans, Louisiana

Rosary Rallies

“I hold my rosary rally in my driveway with Our Lady’s banner taped or tacked to my garage door. I call and invite people to come. Family, friends. We had ten people come, and we had a beautiful day. Some of us kneel, and some sit. This is the best I can do. We had a lit candle and flowers in front of the banner. I hope this was done right.”

H. G., Lake Leelanau, Michigan

Fatima Rosary

“I gave both the rosaries you sent to a Catholic family with six children—now they can all have a rosary!”

K. H., Torrance, California

Prayers and Petitions Offered for ANF Members

BY STACIE HISERMAN

In December 2023, Michael Gorre and Thomas Shibler represented America Needs Fatima (ANF) members at two very special places in France: Lisieux and Paray-le-Monial.

Roses for “The Little Flower”

Their first stop was Lisieux, a town which lies in the countryside of Normandy. Situated on a hillside in Lisieux, the Basilica of Saint Thérèse attracts some 700,000 pilgrims annually, making it the second most beloved pilgrimage site in France. These numbers attest to how dear “The Little Flower” is to the faithful. She is continuously true to her promise: “I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens; I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth.”

At the holy site of the Basilica, Mr. Gorre and Mr. Shibler presented a wreath made of 8,800 red silk rosettes sent in by ANF members to honor Saint Thérèse. They prayed for all ANF members and benefactors, asking Saint Thérèse to intercede for them in heaven and send them a shower of graces.

Likewise, they took the wreath of rosettes to Les Buissonets, the lovely childhood home of Saint Thérèse. This home is where the Martin family moved when Thérèse was four years old and where she lived until age fifteen when she entered Lisieux’s Carmelite monastery. At her childhood home, among her family and friends, the flame of Thérèse Martin’s love first grew, and she began practicing her “Little Way” to save souls.

From there, the ANF representatives would be remiss if they did not carry the wreath of rosettes to perhaps the holiest site of all in Lisieux: the Carmel of Lisieux, where Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face lived as a Carmelite nun from 1888 until her death in 1897. Prayers were again offered for the intentions of ANF members, especially those who sent in rosettes to honor Saint Thérèse.

“City of the Sacred Heart”

Following their cherished time in Lisieux,

Mr. Gorre and Mr. Shibler made their way across the heart of France to eastern France, where can be found the “city of the Sacred Heart,” Paray-le-Monial.

In Paray-le-Monial, the ANF representatives offered two thirty-inch tall red candles and a box of consecration pledges on behalf of ANF friends and supporters. Over 13,000 ANF members had consecrated themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and sent in their consecration pledges and little red candles. The thousands of small red candles were melted down to create the two large candles.

The ANF pilgrims took the candles and consecration pledges inside the Convent of the Visitation, where Our Lord appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque 350 years before in December 1673. At that blessed spot, Our Lord revealed to the world His Sacred Heart and made known the First Fridays devotion. It is where the humble French nun, Saint Margaret Mary, rested her head on the Sacred Breast of Our Lord, and He disclosed to her the “marvels of His Love and the inexplicable secrets of His Sacred Heart.”

The two ANF representatives prayed for the intentions of all ANF members, asking Our Lord to have mercy on them and to give them the grace to reciprocate the incomparable love that the Sacred Heart of Jesus has for them all. n

Above: Saint Thérèse is presented with a wreath made of 8,800 red silk rosettes.

Below : Two large red candles and over 13,000 consecration pledges were delivered where Jesus appeared to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.

A Ray of Hope for the New Year at TFP Student Action Conference

BY JOSEPH GENSENS

“I’vebeen looking forward to this conference,” said Jesse, a student who joined young men for the annual TFP Student Action Conference in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania.

The conference was a packed threeday event held by the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) over the New Year break, from December 29 to January 2.

However, decadence set in during the Renaissance with the rebirth of paganism in the form of Greek and Roman art and culture. Society became man-centered rather than God-centered. This attitude, in turn, brought about the First Revolution, the Protestant revolt with the idea of free interpretation and breaking away from the Catholic Church.

Other talks covered the process of the

The young men attending the conference were eager to learn how to combat the leftist ideas on their campuses and communities.

Several attendees were converts to Catholicism. Others had returned to the full practice of the Faith. They all wanted to know more about Christian civilization and oppose the Revolutionary models and trends of the times.

The Story of the Revolution

The conference’s theme was the work Revolution and Counter-Revolution by Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. The Catholic thinker demonstrates how the West is being destroyed by a Revolution that started in the fourteenth century. This Revolution manifested itself at five critical points in the history of the West, changing society radically.

The conference’s first talk covered the Renaissance and the Protestant Revolution. The speaker, Byron Whitcraft, explained how Catholic civilization reached an apex in the Middle Ages when the philosophy of the Gospel governed the nations.

Revolution as it advanced in history. The next episode was the French Revolution, which overthrew the monarchy and the social order. These ideas of complete equality eventually led to the Communist Revolution in Russia, which later spread worldwide.

The most intriguing talk was delivered by TFP member Michael Chad Shibler, who spoke about the unfolding Fourth and Fifth Revolutions. He explained how the Sexual Revolution of the sixties can be summarized by the 1968 slogan: “It is forbidden to forbid.”

The Fifth Revolution introduces public Satanism in society with the goal of eventual acceptance and worship of the devil. As an antidote, the speaker recommended greater devotion and confidence in Our Lady to defeat the devil. These timely topics awakened keen interest and prompted many discussions and questions.

Putting Principles in Action

A big attraction of the conference was the TFP Student Action street campaign

on Sunday outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The young men held signs and banners denouncing the evils of abortion and socialism. The signs encouraging passersby to support the campaign resulted in a barrage of honks from enthusiastic locals.

One man was so happy to see youth standing up for the unborn that he got out of his car and took pictures. “This is amazing!” he said. “I can’t believe there are so many of you out here. I’m going to take pictures and spread this around to all my friends.”

Bringing in the New Year

Just before midnight, everyone gathered for prayer and song to bring in the New Year. Attendees sang the Confiteor, a traditional prayer of repentance, begging God for forgiveness for faults committed over the last year. This was followed by the Magnificat, a festive hymn of joy to usher in the Year of Our Lord 2024.

The conference concluded with a wonderful roast venison feast followed by Christmas carols and conviviality that lasted late into the night.

The young men attending the program left better equipped to defend Holy Mother Church and Christian civilization. As a memento, each conference participant received a parchment beautifully inscribed with a quote by Professor Corrêa de Oliveira:

“If the Counter-Revolution is the struggle to extinguish the Revolution and to build the new Christendom, resplendent with faith, humble with hierarchical spirit, and spotless in purity, clearly this will be achieved, above all, by a profound action in the hearts of men. This action is proper to the Church, which teaches Catholic doctrine and leads men to love and practice it. Therefore, the Church is the very soul of the Counter-Revolution.” n

Talks for this year's conference unpacked the seminal work Revolution and Counter-Revolution, written by the founder of the TFP, Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira.

Enthusiastic young Catholic men gathered in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, from December 29 - January 2.

Victory: All-Girls Catholic College Reverses Pro-Transgender Policy

BY JOHN RITCHIE

Don’t

let anyone tell you that prayerful protests are fruitless.

Saint Mary’s College has finally backtracked on its decision to allow men who “identify” as women to enroll at its all-girls Catholic campus in Notre Dame, Indiana.

More than 21,500 people had signed TFP Student Action’s petition, urging the college to uphold Catholic morality and reverse the decision to allow biological men to enroll as women.

Responding to the powerful outcry of faithful Catholic students, alumni, and parents, college president Dr. Katie Conboy issued an apology on December 21, 2023, reversing a previous announcement that blurred the God-made distinction between male and female.

“There have been many voices responding to us from many places and perspectives. We have listened closely, and we have heard each of you,” wrote Dr. Conboy in a letter. “As this last month unfolded, we lost people’s trust and unintentionally created division

where we had hoped for unity. For this, we are deeply sorry.”

Dr. Conboy added, “. . .we will return to our previous admission policy.”

Faithful Catholics were pleased with the news. Claire Bettag, a student at Saint Mary’s College who opposed the pro-transgender policy, told The Daily Signal: “God’s truth will always win.”

Among those who protested the college’s departure from Catholic teaching is Saint Mary’s alumna Clare Ath. “While I would hope the reversal is because administrators realized we must teach the truth with love,” she said, “my guess is the reversal is because alumni banded together, pulled their donations, notified their diocese and media, and said we will not let Our Lady’s college be corrupted by secular gender ideology.”

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend urged Saint Mary’s to reverse its pro-transgender policy. In a November 27 statement, he laments how “Saint Mary’s departs from fundamental

American Bishops Speak

Most Rev. James D. Conley, Bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln in Nebraska:

“We are living in a time when ordinary human reason is quickly being replaced by ‘the barren thorns of passion.’ … We have a vague sense that endorsing certain fashionable kinds of social and emotional disorders— including transgenderism—is a mandate of justice, or a victory for civil rights…

“But the Church will not deny that God created us male and female. We will not confuse respect and compassion with capitulation to a tragic delusion. Our Catholic schools will continue to teach and live the truth; [w]e will continue to do that, no matter the cost.” (Source: Southern Nebraska Register.)

Catholic teaching on the nature of woman and thus compromises its very identity as a Catholic woman’s college.”

TFP Student Action is grateful to everyone who voiced their concern, especially its friends who signed the protest petition to Saint Mary’s College.

Good results are achieved when faithful Catholics band together and fight for moral values. May God encourage more souls to stand up against the ravages of the transgender revolution and protect the sanctity of the family. n

Most Rev. Thomas J. Paprocki, Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois:

“The transgender activists would have you believe that their politically correct ideology is based on science; however, the American College of Pediatricians has pointed out that transgenderism is classified as a mental illness and therefore has warned legislators and educators that conditioning children to accept transgenderism as normal is child abuse.

“. . .People who are confused about their gender identity— especially children and adolescents—should be treated with compassion and provided counseling rather than being further confused by activists promoting their political ideology.” (Source: Courageous Priest.) n

Members of TFP Student Action speak with passersby on American college campuses, dispelling the lies of transgender ideology.

Commentary

The Weaponization of Words: The Case of “Hate Speech”

BY JULIO LOREDO

A Brief History of Newspeak

In the aftermath of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, Marxists sought to do the same thing in the West, but something had gone wrong in Marxist theory. According to Marx, the Revolution should have erupted in advanced industrialized countries, like England, not in a backward feudal nation like Russia.

Furthermore, the Revolution in Russia should have occurred as a natural development of historical dialectics. Instead, it had to be imposed through a coup d’état by Vladimir Lenin. The revolutionaries asked if this scheme that worked in Russia could be successfully transplanted to the West. The evident answer was no. New strategies had to be elaborated.

Antonio Gramsci, founder of the Italian Communist Party, offered one approach. Expanding the concept of hegemony beyond Marx, who considered it merely economic, he analyzed the underlying cultural hegemony and thus developed the concept of cultural revolution. This meant that communists should seize control of the culture, manipulating it to change society’s mentality, and a revolution would inevitably come as a consequence.

Another strategy was proposed by theorists from the Institute for Social Research at Goethe University in Frankfurt, hence dubbed the Frankfurt School, who studied modern trends to produce a coherent theory for revolution in the twentieth century. Among others, they studied the manipulation of language, as in Jurgen Habermas’ analysis of social communication. To control the language is to control the people’s minds. As one begins, unconsciously at first, to think in slogans used by revolutionary propaganda and then to parrot them, he becomes

increasingly incapable of expressing or even conceiving thoughts contrary to their diktats and thus is easily managed.

The weaponization of language is integral to modern psychological warfare, or psywar. Revolutionaries, permeating major media, can literally “brainwash” public opinion into taking leftist positions through these means.

Catholic Professor Exposes Communist Word Plot

Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira incisively exposed the tactic in Unperceived Ideological Transshipment and Dialogue, in which he describes the use of talismanic words: “The stratagem we refer to as the talismanic word is one of the most efficient means to carry out unperceived ideological transshipment. It essentially consists in acting over the minds of individuals, groups, or large communities in a very sui generis way by applying certain elastic words with a very astute technique.”

The technique presupposes a certain sensibility and exploits human passions. A talismanic word may admit a legitimate, even noble meaning but is abused tendentiously by loading it with others. Its unaware target uses the word, not perceiving its underlying revolutionary meanings, and thus unconsciously begins to assume a new mentality. The person is ideologically transshipped without even noticing it.

An example of such a talismanic word is gay, which is used to refer to homosexuals. While the word homosexual has a clear meaning, which immediately elicits moral rejection, the term gay presents sin against nature in a favorable light. Gay means joyful, and joy is generally perceived as a good thing. Its use implies that homosexuals are cheerful, whereas those who oppose sodomy are gloomy, thus exploiting man’s natural tendency, or passion, for happiness. By using this talismanic word, the moral rejection of sin wanes, opening the way for its acceptance. Accordingly, it should not be used.

Another talismanic word is racism. All men are dignified in their creation by God, and discrimination based on ethnicity is abhorrent. In 1965, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which served as a model for legislation across the globe. However, exploiting man’s natural rejection of racism, the Revolution manipulated the term by extending its meanings to situations that do not pertain to race. Italy’s 1993 Mancino law, for example, condemns “phrases, gestures, actions, and slogans that incite hatred, violence, or discrimination by motive of race, ethnicity, religion, or nationality.” In this talismanic

Newspeak implies that while the left proposes things that are positive and enjoyable, conservative reaction is negative, ugly, and therefore "bad." Under a friendly mask, the Revolution is imposing a brutal dictatorship.

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sense, rejecting a false religion could be deemed “racism.”

The Role of "Hate Speech" in the Revolution

Hate speech is yet another talismanic weapon used to criminalize any opinion that contradicts revolutionary ideology. Thus, to call a homosexual a homosexual or sodomite is “hate speech.” You must call him gay. To describe abortion as what it is, the killing of an innocent preborn baby is “hate speech.” You must use the Newspeak “voluntary interruption of pregnancy.” And so on, as any criticism of revolutionary doctrine will be construed as “hate speech.” Thus, for example, any disapproval of radical feminism is seen as showing “hatred” towards women.

Not only does our mind naturally distinguish between being and non-being, but between truth and falsity, good and evil, beauty and ugliness, and so forth.

Once again, this stratagem manipulates the natural tendency of man to be cheerful, not negative and gloomy. It implies that while revolutionaries propose things that are positive and enjoyable, conservative reaction is negative, ugly, depressing, and, therefore, “bad.”

Applying the stratagem of unperceived ideological transshipment has led to a growing number of countries enacting laws that outlaw hate speech. They purport to disallow any manifestation of hatred, which in itself would be commendable. Everybody wants to love. No one wants to hate. In reality, however, they are forcefully imposing an ideology by branding opinions contrary to theirs as hate speech. As a result, debate becomes impossible since diverging opinions will be automatically criminalized as eliciting hatred. Under a friendly mask, the Revolution is imposing a brutal dictatorship.

The action of the talismanic word can be “exorcized” through analysis. While scholars acknowledge that “hate speech is a complicated concept and there is no internationally accepted definition or understanding of it,”1 attempts have been made to manufacture one. Thus, the United Nations defines hate speech as a rejection based on discrimination: “Hate speech is discriminatory (biased, bigoted, or intolerant) or pejorative (prejudiced, contemptuous, or demeaning) of an individual or group. Hate speech calls out real or perceived identity factors, including religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, color, descent, gender, but also characteristics such as language, economic or social origin, disability, health status, or sexual orientation, among many others.”2

Discrimination: Good or Bad?

Let us delve below the surface of this talismanic concoction. At the base of the concept of hate speech, we find the idea of discrimination, derived from the Latin discriminare, which means to distinguish. We are always distinguishing, for example, when we cross the street with the green light instead of red, eat a hamburger instead

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of a dish, or wash ourselves with water instead of gasoline. We are always choosing one thing over another. In this sense, discrimination is the most mundane yet vital task one can perform.

Not only does our mind naturally distinguish between being and non-being, but between truth and falsity, good and evil, beauty and ugliness, and so forth. In other words, we constantly pass moral judgments based on conscience (natural law) and divine or positive laws we freely accept. Indeed, the pursuit of good, with the consequent rejection of evil, is the driving force of any human action. “The tendency towards our good is the basic impulse of our soul,” declares Fr. Luigi Taparelli d’Azeglio in his renowned Treatise on Natural Law. 3

Accordingly, negative opinions cannot always be construed as implying hatred. Speaking about human beings, there are distinctions (discriminations) that are against nature, for example, those based on race or health status. In these cases, there is no moral wrongdoing that can call for a rejection. The rejection of moral evil, such as homosexual sin, is an entirely different matter. Here, there is a conscious and voluntary acceptance of evil that must be rejected. This is not hate speech but honesty and virtue in the moral order.

Turning the Tables

We must, therefore, defend our natural right to have and express our opinions. Any curtailment of this right is a dictatorial encroachment on human rights, indeed, a denial of human nature. And when it touches upon our religious beliefs, it can constitute religious persecution, especially when aimed at the true religion instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ. n

Notes:

1. Icelandic Human Rights Centre, “Hate speech; an overview and recommendations for combating it,” 2018, 5.

2. https://www.un.org/en/hate-speech /understanding-hate-speech/what-is-hate -speech.

3. Luigi Taparelli d’Azeglio, Saggio Teoretico di Diritto Naturale, Edizioni della Civiltà Cattolica, Rome, 1928, Vol. 1, 14–15.

We are always choosing one thing over another. In this sense, discrimination is the most mundane yet vital task one can perform.

Hiding behind a heart, the hate speech movement continues to twist language to Satanic purposes.

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How Grace Creates a Harmonic, Healthy, & Catholic Economy

BY JOHN WAGNER

There is a hidden gem in Brazil called Ouro Preto. It is a small city, but it is a beautiful example of how grace can move souls to fashion a harmonious, healthy and thoroughly Catholic society.

This city was built upon abundant natural resources. It is rich in minerals and precious metals, especially gold. Understandably, thousands of people soon populated the town in search of riches. In the eighteenth century, it had over 100,000 inhabitants. By the action of grace, this natural wealth did not lead to the massive corruption of its citizens. Virtue elevated the city and people of Ouro Preto.

Providence favored the city with many blessings, which resulted in a religious, sacral and harmonious society. Great artists like Aleijadinho (Antonio Francisco Lisboa) created masterpieces using the wealth and materials of the surrounding countryside. Thus, the

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city has many churches, artworks and monuments that serve as reminders to practice virtue and overcome the weakness of fallen nature.

The works of art were done with great skill and temperate pace, favoring quality without frenzy. To this day, the city’s small shops still sell handcrafted figurines. Thus, beautiful churches, shrines and crafts foster the virtues needed for society to prosper. They attract the graces to lead people to sanctity.

One finds in Ouro Preto Saint Benedict’s combination of work and prayer. The devotion inspired by the arts and the labor of those working in the nearby mines reflected this harmonious combination. Providence built upon a firm foundation to favor this grace-filled city to achieve remarkable economic prosperity, harmony, and general well-being. n