Reviewing Soviet Aeeords Aboard a Soviet aircraft carrier in the
Pacific, planes stand ready for take off. The scene depicts the characteristic
'compliance' demonstrated to dote by the Soviets with their massive arms
buildup in conventional and nuclear forces. At the same time, Soviet offers of peace find a sympathetic Western ear. Are such offers to be token seriously? Con the Soviets be trusted to comply with
arms agreements? A review of past
experiences might help open the eyes of on unsuspicious West •.•
(See "To Mail a totter," pages 6 and 7)
1
KFENSE
GAMMA-LIAISON
LETTER FROM THE EUITOR
Tradition and progress—at times they appear to be at odds. Yet every culture,
nation or civilization continuously moves in the direction of improvement and perfection. Step by step, generation by generation, a healthy society strives to better itself and its posterity. This is true tradition and true progress. Unfortunately, modern thinkers, especially those influenced by Marx, have a distorted view of progress and tradition. They see progress as a movement that erases the past, while tradition represents a dark and backward world that must be forgotten, abolished and abhorred. Progress must be a frenzied leap forward that allows little or no time for serene tranquility and calm reflection.
Today, modern society is facing the tragic consequences of this kind of
thinking. In this issue of the TFP Newsletter, we have examined several aspects of the myths of modern progress that are presently under attack. In Commentary, we present Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira's delightful essay, "At Mrs. Edeltrudes'"(pages 2-3). During an imaginary conversa tion, Mrs. Edeltrudes and the author discuss and debate the fallacies lurking behind some modern ideas.
The Inside America story, "Where Moralities Clash," discusses the myth
of feminism—a meliorative process that was supposed to have liberated women from past repressive structures. Instead, the empty promises of radical feminism have left many disenchanted (see pages 4-5). Finally, in our Religion section, we have analyzed the science vs. religion debate. We found that some modern scientists are beginning to ask theological
questions that scale the wall separating religion and science (see page 15).
COiMMENTARY
Mrs.Edeltrudes is a solid, expan sive woman. Solid in every sense of the word. Corpulent, the picture of health, at the ripe age of 50 she has
passed through life unscathed. Every thing has yielded before her. And from
this height upon which she finds her self, she contemplates her advancing years and old age(which is not so very far ofO with the same attitude with which she has rent the vicissitudes of past years. I referred to her attitude of soul.
Here I need clarify that it is, above all,
by her soul'sforce defrappe that Mrs. Edeltrudes has conquered. Her com pact physique is but the exterior man ifestation of her soul. Mrs. Edeltrudes is dauntless. She likes to confront ob
On another note, our International feature,"To Mail a Letter" reveals some disturbing facts about dealing with the Soviets even in trifling matters. American arms negotiators would do well to listen to U. S. Postal officials,
who find that postal agreements are breached at will by Soviet postal officials and censors (see pages 6-7).
After reading the lives of the saints. Saint Ignatius of Loyola asked this
question: "Si isti et istae, cur non ego?" (If they can, why can't I?). Thus began the conversion of that great saint. This question still rings true in our days. In our Prophets, Martyrs, Saints and Heroes section, we recount the
marvelous conversion of Saint Ignatius (see pages 11-13). On our back cover, the story of the "Dominus flevit" chapel, especially relevant for our times.
stacles and overcome them. Her life is
a victory, as I already said. Not, how ever, in the manner of Caesar who,in a letter to the Roman Senate, thus
described his victory in the kingdom of Pontus: "Veni, vidi, vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered). Such a quick, fulminating victory would have been disappointing to Mrs. Edeltrudes. She likes obstacles. She likes them to resist
her, for then she can exert and devote
herself—greatly relishing the details— to the robust pleasure(more proper to
a man than a woman)of smashing and shattering such obstacles and trampl ing their remains.
In this issue, we introduce News Digest, a new feature that will include a short news analysis of important issues and trends (see page 8). We think you will also find this month's Ambiences, Customs and Civiliza
tions quite helpful in better understanding certain types of religious art (see page 9).
Mrs. Edeltrudes' psychologicalforce defrappe is rooted in various precon ceptions, prejudices and phobias im bibed in the first years of her child
hood and preserved intact throughout the currents of life.
Her preconceptions are il.
ine-
what old-fashioned. In our times,
wherein the spearhead of intellectual About the TFPs. In the streets of Atlanta, the American TFP protests Chevron investments in communist Angola. British pro-defense leader Lady Olga Maitland visits.
These and other stories make up this issue of the TFP Newsletter, which I hope you will enjoy.
"advancement" proclaims the neces
sity of returning to the Paleolithic Age, Mrs. Edeltrudes still believes in Pro
gress with a capital P. She adheres to this myth with a fervor that was
already diminishing in the more in John Horvat II Editor
telligent when she was but a child. But
Mrs. Edeltrudes is not the least per turbed by this.
TFP NEWSLEHER is a monthly publication of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). John Horvat II, Editor, Subscription complimentary in the United States (third class bulk) and Canada. Rates for foreiqn subscriptions and list of other TFP publications available upon request. Direct all subscription requests ancTinquiries to: The American TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570. Permission is granted to reproduce in whole or in part any article of this newsletter with the credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER.
Vt Mrs. Edeltrudes' PLINIO CORREA DE OLIVEIRA
The French Revolution numbers
as the document "Y-Juca-Pirama—
mad at me—because this regime be
among her antiquated enthusiasms. Lafayette, Mirabeau, Damon, Marat,
The Indian: The One Who Must Die,
hind high walls is neither what I would
Robespierre—she jumbles them all in
pp. 21-23, signed by Bishop Casaldaliga along with five other bishops and six
want nor implement. But it has been
implemented by others, who, although strictly speaking not your friends, are friends of your friends. What I have just described is the new (as if the ex isting one were not enough) 620-mile
the same feverish admiration. She still
missionary priests), she would not even
rants against the bloodthirsty rage of
permit that such an article to be read
Louis XVI and the bacchanalia of Marie Antoinette. She is sure that when the Bastille was taken, it was
to her. And, with this, imagining her self victorious, she would close the con versation with a few insolent remarks.
wall that communist Germany just
found to be crammed with innocent
Now picture the following. In the presence of this animated lady, I dis
finished building from the Baltic to Czechoslovakia. And it is equipped
tractedly affirmed that the Bastille was found to be empty—or practically
progress you admire so much—in
prisoners who had been wasting away
with all the apparatus devised by the
in inhuman dungeons. Since that time, the winds of history have ravished this body of myths to such an extent that, in my view of
empty—on July 14. She lost no time in calling me anachronistic, old-fash
cluding the finger-slicing blades. The
things, no credence is given them even
ioned, and so on. And she ended by
by Soviet technicians."
by elementary-school teachers in the
saying that, for me, the ideal country
far backwoods. The backwoods of Sao
would be an immense Bastille, com
Felix do Araguaia, for example, where
pletely surrounded by high walls
Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga, pastoring badly, makes his feeble poetry and
behind which men would lead the mo notonous and dismal existence of the
vigorous agitation. But Mrs. Edeltrudes (who, by the
condemned. "Just so!" I exclaimed. "And there
way, admires this restless country bishop) resists the gusts of the winds of history. She continues, alone but
is more. I dream of soldiers armed
uninhibited, to rant against the apa thetic Louis XVI and the gracious Marie Antoinette as if they were two
walls. At intervals of, let's say every 20 feet, there would be automatic
ogres.
This compact, solid lady, be it un
with the most modern machine guns
and posted in watchtowers along the weapons set up to fire upon anyone attempting to escape. If someone man aged to get by these, he would run in
project was supervised and carried out Does the reader think that Mrs.
Edeltrudes exploded? When she realized the snare I had
set for her, her indignation against the said walls (next to which the Bastille is but a child's toy) began to diminish.
By the end of my description, her ex pression revealed that she was finding the idea of such a wall comprehensi ble and almost congenial. But the onlookers were bursting with laughter.
So, to defend herself, Mrs. Edeltrudes
replied: "Dr. Plinio, you are making all this up. It is you reactionaries and
derstood, is Catholic. Or at least she thinks she is. In this conviction, she is, moreover, confirmed by various priests of her acquaintance with whom she converses about Bishop Casaldaliga
to electric wires. Along the top of the wall, there would be metal blades to
lent deserter would thus fall to the
was the unbiased Drew Middleton who
and friends of his like.
ground."
wrote the story." She: "And am I expected to read
slice through the fingers of those at tempting to climb onto it. The inso
I looked Mrs. Edeltrudes in the eye.
fanatics who invent such stories."
I: "But Mrs. Edeltrudes, I read all this in a most fanatically unfanatical
newspaper, the New York Times. It
One day I perceived she had a touch of ardent sympathy for Luther. The heresiarch's agitation, his unrestrained
She was all aquiver. "That's it!" she sputtered. "It is a good thing that to
the New York Timesl'"
corpulence and his lewd manners amuse
day you are finally confessing what is really in your soul! Well did I suspect
carried in a popular morning paper in
her. And she deems delightfully biting his cry "los von Rom" (free from Rome). Mrs. Edeltrudes also has a soft spot for Marx. According to her, the Man ifesto of 1848 is at the cutting edge of progress. If someone were to show Mrs. Edel
trudes the contradictions that exist be
tween this anachronistic progress and today's Paleolithic modernness, if he were to tell her that whoever reads
Bishop Casaldaliga has difficulty in warding off the impression that the state of the Indians in their tribal set
tlements is preferable to our own civ
that these were your thoughts—and the thoughts of all those devotees of the Holy Inquisitors: your Saint Pius V,
Sao Paulo."
She:"You area negative man. You can't leave the communists in peace." I: "And what you want for them is
your Saint Raymond of Penafort, your
tranquility. Of course. They are friends
Saint Peter Arbues!' With these words,
she incited the onlookers to pelt me
of your friends. 'Any friend of yours is a friend of mine,' goes the old pro
with their disdain and insults.
verb."
These onlookers, who have a certain
sympathy for me, were disconsolate at the sight of my manifestation of mor bid cruelty. I, however, felt neither crushed nor intimidated by this robust lady. Nor did I allow her to trample
Around me, the laughter was sub siding. Everyone started to speak softly of other matters in order to put Mrs. Edeltrudes more at ease. And I also
changed the subject. After all, she was the lady of the house ... ■
on me for too long a time. I said to her: "Don't get so angry,
ilized state, she would say that these
Mrs. Edeltrudes. Or, rather, get angry
were lies. And if someone were to ac
—get as angry as you can because you can't get angry enough. But don't get
tually show her a suggestive text (such
I: "Not really. But the story was
This timely article was first published in 1978 when the Soviets finished reinforcing the Iron Curtain.
Empt4 chairs At a feminist rally^ a
disiflusionment in the oost-feniinist era. ■■■
^ in
StlJ" n'^i^'iBiKliBecar
< ..UOMEN-THEIR RGHT
AND NOTHING LESS
l!VSIDE AMERICA
Feminism and the Family:
Where Moralities Clash Americans are concerned about the family—family breakdown, family values and family rights. What is more, this concern has demonstratively grown since issues like abortion, sex education, pornography, traditional mo rality and religion have become inextri
cably intertwined with the family. Cutting across partisan, racial and ethnic lines, perhaps no subject has so divided American society. Although
stitution of the family. Outside marriage,
past. However, with the sexual revolu
sexual abstinence was practiced. Any serious or anti-natural deviations from
tion of the sixties, the tide turned, and the old morality was declared abnormal
this rule were regarded as socially unac
and passe, if not dead. The burning cry
ceptable.
Because the Christian family corre
sponds to the nature of man himself, this arrangement, although not without prob lems, worked. Families grew, thrived and
over the West.
prospered, and Christian Civilization
has left the family structure reeling. Once
blossomed and flourished. Repulsive,
the floodgates of sexual restraint were opened, taboo after taboo fell in succes
there are political issues at stake, the en
abnormal sexual behavior (today labeled
suing battle is basically one of two op
as normal) found no sustaining soil in
posing moralities.
which to take root. This was the code that America and the Christian West as a
On one side there are those main
of the 1968 Sorbonne student revolution,
"It is forbidden to forbid," rang out all
stream Americans who have valiantly
whole had largely adopted as its own.
clung to many traditional family values that stress marital fidelity and pre-marital
But this serene code of ethics suffered
a severe Jolt at the beginning of the twen
Avoiding Solutions. The ensuing storm
sion. Once perverse lifestyles g. media acceptability, liberated woiiun swarmed from the home to the work
place. Feminists labeled motherhood as degrading to women. Abortion and con
chastity. Opposing them steadfastly is a radical minority whose feminist philoso
tieth century when the family began to undergo a barrage of attacks from fem
traception permitted the proliferation of permissive sexual mores. The social engi neers facilitated this change by churning
phy attacks these convictions and advo
inists and social "scientists" who dis
out study after study to justify the under
cates unrestrained sexual freedom. And
puted the role of family in society. Citing
mining of the family. When teenage preg
the two opposing forces meet and clash in their dispute over the nation's future.
questionable studies on human sexual
nancy soared to frightening levels, the
ity, they began to blur the line between normality and abnormality and to ad
cries for abortion and contraception swelled and amplified. The blame was
Introducing A New Amorality. Since the dawn of the Christian era, family morality has been governed by an ascetic moral code largely taken from the Dec alogue and Natural Law. Sacramental marriage was the only legitimate sexual bond and was oriented toward the con
vocate alternative lifestyles free from
laid on the lack of sex education—not
religious and cultural restraints.
the lack of morals. Likewise, when single
In short, a new morality was intro duced that was neither moral nor new, since the immoral practices of depravity
mothers complained of the burdens of parenting, feminists were quick to de mand a wide range of social services, placing the blame for the single mothers' plight on an unresponsive government.
and licentiousness have often accompa nied the decadence of civilizations in the
TFP Newsletter
iSSfDE A^MERECA
Twenty Years After. There is no de nying thai the feminist sexual revolution
[National Organization of Women]have mostly failed to understand that millions
of the 1960s has made deep inroads into
of American women like being wives and mothers and want to strengthen, not
the social fabric of American society. But not all Americans have mindlessly
gone along with the changes. A growing pro-family movement has reared its head in response, surprising and challenging
weaken, the family structure," wrote feminist Sylvia Ann Hewlett in her recent book, A Lesser Life: The Myth of
National Conference of Catholic Bishops'
headquarters, former NOW president Judy Goldsmith told protesters that "when the Pope and the men who com prise the Catholic hierarchy—and they are all men—organize and lobby against abortion and birth control, they cham
Women's Liberation in America. "For
pion pain and suffering and subjugation
the feminist establishment. As the ex
them motherhood is not a trap, divorce
of women" {The Catholic Register,
hausting consequences of the new amor-
ality are increasingly being felt, pro-
is not liberating, and many of them find the personal and sexual freedom of
Toronto, 6/22/85). But, if the truth be told, it is frequently
family advocates have met the enemy on
modern life immensely threatening."
women themselves who have been the
principal opponents of those who seek
their own ground and doggedly engaged in a bitter war of attrition. "The United States is a nation divided
True Face Revealed. Another factor in the breakdown of the women's liberation
to "liberate" them.
between two moralities," writes Dr.
movement is its identification with rad-
women, have fought a tooth-and-nail
Allan Carlson, editor of the Rockford Institute's monthly Persuasion at Work (5/85). "Unlike Europe, the great leap to the 'new' morality of sexual freedom of the 1960s fell short; the partisans of the 'old' morality of sexual asceticism were numerous enough and organized
quickly enough to deny the advocates of change a full victory." The Decline of Feminism. No where
is the feminist retreat to the defensive
more evident than in the shattering of the feminist myth. Just when victory seemed so close, feminists find themselves be sieged and threatened in what has been
Pro-life advocates, many of them
'It's been a long time between victories' for NOW EJeanor Smeal's promise of a more aggressive approach doesn't worry pro-lifers
I
The women's movement continues
S
to lose ground, sympathy in U.S.
n
VASIRNtnON WASIRNCTON - AA rocdeti tiiUr ■Up Uai*cml/. T>* AtBd i McUbM
bid
frtwkol ol ch« N Jof Women, to «p
^
itudehi «dlion. it •fpctn Lb« moTCuml bAi fiBied Tb« woma't iiudiea eaone u AM beio{ offend lo tia ocodeiak
nor for cec
I I J rlia A —^
re«sM Only
•
Ufived »p for it
utre)
form to odncsic
Ob reflartion. the Uiot It wooid to IIMO lertun fn wtoi ito cburrb tta (a?tuiten was Tbi* d*-*-'
called the "post-feminist" era, and their once unchallenged field divided between
The End Of Feminism
two camps.
Sexual freedom, which was supposed
to bring fulfillment and liberation, also had the significant effect of relieving men of their responsibility to the family. Fifty percent of all marriages, for ex
"t ss£".rr St- I
ample, end in divorce. Teenage pregnan
cy is rising. Transcribing these figures in to terms of human anguish, it is generally the women who suffer since they usually
assume responsibility for the children. Indeed, the tragic expression "feminiza-
enMftfy
^ mrnthtr ti — -iii| u
pfcwii M CifoW Oiurefi I •WfcnMrnn
1< tJ.S. GITIES HIT
'i
^
National Organization ,i^<»rnhoc' anfliiisf
. f... nt IJUnmen
Women
offices
The decline of feminism finds media echoes.
battle to stop the wanton killing of the
cially for young single mothers who had
ical and extremist goals. In feminism's early years, some women sympathized with the movement for purely economic
the misfortune to seek such liberation.
reasons. Later, they were surprised to see
paigns where they rabidly label thei; position as fascists and bigots. In s>.
tion" of poverty has proven true espe
The denigration of motherhood prac tically pushed many women into the marketplace. Some professional psychol ogists question the effects of this exodus from the home, especially on very young
feminist organizations repeatedly lobby ing for homosexual and lesbian rights, the unpopular Equal Rights Amendment and the so-called right to abortion. Feminists have attacked with surpris ing vehemence religious leaders at var iance with their goals, particularly Cath olic Church leaders. Among the 1985 resolutions of the National Organization
unborn.
Pro-abortionisis
have
often
responded with garish, emotional cam
■
cases, they have even tried to usurp lor themselves the title of "pro-family."
Francisco Chronicle, 8/25/85). Studies indicate that problems like
by "organizing Vatican Embassy Days
Disputing the Future. Every indication portends that the battle of the two mo ralities will rage on. Both sides realize that the stakes are high. Yet neither side can yet claim victory. If present trends continue and the family is not supported and strengthened in the schools, society and the media, the
of Outrage to protest the Pope's con
human casualties of the broken home will
childrearing, drugs, teenage pregnancy
tinual interference in our political arena
prove to be socially overwhelming and
and others can be linked to the breakdown
and the Catholic Church hierarchy's
of the traditional family so applauded by
work to outlaw abortions and birth con
radical feminism. Many Americans still feel the scars and today are blaming not
trol." (The entire text of the resolutions was printed in The Phyllis Schlafly
seriously imperil the future of the nation. As the myth of a benevolent feminism is being unmasked and a flexible pro-
the government but the feminists. "The chic, liberal women of NOW
Report, 12/85.)
children.
"There's an irreplaceable quality of a full-time mother," claims Dr. Elmer Grossman a Berkeley pediatrist. "One can't hire it, and one can't expect it to
be done as well by other people" (San
Vol. IV. No. 20, 1986
of Women can be found the resolution to refocus on the debate about abortion
At a June 1985 protest at Washington's
family movement continues to gather steam, a decision in this dispute is in the making. ■
TO MAIL A LETTER C 6 TA EAR Mother, I was greatly af-
J_-^ flicted to read about the recent
great proportion of the mail still seems to be subject to arbitrary and unpredict
accident in Chernobyl, and my heart aches to think that you might have been
able treatment.
affected by the disaster. Please write and
Mailing to the Soviet Union. Such postal problems have prompted the U.S. Postal Service to issue a small question-
tell me if you are all right so that I can
lay my worries aside. I hope you have received my last package although I
that registered mail has a better chance of delivery than regular mail. And does it help to insure a letter? Again, little evidence has surfaced in dicating that an insured letter has any better chance of reaching an addressee.
What about return receipt mail? Surely
and-answer booklet. Mailing to (he
the Soviets must respect a return receipt?
know that they often do not arrive. I await word from you and Father. Your Daughter, Kateryna." The above anguished but imaginary letter of a Ukrainian daughter that es caped to the West probably would never reach her parents in faraway Ukraine. To Soviet censors, the mere mention of
Soviet Union. This publication is de signed to help reduce the frustrations felt
Or so the desperate mailer might opti mistically think. Once again, the sad
by many U.S. mailers such as our imagi
truth is to the contrary. Unfortunately, it is often impossible to find out from
the Chernobyl disaster "may cause polit
little or no value." The overtone of the
ical or economic harm to the USSR or
advice gleaned from experience is simply * this; "Mail at your own risk." No tears will be shed over your losses. ^^-7 "How can I be sure that my '
to public order." Thus, Kateryna's con cerned appeal might indiscriminately be returned, or worse, never delivered at all. The case of our imaginary Ukrainian
nary Ukrainian daughter. The brochure discusses many of the service options available to the mailer and points out those Soviet regulations that are "so vaguely worded as to be of
the Soviet authorities if such mail was
ever really delivered . . . For example, sometimes the receipt is returned. Yet at other times it is not. Sometimes it is returned when the mail item has not been deliv-
^ % ered. And at other times it is
mail will get to the Soviet
is not an isolated one. Often such cor
Union?" asks the
respondence inexplicably never reaches
mailer. The somber
its destination.
reply: "The sad fact is you
. not returned even when the
^
has been delivered.
'
^he Soviets supposedly
^ offer restricted delivery ^ service, which demands
ft ■ ^
^ ^ «
k the signature of the
% person to whom the
The Postal Agreement. According to
T
letter is addressed,
k However, the
the terms of the Universal Postal Union
^ U.S. Post Of
Convention, standard agreements were
worked out whereby common postal
fice has ob-
problems in participating countries
served that
this signature
could be dealt with on an inter-
national level. The result:
v
is not always pro-
a worldwide postal system that speeds the mail to nearly 170 countries with
cured. "Our experience
k
by Soviet postal employees," the brochure says.
JKTERCn
unprecedented effi- ^ ciency. U.S. residents
indicates that frequently return receipts are actually signed
RETOUR
^
can write to friends and %
Nyet to Items. Given these limited
relatives in such distant
lands as Nigeria and Nepal
never
k
be sure,
and expect a variety of up- ^ to-date, standardized services.
^ k
take precautions."
There is, however, one no- \
After that, you can only wait and hope.
table exception to this rule.
Of the 167 countries with which
but you can
^
the U.S. Postal Service exchanges mail, none has created more prob
▼
lems for U.S. mailers than the Soviet Union.
choices of how to send a letter or pack age, the sender next faces the dilem ma of what he can or cannot 'uo it.
Soviet regulations are again unreason ably strict, and guideline interpretations are conveniently broad.
Finding a Way. "What is the best way to send mail to the Soviet Union to make sure it gets delivered?" "There seems to be no best way to
Printed matter, for example, should not be sent in letter mail that is sealed.
Soviet authorities insist that such letters
be sent in a manner that allows verifica
Mailers have repeatedly complained
send mail to the Soviet Union. Various
tion of contents. Failure to comply with
that letters and parcels never reach their destinations, or are returned or seized for
persons who have mailed to the Soviet
Union for many years advise that one
this regulation has often resulted in non delivery or rejection.
questionable reasons. In fact, U.S. Con gressional investigations have concluded
that Soviet authorities systematically in terfere with mail to certain addresses and
groups for political reasons.
Postal officials have tried to approach the Soviets on this matter, but the results
method may have greater success for a time—and then may encounter persistent difficulty."
limited to one copy per letter. It is for
Trying to utilize special mailing services further tangles the frustrating
bidden to correct misprints or to make marks on any printed papers.
knot.
Publications, films, video cassettes, recordings and even sculpted items are
are far from encouraging. Although
Sending a letter by registered mail? The Post Office reports that there seems
much mail appears to get through, a
to be no conclusive evidence indicating
6
Books, magazines and publications, when allowed to enter the country, are
prohibited if they contain information
that could be considered to cause politTFP Newsletter
i\TER\ATIO\AL
It is not nor was it meant to be
MAILING
a political statement. Nonetheless, it bears mention that the Soviet Union is part of
• TO THE ■
agreed to the terms of the inter
the Universal Postal Union. It
national treaty . . . yet system
SOVIET UNION
atically violates them in an arbi trary and indiscriminate manner that confounds American efforts
to verify mail delivery.
U.S. policy makers have noted six important lessons in dealing with the Soviets over the past 25 years:
1. Treaty violations are not loopholes but definite violations.
2. The Soviets sign agreements with no intention of abiding by them. 3. The Soviets use arms control agree ments as a means to constrain U.S. arms
capabilities while they improve their own. 4. When there are no substantial costs
in meeting obligations of an arms con Consistency. As postal prob lems continue with disconcerting
just to save a few rubles.
optimistically speak of Soviet-
6. The Soviets avoid penalties for their actions by denying the violation.
Hardly astonishing is the fact that the arms control negotiators have been having problems sim
In Search of Peace. As Americans
scramble to scrap nuclear submarines and dismantle Titan II missiles to com
ilar to those of U.S. Postal au
ply with existing treaties or unratified
thorities. Substantial evidence in
agreements (such as SALT II), it might
dicates that the Soviets are con
be advantageous to more closely consider current Soviet postal behavior.
sistently violating existing treaties
to the Soviet Union ... and demonstrates their
5. The Soviets often violate treaties
regularity, American pacifists American arms reduction talks as a means to secure peace.
Postal handbook lists the risks Involved In mailing
trol agreement, the Soviets may comply.
in much the same way they vio late postal conventions. Last December, President Reagan submitted a report that
If the Soviet bear cannot even comply with internationally recognized postal
agreements, can they be trusted to abide
ical or economic harm to the USSR, to
a broad base, touching virtually all
the public order, to health protection or
treaties, including the ABM Treaty, SALT
by crucial, complex nuclear-arms agree ments? Moreover, if Americans cannot even verify the delivery of a first class letter, how can analysts be expected to
to public morals, in short, to anything contrary to the Soviet system.
I and II, the Limited Test Ban Treaty, the Biological Weapons Convention and
SS-20 Soviet missiles?
disregard for International agreements.
found Soviet violations to have
In the atheist state devoid of basic
human rights, literature and plastic works of art of a religious nature automatically
the Helsinki Final Act.
A recent Canadian government report, for example, has uncovered the strongest
verify production and installation of With so many facts indicating bad faith on the part of the Soviets, Amer icans should re-evaluate the existing and
fashion catalogs are also considered
conclusive proof to date supporting U.S. charges that the Soviet Union and its
contraband.
allies have used deadly toxin weapons
agreements. Perhaps as a first step, new proposals should be drafted and sent to
Communications equipment (which might provide access to Western media
in Southeast Asia.
the Soviets—by mail.
fall victim to this restriction. Western
systematically violated arms controls ■
sources) are denied entrance rights. Radio and television receivers, video recorders,
display screens, film cameras and spare parts for these items are prohibited.
Developed and undeveloped films, re
corded or unrecorded magnetic tapes or video cassettes also fall into this cate gory.
On this long roster of prohibited items can be found stamps, foreign currencies, used clothing, watches, medicines, vita mins, firearms and alcohol. Curiosities
like musical greeting cards, pasta and thread of all types are also verboten. A "restricted items" category has been granted to such scarce items as medical thermometers, eyeglasses and hearing
aids mailed as single units. Limited quan tities of coffee, tea and cocoa are allowed as well as some foodstuffs, tobacco and
chewing gum. Treaties, Treaties . . . The Postal
booklet. Mailing to the Soviet Union, is a how-to manual sparked by repeated
attempts to solve mail delivery problems. VOL. IV, NO. 20, 1986
The Soviet SS1 missile. Verifying missiles and mail delivery present the same problems. 7
Red Flags Over South Africa
tribution of Playboy magazine banned the degrading ma terial on the basis that "our custom forbids such things."
"We acted according to the customs and the Christian values of this country," said Mr. Lawrence Sausau of the Naive observers of the South African political scene
review board. Newsstands have been instructed to remove
have turned a blind eye to disturbing developments in that media-besieged nation. With increasing frequency, the use of communist symbols, banners and weapons is cropping
whatever copies ihay have on their shelves. In a similar move, the Burmese government restricted rock music and breakdancing from public stages since the aggressive "dancing" was termed to be "ugly," "repug
up among the nation's radical groups. Worst of all, no one seems to be objectingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as if to say the totalitarian
nant" and "un-Burmese." This move was taken to safe
Marxism responsible for so many crimes has a legitimate
guard Burma's culture and traditions from the detrimen
place in forming that country's future.
tal effects of contrary values.
Soviet and South African Communist Party flags are
now a common sight at highly politicized and manipulated "funerals." Figures like Dr. Beyers Naude, General Sec retary of the South African Council of Churches, and Dr. Allan Boesak, the organization's vice-president, have
A Deforming Land Reform
given speeches flanked by these very flags with nary a word of protest.
Communist slogans like "Long Live the South African Communist Party!" "Viva Marx!" and "Viva Lenin!" also resound at rallies. In some black neighborhoods,
"people's courts," central committees and "soviets" have been established to govern districts. Terrorist gangs have intimidated blacks who do not agree with their radical
Looking for an ingenious socialist strategy to ease the
American farm crisis? The "solution" for lagging export markets for enormous U.S. farm surpluses may well be in Utopian land reform schemes.
By breaking up the large and medium-sized farms into small family plots or peasant cooperatives, land reform solves the market problem. The strategy operates, how
goals or who are suspected of supporting the government.
ever, on the premise that land reform must not be forced
At the residential suburb of Mindalore, police recently unearthed the largest arms cache yet found in South
countries.
Africa. Consisting primarily of weapons of Russian origin, the stockpile is one of many amassed for the terrorist activities of the outlawed African National Congress. The obvious communist orientation of radical South African movements has failed to alarm Western liberals.
Instead, the violent terrorist acts of these minority groups are flashed on the front pages of major Western news papers with a tone of sympathy. Such articles convey to the gullible public the assumption that media-made heroes like Nelson Mandela speak in the name of the whole South African people. Notably absent in the headlines is information about the huge sectors of the South African community that
favor a policy of racial harmony as opposed to racial class struggle. Movements like the bi-racial 4.5 million United Christian Action Movement, the five million member Zion
Christian Church and the pro-free enterprise Zulu trade union UWUSA receive little coverage.
upon American farmers, but upon those of competing The idea is rather simple. By implementing land reform, many grain-exporting countries are impoverished and soon become grain-importing countries. Unfettered American farmers can then sell these newly created markets their cheap grain.
The strategy is hardly new. In the Soviet Union, it was only by implementing land reform that Kansas replaced Ukraine as that nation's breadbasket.
Cuba was once a sugar-exporting nation. Following the Castro revolution and its land reform, Cuba has been reduced to buying sugar on the world market to compen
sate for shortages and to meet commitments made to the Soviet Union. Castro only recently implemented an even more radical reform by abolishing the highly productive free peasant markets since they were "a source of enrich ment for neo-capitalists and neo-bourgeois" {New York Times, 5/20/86). The Sandinistas of Nicaragua have also joined the pur
If Western anti-apartheid protesters were really serious,
chasing list for grain. After a land reform program
they would insist that their heroes categorically denounce
to government-imposed low prices, imports to the Mar
Marxism and class struggle lest the red Soviet flags that
Leninist regime have already reached 50,000 tons oi
fly over their rallies soon fly menacingly over all of South
beans and corn. Nicaragua used to produce these items
Africa.
in surplus. It is no coincidence that the U.N. listed the communist
Tribal Rejection
countries of Angola, Ethiopia and Mozambique among those nations facing famine and chronic food shortages: All of these nations have embarked on ambitious land
reform projects.
The most recent target of the land reform impover Paradoxically enough, some Third World countries could perhaps teach a few cultural lessons to a "civilized" West all too ready to impose its own customs on unwary
peoples. In the little country of Papua New Guinea, where the natives' ancestors were headhunters and cannibals, a gov ernment agency became indignant over American porno graphic magazines. A government board reviewing the dis
ishment scheme is Brazil, one of the world's largest ex porter of foodstuffs. If Brazil's agricultural production is curtailed, grain market competition will be signifi cantly reduced. But, then again, who can guarantee that American farmers, already victims of restrictive gov
ernment policies, will not be the next force to topple as the rapidly falling row of dominoes gathers yet greater momentum?
A.miiE^CES, CISTOMS, CIVILIZATIONS
True Sanctity Lies in Strength of SonI and not in Sentimental Softness
> .
The Church leaches that true and
emotions and, therefore, totally un-
graphed on June 7, 1897, shortly be
complete sanctity is the heroism
suited for the great fights that always
fore her death on September 30 of the
accompany earthly life.
same year.
of virtue. The honor of the altars is not
Her countenance is marked by the
granted to weak, hypersensitive souls that flee from profound thoughts,
deep peace earned by great and ir
from acute suffering, from the fight, in short, from the Cross of Our Lord
The figure of Saint Theresa of
Jesus Christ. Mindful of the words of
Her Divine Founder, "the kingdom of heaven belongs to the violent," the
the Child Jesus was especially deformed by bad iconography. Roses, smiles, inconsistent sentimentality, a
Church canonizes only those who, in
soft life free of cares, a person with
life, authentically fought the good
bones of rock candy and blood of
fight, those who plucked out their own eye or cut off their own foot when it
honey—this is the idea they would like
caused scandal, and sacrificed every thing to follow only Our Lord Jesus Christ. In reality, sanctificalion entails the greatest heroism, for it presupposes not only the firm and serious resolu tion to sacrifice life itself if need be
to remain faithful to Jesus Christ, but
us to have of that great, that incom
parable saint.
order to adhere only to the divine will. A certain iconography, unfortunately
have a definition, a strength and a har
mony possessed only by souls with an iron logic. Her gaze bespeaks tremen dous sufferings in the deepest recesses of the soul yet, at the same time, reveals the fire and courage of a heroic soul, determined to advance cost wh ■ it may.
Contemplating this physiognomy,
How all this differs from her true
strong and profound as only the grace
spirit—vast and profound like the fir mament, shining and burning like the
thinks of another Face: that of the
sun, yet so humble and so filial— which one finds upon reading her auto biography, The Story of a Soul.
even to live a prolonged existence on earth if God so desires, constantly
renouncing everything most dear in
revocable renunciations. Her features
OUR two pictures represent, so to speak, two different and even
of God can make a human soul, one
Holy Shroud of Turin, which no man could have imagined and perhaps none dare describe. Between the Face of
Our Dead Lord, which has a peace, a strength, a profundity and a sorrow that human words cannot express, and the face of Saint Theresa, there is an imponderable yet very real similarity.
And why should it be thought surpris ing that the Holy Face impressed some
much in use, presents the saints quite differently: they appear soft, senti
opposite "Theresas."
mental, with neither personality nor
thing of Itself on the face and the
serious, solid and coherent ideas; they
this is the insignificant, superficial and perfumed Theresa imagined by roman tic and sentimental iconography. The
seem to be souls guided only by their
second is the authentic Theresa, photo
the Holy Face?
strength of character, incapable of
in the first, there is nothing heroic;
soul of one who in religious life called herself Theresa of the Child Jesus and
TFP \EWS
Free Angolal
used to oppress the Angolan population and UNITA resistance fighters. "Shareholders, shareholders, share
holders of Chevron Oil!" proclaimed TFP members in front of the Wtz-Carlton
Buckhead, site of the annual meeting. "Imagine a prisoner of one of the most despotic tyrannies of all time who at this very moment groans, tormented by hun
ger, anguish and longings for his own." "Imagine. You can restore him to day light, to liberty and to his family with just one word. Imagine your joy if you utter that word. Imagine your remorse if you don't!" "Chevron Oil pays royalties to the
Angolan regime, and the despotic com munist government pays for the Cuban presence in unfortunate,imprisoned and enslaved Angola with those royalties." "O shareholders! O shareholders! O
shareholders!" TFP members called out
to participants and onlookers. "Ask, argue, demand that Chevron Oil with
draw from Angola so that Angola will The TFP In Atlanta: spreading the message to the man In the street.
Atthe annual Chevron stockholders meeting in Atlanta, Ga., members
of the American TFP joined protesters opposing the American oil giant's support of the Angolan communist regime. Pro testers were Joined by a group of mock "Cuban" troops who theatrically offered to "protect" Chevron shareholders.
be free of the Cuban executioners who
are remote-controlled by Moscow." The May 5 event was part of a national
campaign spearheaded by the Conser vative Caucus that is attempting to cut off the nearly two billion dollars per year
A few days prior to the meeting, nearly 40 organizations participated in street protests at an estimated 4Q0 Chevron and affiliated Gulf stations across the nation.
paid to the Soviet puppet government. The effort was coordinated by the Restore National Chairman Howard Phillips A More Benevolent Order Coalition claims that the oil revenues help support (RAMBO), a network of patriotic and the nearly 35,000 Cuban mercenaries
conservative groups.
â&#x2013;
Lady 0/ga Maitland Visits American TFP ON June 8, American TFP members and supporters were pleased to receive the visit of Lady Olga Maitland,
chairman of the London-based prodefense group. Families for Defence.
The outspoken Lady Olga came to deliver an important message, especially for Americans. With the controversy sur rounding the unratified SALT II Treaty, the Chernobyl incident and the American reprisal raids on Libya, she said she believes that the NATO alliance is at a
crossroads. Should the Moscow peace offensive succeed, an intimidated Europe faces the prospect of unilateral nuclear disarmament and a progressive "Finlandization" of the West.
According to results from a Gallup poll commissioned by the London-based
Foundation for Defense Studies, the public is confused about defense matters, Lady Olga claimed. The November 1985
study found that only 30 percent of Britons were aware of the Warsaw Pact
conventional arms superiority over NATO. Thirty-two percent of the re10
spondents cited the U.S. as the greater threat to peace in Europe, while 33 per cent cited the Soviet Union.
The well-known columnist and pro-
defense activist proposes an energetic education and information campaign to counter the "peace" offensive being waged by Moscow.
â&#x2013;
PROPHETS, MARTYRS,SAI.YTS A.%U HEROES
Saint Ignatius writes the Constitution for the Society of Jesus. Painting by De RIbera Pinxit(1591-1662).
The Marvelous Conversion
of Saint Ignatius of Loyola The most famous conversion that
"Sire, I could find no others."
Saint Ignatius at baptism)?" his brother
resulted from reading the lives of
"Then I order you to go and ask
asked.
the saints was that of Ignatius of Loyola.
Master Garcia (his eldest brother and
The well-known historian Daurignac describes the convalescence of the cava
head of the house of Loyola) for some
lier Ignatius in the castle of Loyola after successive operations on his right leg, in jured by a cannonball during the siege of Pamplona:
Time passed and boredom oppressed him despite his lively imagination. It oc
novels on chivalry." "I have already done so. Sire. Master
win glorious names for themselves. A. first, either because I had been deprived
Excellency has only these books."
of the novels I had wanted or for some
These books were The Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Friar Ludolfo and
other reason, I found them insipid. But, in my boredom I forced myself to read
The Flower ofthe Saints, both in Span
them, and I now find them very inter esting." "So much the better, Inigo, because
ish.
might help to fill the vacuum that loomed
plied, "leave them here."
"Well, then," the worldly youth re
before him during his long hours of iso
Boredom overcame him, and the mind
lation and seclusion. The imaginary ad ventures of knights errant and their im
of Ignatius needed nourishment. For lack of anything else, he accepted the
possible feats appealed to him. Cheered by this idea, he ordered that one of these
books that he most certainly would not
VOL. IV, NO. 20, 1986
inary knights could have undertaken
Garcia has none of these novels; His
curred to him that a novel on chivalry, much in vogue at that time in Spain,
novels be brought to him. After a short while, his servant returned: "Sire, this is all that I could find." "What! I asked you for a novel and you bring religious books? Have you gone mad?"
"Yes, Sire, I find surprising things in them which surpass all that the imag
have chosen. The First Effects. Garcia never entered
his young brother's room without find ing him either reading or writing. "Do you find the lives of the saints in teresting, dear Inigo (the name given to
this prolonged seclusion is very difficult for one with such a lively nature as yours."
"I have suffered less since I began this book, my dear brother. For consider
how I am subjecting myself to all this torture just so that I will not lose my standing with the ladies at the court. Yet all of these saints would have suffered
thisâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and much moreâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just to please God. They won an eternity of happiness as a reward for the life of penance and 11
PROPHETS,IHARTYRS,SAE^TS AI%D HEROES martyrdom that they accepted. And I will have only the smiles of the ladies
or the flattery of the courtiers as my
A Resolution Is Made. After making this momentous resolution, a nature like that of Ignatius would not rest until it
able to expiate for them by means of fasts, vigils, mortification and solitude.
ask myself, after I and they have become
was put into effect. The day for remov ing the apparatus on his leg to allow him
His family no longer recognized him, for his language, mannerisms and conversa tion had all changed, and Garcia was
old?"
to try his strength drew near; however,
seriously concerned about this.
reward! And what will remain of this, I
with the approach of winter and its un
himself while reading the lives of the saints why he could not try to imitate
favorable weather, it was considered pru dent to further postpone any action for several more months. In the meantime, our recluse occupied his time in reading and rereading the life of Our Lord and
them. Why could he not do what the
those of the saints, always writing—but
The Desire to Imitate the Saints.
Ignatius did not add (this he confessed only later) that he had also often asked
saints had done? Why could he not try, like they had, to glorify God on earth, hoping
Consecration as a Knight of Our Lady, and the Demon's Terror. One night, he
was suffering more keenly than usual over the absolute necessity of abandon
ing everything for God; since his leg was strong enough to permit him to carry out his plan, he prostrated himself before the statue of Our Lady. He asked her to accept the
one day to participate in His glory in heaven? It is true that these first good thoughts were immediately stifled by his am
promise which he was making at her
bitious dreams and his vanity;
If:
and as his leg was stretched lit
tle by little, his hope that he would not limp after his re
feet that
he
would
henceforth always live for the glory of her Divine Son, and he swore, in the language of a knight, to be always faithful
to His banner and to belong always to her and her Son in
covery was still his primary
life and in death. At that same
concern. However, he read
^
instant, a loud roar like an ex-
and reread the great actions of the saints, and, since he wished to remember them, he
//:■ ' -
castle walls, so violent that
plosion was heard inside the even the foundation trembled.
wrote down what most im-
pressed him. After some time
had passed, he was deeply
moved to devote himself en-
The tremor was felt through-
y
out the house, but it left its
mark only in the room of Ig-
Jh||
natius, which had been shaken
tirely to this task.
most violently. The walls of his room, which were several feet thick, were shaken so much by the tremor that a
The Interior Fight. All these reflections surged and tossed in the mind of Ignatius. They assaulted him day and night, tiring him as they battled with
^^Hjj large crack was made that still exists today. it could not have been an
earthquake that caused this
his human respect and the lure of the pleasures for which he
mm tremor since only the castle had been shaken, while the
had lived until then.
other buildings remained un-
As this fight prolonged it-
affected. What was the cause
self in the soul of our hero, he
of this phenomenon? They
asked himself one day if it were not the time to put an
1
end to it by taking a definitive
opposing desires in me," he reasoned. "One thrusts me to-
none could be found. Did the devil perhaps foresee
resolution.
"Obviously, there are two
searched for an answer, but
ble and unceasing bk
^ "mother" church of the Jesuit order.
unhappiness. When I reflect upon 3on the advantages of a penitent life like; that of the saints, I feel a tranquility, a peace )eace of
lat
imH the holy Society of jesus
The Chle sa dl QesCi In Rome founded by Saint Ignatius IS is is the the
ward good and, by this means, to eternal happiness; the other thrusts •usts me toward evil and, thereby, to eternal
terri-
^ould strike against him
through this man whom God had chosen as the founder of
this time with much more care—about
the aspects that most impressed him. In this way he managed to complete a book of some 300 pages, laid out in various colors as was the style of the time. He
the order? ord{ the The historians of the saint are
of of this this opinion.
The The IF amily's Concern. Garcia was still worried about the change in Ignatius and worried was was aw: awaiting an occasion to express this
soul and an interior sweetness that hat are
used the color gold for Our Lord, red for
quite unfamiliar to me and that hat the
the Most Holy Virgin and the other colors for the saints (Ribadeneira). Ignatius had become a new man by
growing concern. This occasion was not growing
this time. His concern was to have God always in mind and to please Him, so he
without telling his brother; upon his without
world cannot give me. When, on the con the con-
trary, I let myself be drawn by the long le longing and desire for pleasures and glory glory in this life, I fee! a turmoil, a restlessness, jssness, and an agitation that disturb me Tie and make me unhappy. It is madness for me to waver in this choice . . . I will 11 do as
divided his time between pious readings, prayer, meditation and writing. He tried to recall all the sins of his past life, anx-
the saints did!
ious for the moment when he would be
long long in in coming. Feeling much stronger, Ignatiu: went horseback riding one day Ignatius return. return, he met Garcia.
That night the two talked alone in That Ignatiu; Ignatius' room. "I confess," cc "I Garcia said, "that you caused me no small concern when you TFP NEWSLETTER
PROPHETS, m/lRTYRS, S/\t!\TS Al%D HEROES
Ignatius still did not reply. His brother
left today on horseback since you have
"No, Sire, I am telling you the truth.
not said anything about what you plan
continued:
to do in the future. Why did you not
I am going to Navarrete." "Yes, but where are you going from
advise me beforehand?"
there? I know you, Inigo. I know that
''It is true that I could have told you, but why were you afraid?"
for some time now you have been plan
tion, at least, my brother, my dear broth er, if you return not from Navarrete, if
"My dear Inigo, I will speak frankly,
ning a project of which your family would not approve. I cannot dissuade
"Since I cannot change your resolu
you leave us, as I fear you will, promise your eldest brother that you will never dishonor your noble name! Promise me
for I have been feeling the need to open
you from it, because I know how un
my heart to you. The change in you is
shakable you are after you have made a
that wherever you go you will not forget
so great that I fear everything. Your
resolution. But, for the love of God, will
the blood that runs in your veins and that
imagination is overexcited from reading
you not tell me something? Can you
the lives of Jesus Christ and the saints.
leave a brother who loves you without
You have renounced the court, battles,
telling him where you are going or what
you will never adopt a way of life that would embarrass us! Lastly, promise that you will never become unworthy of our
honors, glory and everything
illustrious ancestors."
that you love. You live only
"This I promise you, my
for God and tell no one of
brother. For I do not now nor
your plans, which, at your
creet fervor, you might do
will I ever intend to do any thing dishonorable. I am tell ing you the truth when I say that I am going to Navarrete for some days to visit my un
more than you should."
cle the Duke of Najera, who
age, you have most probably made. And so it is to be feared
that, propelled by an indis
"My dear bother, I hope to
visited me while I was sick and to whom I owe this show of
go no further than I should," Ignatius replied. "Be at ease in this regard." Garcia prolonged the con
gratitude and affection." Knight of Our Lady For
versation somewhat, but, see ing that he could expect to
ever. The next day the two brothers left together on horse
learn nothing more of his brother's plans, he left him,
back followed by their squires and servants. They separated when they arrived in Onate, as had been planned. The fare wells took place that night, for Ignatius was leaving early in
recommending that he reflect
upon his words. Restoration of Innocence.
The following night, while Ignatius was praying, the Most
Š
every precaution, went to the
Holy Virgin appeared to him surrounded by a brilliant light and carrying the Child Jesus in her arms. She did not speak to him, but her celestial pres
church of Our Lady of Aran-
cuza and spent the night there. At daybreak, he mounted his horse and, followed by two servants, went to Navarrete.
ence filled his soul with in
Since he was abandoning
effable consolation, and it
forever the opulent home of
seemed to him that grace had completely purified him, re newing everything within him.
his parents, he had taken nothing but his manuscripts, not even his purse. Upon ar
From that moment on, he was
riving at his uncle's house,
free from all temptations and thoughts contrary to the virtue of purity. The Family's Attempts at
the morning. After all were asleep, our hero, having taken
remembered that he had se\ eral debts and wanted to re Relics and personal Items of Saint igni Jesuits at their college In Rome.
solve them. Since his Uncle
Manrique's household owed him some money, he asked for
it and charged his squire to pay the debts.
family, but this only exposed him to new attempts by his brother to dissuade him from following the voice that called him.
you are going to do? I fear your imagina tion has deceived you. I know you want to live far from the world. But can you not be alone hereâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;amid us yet just as isolated as a hermit? Is not God every
Thus he deemed it urgent to hasten his departure. Two days later he made the necessary preparations and, entering Garcia's rooms, said to him:
time on, he always carried this statue with him, for thenceforth she was to be
it is good to surrender yourself to an im pulse of fervor inspired by the example of the saints, you should also consider
his only Lady.
the honor of your family. Are you going to embrace evangelical poverty and beg alms from the passers-by?" Ignatius did not reply. "If I am wrong" Garcia added,"Why
Excerpted from the book Santo Indcio de Loiola by J.M.S. Daurignac, Livraria
Dissuasion. Our saint had tested his
strength by prolonging his stay with his
"My dear brother, the weather being good, I will take advantage of this to visit
my Uncle Manrique. I will be gone for several days."
"Inigo," Garcia exclaimed,"you are deceiving me!" Vol. IV, NO. 20, 1986
where? You have consulted no one While
do you not speak and reassure me?"
Thinking himself rich with the money that remained, he ordered a statue of the
Most Holy Virgin to be made. From that â&#x2013;
Apostolado da Imprensa, Porto, 1958, pp. 20-30 (Imprimatur: Msgr. Pereira Lopes, vicar-general, Porto, 5/20/58). Subtitles have been added. 13
Stress and Children
According fo researcher Carl Thoresen, professor of education and psychology at Stanford University,
Satanism on the Rise
Parents, educators and police in
Manhole Banned For the latest in feminist absurdi
younger women and even children
El Paso are becoming increasingly ties, a London borough has banned alarmed by the growth of devil wor the use of the word manhole" on ship. The f^ad has been particularly the grounds that it Is a sexist term.
nave joined the ranks of those who
evident in the proliferation of sotanic
suffer from stress.
occult symbols that have appeared in
"Youngsters as young as three or four years of age are developing ul
the city. At least two junior high
spokesman for the Hackney borough
schools in the city of 450,000 have cers and colitis," Mr. Thoresen said. forbidden the wearing of upsideThe recent study of more than 800 down crosses, swastikas, heavy metal
council in east London called the former term "an insult to women."
children from the San Francisco area
rock T-shirts with sotanic art and the
concluded that as many as 25 to 30
use of"666" pentagrams associated
f)ercent of the children tested suffered
rom stress, which has lead to highly
driven, overworked personalities prone to heart disease [Kansas City Star, 5/13/86).
with the black art.
WATCH, which believes that satanism
North American cities in September.
is harmful to teens and is attributable
Hardline communists have often called rock 'n' roll Western and dec
occult. There are an estimated 150
all ages in the El Paso area. Sinking Buiidings in Moscow
sales to the Marxist regime and its Two of Moscow's most important ability to obtain Import-Export Bank landmarks are showing signs of crackloans. The measure comes in light of ing inq and sinking. This disturbing situasitua the "resettlement" policies of Ethio tion has prompted Soviet journalists, pian dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam. architects and historians to call for
itants to southwestern regions of the
country reportedly has been respon sible for tne deaths of hundreas of thousands of famine victims.
Opponents of the designation claim that this step would have serious and adverse ramifications. After all, they say, even the People's Republic of China has now been removed from
an investigation. The structures are the historic
Pashkov House, an eighteenth-century building confiscated by the Bolsheviks during the 1917 revolution, and the cold, austere Lenin Library, built in
the i930s. The damage was deter mined to have been caused by an illconstructed subway line recently completed under the two buildings.
the list of communist nations . . .
Never-Fail Grading Goose Guards
Beginning in September, young Army security forces in West Ger many are now employing the latest development in base security. At
adent. This particular tour, however, is sure to have the blessing of Soviet leaders since the performance will echo the official party line aimed at Western disarmament.
The ioint U.S.-Soviet production
hove a serious effect on commercial
The forced move of northern inhab
The Peace Child Foundation has an
nounced that Soviet rock 'n' roll per formers will begin a tour of 13 major
active covens with 2,000 Satanists of
A House subcommittee is seeking to add Ethiopia to the list of commu nist nations. This designation would
Peace Offensive
The outbreak has prompted the for mation of an anti-occult group called to heavy metal music that glorifies the
China No Longer Communist?
Henceforth sewer workers must call such holes "access chambers." A
students in the Los Angeles Schod District will no longer be able to fail. To save students from what has been
called Peace Child" will feature a
play where children engineer global ploy harmony. Backup music will be pro provided by the Stas Namin rock group.
Like other propaganda ventures, the production will be funded by Moscow, this time through the Sovin Center and the Ministry of Culture. Suicide Backed
Efforts are currently under way in
several states to legalize what is be ing called "assistea suicide"â&#x20AC;&#x201D;where
by a "friend" helps another to com mit the fatal act. Surprisingly, this crime is finding support among some Protestant theologians and moralists. "What we've inherited is this medi eval attitude that suicide is a
and a crime," claims Dr. James
demons,a professor at Wesley Theo
three sites, q^eese already hold posts called the F-psychosis, the F grade logical Seminary in Washington. He as guards. Their inborn credentials: they send out loud alerts when their sensitive hearing is irritated by un familiar sounds.
The U.S. Army's 32nd Air Defense Command has tested 18 goose guards and plans to extend its force
has been abolished from the report
is calling for a "more enlightened
cord of students in kindergarten and
and humane attitude" toward sui
the first and second grades. This measure, approved by the
cide, which would recognize an in
school board, was taken because
after careful consideration.
bad grades "have a very psycholog
Derek Humphrey, director of the pro-euthanasia Hemlock Society, is calling for the rethinking of traditional
ical impact on very young children,"
explained School Superintendent The natural early warning system Harry Handler. of the goose that responds when Replacing the terrifying F will be something strange appears and ac an innocuous N, which will stand for tivates a loud built-in honking ap "Needs Improvement." By shielding paratus, alerting human patrols who youngsters from the reality of failure, can then follow up with an investiga the district itself may well merit a big tion (Tfie Sacramento Bee, 5/14/86). N for the new system. to 900 units on 30 installations.
dividual's "right" to take his own life
attitudes toward suicide, a term he
prefers to call "self-deliverance." Mr. Humphrey, who assisted his terminally ill wife with her suicide in Britain 10
years ago,frequently lectures to Sun
day congregations on the subject (T/ie Bakersfield Californian, 4/26/86).
RELIGIOK
The dawn of the Industrial Revolu tion brought with it the strange idea that religion and science were two irrec oncilable poles and that the twain would
create a very credible creationist school inside American scientific circles.
Religion
never meet.
To avant-garde modernists, religion
represented the antiquated past, which, despite illuminated manuscripts and ra
and
diant stained glass windows, was always characterized as "dark." In a most un
scientific manner, many scientists simply dismissed the existence of God, His role in the universe and His Church as irrele
vant. On the other side, various religious factions rallied defensively by refusing to deal with science altogether, fearing en croachment on its terrain. Both extremes seem to have been run
Science
Looking for Answers. For the most part, these specific research projects have been carried out on the periphery of the religion vs. science debate. But now a head-on confrontation looms at a time in human history when man has an unprece
dented wealth of knowledge at his dispos
al. Scientists, whose perception of man's limited knowledge and finite existence is increasing, are fascinated by such con
cepts and have begun to ask questions. Bridges in the Past. In recent decades,
Several secular institutes in the United
some strides have already been taken in this attempt to bridge the contrived abyss between religion and science.
States have already braved the storm and have embarked upon the study of reli
gious questions that have long been
ning a frantic race wherein each horse
For example, research on the Shroud
denied or simply ignored. The American
has worn blinders to prevent it from
of Turin and other projects have fasci
Philosophers Association, for example,
acknowledging the existence of the other.
nated scientists of various fields and
has even added a wing focusing on reli
Yet after centuries of controversy, the
specialties. Using ultra-sophisticated techniques, they have brought forth compelling evidence that the revered burial cloth is not a painting and could
gion questions. At prestigious Princeton University,
subject has not died. Despite Marx's declaration that religion was the "opium of the people"; Freud's dismissal of it that God was dead, religion has not faded
well date from the time of the death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
away, and science, or at least a brand of atheistic pseudo-science, has not tri umphed. In fact, it might be said that
age of Our Lady of Guadalupe have at tested to the extraordinary nature of the
as an "illusion" and Nietzche's assertion
Analyses by modern science of the im
the Center for Theological Inquiry has
recently been established to study the re lationship between faith and reason, and between religion and modern science. The Center's director, James I. McCord, claims that theological advancement and scientific advancement can and should
definitively dead. Today, religion is more
have helped authenticate the many mirac
march together. Faith and reason are not only compatible but complementary, he boldly maintains.
relevant and alive than ever before.
ulous cures that have been announced at Marian shrines such as that at Lourdes.
specialists in various fields, and the staff
Marxism has become an opium, Freudianism an illusion and that Nietzche is
revered native Indian cloak. International medical commissions
The Center has enlisted the help of
For example, physicians have docu
includes 12 resident scholars. Dr. McCord
science triumphed? Certainly not from
mented the case of Serge Perrin of
says that scientists today are more open
a lack of promotion. Even today, the
Angers, France, who regained his sight
to theological dialogue than at any time
secular scientific establishment has obsti
at Lourdes in 1970â&#x20AC;&#x201D;even though he con tinues to lack an optical nerve.
he can remember.
"Incurably Religious." Why hasn't
nately maintained its laicist stance at the
major universities and research facilities. But with the fall of such scientific
champions as Charles Darwin, Sigmund
Closely scrutinizing the fallacious the ory of evolution, scientists have raised enough questions around the issue to
Both theology and science "have been freed of the old dualism," he claims. "The old animus between them, the old
fears of censorship have tended to dis
Freud, Margaret Mead and others, a
solve. . . . Science itself is now using a
growing tendency is infiltrating some
language that is theological in tone."
scientific circles to take a more serious
Voice of Grace. These limited yet im
look at the nature and interrelationships
portant studies in religion and science may well mark an important step to\ breaking the age-old myth of their u.
of God, man, religion and culture. For example, in his study "The Vari eties of Religious Experience," late psy chologist William James concluded that
compatibility. The widespread belief that
"man is incurably religious." He found
progress would catapult men beyond
that even in men where religion was
religion has essentially backfired as the
unplanted in the soul, religious tenden
incurably religious man refuses to die.
cies inevitably show up.
And today it is becoming increasingly difficult to deny the manifestations of a
This theory might be confirmed by a fact that has baffled Soviet officials:
God who created the whole universe.
Despite a generation of scientific athe istic education and outright religious
Amid the hue and cry of mere human accomplishments, the irresistible voice of
persecution, more and more Soviet cit
grace resounds in the silence of the hearts
izens, young and old, are turning to
of men calling them to God. And scien tists, accustomed to concrete empirical
religion. Likewise, in the humanistic and hedo
data, are baffled by these intangible
nistic atmosphere of many super-industri
mysteries. An explanation may well be found in the famous Confessions of Saint Augustine who wrote:"We are made for
alized Western countries, American edu
cators are finding that university students are thirsting not for more technology and science, but for more knowledge of religion, God and the infinite. VOL IV, No. 20, 1986
Bishop Nlcolaus Stonsen (1636'1666), anatomist and Fathor of Qooiogy.
Thee, and our hearts are restless until we rest in Thee."
â&#x2013;
The Chapel 'Dominus Flevit' rHE Gospel tells that on the Sunday preceding the Passion, Our Lord, comingfrom Bethlehem, was
erected a single chapel called "Dominus flevit"(The Lord wept). Its altar has a unique characteristic. Instead
descending the Mount of Olives mounted on a donkey.
of the traditional retable, which usuallyforms a struc
As he drew near Jerusalem, he was enthusiastically ac
ture that stands behind the altar, there is an ornamental
claimed by the multitude. At a certain point in the journey, however, contemplating the city below Him, He began to weep and exclaimed:
window through which the celebrant and thefaithful can observe the city ofJerusalemfrom the same perspective that Our Lord contemplated it when He shed His divine
"If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace; but now they are hid den from thy eyes. "For the days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side.
tears.
Although the city below has suffered some chuniies through the centuries, the present panorama and to pography constitute a setting that returns one to the epoch of the Redeemer. From that site, one can descry in thefar distance the
"And beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children remnants of what vfcr5 called the Golden Door, which who are in thee: and they shall not leave in thee a stone opened to the frontal patio of the Temple. Almost 40 upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of years after that lamentation of Our Lord, the Temple was totally destroyed, and, much later, the Golden Door thy visitation"(Luke 19:42-44). was enclosed with stone and mortar by the Moslem invaders.
afford all the priests who visit the Holy Land the
t: ^ special grace ofcelebrating Holy Mass on the very
spot where this episode occurred, Christian piety has 16
Praying in this most evocative chapel, truly Catholic souls surely reflect upon the sins that are committed in so many modern cities under circumstances that are often reminiscent of the hardened Jerusalem. â&#x2013; TFP Newsletter
Castro's
Changing Image
.rrvt>.''
-.l'' P-W ' 1
\In Managua, Nicaragua, an aging Castro smiles for w^ld. Recent ploys by the Cuban dictator-for-life to spread the illusion that he has shed nrany of his aggressive ways. The **new" Castro
e;ptt*Beeks dialogue with the Church he so
ruthlessly persecuted. Has Castro really changed? {See ^'Convergence and the Counterfeit Castro,''pages 11 and 12)
HE Amerk AN Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family anO Property
LETTDK FKOM THE E»lTOIt
It is becoming more and more evident that the social fabric of America is changing. Traditional stereotypes of the family
and society no longer apply, and new "lifestyles" are meeting growing acceptance. These alternatives, devoid of morality and structure, can appear to be innocuous, but their true meaning seriously threatens the West.
These changes are not only taking place in the economic
sphere. Above all, they are transformations of individual atti tudes, relationships and beliefs. It is a fusion of many worlds: East and West, pagan and tribal, Aztec and Indian. Its men
tors call for the emergence of a classless, self-managing tribal society that will transcend ideologies to live peacefully in a socalled New Age. In this issue of the TFP Newsletter, we have turned our at
tention to the New Age movement. Our Inside America fea ture article (see pages 6-8)looks behind the superficial New Age rainbow and reports on the occult and esoteric doctrines now making serious inroads in American society, industry and
Follow-up ... — Vietnamese
Apocalypse Xow — The release of the movie Platoon and similar films
has revealed both a strange fascination for the Viet nam era and a biting recrimination of U.S. policy during the programmed no-win war. To most Ameri cans, it was a war by default, lost more on the tele vision screen than on the battlefield.
From the time that American soldiers were actively engaged in combat on Vietnamese soil until now, years after their withdrawal, Hollywood has focused its cameras on breaking the myth of the American
military. Strangely absent from these movies is the
culture.
tragic aftermath of the American defeat.
A similar phenomenon is taking place in the realm of inter national relations. The old modus operandi of Cold War
the world indifferently witnessed the fall of yet
diplomacy is being discarded, and a new people-to-people ap proach is being adopted. Our article "In Search of Peace . .."
(see pages 9-10) warns that such subtle "diplomacy" only serves
When Soviet-built tanks rolled into Saigon in 1975, one more nation into communist hands. Liberals
shrugged off the unfortunate collapse as a final end
Soviet objectives. In the international section (see pages 11-12), we present an
to decades of war and reasoned that, without the war
analysis of the "new" reborn Castro as he embarks on a cam
develop their country.
paign to convince the West that he has changed—and is even "inspired by God."
Nearly 12 years after the fact, no one seems to par ticularly notice the sad state of affairs in Communist Vietnam. The "paradise" promised by terrorist-
In our Commentary section, we are featuring an interview
ery that prompts thousands of residents to abandon
to worry about, Vietnamese leaders would be free to
dictator Ho Chi Minh is, today, a state of hellish mis with Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira on the land reform ques
their homeland every month, risking the perils of the
tion in Brazil. Originally published in the Italian magazine
sea aboard small ships and crafts. Inside the country itself, even Vietnamese sources
Cristianita, the article examines the ill-conceived land reform schemes so common in Latin America from a perspective that will certainly interest our readers (see pages 3-4).
are admitting that things are deteriorating. Accord ing to the official Vietnam News Agency, malnutri tion is rampant, especially among children. Dr. Tu Giay, director of the Institute of Nutrition in Hanoi,
In addition, for our religion section, TFP correspondent Juan Miguel Montes visits the Italian city of Loreto, where the house
claims that more than half of the children do not
of the Holy Family was miraculously transported (see page 16).
According to reports submitted to two conferences of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF),
News Digest, a new feature, analyzes important issues and trends (see page 5). «
*
«
Our hopes for the future lie in the Immaculate Heart of Mary who promised at Fatima that "Finally, my Immaculate Heart will triumph!" With this in mind, we are pleased to feature the story "Along the Road of Fatima: an Encounter with
Francisco"(see pages 14-15). In it, you will read how a young boy of our own twentieth century practiced Catholic heroism.
grow up normally because of malnutrition.
the Vietnamese population as a whole suffers from a less than adequate diet. One report, citing a study of four villages, showed that 90 percent ol the children in these towns were suffering from serious malnutrition, with long-term physical and mental
damage likely to afflict six percent. Infant mortality is also purported to be extremely high. Even though it maintains one of the largest stand ing armies, Vietnam is among the world's poorest
John Horvat II
nations. Some of the bitter fruits of Vietnam's fall
Editor
are now being seen, yet no one seems to notice— or even care.
TFP NEWSLETTER is a monthly publication of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). John Horvat II, Editor. Subscription complimentary in the United States (third class bulk) and
Canada. Rates for foreign subscriptions and list of other TFP publications available upon request. Direct all subscription requests ana inquiries to: The American TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pleosantville, N.Y. 10570. Permission is granted to reproduce in whole or in part any article of this newsletter with the credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER,
■
COMMEXTARY
Brazil: the Land Reform Question nal, discussion. And, no doubt exists that one has a right to manifest a respectful
In light of the American TFP's recent publication, Is Brazil Sliding Toward the
yShH
Extreme Left?, we are pleased to present HHBi
de Oliveira on the land reform issue. ^HH| This interview was carried out by editor
Q. From a technical point of view, then, what are your principal criticisms
"
Massimo Introvigne of the highly re-
spectedItalian magazine Cnsiiznxik. He
disagreement with the ecclesiastical authorities in that technical realm.
an interview with Prof. Plinio Correa
^
of this land reform?
j'.
A. First, it is based on a "black leg-
.J
posed many questions that we feel will
end," which grossly exaggerates the incidence of poverty and misery in Brazil,
also be of interest to American readers.
and calls for drastic interventions with-
Q. How long has land reform been dis-
^
out considering that, as a whole, Brazilian agriculture functions adequately,
cussed in Brazil?
A. Since the sixties, and, more specifically, since Joao Goulart's populist and labor government, whose program actu-
achieving annual increases in production
A ■
that surpass growth in population. Likewise, the real salaries of the farm workers have been constantly increasing. Second,
ally included urban reform—in the form of rent freezes—and land reform, sup-
ported by an active minority of the episcopate led by Bishop Helder Camara. In
such a land reform is unsuitable for a
Prof. Piinio Corriaa de oiiveira Oliveira
1961, the TFP published Land Reform: A Matter ofCon science, which was the largest selling statistical work in Brazil that year. By exposing the socialist character of the land reform program, this book certainly contributed to the fall of President Goulart in 1964. After the fall of Joao
Goulart, the military governments nonetheless continued along the same course: The land reform law was again suddenly promulgated in 1964, during the presidency of Castelo Branco, and applied very slowly, I would even say with an eyedropper, until 1985. But, of course, 20
years of drops can flood a whole locality. After the fall of the military government, the agro-reformist program was
taken up with increased vigor by the incumbent president, Sarney. He has not promulgated a new law, but only a regulation providing a more rapid and radical application of the 1964 law. The land reform law presently being ap plied is, therefore, a law dating from the time of the mili tary regime. Q. The National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB)officially supports the present land reform, which is vigorously contested by the TFP. What exactly is the na
ture of your disagreement with the CNBB in this matter? A. At the heart of the matter is a doctrinal problem,
huge country like Brazil. The government could resolve the existing problems just by distributing a portion of the lands of the nation's largest latifundidrio, the state, which owns more than 50 percent of the arable land and fails to exploit it adequately. Third, the land reform program doefe not really aim to spread private property, but to reduce and mutilate it in favor of the advance of statism. In fact, the tracts taken from pri vate owners will not be assigned as property, but only as assentamentos for the use of the cultivators for five years. Ownership will remain in the hands of the state, which will also decide what crops are suitable; the farmers will have
only a right to the profits from the sale of their products. After five years, the government may grant ownership of the plot, but only on the condition that the farmer agrees not to extend his property beyond that small plot. He will not be allowed the prospect of increasing his crops or prop erty, which is contrary to the whole course of the progress of Brazilian agriculture. Q. Some political movements would be favorable to a land reform limited to the expropriation of "unproductive" and "undeveloped" lands. What do you think of this?
A. We are against it. The crux of the problem is that the expression "unproductive lands" in the reform law has
taken on a specific technical significance that must be kept
since, in Brazil, there is no lack of ecclesiastics who are op posed to every social inequality and who believe that jus
in mind. That is, lands that are not being put to a "so cially advantageous" use are termed "unproductive." Tli
tice demands an absolutely egalitarian and, therefore,
ambiguous expression permits land to be classified as "un productive" if crops other than those indicated by the state are cultivated. Thus, the proprietor faces a dilemma: Ei
socialist society. On the other hand, the TFP,in accordance with all the social doctrine of the Church, maintains that inequalities, as long as they are harmonious and propor tional, serve to enrich society, and that socialism is not, in
ther he loses his right to plant what he thinks best on his land, or he loses the land itself. The lands that are not yet
fact, an ideal. Nevertheless, the actual problem at the mo ment is not a doctrinal, but rather a technical one. The
to make investments to render them suitable for cultiva
CNBB position stems from a certain interpretation of the economic and agricultural situation of Brazil. If this situa tion actually existed as the documents of the CNBB describe
it, the doctrine of the social function of private property would justify such a land reform. The point is that the fac
tual data, the factual situation and the technical problems are not, as we see it—nor as the best Brazilian specialists see it—correctly described by the experts of the CNBB. This, then, is not a doctrinal problem: It is a problem of data and technical analyses. In its documents, the CNBB has descended to the realm of factual, rather than doctri-
productive, but in which the proprietor has already begun tion and not merely potentially arable, are also classified as "unproductive."[We remind our readers that the rich
soils and tropical climate of Brazil produce teeming forests and brush requiring an expensive clearing process to pre pare them for tillage.—Trans.] Finally, the notion of "un productive" land penalizes the poorer landowner who has just bought a farm but is able to cultivate only a pan of
it; with the fruits of his first harvests he will gradually extend the cultivated area, aiming to bring the whole farm under the plow. With the land reform—even in its "mod
erate" version—this farmer is hurt, since the presently
uncultivated part of his farm is termed "unproductive" and, therefore, is subject to expropriation. Q. In Europe it is sometimes said that only land reform can solve the dramatic problem of the misery in the fave-
las, the shantytowns that have grown up around the Bra zilian megalopolises. A. This is not the case. In fact, the problem of thefavelas and land reform cannot be related. Leaving aside the fact that reports on living conditions in thefavelas are gross
ian judicial and legal experts continue to maintain, no mat ter what certain ecclesiastics may think—are crimes punish able according to the law. They are also an interesting
phenomenon because they show, despite the efforts of those who organize them, the artificial character of much of the
agitation in the countryside. Those who invade private lands, as well as those who squat there and forcibly resist the ef
the great cities and of industrial employment, which they
forts of the owners to make use of their lands, always come from far away—from exactly where, no one really knows. They are also called "professional invaders!' Every day I read clippings from the newspapers that come to me from all over the country about this problem. I have not yet found a single case where the presumed oppressed,
prefer to agricultural labor. Favelization is the Brazilian
the salaried workers of the farm, have supported these in
ly exaggerated and that the actual situation of life there is not well-known to most people, the majority of those liv ing in favelas are actually attracted there by the myth of
word for urbanization, a worldwide phenomenon. The ex
vaders or have shown themselves favorable to them. On the
perience of the whole world shows that those mesmerized
contrary, one often reads that these authentic workers are
by the great cities will not return to the countryside. Nor will the prospect of cultivating a plot of state-owned land
in favor of the proprietors. This is a fact that those who proclaim the "exploitation" of the agricultural laborers
for five years with the vague hope of one day becoming a proprietor convince them to do so. Q. What are the positive proposals of the TFP for the agrarian problem? A. We have not called our proposal a "land reform" be
should consider more attentively.
cause this expression has undergone such a semantic evo lution in Brazil that it has become synonymous with socialist
I want to add a final consideration for Italian readers:
I know that in Italy this land reform is being followed sym pathetically. One should not forget, however, that many of the farms that are being expropriated, divided, invaded and destroyed belong to Brazilians of Italian origin and are a
singular testimony to Italian industry and resourcefulness.
and confiscatory reform. The agrarian policy we propose
Disembarking from the ships that brought these immigrants
is based on the distribution of state lands to those who are
as poor as Job, many Italians have worked and saved in or der to be able to acquire, enlarge and render extremely productive the richest farms in the country. I am astonished
seriously willing to cultivate them. As a subordinate pro posal for the moment—to redress a lesser evil that does not replace the main objective—we suggest that landowners
who have suffered expropriation be indemnified with state lands. The landowners could then cultivate these lands, and agriculture would progress. Q. It is said in Europe that the distribution of state-owned lands would cause the demise of the indigenous Indians who live and roam these lands.
A. This is a ridiculous argument that only reveals a
deplorable ignorance. The problem of the Indians exists and deserves to be thoroughly explored, but they inhabit only a tiny part of the lands owned by the Brazilian stale. If we were to take a map and mark all the lands where there is still a residual or minimal presence of Indians, a sufficient
that these sons and grandsons of Italians who maintain close contact by correspondence with their relatives in Italy and also visit them, have not succeeded in spreading the idea that Brazilian agricultural life has provided and maintained the possibility of offering a wide-open gate for the socioeco nomic improvement of rural workers, not only those of Brazilian birth, but also Italians, Germans, Chinese and Japanese, who, through their labors, transformed themselves into proprietors, and frequently even large proprietors. I am also astonished that in Italy it is not realized that it is thus
the fruit of the sacrifice of generations of Italians that to day would be sacrificed to a statist and socialist ideologi cal prejudice.
■
amount of arable state lands would still remain to cover all
the demands called for by the agro-reformists. Q. Finally, I would like to know your opinion about the so-called invasions of private lands. They are often consid
ered as agro-rcform-relatcd phenomena and have been frequently supported, when not organized, by the Basic Christian Communities and
by ecclesiastical sectors in spired by the more radical ver
sion of "liberation theology," which has a Marxist character.
A. We are opposed to such land reforms. We are opposed to the invasions. But we are
even more opposed to the con fusion caused by the two phe nomena. Land reform is a
government act that we op pose on the political plane be cause it calls for the modi
fication of existing norms.
A cattle show in Brazil: pa rt of a healthy agricultural system threatened by socialist and
The invasions—as the Brazil
confiscatory land reform.
TFP NEWSLETTER
NEWS
DIGEST In Latin America, many of these Basic Christian Com
Evolution in Trouble
munities have acted as vehicles for Marxist social revolu
tion. The proposed formation of an American version of Not since the publication of The Origin of the Species have the unproven theories of Charles Darwin been under
these controversial communities among the large Hispanic population can only be viewed as a cause for concern.
such hot fire. Modern scientists are unearthing evidence
that questions the intellectual underpiimings of this un proven theory. Meanwhile, its supporters have been searching in vain for the missing chain between man and monkey. But all to no avail. It was the evolutionary theory that helped usher in the era of science and was supposed to represent a final tri
umph of science over religion. Ironically, modern science is unearthing evidence in quantity that calls into question the pseudo-scientific theory.
Nearly 100 years after Darwin, scientists from all fields are voicing objections to his once almost-sacred theory
A World at War The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. It appears, however, that
many nations failed to observe this noble directive. In fact, in the period labeled "postwar," a precarious, at best, "peace" has been observed. The Associated Press periodically releases a survey of nations at war. They recently concluded that in 1986 at least 43 nations were at warâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;five more than those listed
of evolution. Zoologists claim that not a single case of
in their last 1983 survey. Moreover, the actual number of
a transitional life form has ever been recorded or found
conflicts (during an era many Americans regard as a time of peace) may total more than 100, since several coun tries are fighting one or more wars inside their borders. The Washington-based Center for Defense Information estimates that up to five million people have been killed in these ongoing wars. The bloodiest contemporary con flict is listed as the 16 years of war and genocide carried out by the radically communist Cambodian regime and its consequent invasion of Vietnam. Equally tragic is the Soviet Union's genocidal policy in Afghanistan, which has
in the fossil record. Even ardent evolutionists admit that
the fossil record offers no support for the theory of grad ual transition from amoeba to man taught in many science textbooks. Geneticists find that chance mutations cannot
be considered evolutionary building blocks. Mathemati cians declaim the theory's probability as next to impossi ble with odds that jam modern day computers. At the same time, the close scrutiny of science is show
ing renowed specimens, from the Java to the Neander thal man,to be either fakes or relatively recent ancestors of modern day man. Scientists at the University of Califor nia in Berkeley have even concluded that all mankind can be traced to a single female ancestor.
Despite such evidence, evolutionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;an essential compo
claimed at least 300,000 lives.
In this era of deceptive peace, Soviet aggression con tinues unabated. Oppressive leftist governments, Marxist terrorist-guerrillas and Soviet-sponsored pseudo-national movements can be traced as sources of conflict through
nent in the communist view of manâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;continues to be
out the world. Among these are the wars and terrorism
taught as dogma in schools. If Darwin's Theory of Evo
in El Salvador, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, the Philippines,
lution were to have undergone the same process of natu
Cambodia, Laos, Ethiopia, Southwest Africa, Mozam bique, Thailand, Malaysia, Angola and Burma.
ral selection that the prehistoric apes allegedly underwent, it would long ago have been extinct.
American Basic Christian Communities?
It comes as an ironic twist of affairs that so much
ground has been sacrificed by the West to appease the Soviets and to maintain this false "peace." For, in reali ty, the world has never left its state of war.
Chinese Church of Silence
The alleged inroads of fundamentalist groups among
Hispanic Catholics is prompting plans for the formation
With great fanfare, the Chinese official news agency
of "small ecclesiastical communities."
Xinhua announced that the bells of Peking's three Cath
The National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry, an item on the U.S. Bishops' 1987 agenda, calls for a re structuring of the Hispanic apostolate. The plan claims
olic cathedrals would be ringing for the first time in more than 28 years. The event is triumphantly brandished
that the great majority of Hispanics feel "distant" or "marginalized." Action is deemed necessary to give Hispanics a greater sense of belonging.
While the orientation of the plan may appear to be pas toral in nature, it is steeped in language all too familiar
to those acquainted with "liberation theology." Hispanic Catholics, for example, are called upon to stress the "dimensions of faith and justice for the transformation
of society." They are urged to make a "preferential mis sionary option" for the poor and marginalized.
a sign that the Chinese government has ceased its perse cution of religion. What is not mentioned, however, is that this new free
dom is being extended to the Peking Patriotic Catholic Society, a puppet church set up by the Chinese communist government to replace an incompatible Catholic Church. Meanwhile, Chinese policy has changed little with re gard to faithful Catholics. News has reached the West that
in the province of Hebei, a clandestine Catholic seminary was forcibly closed last May. Amnesty International
Moreover, the chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on
reports that security forces arrested 40 Catholics, includ ing five elderly priests and nuns and a large number of
Hispanic Affairs is Archbishop Robert Sanchez of Santa
seminarians. Some were beaten as they sang hymns and
Fe, New Mexico. In 1976, Archbishop Sanchez was ex
prayed. Two of the nuns were allegedly assaulted. A Tennessee-based organization called Free the Fathers
pelled from Riobamba by the Ecuadorian government for his involvement in subversive meetings likewise aimed at
estimates that as many as 100 elderly priests, many in their
transforming society.
seventies and eighties, are still imprisoned in China.
VOL. IV, NO. 21, 1987
1\S1DE AMERICA
A New Age or a Brave New World? Perhaps one of the most devas tating results of our materialistic and industrialized society has been the disappearance of ideals. In a world where only matter and money hold sway and the fast pace of life leaves one little time to think, abstract ideas, religion and
threaten to change the very structure and fabric of American society. The Erosion of America. Since our
nation's founding, the traditional bed
now than ever before. More children are
being born to unmarried mothers, and more childhood years are being spent in fatherless families. Couples marry later and are quicker to divorce.
rock American values have rested largely
This Christian foundation has been
upon the family and the creative spirit
seriously eroded not only in public policy
metaphysics have been relegated to a
of free enterprise and private property.
but also in social trends and practice.
secondary plane. This is especially noticeable inside America where the headlong rush toward a prodigious material progress brought with it a lamentable disregard, if not contempt, for religious and spiritual matters. As if man were not a being
These formed a foundation of morality and a religiosity under a broad yet relativislic concept of Christianity. From its beginning, however, America has lacked
The mere mention of Our Lord Jesus
composed of both body and soul, the consumer society suffocates men under a cornucopia of goods that show little
concern for the more important spirit ual needs.
Far too much emphasis is given to production over reflection, quantity over
quality, efficiency over sanctity, and the artificial over the organic. Functional considerations override all those of beau
ty and proportion. In a word, a material paradise has been organized whereby God, His Church and supernatural values are tolerated but deemed unnecessary for success in life.
Or, at least, so it was thought. What
a real foundation since it was not based
on true Catholic principles, but rather upon those of a mishmash of religious groups encompassing an immense variety of beliefs and practices. With these minimal yet far from ideal conditions, the traditional American family came to be as a pillar safeguard
ing basic values and principles. While an almost idyllic vision of the American family inside this Christian heritage remains alive, the very survival
of this pillar is, in fact, in question. De spite claims that the traditional family is returning, fewer and fewer families conform to traditional patterns. In fact, as many as 70 percent of today's fami lies already depart from the norm. According to Peter Morrison, the direc
has surfaced and is becoming increas
tor of Rand Corporation's Population
ingly evident is a spiritual void of im mense proportions. At the same time,
a congressional committee, American
ominous "solutions" to this problem
families are more diverse and less stable
Research Center who testified before
Christ or the Blessed Virgin Mary in the classroom or any public place can gener ate court cases and controversy. In short, America is being de-Christianized. Spiritual Wandering. And what has come to take its place?
Devoid of a Christian ideal, the pam pered children of the sixties rebelled.
They tried to fill the spiritual void with an exaggerated and anarchical rejection
of materialism. The succeeding genera tion has been wandering randomly in a spiritual wasteland ever since. Perhaps no American generation has
experienced such an aimless search for truth with so little result. More and more
people are looking for the answer to
the age-old question of Saint Ignatius: "Quo vadam, et ad quid?"(Where am I going, and for what?).
In fact, "religion" is enjoying a come back, according to pollsters. University students are flooding the religion courses even in secular institutes. Aging baby boomers are reportedly looking for more
i:
m Earth Day rally in Washington of the 1970s. Today's New Agers carry the ecology and peace banners inside the establishment. TFP Newsletter
f VSIf>f: AMERICA
to try out anything new as a replacement. It is hardly surprising that the New Age /
/
ih -
modes conform to the permissive and amoral "alternative" lifestyles intro duced over the past decades. "The New Age movement is essentially the maturing of the hippie movement
Man Is God. As modern man tires of
his material paradise, this so-called mys tical heritage has surfaced as a frighten ing array of new metaphysical religions, whose practices admittedly include the use of mediums and the occult, reincar
a professor of religious studies at the
nation, Eastern mysticism, psychic heal ing, and Satanism. In a more veiled manner, this spirit is being diffused in
University of Denver.
an expanding field of psychological self-
of the 1960s," claims Carl A. Raschke,
American Heritage. Adherants to the movement claim that they are completely consistent with the American revolution
ary tradition and that it is the vaguely
help and "human potential" groups that employ similar methods. While differing in particulars, the
strange doctrine of New Age groups re jects the One True God and the mystery
Christian and essentially capitalist system that is at error. They trace their native
of the Incarnation. Instead, New Age ad
cultural heritage, not without reason, to the Deists among the founding fathers
religions and the ancient Gnostics that claim all things, including God and man,
and the transcendentalist movement of
are equal parts of one immense whole.
the last century. In her book. Out on a Limb, New Age
Moreover, they deny the Redemptive mission of Our Lord Jesus Christ by
herents follow the errors of many Eastern
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803'1882) men
promoter-actress Shirley MacLaine writes:
claiming that man himself is a deity who
tor of the transcendentallst movement.
"I went back and read more about the
can "create his own reality." This view
American transcendentalist movement.
is one of the basic tenets for the human
Stable forms of worship. Major religious
Some of the people involved in that
potential training programs that claim a
publishing houses report annual com
movement were Ralph Waldo Emerson,
person can program his own destiny by
mercial sales estimated at more than
Henry Thoreau, Bronson Alcott . . .
tapping subconscious energies through
$500 million and 130 million volumesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;
and dozens of others. They had been re
meditation and autosuggestion.
one-third of the American book market.
bels against over-intellectualism and the
What has become a cause for great concern, however, is the nature of these
linear custom of believing only what one could see or prove. They found this both
A concept often promoted by human potential groups is that man, being a deity equal to God, can do no wrong;
"religions" that are being offered and are making such rapid inroads inside
limiting and ultimately wasteful since
America. Since the sixties, a veritable
could never be developed."
supermarket variety of pseudo-religious
within these bound man's full potential "In fact," she continues, "even the
thus there is no sin, no reason for guilt in life, and, thus, no morality. Most of these groups believe that man kind will soon take "a great evolution
ary leap of consciousness" and become transformed. This will allow the emer
. . . a classless, self-managing tribal society with a moral vision transcending ideologies that will permit a practical brotherhood of mankind to live in peace without God or the Catholic Church.
gence of a classless, self-managing tribal society with a moral vision transcending ideologies that will permit a practical brotherhood of mankind to live in peace, without God or the Catholic Church.
sects, occult groups and Eastern mystic
American revolution itself was conceived
THH N.ATIONAL BtS TSELLER 15 WEEKS ON l HE NEW YORK TIMES
cults have emerged with their bizarre and alarming doctrines preaching the mes sage of a coming "new age."
and initiated by men whose belief in the spiritual world was an integrated part of
BESISEI-I.ERI.1ST
their lives. As I reread some of that peri
od of American history 1 realized how
Rejection of Christianity. What began
much we had forgotten, how metaphysi
as an extravagant germination of dis enchanted fringe groups has suddenly mushroomed. The so-called New Age
cally bold those revolutionaries had been. "All pointed out that inner reform must precede social reform. Continually
movement embraces a wide network of
they emphasized the need for personal transformation, but as the American
organizations challenging mainstream America in everything from religion to farming techniques.
Amid today's scanty moments of lei sure, its neurotic tumult of disappoint ments, worries, wild ambitions and wea riness, the New Agers have mistakenly laid the blame for this sad state of affairs
on a de-Christianized West. To them,
Revolution, the transcendentalists found themselves increasingly isolated and misunderstood." According to Miss MacLaine, the transcendentalists came to be known as occultists and had to
operate within their own circles. "By the end of the nineteenth century,
the worst fears of the founding fathers
Observers, in fact, claim that the trend
the path of materialismâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;our spiritual heritage overwhelmed by industrializa
represents a loss of confidence in tradi ways of doing things, and a willingness Vol. IV, No. 21, 1987
Us ilir jinhoi nl "IMiN-l l Ai.r.ul E I III..MOI-NTAIN"
Revolution moved into the Industrial
Christianity, which they never knew, has failed to transform secular society.
tional Western ideas and conventional
Shirley MacLaine OutonaLim'
had been realized. We were now fully on
tion, history books barely mentioning our mystical beginnings."
Ouf on a L/mbâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;popularizing the New Age message.
l\SlDi: AMERICA
In her book, The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow, New Age critic Constance
reincarnation and similar mystical phe nomena. The actress plans to set up week
Cumbey draws some chilling parallels be
end seminars in
tween the underlying tenets of New Age
around the country, "to share what I've learned with all those people who have such
thought and the occult philosophical foun dations of Nazism. These similarities, which
are not always made known to the public,
ballrooms and
hotels
a hunger for the truth" {Corpus Christi Times, 12/11/86).
include methods, symbology and the belief
in the evolution of a new superior species.
Toward a New Darker Age. From the seemingly innocuous rainbow, symbol of
Changing America. Until recently, few grasped the full extent and implications of
this looseknit movement's growing influ
ence. New Agers quietly developed their own subculture with their own magazines, bookstores, colleges and music. However,the promoters themselves make no secret of their intentions. In her book. The Aquarian Conspiracy, New Age pro moter-author Marilyn Ferguson states: "A
the New Age movement, to various popu lar songs, the dangerous encounter with the occult is gradually working its way into the fabric of American society. * At Stanford University's prestigious Graduate School of Business, among the topics included for a seminar on Creativity
leaderless but powerful network is working
in Business one may find meditation, chant ing and the use of tarot cards. â&#x2013; " A "World Healing Meditation Clinic" has been sponsored by the Planetary Com
to bring about radical change in the United
mission. The event was billed as a "plane
States."
tary pentecost" where participants recited a "World Healing Prayer." Some of these
"I use the word 'conspiracy' in the un
conventional way. I'm describing the in dividuals, networks, groups of people all over the country and in fact all over the
New Age disciples declare themselves to be the "Christ of God" with powers to heal, raise people from the dead, and transform
planet, who are working to bring about so cial change; in this case change based on a
al was held nationwide in rented arenas that
shift of personal values . . ."
included McKnichols Arena in Denver, the
Marilyn Ferguson views these changes as "a deep shift in world view; that increas
ing numbers of people were experiencing different realities, different values, differ ent meanings and that it was out of that that
their physical bodies. The December 31 ritu
Astrodome in Houston, Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio,
Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Long Beach Convention Center in San Diego, and others.
all these changes were emerging. They all had to do with the need for community with
* A mail order company in Nevada offers an ancient symbol of Supernatural Power
the decentralization of power, the autono my of the individual, that idea that we can change the future, that we can make a new beginning."
and Good. This 24-karat gold magic amulet
This can be seen in the New Age Media
offers good health, wealth, security, and an end of bad luck to the buyer. Also on the market is an array of New Age literature,
T-shirts, jewelry and magic crystal balls.
International New Consciousness Directory,
* Hundreds are paying $400 to attend the
which lists approximately 10,000 New Age organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada; this listing includes pacifist groups, environmentalists, humanist groups and
conferences of a woman in Yelm, Washing ton who claims she is the channel through
Eastern religious sects.
Creme, claims to receive telepathic messages
Even more alarming is the apparent pa tronage of major corporate concerns. The
which a 35,000-year-old man speaks words
of wisdom. Another man, one Benjamin from a mysterious "Lord" Maitreya, a New
New York Times reports that some of the
Age messianic figure. Magic, fortunetelling, mass rituals, ora
nation's largest corporations, including
cles . . . Who would have thought twen
IBM, AT & T and General Motors, are ex ploring the use of metaphysics, the occult
tieth-century man would find himself en meshed in the superstitious practices of
and Hindu mysticism as potential aids to
pagan times? Who would have thought that the spiritual void of our century could be filled with a modern version of a nightmar ish past?
help executives compete in the world mar ketplace! Scores of major firms like Ford Motor Company, Westinghouse and the Calvin
It was only the illuminating action of
Klein fashion house have sent employees for
the Church that freed men from such ir
training in "human potential" courses such and Actualizations, all of which are mod
rational and enslaving ignorance. It can only be the Church, which Our Lord pro mised that the gates of hell will not prevail
eled after EST, a New Age psychological
against, that can save man from the dark
training program of the seventies. ABC-TV has helped to popularize this trend with a five-hour January mini-series based on the autobiography of actress
ages of modern tribalism fast approaching. and the eventual triumph of her Immacu late Heart over the gnostic and egalitarian
A myriad selection of New Age
Shirley MacLaine. The series dealt with
Revolution.
books now flood the market.
as Transformation Technologies, Lifespring
Moreover, hope rests in Our Lady of Fatima
â&#x2013;
TFP Newsletter
Soviet tanks and infantry on maneuvers. Can the new extra-official peace gestures be taken at face vaiue?
\A110\AL
In Search of Peace The latest rage in diplomacy is a flurry of cultural exchange programs
Francisco by over 200 writers, artists, scientists and others who via video
agreement is estimated to be $30 million. The Soviets are only too happy to ac commodate their new image, welcoming
the West. Its enthusiasts believe that
phone hookup were able to read poems, sing songs, tell jokes and send mes sages to a similar group of Russians in
while arms negotiators (that is, Ameri
Moscow.
can negotiators) bungle dialogues and arms talk, the ordinary man of the street
Among the American celebrants were poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Nobel Laureate Owen Chamberland, 11-yearold Star Rowe from the group Children as the Peacemakers, and a Japanese reg gae band.
ments" in human rights and censorship restrictions. The Gorbachev regime has even gone so far as to offer to stop jam
designed to expand cooperation and friendship between the Soviet bloc and
can break down the barriers that divide the two blocs.
Somehow, the same Soviet government that ruthlessly and consistently enslaves
whole populations, dots its vast territory with gulags, and indiscriminately carpetbombs Afghanistan will mellow in con
the chance we will reduce tensions be
tact with the West.
the exchanges and pointing with great fanfare to their most recent "improve
ming Voice of America broadcasts if the U.S. will allow the Soviet Union a trans
mitting station on or near American soil!
"We think the more people communi cate directly with each other, the greater
The Real Picture. Amid such enthu
siasm to increase and improve relations,
tween the two political systems," said
the real situation inside the Sovi>t Un
Pictures of smiling Russian tourists
Joe Schatz of San Francisco-Moscow
visiting American cities serve to reassure
Teleport, one of the cosponsors of the
ion is increasingly ignored. Beh. le scenes and newspaper headlines, Iiil un
American pacifists that, after all, the
event {The Sacramento Bee, 1/1/87).
der communism continues as normal.
Russians are people just like anyone else and that, in the end, the human desire for peace and goodness will triumph and transcend ideology.
Business Opportunities. The American business community has responded in
New Channels. Since the opening of the infamous era of detente in the seven
ties, the number of "goodwill" organi zations has flourished, sporting such names as Athletes United for Peace, Cit
Most serious Kremlinologists believe such purported changes to be cosmetic
kind with reports of the new business op
in nature. Nor does one have to look far to see
portunities being offered in the Gor
through the latest Soviet "about-face."
bachev era. For example, PepsiCo,
According to a 1986 report by the U.S. Helsinki Watch Committee, a private group monitoring compliance with the
which already has bottling plants in the country, has announced plans to open one hundred Pizza Hut restaurants in
1975 accords, the Soviet Union and eight
major Soviet cities.
other countries that signed them have
izen Exchange Council, Volunteers for
Not to be outdone by its rival, Cola-
Peace, Friends Peace Exchange, Sister Cities International, and even a senti
Cola announced on December 9 that it
"The human rights gestures made by
had signed a long-term trade agreement for expansion of its business in the Soviet
the Soviet Union in 1985 and 1986 gained
mental group called Perhaps . . . Kids Meeting Kids Can Make a Difference. Typical of the events staged by such
groups was a New Year's toast in San Vol. IV, No. 21, 1987
Union. For the first time, Soviet consum ers will be able to buy the Western drink bottled locally. The value of the trade
continued to systematically violate them.
wide publicity that may have obscured the government's continued and system atic violations of international human
rights accords," the report said.
\A TIOyAL
Among the violations cited are the practices of physical coercion, the torture
and imprisonment of citizens, as well as "intellectual" restrictions such as res
trictions on freedom of expression or re ligion. The 343-page sector of the report on conditions in the Soviet Union claims
that the situation there had actually de teriorated in 1986, especially with respect to the treatment of convicts and of sus
pects awaiting trial. In a scholarly 1986 study, the New York-based National Strategy Informa
tion Center published the opinions of an
The Wolves and the Sheep
international panel of experts who had convened in Bern, Switzerland, to dis cuss the question of people-to-people
After a thousand years and more of declared war.
maintain and increase its influence in both the Soviet Union as well as the
The wolves were making a peace treaty with the sheep. It was, to all appearances, to the happiness of both parties: For, if the wolves were eating many strayed sheep, The shepherds were making much clothing from their wool. They had no liberty, neither in the pastures, nor, on the other hand,from the threat of massacres.
West. Moreover, everything indicates that Moscow is becoming increasingly
Thus the peace wfir5 concluded; hostages were exchanged:
contacts and its relation to the Helsinki
Accords. The panel concluded that the Soviet Union was using the accords to
They could not enjoy the fruits of their blessings without trembling.
sophisticated in its use of propaganda,
The wolves sent their cubs; and the sheep, their sheep dogs,
active measures and disinformation.
Being, as it was, a truce following customary procedures
All the while, the Soviet Union is pressing on with a vigorous military
And arranged by respective commissions.
modernization program while U.S. de fense buildup is flagging. The annual
After a time, when the little boy cubs Had become mature wolves, eager for slaughter, They took advantage of a moment when
survey of the London-based Internation al Institute for Strategic Studies claims
The shepherds were farfrom the flock. And they ripped apart the fattest sheep,
this program is likely to continue up to
Sinking their teeth into them, and then fled for the woods Where there they secretly warned their people.
the end of the decade.
Psy-War Offensive. Clearly the West is being subjected to yet another phase in the revolutionary psychological war fare being employed so cleverly and masterfully by Moscow. In this theater, the random remark of
a Soviet newspaper favorably comment
ing on a McDonald's restaurant raises hopes that the Soviet may be converting
The sheep dogs, who, upon the word ofthe wolves, were confidently reposing. Were strangled in their sleep, And this so quickly that the dogs never even sensed the danger; They were all torn to pieces, not one escaped. We can conclude from this That we should make merciless war on evil.
Peace is a good enough thing in itself. Agreed. But what if it only serves to benefit Enemies who do not keep their word?
to a more humane system. In this war of
images, the disagreeable reality of the gu lag is erased with the disarming smiles
We can deduce from this wise fable
of broken treaties and false promises,
that any agreement between the West
should not Americans suspect something
of Soviet visitors and the glowing, op
and communism can not be taken at face
is amiss in the impressive "peace" offen
timistic accounts of American tourists
value. Given the Soviet's long string
sive now sweeping the nation?
■
returning from their carefully guided tours.
Oftentimes, a simple story expresses an idea better than a volume of statis
Revolution and Counter-Revolution
tics. The present people-to-people dia logue calls to mind a short children's tale
by Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira
that warns of the dangers of such ex changes—no matter how agreeable and economically profitable they might seem. This lamentably forgotten story was written by French writer Jean de la Fon taine (1621-1695) who is known for the vivid and artful style of his fables. As with most fables, this one has not lost
its timeliness. Quite the contrary, it rings
Revolution and Counter-Revolution is an analysis of the causes and driv
ing forces of the revolutionary process that since the end of the Middle Ages has been destroying Christian civilization and leading the world to
communism—and even more radical forms of anarchy. Must reading for an
understanding of the sociopolitical and religious confusion of our days.
true today more than ever.
Since we cannot hope to translate the beautiful French verse of La Fontaine, we have reproduced it without poetic
Write to;
The American TFP • P. O. Box 121 • Pleasantville, NY 10570
claims for the edification of our readers. TFP Newsletter
I>TEK>.\TIO^.\L
Convergence and the Counterfeit Castro
j The Castro scrapbook: guerrilla with religious medal, with Khrushchev, with Cardinal Sllva Henrlquez.
The yearbook at the Belen School where the teen-age Fidel Castro studied acting noted, "The actor that is in him will not fail to blossom." And blossom he indeed has! In the 27
years since this Order of Lenin recipient came to power in Cuba, he has played more roles than many a major Holly wood star: epic hero of the people, vic tim of CIA persecution, charismatic
leader, charming "Don Juan," aligned figurehead for the non-aligned nations, ruthless dictator to those who have op
"Charybdis." Photographs of the new leader wearing a rosary around his neck were but part of the necessary costum ing for his role to obtain national and in ternational sympathy and support. "We are not communists," he declared in an April 1959 speech in Washington D.C. Just three years later in Havana, Castro revealed to the Cuban
people and the world: "1 am a Marxist Leninist and will be one until the day I die. 1 believe absolutely in Marxism!" Can anyone forget his famous televi
Stage Left. Entering the scene is the "born again" Castro, no longer a perse cutor of the Catholic Church in Cuba, but now a hybrid communist/Catholic. Word has it that the "new" Fidel has
even given up his characteristic cigars. His costuming has also become more elaborate since 1959. Now he sports not a string of rosary beads, but a whole new theological script and supporting cleri cal cast.
In a recent interview published in il book, Fidel and Religion: An Interview with Friar Betto, the Cuban dictator states that he is "convinced that Christ
were to have a pet, it would be a
sion appearance on ABC with Barbara Walters when, perhaps reveling in the heady wine of an international audience,
chameleonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;so that it might keep pace
Castro told the commentator that he
ous assertion that "there are more com
with his own constantly changing colors. What, then, can be expected from his new role as a "born-again" guru acting
had made the decision to become a
mon points between Christianity and
communist while still a student in law school in the late 1940s? A bit of re
posed him. It has been said that if Fidel Castro
as a mediator between centuries-old an
tagonists: communism and the Roman Catholic Church?
Changing Colors. What's past is pro logue . . . When Fidel Castro first ap peared in the mountains of Cuba, he easily donned the mantle of a popular leader. In those stimulating days of na tional liberation, all eyes were on the Batista "Scylla" and not the Castro Vol. IV, No. 21, 1987
was a revolutionary," adding the errone
Marxism than there are between Chris
search then would have brought to light Fidel's involvement in the bloody com munist revolution of 1948 in Bogota,
tianity and capitalism." Now that practicing Catholics have been reduced to a mere five percent of the population, the consummate actor is
Colombia, which came to be known as
assuming a new attitude toward the
the "Bogotazo."
Church. This does not mean that he has
Today, no one disputes that the "per sona muia" who has been choreograph
socialism." The failure to destroy the
ing the performance of this Caribbean
Church through persecution has engen
puppet all these years is the Soviet Un
dered a new ploy: cooperation. Now Castro is suggesting that change can
ion. Now, his Kremlin masters have as signed him yet a new role.
renounced in the least "the true ideals of
come about more rapidly by the union
IVTKKVlTfOVlL
of "revolutionaries and progressive Catholics."
"We would like to be strategic allies,
fore, no racial or social barriers are justifiable." The Castro collaborator con
that is, definitive ones. I believe that we,
tinues: "There is no significant
Christians and Communists, should con sider the idea of ruling the world together and of avoiding those problems involv ing each other."
contradiction between the states of a believer and an atheist. For
Liberation Theology. Warming up to his new role, Castro explains to com munist hardliners who may not be famil
I, as a Christian, also do not be lieve in the god of capitalism,
-
of exploitation .. . I believe in
a
the god of fraternity and equality" (O Estado de S. Paulo^
mt BP
12/24/85).
The common theme of conver- 9^
iar with the new script: "The myopic may think that this is Marxist revisionism
gence between Christianity and
or heresy, but we need to exercise fore
communism held by both Castro
sight. I could define the church of liber ation theology as Christianity returning
and Friar Betto is obvious.
to its origins—the most attractive, most heroic and most glorious parts of its history—because it denies exploiters, conquerors, oppressors, interventionists
and plunderers of the people who keep us in ignorance . . ."
A Subtle Move. These two
...
leading actors have been aided— wittingly or unwittingly—by a diversified cast of supporting
.
actors—inside both the Cuban [jB
hierarchy and its lay community, ■jfl
Lamentably, in this siren appeal for
For example, the Archbishop
convergence, the 60-year-old tyrant-forlife is joined by voices more diverse than
of Havana and Under-Secretary
those in a Greek chorus.
ence Carlos Manuel de Cespedes is reported as saying that "he had no per sonal objection to the socialist program of his country." "Catholics," said the archbishop, "should have the right to participate in the political life of the country, including that of becoming af
Prominent among these is that of the aforementioned
Brazilian
Dominican
priest, Friar Betto, one of the principal protagonists of "liberation theology."
The Dominican's expertise extends be yond the theoretical sphere. He boasts his own long history of subversive activities,
of the Cuban Episcopal Confer-
priar Friar Betto and Carlos Marighela, protagonists In the Castro C script. than 180 representatives from the Cuban
dioceses took part. Dialogue was the theme of the meeting: a "new day" for the Catholic Church in Cuba. Cardinal
Eduardo Pironio, the Pope's personal
filiated with the Communist Party," a
emissary to the Encounter, was quoted as saying, "The only way for the Church
including links with Carlos Marighela, a former Brazilian Communist Party con
possibility that even Castro rejects as
in Cuba to fulfill its mission is to 'dia
premature. The prelate's only request
gressman who is considered by some to
was for "neutral schools," where ideas
logue' with the government." The fruits of other such "dialogues"
be the father of international terrorism.
taught by the family would not be con tradicted by the education received in the classrooms {L'Humanit^, 11/27/85). Will these neutral schools be permitted
Marighela was expelled from the Bra zilian Communist Party because he was convinced that it was necessary to ac celerate the revolutionary process. He set up the National Liberation Alliance (ALN)that aimed to seize power through urban and rural guerrilla activities. It was Marighela who authored the well-known Letters from Havana and the Manual ofthe Urban Guerrilla. The
to teach the Seventh and Tenth Com
mandments in a country controlled by a
regime that denies the right of private
have nonetheless been bitter. In Eastern
Europe, the Church enjoys only a tenu ous freedom of speech and worship and
is still combated by official ideological propaganda and spied upon by police. What is being played out in Cuba to day with Castro and Friar Betto is a
property? Perhaps only Eight Commandments
script that takes a step beyond dialogue.
will subsist in Cuba (although one wonders about the longevity of the first
stride with clenched fists and prayerful
latter was also published in Europe; by
as well). Is this the kind of shift in teach
August 1977, the press was crediting it
ing that Fr. Renee David, professor of theology at Havana's Catholic seminary, is referring to when he said, "The Church is waking up to its responsibility in a socialist country"? {Chicago Cath
theology," masking themselves the prestige of the Church.
with instigating a whole series of hijack ings, kidnappings, hostage-takings, in discriminate mass murders and assas sinations.
This digression concerning Marighela helps to provide insight into the charac ter of Friar Betto. In 1969, the Brazilian
press reported that a group of Domini can clerics (priests and seminarians) were lending assistance to the ALN. When the
whole network of terrorists fell into po lice hands, Friar Betto was among those arrested. He had been assisting subver sives to flee the country.
Unabashedly, the Catholic priest
olic, 9/5/86). Among the members of the cast can
also be found retired Mexican Bishop Sergio Mendez Arceo, the "Red Bishop of Cuernavaca." He recently declared
publicly that Castro is "a man inspired by God." The line was so unpalatable
Now,
communist
and progressivists
hands under the banner of "liberation
'
This maneuver has the effect of con
fusing Catholic public opinion and divid ing it over which orientation to follow. This portends a serious breach in the
greatest dike of ideological opposition to the communist tide in Latin America.
The result can only be a "horror
show" that produces an unimaginable disfiguration: the formation of a new generation of Latin American Catholics
who pays lip service to the Creed but
that even the atheist Castro had trouble
whose hearts and minds are completely
swallowing it. He later told the bishop that he did not believe this, although he
saturated with all the errors of com
appreciated the comment.
munism.
Toward Dialogue. Last February, a
Yet, one may wonder if the final scene will be played according to the plans of the producers and performers, or if
ports the ideas of a communist society
National Encounter was held in Havana
events yet unseen will cause the last act
when it says we are all brothers; there
by the Cuban Catholic Church. More
to be rewritten.
states: "We are not anticommunist, for
we are convinced that the Gospel sup
■ TFP Newsletter
Looking for Youth It has been reported that entertain er Michael Jackson has purchased a $125,000 hyperbaric oxygen sleep ing chamber which will supposedly
keep him young.
Soviets Outspend U.S* According to a report released by the Council Tor Inter-American Secu
rity (CIS), the Soviet Union spends 14 times as much as the U.S. in ed
Tne aging Jackson, who projects an androgynous image, will sleep in
ucating Latin American students. The report, titled U.S. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Soviet Bloc Aca demic Exchonge to Central and South
the futuristic chamber that encloses its
Amen'co, cites evidence that the
occupant in an atmosphere of 100 Soviet Union uses its academic ex percent oxygen under increased bar change programs to promote Marx ometric pressure, thus flooding the ism in Latin America. CIS President L. Francis Bouchey body with oxygen. One wonders if he wants to stay vou young or if it is his says,"The Soviets are searching for fans that demand it.
The Body Sellers With the '^legalization" of abor
tion and the ever-increasing tendency to accept euthanasia, the traditional respect for the human body has been abandoned. Many in the health field have come to consider the human
students from underdeveloped coun tries and are educating them, so that when they return home they will con tinue to conduct pro-Soviet ac tivities."
The report by^Colombian War College professor Rodolfo Moseres says jfe that U.S. public and private sectors are spending little to educate Latin Americans or enhance present pro
American Breweries in China The greedy bolt to open factories in Communist China has prompted one capitalist to do so even at the ex pense of his American workers. Pabst beer company owner Paul Kalmanovitz, 81, has announced
that his company will open two brew
eries in provinces of the communist country. What distinguishes the trans action from others is that it involves
more than just building a factory. Mr. Kalmanovitz has already or dered his brewery in Newark, N.J. to be competely dismantled and shipped to China, where it is being rebuilt in the province of Canton. An other brewery located in Vancouver, Wash, will be transplanted to the city of Zhao Qing. The first American transplant is ex
pected to produce roughly 500,000 barrels of beer each yearâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and will employ 500 Chinese workers.
grams. This increasing Soviet Bloc In
body (like the unborn child) to be mere organic matter without on im
fluence In Latin America and the
mortal soul.
Caribbean could spell trouble for the
The horrifying consequences of this mentality were recently unearthed
United States in the future.
Divorce and the Law Once divorce is instituted in a coun
when United Parcel Service workers
Joking Matter
in Louisville, Ky. discovered a box containing five human heads. The sender. Dr. Martin Spector, has al legedly been engaged in trafficking body ports since 1976, paying hospi
try, it is only a matter of time before it perpetuates the very problem it was supposed to solve.
Anti-discrimination laws protecting homosexuals are being interpreted to prohibit even casual joking about the
seen in a proliferation of court cases
aberration. City officials in Los An
only 700 lawyers specializing in di vorce. Today,the field has become so
tal employees to obtain hundreds of geles and West Hollywood have an heads, arms, hands and middle-ear bones. He would then later sell the
body parts to research laboratories, where there is an apparent under ground market for them. Gone Batty
Ecologists hove long sought to reha
nounced that they would seriously consider allegations of discrimination by those who tell AIDS jokes and their possible prosecution. "The whole purpose is to protect
popular that there are nearly 11,000 such specialists collecting nearly $3 billion in fees a year. The average
fee per spouse usually runs between $800 and $1500. Recent decisions In
family law have further complicated
uty city ottorney responsible for en
tors," where they meet with estrangec couples to arrive at settlements.
ased on misperceptions of a whole the divorce procedure. Lawyers are group," said David Shulman, a dep increasingly called to be media forcement of the Los Angeles AIDS
and reptiles, whose repulsive ap
ordinance. He said his orfice would
pearances have made them become
accept complaints about the jokes
symbols of the vices and evils of life.
and investigate them.
Now, even the horrendous bat is
Construction Diplomacy The construction of the American
Reconciling the Irreconcilable
intelligent" and even "extraordinarily beautiful creature who is misunder
and settlements. In 1980, there were
Ceople from being treated wrongly
bilitate a number of animals, insects
being promoted as a "gentle, clean,
In the United States this can be
Missionaries throughout the
Embassy in Moscow is becoming as complex as an unverifiable arms agreement. Soviet contractors have held up the construction of the new complex for nearly six years at a cost
stood,feared and persecuted." Not
Church's history hove fought unremit
only is society being asked to change its perception of the creature, but
tingly against polygamy. Now, cur rents inside several African bishops' of some $100 million. conferences ore calling for the de Now the U.S. is seeking $10 mil
people are also being encouraged to lodge a few In their backyards. Merlin D. Tuttle, president of Bat Conservation International, is market
ing bat houses for the ecologically conscious. This birdhouse-like struc ture can harbor several bats.
VOL. IV, No. 21, 1987
velopment of a religious teaching that
lion in damages for cost overruns and
would help integrate polygamous
delays. The State Department claims
families into Christian communities and lead them to fulfill "the condi
that these overruns, which total some
$1 million, ore along with construc
tions required for full participation" tion faults, the responsibility of the in Churcn life.
Soviet contractor.
13
PROPHETS. iH/lRTYRS. SAINTS AAD HEROES
Along the Road of Fatima: an Encounter with Francisco i i"P RANCISCO! Which do you like
anything that was not as it should be. If
J7 better—to console Our Lord or
he was asked why he went away, he an swered: 'Because you are not good,' or 'Because I do not want to play anymore.'"
to convert sinners so that more souls do
not go to hell?"
"I prefer to console Our Lord. Didn't you see how sad Our Lady was that last month, when she said that people should not offend God Our Lord anymore, for He is already much offended? I would like to console Our Lord, and, after that, to convert sinners so that they will offend Him no longer." Thus responded Francisco Marto to
That Francisco had a good nature is not to say that he was a listless and weak-
willed boy. His father "Ti" Marto, as he was called, said that his son "was very brave, more turbulent than his little sis ter. He would lose his patience and be come agitated over anything, just like a young calf."
the created universe. He had an immense admiration for the heavens and the beau
ty of the stars, "lamps that Our Lady
and the angels light" to illuminate the darkness of the night. But what he most
liked was the sun that surged forth as it rose over the mountaintops, which for him was "the lamp of Our Lord," more beautiful than all the others. The rays of sun filtering through the window panes enchanted him. He thought the drops of dew iridescent in the sunlight particularly beautiful.
his first cousin Lucia dos San
tos, two of the three shepherd children to whom Our Lord ap
peared at Fatima in the year
At the time of the apparition of the Most Holy Virgin in the
1917.
Francisco was born July 11,
Cova da Iria, Lucia, Francisco and his sister Jacinta were 10, 9,and 7 years of age respective ly. Only his cousiji conversed with Our Lady. Because he only saw the apparition, he had to content himself with hearing the
,
1908. He closely resembled his
father. He was a robust, coura- '
geous boy with a serene expres- '„ _ sion and regular features who was amiable, respectful and obe
accounts of the small shepherd girls about what the Mother of God was saying. But, manifest
dient. Peaceful and submissive
by nature, he was not competi tive in the games they played,
ing his happiness over her
ceding his rights without resist ance, only saying: "You think that you won? Then of course!
heaven, he crossed his arms
promise that he would go to over his chest, saying: "O my Lady! I will pray all the rosaries that you want!" One day, he told his cousin:
It doesn't matter to me!"
According to his cousin Lucia: "In our games he was quite lively. But few of us liked to
I
"What I loved most of all was
to see Our Lord in that light from Our Lady which penetrat-
play with him as he nearly always lost. I must confess that 1 myself did not always feel too
Miajjl ed our hearts. 1 love God so
kindly disposed toward him be- |||H
■99
much. But He is very sad be-
cause his naturally calm tern- ^^3
cause of so many sins! \^''"rniisi never commit any sins.
perament exasperated my own excessive vivacity. At times, I
'"
On another occasion, wlien they had taken the drove of sheep to pasture, Jacinta sat thoughtfully on a rock. Lucia
caught him by the arm, obliged him to sit down on the ground or on a stone, and told him to
asked her:
keep still; he obeyed me as if I
jhe Bi silica of Our Lady of Fatima located The Ba
had real authority over him. Afterward, I felt sorry and
appari apparitions.
near the siteI of of the the
"Jacinta, come and play."
"I don't want to play
today." "Why not?"
would go and take him by the hand, and he would come along with me as goodhumoredly as though nothing had hap pened. If one of the children insisted on taking away something that belonged to
fearless. He would go anywhere along in the dark without any apprehension or reluctance. He would play with lizards,
him, he would say, 'Let them have it.
them around his staff and fill the holes
What do I care?' He had an easy man
in the rocks with ewe's milk for them to drink. He would hunt rabbits, fox and ground moles."
and whole Our Father! And the sacri
The small boy had a soul particularly open to the beauties diffused by God in
said Francisco, "and make the sacrifice
ner and was always friendly and smiling, playing with all the children without dis tinction. He did not rebuke anybody. All he did was go aside, whenever he saw
He continued: "He was absolutely
and when he found snakes he would coil
"Because I am thinking. The Lady
told us to say the Rosary and to make sacrifices for the conversion of sinners.
So from now on, when we say the Rosary we must say the whole Hail Mary fices, how are we going to make them?" "Let's give our lunch to the sheep," of doing without it." TFP Newsletter
PKOPIIETvS. MARTY KS,SAIATS AMI III<:K0I':S
No sooner said than done. The chil
dren spent the rest of the day fasting, as "While he was ill, Francisco always
Liicia said, "as strictly as the most austere Carthusian!"
appeared joyful and content," Sister
After the apparitions of Mary Most Holy, Francisco's ideal was to console
ask him, "Are you suffering a lot,
Our Lord Jesus Christ. He would fre
Francisco?"
Lucia tells us. Sometimes she would
quently say, "I am thinking of God,
"Quite a lot, but it doesn't matter! I
Who is so sad because of so many sins! If I could only make Him happy!" Or
am suffering to console Our Lord, and
he would say,"What a pity He is so sad!
heaven!"
If I could just console Him! . . Liicia, today a Carmelite in Coimbra, tells us in her memoirs a picturesque and edifying incident involving her cousin:
several impressive episodes from the last days of little Francisco: "When grown-ups came to see him, he
then, in a short lime, I am going to
The Carmelite religious mentions
/if/
"On our way to my home one day, we
had to pass by my godmother's house. She had just been making a mead drink,
remained silent, only answering when
directly questioned, and then in as few words as possible. People who came to visit him, whether they were neighbors or strangers, often spent long periods sit
and called us in to give us a glass. We went in, and Francisco was the first to whom she offered a glassful. He took it, and, without drinking it, he passed it on
ting by his bedside, and would remark, T don't know what it is about Francisco,
but it feels so good to be here!'
to Jacinta so that she and I could have
a drink first. Meanwhile, he turned on
'I
his heel and disappeared. "Where is Francisco?" my godmother asked.
"I don't know! He was here just
Francisco Marto, one the three seers to whom Our Lady appeared in 1917.
now."
"He did not return, so Jacinta and I
"I prefer praying by myself so that
thanked my godmother for the drink and
I can think and console Our Lord, Who is so sad." On his way to school with Lucia, upon reaching the church of Fatima, he would often say: "Listen! You go to school, and I'll
went in search of Francisco. We knew
beyond a shadow of a doubt that he
would be sitting on the edge of the well which I have mentioned so often.
"Francisco, you didn't drink your
glass of mead! My godmother called you
stay here in the church, close to the Hid
so many times, and you didn't appear!" "When I took the glass, I suddenly
den Jesus. It is not worth my while learn ing to read, as I'll be going to heaven very soon. On your way home, come
remembered I could offer that sacrifice
here and call me."
to console Our Lord, so while you two
Later, when he fell ill, he often told me when I stopped to see him on my way to school: "Look, go to the church and
were taking a drink, I ran over here." On one occasion, having found a rope
on the pathway where they lead their sheep, they resolved to divide it into three
give my love to the Hidden Jesus. What hurts me most is that I cannot go there
pieces and wear them around their
myself and stay awhile with the Hidden
waists. As the rope caused them much
Jesus!"
pain, they would offer this sacrifice to God. Sometimes Jacinta would even cry because of the discomfort this penance
A conversation that took place be tween Francisco and two ladies reveals
a marked characteristic of his personal
caused her.
ity. They asked him about his desires
In the apparition of September 13, Our Lady said to the three shepherd chil
for his future career.
dren: "God is happy with your sacri fices, but He does not want you to sleep
"No, ma'am," responded the small boy.
with the rope. Wear it only during the day."
Francisco preferred to pray and offer sacrifices alone, hiding himself even
from Lucia and Jacinta. He was always
kneeling and praying, or "thinking," as he used to say, "about Our Lord, sad on account of so many sins." His cousin asked him: "Francisco,
why don't you ask me, and Jacinta also, to pray with you?" VOL. IV, NO. 21, 1987
"Do you want to be a carpenter?" The other lady then asked,"Ah,then you want to be a soldier?" "No, ma'am." "A doctor, isn't that it?" "No, not that either." "I know what you would like to beâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a priest! To say Mass . . . to hear Confes
sions . . . to preach in the Church . . . That's it, isn't it?" "No, ma'am. I don't want to be a pri est either."
"Then what do you want to be?" "I don't want to be anything. I want to die and go to heaven ..."
"Some women from the village com
mented on this one day to my aunt and my mother after having spent quite a long time in Francisco's room: Tt's a
mystery one cannot fathom! They are children just like any others. They don't say anything to us, and yej in their presence one feels something one can't explain, and that makes them different from all the rest.
"It seems to me that when we go into
Francisco's room, we feel just as we do when we go into a church," said one of my aunt's neighbors." And she added, "Physically, they are, as they say, children like any others. But if these good people, so accustomed to the material life, knew how to elevate
their spirits a bit, they would have no trouble in seeing that there is something in them that sets them apart." On the eve of Francisco's death, Lucia and Jacinta spent the whole day at the
fool of his bed. That night, before tak ing her leave, Lucia said to her cousin:
"Goodbye, Francisco! If you
to
heaven tonight, don't forget me you get there, do you hear me?" "No, I won't forget. Be sure of that." "Then, seizing my right hand, he held it tightly for a long time, looking at me with tears in his eyes. "Do you want anything more?" I
asked him, with tears running down my cheeks too.
"No!" he answered in a low voice, quite overcome.
"As the scene was becoming so mov ing, my aunt told me to leave the room. "Goodbye then, Francisco! Till we
meet in heaven, goodbye! . . ." On the following day, April 4, 1919, the small shepherd peacefully delivered his soul to God by the hands of her who had promised that she would come down and take him up to heaven! â&#x2013;
The Miracle of Loreto Rome—The simple house in which Our Lady gave her consent to that divine invitation to become the Mother of the Redeemer and where she lived
those years on earth with her Son and Saint Joseph—this house was miracu
lously transported almost 700 years ago from Nazareth to the Italian province of Ancona adjoining the Adriatic Sea. On the morning of December 10,1294, the news began to spread among the in
habitants of this region that a curious house, constructed with materials un familiar to Italy and containing ancient and characteristically eastern furnish ings, had appeared next to a grove of laurels (whence came the name Loreto, signifying laurels). It was known that, some months be
fore, an identical building (in reality, the same one) had appeared under the same circumstances on the other side of the
Adriatic in nearby Dalmatia. There, in the city of Tersatz where it appeared, it was revealed by the Blessed Virgin to Bishop Alexander that this was the very house in which she had lived in Nazareth.
To verify this, a commission of 16 il
lustrious men from Loreto traveled to
Tersatz, and then to Galilee. They con firmed that some vestiges of the house's sojourn in these places yet remained, al though the house had inexplicably dis appeared from both sites. In Nazareth, according to their reports, the measure
■iiic
ments of the foundation coincided with
those of the house of Loreto, both be
ing 31 feet long by 13 feet wide. From that time forward, pilgrimages to Loreto began to grow. In the fifteenth century. Pope Paul II had a basilica erected around the Holy House. Accord ing to historical records, the many invo cations to Our Lady, which with time
spread throughout Christianity and are
Altar inside the Holy House of Loreto.
flesh, was transferred to Loreto, in the province of Ancona."
When restoration work was being done
today known as the Litany of Loreto, were already being recited as early as
on the floor of the house during the pon tificate of Benedict XIV in 1751, the ar
this. Among the numerous manifesta
chitects and stonemasons ascertained an
tions of esteem with which the popes have honored this sanctuary was that of
impressive fact: Its walls were standing
designating December 10 as its feastday in the Roman Martyrology. This was
foundation!
done in 1667 by Pope Clement with these words:
"The Holy House of Mary, the Mother of God, in which the Word was made
Saint Theresa on Pilgrimage to Loreto In her autobiography. Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus thus narrates her visit to the Basilica of Loreto:
"The Blessed Virgin chose well when she placed her house there (in Lore to). Everything is primitive, poor and simple. The women still wear the charm ing native dress, unlike those of other towns who follow the fashions of Paris.
Loreto enchanted me. What shall I say about the Holy House? I was deeply moved to be under the very roof which had sheltered the Holy Family, and to be looking at the walls on which Our Lord had gazed and walking on the ground once moistened by Saint Joseph's sweat, and to be where Mary had carried Jesus in her arms after carrying Him in her virginal womb. I saw the
directly on the ground—without any Only 60 years ago. Pope Benedict XV designated Our Lady of Loreto to be the patroness of aviators, since her house was transported through the air. For this reason, we find in numerous airports, es
pecially in Catholic countries, the pres ence of a statue of the Most Holy Virgin under this invocation.
The presence of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, who visited the sanctuary on a pilgrimage with her family in the last
century, is commemorated by her picture above one of the side altars of the basil
ica where, it is said, she had received Holy Communion. Above another of these altars is a fres
co that relates to the discovery of Ameri
"Our greatest happiness came when we received Jesus in His own house
ca. On this altar, a sailor, Pedro Villa, left a replica of the caravel that nearly shipwrecked during a terrible storm. This was during a return voyage to Sp'^'n, and the navigator, Christopher Co is,
and became His living temple in the very spot glorified by His Divine Pres ence. It is the Roman custom that the Blessed Eucharist is received at only one altar in each church and that the priest give It to the faithful only at that
along with his crew, promised the \ ngin to show their appreciation for her pro tection in various sanctuaries, among
particular altar. At Loreto the altar is in the Basilica which encloses the Holy
which was that of Loreto.
little room of the Annunciation, and I put my rosary in the dish used by the Child Jesus. I have very dear memories of it all.
House like a casket of white marble round a precious diamond. This arrange ment did not suit us at all. We wanted to receive the Bread of Angels in the diamond itself, not in its casket. Papa, docile as usual, went with the rest of the pilgrims, but his less docile daughters went into the Holy House. A priest who had a special privilege was getting ready to say Mass there, so we
told him what we wanted, and he at once asked for two Hosts and placed them on the paten. You can imagine the indescribable, wonderful joy of that Communion. What will it be like when we enjoy a never-ending Communion in the mansion of the King of Heaven? Then our delight will be without end
and without a shadow; we shall not have to scratch fragments furtively from the walls made holy by the Divine Presence—as we did at Loreto—for His dwelling place will be our home throughout the ages. . . ." {The Autobiog raphy of Saint Th^rese of Lisieux, translated by John Beevers, Doubleday & Co., 1957, pp. 79-80).
Upon the order of Pope Julian II in 1511, the house of the Virgin inside the basilica was encased in marble carved
with sculptures of personages and scenes
from the Holy Gospel. The interior of the venerable habitation exudes the am
bience of the Galilee of two thousand
years ago, and includes domestic items
of that time. Alongside the altar of the sacred enclosure, in reliquaries protect ed by grille railings, are small bowls that in times long past were used by the Child Jesus Himself.
by Juan Miguel Monies Rome Correspondeni TFP Newsletter
Disturbing Signs on the Border
^
Every day, a steady stream of
aliens treads across the Rio Grande in search
of jobs and opportraties. opportj This migration is fpr solutions. Amid taking on proportions thai licate and complex proble !t,^ust be resolved, efemeftts of the "Catholic left" h rganized a network
witAa radical s(wlil agenda tl^ffiSoi only destabilizes a precariollis frontier|liitt threaten^ pttional security as well.
THE American Societ3
jjH ,
Left^ on the Border:
I^IB'
Adding^Ftiel to the Fire^^ pages 4-6.)
IE Defense of Tradition, Family and Property
LETTEK FltOifl^ltl^ ElllTIIII
Land Reform Study Unchallenged
In this issue of the TFP Newsletter, we focus on in
ternal and external threats presently facing us. In these
days when most of us are bombarded by a multitude With the publication of the study, /
of facts, impressions and images, it is often difficult to sort through them and see them in the proper per spective. In addition, little by little, many crises assume enormous proportions without our full understanding of the problems. With this in mind, we present our cover story "The
Is Brazil Sliding Toward the Extreme
Left?, the American TFP brings to light the real economic picture of Latin
/ /
America's largest and most populous country.
The timely publication arrives at a time when that coun try is facing a socialist and confiscatory land reform program. Repercussions of the 163-page study have come from the White House, members of Congress, the Supreme Court, univer sity officials, military officers, and American policymakers. Us ing documented facts and figures, the work decimates the
'Catholic Left' on the Border: Adding Fuel to the
Fire." We analyze our southern border situation and
the pervading influence of the "Catholic left" in the region. This issue has become especially timely in view of the many false solutions that are being proposed demonstrating a glaring lack of knowledge about the
phantom army of landless peasants clamoring for land, present
border. One of these proposals is the so-called free
ing in its lieu a realistic picture of a land of increasing opportu nities. Plank by plank, the land reform platform is torn asunder. "Beautifully put-together and extremely informative piece of work," wrote one university official. "A devastating and scholarly analysis of Brazil's economic
trade zone that we also discuss (see pages 4-6). In South Africa, we address an aspect of the revolu tionary psychological warfare now being waged against
this country. Our story is the sequent of an urgent plea that we received from a group of six teachers who, to
problems is provided and thoroughly documented," claims syn
gether with their black students, have suffered from
dicated writer Frank Van Der Linden, the Sacramento Bee's Washington correspondent.
the intimidation of black "liberators." Their story rev
"The TFP has recently produced an economic analysis of Bra
eals the true face of the revolutionaries in South Afri
ca who want not reform, but Marxist revolution (see pages 12-13).
zil that should be present in the libraries of all Catholics who are concerned with Latin America," writes prominent Catho
We also present some reflections on the case of Seat
lic commentator Fr. Enrique T. Rueda in the prestigious Cath
tle Archbishop Hunthausen. The controversy sur
olic weekly. The Wanderer.
rounding the archbishop has brought to light not only the widespread abuses there, but also similar practices in other areas of the country. What is the future of the
up its irrefutable conclusions," Father Rueda continues. "What impressed me most about it, however, was not the thorough
"The book has a large number of charts and tables that back
Church in America? (See pages 10-11).
ness and objectivity with which the data was chosen and present
ed, but the logic of its analysis. We cannot afford to remain ignorant, for, as Brazil goes, so will the rest of South America." It was not without reason that we chose Saint Joan
of Arc as the subject of our Prophets, Martyrs, Saints Even as the American TFP study has been circulating, the response of the left has been to ignore the real economic poten tials of South America's powerhouse. With monotonous repe
and Heroes section. With Soviet offers of missile reduc
tions and the lowering of ideological barriers between
East and West, it seems appropriate that we feature a young girl who rose up to assert the national sover eignty of a demoralized nation. This heroic maid put
tition, the leftist organ-grinder continues to churn out the same
the cause of God before that of political expediency— even to the point of her own death (see pages 15-16).
a backdrop of the truly censorable acts of violence that have
stories of rural property based on questionable statistics amid broken out in isolated areas of that country. Nowhere does the
left mention that Brazil, the world's second largest producer of rural products, has been responding to its economic needs
despite the misguided policy of state socialism of past years. In Commentary, you will find Prof. Plinio CorrSa
A mysterious silence engulfs the question of the 864 millir" trres of unoccupied government lands that could be given to ii or instead of breaking up existing privately owned properties. At the same time, news is just starting to trickle out about the opening of one of the world's last great agricultural fronti
de Oliveira's "The Problem of the Four Brothers."
With his customary clarity and insight, he discusses the error of those who proclaim an absolute equality, an unrestrained liberty, and a false fraternity (see page 3). During the Lenten season, it is fitting that we con
ers, the Brazilian cerrada. Once thought to be unfit for cultiva tion, the region is nearly five times the size of California. Food
template the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Our article "The Smile, the Agony and the Death of the Son of God" is a meditation based on
production from the small portion of the 1.2 billion acre area presently being farmed has been so promising that it is fast be
the crucifix of Friar Innocent de Palermo in Assisi, Italy.
ing hailed as the country's new breadbasket. The vast empty prairie lands have yet to figure in the leftist vision of Brazil. Instead, most prefer to entertain the illusion of "Marxist anal
ysis" promoted by currents of "liberation theology" rather than
John Horvat II
■
to examine the actual economic reality.
rFP NEWSLETTER is a monthly publicQticn of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and a
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is granted to reproduce in whole or in part any article of this newsletter with the credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER.
The Problem of the Four Brothers PLINIO CORREA DE OLIVEIRA
COHIMEiNTARY
ONE of the themes of the Brother hood Campaign invited all Bra zilians to reflect upon the maxim: "We are all brothers, we are all equal." To such reflections, I dedicate my words of
today which, regardless of their merit, at least have the distinction of being dis seminated in a newspaper \Folha de S. Paulo] with a very large circulation. From the outset, I knew the task would be difficult. By heartfelt sentiments that spring from the innermost being, by that special discernment—tacit though it may be—that senses the simple, sublime, great truths of life, and by the mark impressed
on him by Christian tradition, the Bra zilian is convinced we are all equal and brothers. This is illustrated by the pro found historical reality of IBrazil's] mis cegenation, which is based on the equality and fraternity of the races. Undoubtedly, the mentors of the cam paign realize this. Accordingly, their ob jective does not lie in repeating worn-out cliches, but in evoking forgotten aspects or correcting poorly understood ideals of equality and fraternity. Only then would they be telling the public something new in respect to these themes. Having resolved my preliminary per plexity, I searched for something "new"
We need not return to the French
Revolution to demonstrate this point. We need only consider the raging son to whom it gave birth; communism, a son
who today engulfs the land in violence. More often than not, the immediate executors of this violence do not under
stand the hazy philosophical and eco nomic lucubrations of Marx. Rather they
are moved by a more basic rationale that we could outline as follows:
a) All men are brothers; b) A brother should desire that his brothers possess every good that he him self has;
c) Therefore, total equality is the nat ural consequence of true fraternity; d)Accordingly, all inequality is injust;
e) Thus, the brother who is a victim of injustice has the right to ask and even de mand equality in the name of fraternity. The final consequence of such frater nity is pandemonium,if not indeed crime. It seems to me that those who have al
lowed themselves to become entangled in this sophism might learn something by reflecting on the nature of genuine frater nity. Such reflection would also reveal one of the most vital aspects of the Brotherhood Campaign.
that could be said. It was not long be
seau, the sarcasms of Voltaire, the blood
of the infamous Madame Roland, cry ing out on her way to the guillotine: "Liberty, liberty, what crimes are com
mitted in your name!"
The heart of the problem outlined above is a question readily demonstrable by the following example. Imagine a family with quadruplets, all boys. The lads are exactly alike in ap pearance, tastes, personality and intellect. Among them reigns complete equality. Imagine yet another family, also with
not unleash class warfare and the blood
shed of brothers. Rather it gives rise to constructive cooperation and harmony. This conclusion, so eminently logical, seems to me of such importance that it should not be left undefended by the sup
port of various citations. I find this sup port in pontifical documents. Let us listen to the great voice of Pope Leo XIII: "Once again We declare this: The remedy for these evils will never lie in the subversive equality of the social classes, but in this fraternity, which, without detracting anything from the dig nity of the social position, unites all hearts in the same bonds of Christian
love" (Allocution of 1/24/1903 to the Roman Patriarchs and Nobles). And here we find the lamentations of
they remain completely equal: Some are strong, others weak; some intelligent, others incapable; one might be abnormal and it could even happen that he might become undeserving. It is, therefore, in evitable that a certain physical, intellec tual and moral inequality exists in the same family. . . . To lay claim to an ab solute equality of all would be the same as to pretend to give identical functions
four children. But these children differ
to the diverse members of the same or
ganism" (Allocution of 4/6/1953 to a group of the faithful). And, finally, we read the so-often
quoted John XXIII, who cites the words of Pius XII: "In a people worthy of such
Now ask yourself this: In which of the
a name, all the inequalities that derive not
two families is the fraternal relationship
from chance, but from the proper nature of things, inequalities of culture, of pos sessions, of social position—without prej udice, be it well understood, to justice
more ideal? In other words, is this frater
nity the result of total equality? Or does it rather spring from a basic equality tem pered by an extensive range of diverse,
ity and fraternity based on justice. Yet the greatest crimes of recent centuries
hierarchical values?
Vol. IV, No. 22, 1987
portionate and harmonic inequality. With this, the communist corollary between to tal equality and perfect fraternity topples to the ground. Genuine fraternity does
in sex, age, capability, intelligence and personal appearance. Yet they know how to make these differences complement each other and work together by means of their strong mutual affection.
Nothing grand, nothing sound, noth ing lasting has been constructed in cul ture or civilization without liberty, equal
have been committed precisely in the name of unrestrained liberty, absolute equality, and an indiscriminate fraternity.
ity. On the contrary, they live, grow and yield abundant fruit in a climate of pro
Pius XII: "Brothers are not born nor do
fore I recalled some clues.
Equality, fraternity . . . what is the missing word? Ah,it is liberty. Thus my mind reconstructed the trilogy of the French Revolution. And, at the same time, an amalgam of images tumultuously sprung to mind—the divinely luminous teachings of the Holy Gospel, the crystal clear concepts of Roman Law, the me dieval guilds, the lyrical tirades of Rous
"As all true friends, they appear to be quite dissimilar." Friendship has much in common with fraternal love. Both stagnate and die in the stifling monotony of complete equal
Having posed the problem, there came to my mind a phrase of Maurois from his
and mutual charity—are, in an absolute sense, not an obstacle to the existence and
to the predominance of a true spirit of
biography of Disraeli concerning a group
community and fraternity" (Radiomessage of Christmas, 1944; Encyclical Ad
of this British prime minister's friends;
Petri Cathedram of 6/29/1959).
■
INSIDE AMEUICA
The"Catholic Left" on .the Border:
^
Addina BlHtcbiK Fire rrpiT ir Bi
â&#x2013;
SL
Traffic at the United States Border Station in El Peso, Texas. Leftist currents may upset an already delicate situation.
SEVERAL problems brewing on the Mexican border portending con siderable impact on the U.S. as a whole could be dramatically aggravated by the interference of an outside influenceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the so-called Catholic left.
The border region is beset today by a series of most delicate and complex prob lems. Among them are: the immense in
flux of illegal immigrants from Mexico; the controversial proposal for the crea tion of a free trade zone on both sides
of the border; the future of the manquiladora industries (twin plants); diffi cult ethnic and cultural questions; na tional security problems, and the region's strained infrastructure.
All these problems could potentially become fuses of a social revolution in
side the United States that was, until re
cently, unthinkable. Yet today it has become a possibility, due to the ever-
increasing, methodical and persistent ac tion of ecclesiastical currents identified
with revolutionary theologians. Basically at stake is the preservation of the 1,950-mile dividing line between the United Stales and Mexico. The border is
not merely an accident of geography, but a precarious psychological and spiritual barrier separating two cultures, two peo
ples and two economic systems. To the average American, the growing revolu tionary ecclesiastical ferment in the area augurs a frightening perspective on the horizon: the emergence of a Sandinistatype revolution inside our very border. Borders Out of Control. "This coun
try has lost control of its own borders, 4
and no country can sustain that kind of position," declared President Reagan in 1983. Since that time, the border situa tion has steadily worsened as the im migration flow continues unchecked.
Impact in Congress. This situation as
sumes more importance in view of the fact that the effects of a destablized bor
der could have repercussions throughout the Western world. Providence has di
While the U.S. has always been a gener
sposed things in such a way that the U.S.
ous nation eager to harbor the "down trodden" and "huddled masses," the
is the last great bulwark of Christian
nation is witnessing an uncontrollable tide of illegal immigration, generating far-reaching social, economic and polit ical problems yet difficult to gauge. Last year, the Immigration and Nat uralization Service (INS), using statistics
for the first six-month-period, estimated that close to two million illegal aliens would have crossed our borders by the end of 1986, up 50 percent from 1985. Most of these filtered through the porous Mexican border.^ According to Mrs. Genevieve H.
Coonly of the El Paso-based Society of St. Michael the Archangel Foundation, the apparently uncontainable flood of illegals has become a "silent invasion," threatening our very security. In fact, 60 percent of all illegal im migrants are Mexican. The other 40 per cent are mostly Hispanics from Central and South America with a relatively
civilization in the world today, with a
historic mission that embraces ideologi cal, religious and international spheres. After years of foot-dragging. Congress is beginning to take matters into hand. In a landmark vote toward the end of the
1986 session, both Houses approved the Immigration Reform Bill sponsored by Rep. Peter Rodino (D-N.J.), Rep. Romano Mazzoli (D-Ky.), and Senator
Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.). The controver sial piece of legislation came under heavy
fire from lawmakers and citizen croups who objected to its amnesty pi .)n. The Simpson-Rodino-Mazzoii Bill offers amnesty for all those who can prove they have lived in the U.S. since
January 1982, regardless of their legal status. This is not a difficult task, in view
of the burgeoning industry of counter
feit documents. Senator Phil Gramm (R-
small percentage coming from as many
Tex.) bluntly stated that the bill rewarded aliens for having broken the law. On the other hand, the bill takes the
as 90 other countries.^ The 1980 Census
commendable step of tightening enforce
found 14,608,673 Hispanics legally liv
ment of the border by expanding the Border Patrol by 50 percent over the next
ing in the United States, accounting for 6.4 percent of the population, up 61 per
two years.
cent over the 1970 census. These figures do not include illegal immigrants, whose number is impossible to evaluate ac curately but which some estimate to be
tion problem, several factors enter the
as high as 12 million.^
picture to make it even more complex.
Problems Complicate the Picture. As
Congress finally deals with the immigra
TFP Newsletter
I^SinK A^IIDIIICA
One of them is the twin-plant or man-
authorize the President "to negotiate an
quiladora industries. Under this pro
agreement with the government of Mex
gram, American component parts have
ico for the establishment of a free trade
been sent south of the border since 1965
and co-production zone extending 200
for assembly or manufacture, and ket. This arrangement takes advantage of hefty tax benefits and low Mexican wages, which are sometimes a meager 10
miles into each country's territory." The idea appeals to many parties. Cor porations would enjoy significant tax and low wage incentives, and economically depressed Texas would find relief amid
percent of our minimum wage.
its woes as more and more industries
returned for sale on the American mar
take advantage. This network even en courages immigration, and then strives to organize the aliens inside the U.S. for its own purposes.
Thumbing through the speakers' roster at the aforementioned "The Future of a
Region" conference, one notes the re currence of the names of certain organi zations cited in identifying the speakers: Valley Interfaith, Communities Or
Today, some 800 industrial plants in
relocate. Mexico can only rejoice at the
side Mexico employ nearly 223,000 peo
prospect of reducing its unemployment
ple under a twin-plant agreement, representing $2.9 billion in commerce and generating $1.3 billion in hard cur
rate and earning more hard currency.
ganized for Public Service (COPS), El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Commit tee (EPISO), Industrial Areas Founda
Assessing the Dangers. How does this tie in with Sandinista-type revolution?
tion (lAF), etc. In fact, members of these groups, all wearing identification badges, seemed to be very much in
rency for the Mexican economy. Most of these plants are located along the Texan border, although a few have also been set up deep inside Mexico. There are many pros and cons con cerning the manquiladora system, and
While immigration and border problems are difficult enough in themselves, they
may well be greatly exacerbated and dis torted by a concerted effort of the left to promote and exploit the situation.
charge of the whole affair, especially one "Ernie" Cortes, identified as an "lAF representative" and founder of COPS. Who are these groups? And what are their intentions?
the bitter controversy sparked by the is sue is far from settled. From a strictly
permit American companies to bus Mex
Saul Alinsky and Class Struggle. To
free market point of view, proponents
ican workers deep inside the U.S., pay
answer these questions, we must turn
claim immense economic advantages.
ing them the low manquiladora wages, back the clock to the 1940s and quickly sketch the story of Saul David Alinsky the region could turn into a huge inter national industrial park. The flow of (1909-1972). people could easily become uncontrolla Born in Chicago of Jewish Russian ble, having the net effect of relinquish immigrants, Alinsky, after a stint with ing 200 miles of our frontier. If present the A1 Capone mob in the 1930s became efforts are failing to defend our border, involved in what he euphemistically can anyone conjecture what would hap called "organizing." In his jargon,"or
Corporations point out that they do not have to locate their labor-intensive plants
in faraway Malaysia or Singapore when they have a comparable low-wage work force just across the border. Opponents object that this has a negative impact on our own job market, since relocating in dustries abroad takes jobs that would
otherwise employ Americans. The freemarketers have a whole array of
responses. And the debate rages on. Steering clear of these intricate eco
Should the 200-mile free trade zone
pen with the "new" border? For all prac tical purposes, the southern border would disappear. At the same time both sides of the bor
der are being profoundly agitated. On
nomic knots, there is more to the prob lem than meets the eye. These economic considerations should be weighed in the context of a far more complex back ground.
the American side, an increasing effort is being waged to organize a vast net
The Controversial Free Trade Zone.
growing number of immigrants—both legal and illegal—especially of Mexican and Central American origin, this net
Last August, nearly 500 Texas business and civil leaders met in San Antonio, un der the auspices of Mayor Henry Cisne-
ros, for "The Future of a Region" con
work of leftist groups that advocate rad ical social change. This network inter twines with a larger national network. Although not restricted to the ever
work finds them an optimal masse de manoeuvre of which it seldom fails to
ganizing" has a very distinct meaning. Indeed, Alinsky distilled a whole the
ory for revolution in the U.S., which has been the poisoned philosophical fountain
irrigating most of the American activist left ever since. For him, history is a re lay of revolutions. His well-worn meth od consists of organizing the "havenots" against the "haves," thus bring
ing about social revolution which he described as "mass jujitsu, utilizing the
power of one part of the power structure
against another part.'"^ Nor does he hide his ultimate goal of a socialist egalitarian society: "Radi cals hope for a future where the means
ference. Cosponsored by the San
Antonio Institute for American |Cal California Studies, the event was highlighted « ^Los Angeles
New Mexico
Arizona
by the presence of then-Texas Gov. ^ \San Diego I Mark While and former Texas
Gov. William Clements, who re
couped the office in the November elections. One of the central issues was the creation of a free trade zone with
\ Tijuana^
Las Cruces
Nogales
Nogales
Mexico, that is, the establishment of a 200-mile swath on both sides
San Antonio Chihuahua
of the border, where people, goods and money could flow freely.
This is, by no means, a new idea.
A piece of legislation known as the "United States-Mexico Revitalization Act" was first introduced in
MEXICO Monterrey ^Brownsville M otamoros
Congress two years ago, sponsored by Rep. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.). As its main goal, the bill would VOL. IV, No. 22, 1986
A proposed 200 mile free trade zone: might open up more than Just economic opportunities. Apr
fiVSfflf^ /lilffjflfcvi
of production will be owned by the
people."^
ly alter the social power structure and the very socioeconomic system itself.
theology'' characterizes Hispanics as the
Lest anyone doubt his radicalism,
Alinsky includes among the dedicatory pages of his Rules for Radicals an ac knowledgment of "the first radical known to man, who rebelled against the estab lishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom—Lucifed'
lAF—the Alinsky/Progressivist Sym
ating Hispanic immigrants or their de scendants. This brand of "liberation
"Liberation Theology" in Practice. Catholic support of Alinskyism in the 1940s originated from an escalating con cern over the "social question," a hold over from nineteenth-century liberal Catholicism. Since the 1960s, the picture has changed. Shaken to its foundations by the post-Conciliar crisis, the Church
"poor" and the Anglo-American sys tem as the "oppressive structure." This "Mestizaje theology" is the doctrinary vehicle through which much of the progressivists' pastoral work with Hispanics
is being done.'® Sanctuary, the Open Floodgate. Not satisfied with the natural flow of illegal
biosis. To carry out his plans for revo lution in the U.S., Alinsky founded the
has seen the birth of an increasing num ber of pernicious doctrines. One of them
Industrial Areas Foundation (lAF) in
is the "liberation theology." Its found
Hispanic immigrants, several church groups have organized an "underground
1940, and, in the late 1960s, the lAF Training Institute, which was to serve, in his own words, as a "school for pro fessional radicals." Indeed, much of the leftist agitation of past decades can be
er, Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, was cited by the Holy See as having elaborated a
railroad" to smuggle Central American refugees into the U.S. and then offer
traced to the lAF's influence.
Since his first steps on the rough-andtumble road of social revolution, Alinsky
enjoyed the accolade of the "Catholic
"perversion" of theology.^
them "sanctuary" inside church build
Developed by Fr. Gutierrez and other Latin American radical theologians, "liberation theology" transposes certain theological notions of society in order to
ings. Strange railroad this, with only the
offer a "religious" rationale that justi fies revolution. People who would other
"refugees," who are carefully screened. Most of them are persons already active in some sort of progressivist/leftist agi
left." His earliest endeavor—the "or
wise reject communism are thus lulled
ganizing" of the Chicago Back of the Yards slum—could not have been pos
into an essentially Marxist position. Transposing the doctrine of sin to soci ety, "liberation theology" develops the
sible without progressivist support. With out the Church, or at least some elements of it, it was unlikely that he would have succeeded. With the support of Chica
notion of "sinful social structures" (i.e.
private property, capitalism, etc.). Just
Sanctuary activists even go so far as to travel to Central America to recruit these
tation in their own countries and, upon being recruited by Sanctuary activists, commit themselves to becoming involved in similar actions once in the U.S. As a well-known conservative author writes:
"oppress" the "poor," who are identi fied as the "people of God" and the pri
"The real goal of the movement is to achieve guerrilla victories in Central America and to bring the 'revolution'
Alinsky even allowing organizational
mary recipients of the benefits of Our
home—to the United States.""
meetings.^ Later Bishop Sheil helped
Lord's Redemption. Just as man should liberate himself from sin, the "poor"
Indeed, what exactly does the "Cath olic left" have planned for the U.S.? Everything seems to indicate that it is
go's Bishop Sheil, an overwhelming majority of parish priests were backing
Alinsky establish contact with Catholic millionaire Marshall Field III, who provided the seed money for the lAF.
as sin enslaves man, sinful structures
left track!
should "liberate" themselves from the shackles of sinful social structures. In its
olic left," organized the famous grape
most radical forms, this "liberation" in cludes open warfare. This is what happened in Nicaragua. Basically, the "Catholic left," armed with "liberation theology" and Basic Christian Communities, came to the res cue of a dying Marxist guerrilla move
strike and boycott in California, which
ment, thus breathing new life into it and
Alinsky Theories and Border IVoubles. In the 1960s, this symbiosis proved to be an explosive mixture. Alinsky's top dis ciple, Cesar Chavez, under lAF guidance and with the full support of the "Cath
galvanized the American left for almost
ultimately providing it with the basis and
three years.^
stamina to topple the government. Could the Alinsky/progressivist symbiosis in the U.S. have similar potential? Certain segments of the "Catholic left" in the U.S. are already developing
This first attempt to organize a large
ly Hispanic peasantry using Alinsky tac tics and the organizational base and spiritual authority of Church elements for long-term social purposes proved to be highly successful. The formula was transplanted to Texas in the 1970s. Be ginning with the San Antonio Citizens Organized for Public Service (COPS),
a "Mestizaje theology" aimed at liber-
RULES
Texas witnessed the sprouting of a whole network of similar organizations, curi
FORS
ous mixtures of Alinsky-type pressure
groups and Basic Christian Communities (BCCs), in which lAF "organizers" were
1. The Washington Post, 6/22/86.
2. Palmer Stacy and Wayne Lutton, The frnmigration Time Bomb,The American Immigra
tion Control Foundation, Alexandria, 1985, p. 56. 3. Ibid., p. 42. 4. Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals. Vintage
Books, New York, 1972, page 148. 5. Saul Alinsky,/?evet7/e/or Books, New York, 1969, p. 25.
ige
6. Cf. P. David Finks, The Radical Vision of Saul Alinsky, Paulist Press, New York, 1984. 7. Cf. Ralph de Toledano, Little Cesar, An them, 1971. 8. Cf. The lAF Network in Texas, series of 13
essays in the Upper Valley Times, Mission, Tex. 7/6/82 through 12/28/83.
9. Letter of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to the bishops of Peru, Nov. 1984.
Culture, Mexican American Cultural Center, San Antonio, Tex., 1975, and id., Mestizaje, ibid.,
called in by progressive priests and of
1978.
membership and support.^
needy, the long-term goal is to profound
problems whose solution requires, above all, wisdom, balance and common sense.
10. Cf. Rev. Virgilio Elizondo, Christianity and
fered the use of the parish to build up Drawing heavily—although not exclu sively—on the Hispanic population, this network is a growing political power in Texas. Under the pretext of helping the
prepared to add fuel to the already ex plosive and delicate border problems-
11. Cf. Rael Jean Isaac, "Sanctuary Scoun
drels," The American Spectator, April 1986, p. Alinsky's classic handbook.
20. Also cf. Samuel T, Francis; The Sanctuary Movement:Smuggling Revolution, The Ameri can Immigration Control Foundation, Monterey Va., 1986.
■ TFP Newsletter
NEWS
DIGEST
Divorce and Disenchantment With the number of divorces topping a million every year in the United States, lawyers are noting a trend they
The Reincarnation of
Jerry Brown
find hard to explain. Many marriages, perhaps as many
Yet one more noted personality has entered the scene
as a third, are breaking up today, marking ends to what were perfectly good marriage relationships. According to New York lawyer Eleanor B. Alter, an expert in matrimonial law, the trend is primarily a middleand upper-class phenomenon and often involves couples
to decry the emptiness in contemporary American and world politics and to condemn the plague of Western
who have been happily married for 15, 20 or 30 years
and longer. Many even admit that they consider their mar riages to have been good and that the husband and wife
materialism and secularism.
Following in actress Shirley MacLaine's footsteps, former California Governor Jerry Brown is proposing yet
another brand of spirituality. Recently, he has surfaced in Japan, where he has been undergoing a course in Zen
Common reasons cited for such divorces: a new-found
Buddhism. In an interview in Los Angeles Times, Mr. Brown indicated that he was also considering a trip to In dia where he might work with Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
romance or simply the insatiable desire to avoid boredom. Ms. Alter claims that oftentimes people are seduced by
ters, Brown traveled to Japan, where his Zen studies were
still share mutual respect.
After experiencing a revived interest in spiritual mat
the glamour of others or they simply feel that their spouse
undertaken under the direction of two Jesuit priests. Near
is not quite "up to them" anymore. While this was once limited to men, more and more
ly 100 people, many from Europe, have joined the form er governor in meditation at the house of Zen mentor
women are joining those disenchanted with their "nor
Kyozo Yamada, whom Brown describes as the only Bud
mal" marriages.
dhist teacher with links in the Catholic world.
Tragically, the ease with which a divorce can be ob tained has created a mentality that clashes with the indissolubility of marriage taught by Catholic morals. Today's
"disposable" marriages no longer safeguard the family or promote social stability and responsibility. Rather, di vorce has come to be accepted as "normal," to the point where even longstanding couples suddenly split up in search of something better.
The 49-year-old former Jesuit seminarian claims that the time has arrived for old antagonisms in the world to co-exist. According to his mentor, Zen is a methodology that could reinvigorate the Christian experience. "I don't see any reason why antagonists such as the So viet Union and America, capitalists and communists, can't
find some new synthesis, some way of existing," he said. Apparently this principle of co-existence applies to the unreconcilable of gnostic Buddhism, which proposes the
Welcome to a Nightmare
extinction of self and the senses, and Christianity, which perfects and elevates man.
As rock music convulses forward, even the most ab
surd and horrifying "music" is finding its way on the charts and record counters across the nation. From punk
The Terrorist International
rock to gore rock to heavy metal rock, everything goes in this primitive fantasy world. Like the drug culture it spawned, rock lives on ever-increasing doses of the ex
of their respective countries. However, observers of the
travagant, the outrageous and the violent. One of the latest developments of rock is the appear
movements are finding that most are neither nationalists nor liberators. Evidence is surfacing that Latin American
ance of a high-velocity, violent heavy metal rock. Parti
guerrillas are forming a type of terrorist international dedi
sans have yet to label it, but some are calling it thrash metal in homage to its violent velocity. Others prefer death
cated to radical Marxist change under the tutelage of Cuba and Nicaragua. Some 27 leftist rebel groups with an alleged 25,000
or black metal to stress its macabre themes. With names
like Slayer, Metallica, Venom and Nuclear Assault, black metal is easily the most explosive pop phenomenon going. Its appearance comes at a time when critics are sound ing the alarm against the occult imagery and satanic-laced messages found in popular songs. The black metal move ment goes far beyond a mere flirtation with the occult: It glories in it. Some record companies have even declined to touch it, fearing the consequences. Unmistakable lyrics like those in Slayer's "Hell Awaits" leave little room for doubt as to its message: "Crucify the so-called Lord/ He soon shall fall to me," reads the song. "Satanic laws pre vail/ Your life is through" can be found in another passage.
Despite such lyrics, performers of the new trend have
Latin American guerrilla groups have traditionally mas
queraded as nationalist groups dedicated to the liberation
members are now operating in nine Latin American coun tries. According to Gen. John R. Galvin at the military
staff headquarters in Quarry Heights, Panama, "These guys are getting resourcing and organizing from outside" in the form of money and advice from Nicaragua and Cuba {New York Times, 3/3/87). Military experts claim that an international coordinat
ing committee appears to have been formed in Novem ber 1985 in Colombia to pool information and resources.
Moreover, holding to their distorted belief that everything favoring revolution is moral, guerrillas are protecting drug traffickers and even entering the lucrative business them selves to finance their revolutions.
laughed off links with satanism by claiming they only seek to represent reality. Meanwhile, some not-so-amused par
Increasing evidence of such cooperation is mounting. In early 1986, for example, a joint force of Colombian,
ents and even police investigating links between satanic cults and heavy metal music are not laughing. Why are the youth following such models? Perhaps no others are
Ecuadorian, Venezuelan and Peruvian terrorists tried to
being offered.
isolated attacks on American troops training in Honduras.
Vol. IV, No. 22, 1987
overrun a town in southwestern Colombia.
U.S. officials fear that these groups might try to mount
PRESERVED for three centuries in the Sanctuary of Saint Damian in
The
the Agony, and
Assisi, the marvelous crucifix of Friar In
nocent has been the constant object of piety for travelers. Let us, then, have recourse to it for our Holy Week meditation.
Long ago, in the year 1630, Friar Innocent de Palermo, a humble Franciscan friar, resolved to sculpt a crucifix in ebony. He began with the body, giving it the
desired form. But he left for the end the face, that is, the most difficult part of the task. What aspect should he give to it? Thefriar's perplexity was profound and
weighty. One night, he went to his bed with a soul heavy with uncertainty concern ing the matter. The next morning, when he went to see the work he had left un-
WHAT could bring Thee, O Lord, to smile from the height of the Cross? Amid the sufferings that torment Thee from head to foot, what a bewil dering contradiction is this smile, which appears so sweet, so gentle, so tender,
half-opening Thy lips and illuminating Thy countenance. Above all, O Lord,
how great the contradiction between the abyss of moral suffering that fills Thy Heart and that most delicate and authen
tic joy which reveals itself on Thy Face! Against Thee, a whole ocean of ignominy and human misery has been released. There was no insult or calumny that Thou wert spared. Thou didst preach the Kingdom of Heaven, and Thy preach ings were rejected because of the vile appetite for the things of this earth. The
World, the Flesh and the Devil, in infa mous revolt against Thee, brought Thee to the gibbet, and there Thou dost await death.
And yet Thou dost smile! For what reason?
Thy eyelids are almost closed. Almost
. . . but Thou canst still see something. And what thou seest, O Lord, is the greatest marvel of creation, the master piece of Thy Heavenly Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a soul that possesses the greatest beauty possi
I
L
ble for a soul, a soul exceedingly rich and upright in its nature, endowed with all
Smiling.
In Agony.
the gifts of grace, and sanctified by con tinual and perfect correspondence to all those gifts! Thou seest Mary. Thou seest our Mother. And, amid all the horrors in which Thou art immersed, such is
will adore Thee at the foot of the Cross
Humble, on bended knee, knowing myself to be unworthy, I nonetheless im
until the day of Judgment. Thou seest the Holy Catholic Church, Thy Spouse.
plore that this might be. Thou didst not
And, seeing this. Thou dost smile with that smile so immensely sad and jubilant,
expel the publican from the Temple (cf. Luke 18:6-20). Through the prayers of
the most sweet and most compassionate smile of all History. The Gospel never shows Thee smiling,
contrite and grief-stricken sinner. Direct to me from the top of the Cross some
Thou seest Mary. And, at the side of the Faithful Virgin, Thou seest the
O Lord. And only souls who do not
small portion of Thy ineffable smile,
know the world's dissolute and vulgar
O good Jesus.
heroes of fidelity: the Virgin-Apostle and the Holy Women, the fidelity of inno
laughter and who tremble before it pos
cence and the fidelity of penitence. Thy gaze, to which all is present, sees even
Among the myriad of souls who, fol lowing Mary, are at the foot of the Cross and toward whom Thou smilest, am I
the marvel that Thou seest that Thou
dost smile affectionatelyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in order to encourage her, to communicate to her something of Thy joy, to tell her of Thy infinite and sublime love.
more: Through the course of the centu ries, Thou seest all the faithful souls that
Mary, do not turn away from Thee a
sess the secret of smiles like unto this!
also among their number, O Lord?
^SSSiS&SSSsSS^SSS8SSS&!SlS&SS3SSISs
e Death of the Son of God
It is the hour of the supreme triumph
of iniquity. It is also the hour of extreme
mercy, of unexpected and miraculous conversions. The soul of the Good Thief awaits Thee in limbo. And millions and
finished, hefound it unexpectedly completed, endowed with a marvelousface by an unknown artist.
millions of souls, by the infinite merits of Thy last agony, by the imperative val
It was a face that harmoniously fused delicacy, manliness, and a supernatural or of the tears of Mary, will be converted unction, making it worthy of having been the mysterious nocturnal work of an throughout the centuries as they medi angel. According to the place where the observer stands, he can see on this face tate on this step of Thy Passion. rich in aspects the Crucified Redeemer smiling, agonizing, or dead on the Cross. Among these souls, O Lord, place my own. Break the ice of my tepid will.
Destroy my contemptible concessions to the pomps and works of Satan. Make of me a child of Light—strong, pure,
dauntless, as terrible toward Thine ad versaries as an army in battle array. "By the tears of Mary, "By Thy last agony,
"Have compassion on me . . ."
All is finished: "Consummatum est"(John 19:30). Thy head hangs inert. A majestic peace—exceedingly sweet and divine—reveals itself in Thy whole Body. Thou art filled with peace, the Prince of Peace.
But around Thee, all is affliction and
perturbation. Extreme affliction in the Heart of Mary and in the handful of Thy faithful ones. Perturbation in the entire
universe. The sun is obscured, the earth trembles, the veil of the Temple is rent, the executioners flee. But Thou art in peace.
Yes, because all is consummated. Because iniquity unfolded its infamy unto the end. And because Thou didst
reveal even to the extreme Thy divine
perfection. By the superabundant merits of Thy
Passion and Death, it is given to i
At Death.
to know all the beauty of the Light a. all the horror of Darkness, so that they
i i T) Y the tears of Mary,
Jj "By the last agony, "Have compassion on me . . These so simple verses of an unpre tentious religious canticle touch me
profoundly. And they come to mind upon contemplating Thy Face in its last agony.
The last agony . . . how forceful
last and most profound bonds that link
might be children of Light and invin
the soul to the body. The last agony of a Body appallingly tormented . . . the agony of a Soul in which human perfidy caused every sor
cible enemies of Darkness.
row that can be conceived. It is the most
that since the dawn of Thy earthly life "kept all these words in her heart" con cerning Thee (cf. Luke 2:51). Immaculate Heart of Mary, Seat of
atrocious part of Thy Passion. Mary
Most Holy, who doth see and feel every
thing, weeps. The heavens become dark
At the foot of the Cross is Mary. What sublime meditations were made in the
Heart of her whom the Gospel narrates
is this expression! Each stage of the
ened. The earth seems on the verge of
Wisdom, communicate to me one spark,
agony is like an end in itself, from which
convulsing in horror. The foolish hubbub of the hostile mob attempts to impart its
however small it might be, of Thy most
springs forth not the final end, but yet
lucid and ardent meditation of the Pas
sion and Death of thy Son, my Redeemer,
from suffering to suffering, from one height to another, the extreme agony is
vulgarity to the sublime scene. Amid this, a cry of sorrow from Thy Heart rises to heaven: "My God, My God, why
so that I might guard it as a sacred
reached, where death finally breaks the
hast Thou forsaken Me?"(Matt. 27:46).
soul . . .
another even worse agony. And thus,
and purifying fire in the depths of my
iU'Xici;io\
Reflections on the Hunthausen Case For some time now,a heated debate has raged around events in the Arch diocese of Seattle. Claims of questionable and unorthodox practices by lay Catholics
with liturgical norms. Unfortunately, a total listing of such reported abuses would be too long to recount here.
* Public health and morals. The lack
of teaching of directives by the Holy See about contraception and sterilization. The frequent practice in an archdiocesan hospital of contraceptive sterilization for
reached such a crescendo that the Vatican
Complaining to the Vatican. Such
was prompted to begin an investigation of Archbishop Raymond G. Hunthausen.
abuses perplexed many of the faithful,
women.
The subsequent inquiry uncovered more than just the activities of one diocese, but
who were shocked by what they saw hap pening in their archdiocese. In letters to Rome, they conveyed their concerns, re
ical affirmation of Church doctrine on
rather a whole current of Catholics in
counted scandalous incidents, and asked
America that hold similar views.
for remedies. The flux of letters was such
The case is now before a special com mission appointed by the Vatican to ac
that the Vatican was forced to intervene.
cess criticism of the archbishop. An un
the Apostolic Nunciature last October 24,
easy silence hovers over the issue as both liberal supporters and concerned faith ful await an answer that will resound
the Holy See sought "to respond to the immense volume of complaints sent to Rome by priests, religious, and the faith
much farther than Seattle.
ful of the archdiocese."
In an official document published by
* Homosexuals. The lack of a categor the matter; links of the church with ho mosexual groups.
* Ex-priests. The employment of ex-
priests in educational tasks or in the pas toral ministry, and even in liturgical serv ices, a practice contrary to the norms of the Holy See. * Formation of the clergy. Doctrinal
irregularities in the following areas: Christology, Anthropology, the role
For the benefit of our readers, we
of the Magisterium, the nature of the
are presenting a summary of this im
Church and the priesthood, and
portant case, as well as some reflec
Moral Theology. As a result of the Apostolic Visit,
tions concerning it.
it was decidedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;with the accord of
Archbishop Hunthausenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that the
Vatican would name an auxiliary bishop who would have complete
Four hundred demonstrators gath er at the gale of Bangor Naval Base
and final authority over archdiocesan
in Washington to protest the pres
matters in the areas in question.
ence of the nuclear submarine, U.S.S.
Bishop Donald Wuerl was chosen for
Alaska. Chanting and carrying signs,
the task.
the gathering represents a veritable
At the request of members of the
menagerie of pacifist, ecologist, and so-called Catholic leftist groups. In
American hierarchy, the Holy See agreed to allow Archbishop Hunt hausen himself to delegate this au
the forefront of the protesters is a man of some 60 years, in a jacket
thority to the new auxiliary bishop.
and black beret. Only his white cler
However, after more than six
ical collar offers any indication of his
months, those faculties had not yet been conceded. Only upon the insist
priestly office. Few would suspect that this man is, in fact, Archbishop
ence of the Holy See did Archbishop Hunthausen feel himself obliged to follow this mandate. Throughout the
Raymond Hunthausen, the contro
versial archbishop of Seattle. The presence of the prelate in
marches of this sort is hardly unprec
Archbishop Raymond G. Hunthausen, center controversy.
edented. He is an avowed opponent of President Reagan's defense policies. Since 1982, he has even gone so far to withhold 50 percent of his taxes as a to ken of his protest. Such acts of civil dis obedience (besides being a grave infrac
tion of tax laws) are characteristic of the turbulent archbishop. His open participation in pacifist
course of the process, he affirmed that such a measure had not been
"ordered" by Rome. In a ' ' To do this, the Vatican initiated an in
quiry, naming Archbishop James Hickey of Washington D.C. as the Apostolic Visitor charged with investigating the al leged abuses in the Archdiocese of Seat
tle. At the request of Rome, the inquiry was to be secret.
After months of investigation, Arch
demonstrations and withholding of tax
bishop Hickey compiled a report, which,
moneys are not the only censurable acts of the archbishop. The Diocese of Seat
among other things, listed the following irregularities:
tle is sadly famous as the stage for numerous other abuses. For example, in 1983, Archbishop Hunthausen allowed
of unqualified persons in the tribunal, as well as ex-priests.
* Archdiocesan tribunal. The inclusion
the cathedral to be used for a Mass for
* Liturgy and sacraments. The con
the homosexual group with the mis nomer "Dignity." It is common to see
tinued use of general absolution; prac
the diocesan clergy, he would ci
to
,ay
that this action was in conformance with
the "desires of the Holy See." Manifest
ing a certain reluctance to accept the full extension of the Vatican's authority, he preferred to speak always of a process of "accord" between the Holy See and
himself, almost as if he were dealing with two equivalent powers. As was to be expected, the case soon
leaked to the press, and the Apostolic Visit to Seattle became public. To avoid even worse consequences, the two arch
bishops simultaneously issued state ments on the matter in both Seattle and
Washington.
tice of First Communion without First
"altar girls" serving Mass in diocesan
Confession; repeated cases of inter
parishes. The composition of unleavened
communion between Catholics and Pro
bread for the altar is frequently at odds
testants, and vice versa.
10
,f
A November Meeting. Last October 24, the Apostolic Nunciature published its official statement:"A Chronology of TFP Newsletter
ni:LHiio\
Recent Events in the Archdiocese of Seattle." That document summarized
stand the Supreme Court ruling that al
lows abortion; 51 percent favor legalizing
the findings of the Apostolic Visit. In face of this, Archbishop Hunthausen resolved to make a public defense of his position, a defense that at times became
homosexual relations between consenting
a vehement attack on the proceedings of
Church is crystal clear on the matter, a
the Holy See.
adults; 58 percent see nothing wrong with pre-marital sexual relations. Despite the fact that the Magisterium of the CBS News-New York Times poll claims
Hunthausen sent out a communique,
that 68 percent of American Catholics accept the use of contraceptives, and 73 percent would approve divorce and
whose contents differed substantially
remarriage.
with the Nunciature report. The prelate even promised to take the matter to the general meeting of the National Confer ence of Catholic Bishops(NCCB), which
The archbishop, as well as his support ers, has responded to criticism by point ing out that many of the practices con
was to take place shortly in Washington.
American dioceses. For example, critics claim that one of the censured practices,
Just three days after the publication of the Nunciature document, Archbishop
Surprisingly, the NCCB conceded the archbishop an ample forum to present
V TH^mLBToWE
demned in Seattle are common in many
the practice of receiving First Holy Com
The coat of arms of the archbishop of
Seattie. Thy will be done?
his defense and,consequently, to vent his
munion without First Confession, is fol
attacks on the Apostolic Nunciature and indirectly on the Holy See itself. On
lowed by a great number of priests in
for the Church to gain acceptance, one
many American dioceses. The same ex
November 11, the second day of the
cuse is proffered for the practice of
could pass over or minimize certain points of doctrine or even ascribe to
meeting, his letter of defense was dis tributed to each bishop as well as to
general absolution. Under the pretense
them meanings that the Church has
that the widespread practice of an abuse conveys to it an air of legitimacy, Cath
never held.
representatives of the press. Moreover, the archbishop aired his views in a long
21-page discourse in plenary session. A February 9 statement by the ProNuncio's office in Washington announced that the Vatican had appointed a panel of three U.S. bishops to review condi
olic liberals are asking: Why was the archbishop singled out? Uncertain Future. There are those who
think that, as a consequence of the meas
support of the archbishop forced the Vatican appointment. Others are hopeful that the panel will confirm the conclu sion of the Apostolic Visitor. Everyone
simply resolved.
agrees that the case is far from settled.
The incident brings to mind a historic precedent from the end of the last cen tury, when a doctrinal and religious
Church observers believe that reaction in
Grave Implications. The scope of the
In the letter "Testem Benovelentiae," addressed to Cardinal Gibbons and dated
ures taken by the Holy See in the Arch diocese of Seattle, the problem will simply "go away." However, the Hunthausen case has brought to the surface profound undercurrents challenging Church au thority that refuse to be ignored or so
tions in the Archdiocese of Seattle. Some
Upon studying the matter, Leo XIII decided to openly confront the problem. January 22, 1899, the Pontifice paternal
ly exposed the errors of this current, their grave consequences, and the alarming tendency towards the development of a national Church.
The letter put an end to a bitter con troversy that had been churning for near
ly ten years, particularly in the Catholic press. In response, the American bishops expressed their adhesion to the Holy See and their unqualified acceptance of the teaching set forth in the letter. Later,
case of Archbishop Hunthausen goes be
movement of liberal and naturalist inspi
with the aim of cutting the evil at its
yond that of an individual bishop. It em
ration labeled Americanism was begin
roots, the great Pope Saint Pius X care fully appointed a number of U.S. bishops who would oppose this error.
braces a series of attitudes and positions ning to gain ground among certain secof a growing number of clergy and lay 'tors of the American clergy and laity. men who are increasingly at odds with Among other teachings, the current
With the case of Archbishop Hunt
hausen as well as the errors spread throughout American Catholic circles, the Holy See has taken some affinmtive
the traditional morals and norms of
held that the Church should adapt Her
Holy Church.
self to the world and relax Her ancient
For example, according to a recent Gallup poll taken last fall, some 41 per
Christian living but also the very deposit
positions. However, many amon
cent of American Catholics would let
of faith. Moreover, its adherents felt that
faithful continue to await the kinu oi
rigor in matters not only concerning
firm attitude shown by Leo XIII and Saint Pius X.
There is no doubt that many American Catholics were relieved to see the meas
ures adopted by the Holy See in Seattle. However, if the intervention of Rome re mains restricted only to this, the ques tion arises as to whether the balsam and
salves applied to the wound will cure the
cancer of progressivism in Catholic America. Or is some more aggressive and far-reaching remedy necessary?
In the words of the archbishop himself
in his address to the American bishops in November: "There are some major
questions which will not go away, no matter how much we might wish they Media coverage of the Hunthausen case. Many questions remain unanswered.
Vol. IV, No. 22, 1987
would."
â&#x2013;
South Africa: Education
and
Intimidation Black education—the future of South Africa.
WHILE everyone is unanimous in denouncing South Africa's dis
integrating apartheid system, the solu tion to the country's complex racial woes is far from clear.
If distorted media myths are to be be
lieved, all South African whites are op pressors of a black majority living in
headlines. The black man in the street is
* A boycott imposed by the United
often the victim of the very revolution
Democratic Front forbids making pur chases from all white shops. Anyone sus
that claims to represent him. Close scru tiny of the black revolutionary move ment indicates that it is neither spon taneous nor popular, but rather a care
pected of disobeying the dictate is liable to have his goods confiscated and burned. One poor woman was forced to
fully planned blueprint for change in
consume the entire contents of her mod
South Africa.
est purchase—a bottle of cooking oil.
She died the next day as a result. * Delivery vans bringing supplies to
overthrowing the government at all costs—even by means of violence. It is almost futile to cite facts or statis
This conclusion is substantiated by a document signed and notarized by a brave group of six teachers who taught in Soweto, the black neighborhood ad joining Johannesburg. In their "Appeal
tics to counter these myths. Liberals
to the Members and Friends of the
this, people are expected to make all their
apathetically listen to talk of the enor
American TFP Society," these high
mous difference between the standard of
school teachers asked that the plight of black children and youth, especially those
purchases in the township! * The gangs defy all protocol and fa mily sentiments by forcibly usurping
in Soweto, be made known to others. For fourteen months, these teachers
and industry are greeted with skepticism
complete control of the funerals of those killed in the violence. The traditional
saw their work among black students in
and disregard. The struggle for control of this stra tegic country lies not in facts, but in im ages. In this war, an embittered black militant with a clenched fist flashed
Soweto severely disrupted by black rev olutionaries of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS), later re named Sowetan Students' Congress. In the second half of 1985, efforts to keep the school opened were thwarted by gangs of youths who, through a barrage
funereal procedures, so important in black culture, are totally ignored.
of "missions" of vengeance, where the suspect may be burned or subjc '^^d to
of threats of arson and of death, finally
the infamous "necklace" methoi..
succeeded in closing the school. This was
ecution.
utter misery and clamoring for libera
tion. The oversimplified solution lies in
living of South African blacks and those in the rest of black Africa. Reports of expanding black education, health care,
across Western television screens carries
more weight than any constructive initia tive toward reform. The adept portray al of a wealthy white landowner can be used to engrave the idea that the entire white minority remains intolerant. Ob
scure black revolutionaries urging revolt and "civil rights" can be made into
"heroes" practically overnight. Amid the largely orchestrated violence
Soweto have been a prime target of the "comrades." Such vans have been
stoned, burned, and looted. Yet, despite
Strangers are forced to swell the ranks
of the jubilant and rowdy "mourners"
who turn the event into a political rally. * Anyone may find himself a victim
no isolated case: More than three hun
dred such schools were forced to close, following this general pattern. Many of the schools later reopened after the
declaration of a state of emergency.
Organizing the School Boycott. "Be
cause of the reign of terror they have es tablished through threats and deeds, it was relatively easy for these 'comrades'
to make a success of the boycott," the
convulsing parts of the country, nobody seems to question the media images. Nor
deplores the fact that children are being
are they critical of either the Marxist
"Some students were beaten up; hardly
placed in the forefront of mob violence
a day passed at our school without some
orientation or the shocking terror tactics employed by many black opposition
through the use of every form of psycho
tearful and frightened child reporting
logical and physical intimidation.
that his or her books had been confis
The Politics of Terror. The document
teachers claim.
members. Instead, everyone climbs on
According to the Sowetan document,
the South African sanctions bandwagon,
COSAS has been reputed to employ a
were attacked while coming to school by
urgently demanding radical change.
number of terror tactics aimed exclu
bus one day; the bus was stoned and our
sively at the black population: A Poignant Appeal. The real picture behind the violence in South Africa goes
means of stone-throwing at vehicles, es
beyond media images and newspaper
pecially buses and taxis.
12
* Street toughs rule the streets by
cated, torn up or burnt. Our students
scholars were promised a thorough beat ing up. "Many school buildings were set on fire. In the area where we are located, TFP Newsletter
lA'TERAVl TlOfV.i L
stop them."
people. However, the fact that millions of black people from other independent
must be understood that the final matric
Chaos in the Schools. "Threats to white teachers have become very serious,
into this country in search of work must give the lie that this country is a tyranny
ulation examination in South Africa
so much so that a number of them can
intolerable to live in.
must be passed as [a prerequisite for] en
not continue with their educational tasks.
"Moreover, since 1979, the present
trance to a university, to teacher train
These are made impossible because the
government has embarked on a policy of
ing and nursing, to many other
militant objectives of the revolutionaries
institutions of tertiary education, and to any of the belter jobs."
run counter to those of the liberal educa
reform. . . . Those changes which were considered to be of supreme importance
as many as five schools had been sub jected to serious attacks of arson. "The boycott of the 1985 final exami nations was particularly malicious. It
power, because no one seems able to
African states have never ceased to flock
tion the teachers try to give their children. "The situation has been critical, dan
to justice ten years ago are now dismissed by the revolutionary forces as 'minor,' 'window dressing,' or 'cosmetic.' Every
Appeals for Help. "We wondered if
gerous, and of the greatest disadvantage
some influential black leader or Church
to the black children, who now are all
leader would speak up to condemn this kind of activity so that people could live
being subjected to Marxist indoctrina tion in the schools and are being mobi
their lives in peace," the document con
lized for revolution and the takeover of
tinues. "But no one seemed willing. "Even Church leaders[who are] high
a Marxist government.
ly esteemed seemed either afraid of the consequences if they spoke up, or they themselves supported and condoned this type of violence and terrorism. We hope
near their environs continues to pour in,
place. "We therefore ask your fervent prayers
such as the wanton destruction of vehi
that God and Our Lady would bring this
"News of vandalism at schools and
effort seems to be made to stop the re form movement, as this would wrest from the revolutionaries their pretexts
for making a concerted power bid to overthrow the government and take its
cles of all kinds. We heard, too, of a
dreadful situation to a speedy end, and
great deal of infighting amongst the stu
that you would use your influence to in
that someone or some influential people
dents and pupils themselves, between
form the people of your country what is
beyond our borders will speak up and save the people from so much injustice and suffering. Most of the ordinary working people, fathers and mothers of
'comrades' and non-comrades, between
going on in ours, and to disabuse their
rival 'comrade' gangs, and between
minds of the kind of disinformation we
their beleaguered children have gone
filiation, known as the Gabaza gangs.
through the grimmest of times in terms of daily anxiety and fear.
'comrades' and other pupils and danger
understand is being disseminated about
ous roving gangs with a mysterious af
the state of affairs in South Africa."
"Teachers and teaching authorities
End Justifies the Means. The poign
have been threatened. . .. There was
ant plea of the Sowetan teachers serves
"We feel that if the churches would
harassment and threatening of teachers
to illustrate the tragic yet untold story of
play a positive role in condemning the
that if any pupil was not automatically
South Africa today.
forces and acts of revolutionary intimi
promoted to a higher grade, whether he
Few people protest against the terror
dation and criminality, as well as the psy
had passed the examination or not, or
chological warfare engaged in and the
even whether he had written the exami
tactics of the young comrades. Howev er, when the government proclaimed a
vast extent of disinformation both here
nation or not, those teachers would be
state of emergency which significantly
and abroad, it would be so much easier
burnt alive."
curtailed their activities, the cries of pro test arose from all corners. In a similar
to contain the unrest, save the young readers
manner, when the government arrested
should not think, however, that the
some of the troublemakers the media
whole of Soweto is in a constant stale of turmoil and in flames. There are several
cruelty to minors and children.
trouble spots where unrest constantly flares up. But most of the township
Missing from the headlines is the un told suffering of millions of intimidat
(which is about 30 sq. miles in area) re mains in a state of uneasy quiet, with the
ed blacks who do not agree with the
some of us experience as evil of a super natural kind. It is no surprise, then, that
inhabitants living in a state of constant
minorities who terrorize their neighbor
some of the people of Soweto speak of the 'comrades' as having supernatural
stress and intimidation. No one is dam
hoods. Since they are not part of the revolution, they have no voice in tl ternational community.
people's lives, as well as preserve prop erty running into millions from wanton destruction.
"At least, we ask the prayers of all
people of good will, knowing that we are facing something that is not purely flesh and blood, but something that
Uncertain
Future. "Our
aged more by this state of affairs than are our hapless
By an extreme act of wishful thinking, optimistic Western protesters are hoping
the future 'freedom'
that from the morass of radical leftist
offered by the ruth less strategists of
groups involved in the violence, a moder ate democratic government respecting all
looks
races and tribes will emerge. How many
bleak if the methods
times in the past have such hopes been frustrated in countries like Vietnam, Nic aragua and Iran!
the
ANC
they use to achieve it are so unspeaka
bly horrible. "In no way do we condone the un
VOL. IV, No. 22, 1987
socialist goals of the radical leftist
"The promise of
black children.
Radical groups would refuse to let black education advance.
was full of stories about South African
If the leaders of the so-called black
liberation movements are really serious
about change in South Africa, let them
just policy of apart
renounce the use of terror tactics and
heid initiated more
completely disassociate themselves from
than 38 years ago, with its attendant
the Marxist ideology that has brought and continues to bring untold misery
sufferings and hard
upon huge portions of the world pop
ships for so many
ulation.
â&#x2013; 13
Canine Bequest
Glasnost in Canada
The AIDS Future
With the launching of Gorbachev's In a bleak forecast, doctors in San much-heralded policy of openness, Fransisco are predicting a terrifying dogs' home to be cut up and fed to dubbed "glasnost," one would think outbreak of the AIDS epidemic in the the residents Is yet one more tragic that a new era of friendship and trust near future. denial of human dignity characteris hod begun. Apparently, Russian According to the San Francisco tic of our times. operatives in Montreal have yet to AIDS Task Force, that city alone Lord Eric Avebury, a former mem receive the word. faces 20,000 cases bv 1992, an es ber of Parliament, drew up a will in In mid-January, a small fire was timate one official ca lied "conserva which he donated his organs to med reported by neighbors of the Soviet tive." Officials believe that 1 million ical research. However, tne remaining Consulate in Montreal. When fire to 1.5 million Americans are presently fighters appeared on the scene, infected with the virus and that at or the Dogs' Home in Battersea. Soviet officials refused to let them least 20 to 30 percent of these will "There will be legs and arms and enter for some 15 minutes. Once In actually be stricken with the disease things like that which are not very side, Soviet guards accompanied the within the next five years. much use to medical research," the frustrated firemen and refused them One of the particularly alarming former Liberal peer said. entrance to all rooms. After 50 min findings of the San Francisco study As a recent convert to Buddhism, utes, Fire Chief Yvon Bineault or was the fact that 25 percent of those he said his wishes were In keeping dered his men outside, and the build who had been infected for six years with his new beliefs and made eco ing was allowed to burn. Had the have contracted the disease and an logical sense (The Sacramento Bee, men been allowed free access, Mr. additional 40 percent have AIDS1/23/87). Bineault said he believed the build related conditions(ARC). The number ing would have been saved. of people who contract AIDS seems Of Bombs and Bikes ooviet spokesman Igor Lobanov to dramatically increase after five defended the staff's behavior as a years, which has caused medical offi Bikes not Bombs, a new private means to protect documents. "It's cials to readjust their formerly conser roup based in Washington, D.C., quite legitimate to take proper meas vative estimates. This has led some as been organized to send bicycles ures to save these documents. Every researchers to suggest that everyone to Nicaragua's Marxist regime. The diplomatic mission has this prime infected with the AIDS virus will ulti two-wheeled transports are being purpose." mately come down with AIDS or ARC. viewed as a helpful supplement to the Such un-g/osnost-like attitudes lead Hind Mi-24 helicopters supplied by to legitimate doubts about the real Death Penalty Popular the Soviets. purpose of the Montreal mission. According to group volunteers, bi Ten years after the reinstatement of cycles ore rare commodities In the More Abortion Horrors the death sentence, the measure con countryâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a fact attributed to the U.S. tinues to be popular among Ameri trade embargo and not the hopeless Swedish scientists ore developing cans concerned about increasing ly inefficient socialist regime. The research that will lead to the first crime rates and lenient sentences for shipment of the bicyles is seen as a transplant of human brain tissue us offenders. goodwill gesture to help poor peo ing "spare part" tissue from unborn According to a recent Gallup poll, ple become more mobile. aborted baoies. The horrendous op 86 percent of Americans support the If emigration trends in Nicaragua eration Is yet one more barrier being death penalty In general, nfty-six continue, there will certainly be no cast aside by the medical estab percent of those polled think the lack of fleeing refugees wanting to lishment. death penalty should be used only in become more "mobile." Original research was done in certain cases such as murder of ^ Sweden where public debate over dren, police officers, or multiple moi Animal Crazy abortion is minimal. After tests with ders. Forty-seven percent felt that it laboratory animals, scientists now should be applied for crimes other A recent survey in the February want to remove brain cells from than murder. edition of Opf/ons, a general interest 10-month-old unborn babies and in Slightly more than half said it magazine publishecT in the U.K., ject them into the patient's brain. The should be imposed in rape cases; shows to what extent the British ido cells would supposedly take root in about one-third cited child molesta lize their pets. the patient's brain and compensate tion or abuse; 20 percent said trea According to the article, one per for deficiencies. son, and 14 percent said drug son in 10 considers their pets more Scientists all over the West are dealing. important to their happiness than hoping to explore the possibility of When asked why they favor the their spouses; 21 percent prefer ani using these techniques for several death penalty, some 42 percent of mals over children; one-third value nervous disorders, the ethical ques respondents said it was'to protect animals over their jobs. Moreover, tion of using aborted fetuses will be society from future crimes that per Englis wants to bequeath his corpse to a
f)arts of his body will be used as food
16 percent consider pets more impor tant than their health, and 94 percent prefer playing with their pets to watching television.
one of the matters to be discussed at
sons might commit." Support for the
an international medical symposium to be held at the University of Rochester in July (London Times, 1/18/87).
death penalty crossed all religious, educational, economic, and regional differences.
TFP Newsletter
PKOIMIETS, iMAKTVRS. SAINTS AAU ilEltOES
The Epic History of Saint Joan of Arc IN times when all natural leadership
fied her, and Benedict XV canonized her
France. After Charles VI went mad, his
and recourses fail, God often raises
in 1920. Her feast day is celebrated on May 30.
spouse Isabella of Bavaria and the Duke
The victory of France against the coa lition of the English and Burgundians
the Treaty of Troyes with the English,
plays a highly providential role in the history of the Church. The Pseudo-
and recognized Henry V as regent of the
up from humble ranks heroes and her oines who triumph despite all odds. One such case is that of Saint Joan of Arc, who saved France from the throes of de featism and inertia and carried her na
tion to victory over the English invader. Today, Saint Joan of Arc is a model for the West, which analogously suffers from pacifism and inaction in face of
which handed over France to England
French kingdom. With the entrance of this enemy into
Reformation was about to be born, and
"English" France would be a Protestant
Paris, the Dauphin Charles, the legiti
France. Who could surmise the setback
mate heir to the crown, was obliged to
that Christendom would have suffered
flee into the provinces of outer-Loire. When,in 1428, the English troops encir cled Orleansâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the key city of the region â&#x20AC;&#x201D;everyone realized that the days of the
demonstrates that those who act with
from this? The mission of Saint Joan of Arc should be considered above all from
faith, audacity, and love of God carry
this supernatural point of view.
the Soviet menace. Her shining example
of Burgundy, Philip the Good, signed
future Charles VII were numbered.
the day.
To save France, God raised a young
shepherdess, ignorant of all the ways of Rouen, May 30, 1431. After shrewdly resisting the contumacious interroga tion of an iniquitous tribunal for three months, a young woman who had saved the kingdom of France was burned alive on the Place de Vieux-Marche: This
youth was Saint Joan of Arc, la Pucelle (the Maid). In 1909 Saint Pius X beati
In the fifteenth century, France was
the world, confiding to her a mission
passing through a critical phase of her history. Rouen was being held by the English, and all Normandy had also
completely foreign to the common activi ties of her sex. In response to a call from heaven, she was transformed into a war
fallen into their hands. In the Battle
rior, donning military dress, and traveled
of Agincourt the finest flower of French nobility was decimated. The conquer or, Henry V of England, had married
through enemy territory toward Chinon, where she sought the dauphin in order
Catherine, daughter of Charles VI of
to convince him of the holy mission she had received through the voices that she
The magnificent Qothic Cathedral of Rheims
where Charles
Vli
was
crowned king of France on July 17, 1429 (/off).
Famous portrait of Charles VII by Fouquet (right).
The humble house where Saint Joan
of Arc was born Is preserved today as a national monument (below).
VOL. IV. NO. 22, 1987
IS
rROPHKTS, IMIITVKS, S.II YTS .1 Vl> HEROES
heard. Corresponding fully to her voca tion, she affirmed: "I was born for this!" For she was "sent by God to save France" In only eight days (May 1-8, 1429),
questions were filled with wisdom. Once they questioned her: "Do you believe that you are in the grace of God?" (If
she replied that she were not, this would
Saint Joan of Arc freed Orleans. She
confirm that her revelations were not
achieved a fulminating victory over the English armies at Patay and led the dau phin to Reims, where he was crowned king on July 17. At the height of her vic tories, Saint Joan of Arc,
from heaven; if she said that she were, this would be uttering a heresy). She responded simply: "If I am not, may
Poitiers, I was examined by persons from the Church. Send someone to Poit
iers to gel the documents of the trial."
Every time that she mentioned this epi sode, the judges changed the subject, for the fact that the Saint had been examined
and vindicated by the tribunal of Poiti ers greatly inconvenienced the Rouen court.
On another occasion, they offered the Maid an adviser, to be chosen from
speaking with her fellowcountrymen of Domr^my,
the judges that made up the
was asked from whence her
tribunal and who were all friends of Cauchon. She
audacity came. She re sponded: "I fear only treachery." In fact, the Saint was to fall through that treachery which she so greatly feared. The first great traitor against the French crown was the king himself, Charles VII, who allowed
responded: "Concerning the adviser that you have offered me, I thank you, but I have no intention of
swerving from the counsel of Our Lord."
One time the judges asked her if God hated the
English, to which the Saint
himself to be overcome by his inertia and thus to
observed: "As for the love or hatred God feels for the
abandon the heroine to
English, I do not know.
her fate in her attempt to take Paris, as well as in her
that they will be expelled
But what I know well is
other skirmishes with the
from France," except for
enemy.
those who will die here."
Captured in the city of Compiegne by the armies of the Duke of Burgundy,
"Will you submit yourself
Still another example:
the Maid was sold to the
to Holy Mother Church for all that you have done,
English. Pierre Cauchon, bishop of Beauvais, pres
be it good or bad?" Saint Joan of Arc responded:
ented himself to judge the
"As for the Church, I love
Maid
it, and I would want to up
who had done so
much good for France. This French bishop had been expelled from his dio cese during the triumphal march of the Maid, and,
hold
it
with
all
my
strength."
for this reason, he nour
That irregular tribunal
ished an indescribable ha
did not truly represent the
tred for her. Moreover, by serving the English party,
Church, the same Church that would proceed with
he hoped to obtain the bishopric of Rouen . . .
the rehabilitation
Gathering together in that Norman city were 60 judges, clerics and lawyers, all paid by the English gov ernment. One of the jud
and elevate her to the hon or of the altars.
of Arc to clear ht
'oan
ine
For three months the in
terrogation was prolonged. Fearing the Saint would die
ges, Houppeville, protested
from their rough treat ment, the English pushed
from the outset against the trial, because only enemies
for a sentence. Cauchon
of the Maid were judging
condemned her to die by
her. Another judge, who
fire.
had requested a defender for Saint Joan
God put me there; and if I am, may God
of Arc, quickly fled from the city, for the English had burned a woman mere ly for pronouncing herself favorable to
would be the saddest person in the world if I knew that I were not in the grace of
the Saint.
God."
The process was conducted with great irregularity. Yet, despite all this, the Maid annihilated all the arguments of the judges. Her responses to their captious 16
preserve me in it." And she added: "I
In response to other questions that
At the site of her death, the Saint pi ously invoked the Most Holy Trinity, the glorious Virgin Mary and all the saints of paradise. While the flames devoured her body, she reaffirmed that she had
they put to her, especially about the se
acted "by the order of God." And, fi nally, came her last prolonged cry as she
cret that she disclosed to Charles VII, she
inclined her head and rendered her soul
said: "For three weeks in Chinon and
to God: "Jesus!"
â&#x2013; TFP Newsletter
*
over
victims of a new push to implant sex nm programs in school districts nationwide.
(See *^The Sex Education Offensive: Planning the New American Family?^' pages 4-6.) The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property
Follow-up ... It is amazing to see how often leftist or socialist vision
aries offer false solutions to problems that they themselves helped bring about. Even more perplexing is the fact that
Alinsky in Review
often these "solutions" do little more than exacerbate the
problems. Our cover story deals with one such issue: the
To understand the American left, /
now-explosive controversy over comprehensive sex educa
one must understand something of /
tion in the schools. When students return to their classrooms
Saul Alinsky, a key actor on the left- /
this fall, they may well find themselves victims of an offen
ist stage in the sixties. Rebel, ac-
sive explicit sex education program based on the erroneous assumption that present programs are inadequate. This new momentum is being generated by today's fury to educate
tivist, theoretician, Alinsky served, tion. Today his strategies are employed all over the United
youth about the danger of AIDS. The most disturbing as
States, and especially in such places as the U.S.-Mexican
pect of this effort is its emphasis not on chastity and mari tal fidelity, but on its value-free (and therefore value-less) curricula that includes discussion of birth control, abortion
border (see TFP Newsletter, vol. IV, no. 22). From his earliest youth, Alinsky was motivated by a de sire to be different, to challenge, to rebel. To promote his
and alternative lifestyles (see Inside America, pages 4-6).
radical agenda, he exploited many associations. As a student at the University of Chicago, for example,
As a fitting complement to this story, we are pleased to present Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira's article "Christian
Morality, Safeguard Against the Spread of AIDS" (see page 3). His treatment of the subject raises many essen
tial questions in dealing with the AIDS epidemic fast ap proaching.
/
until his death in 1972, as a catalyst for revolu-^^^V
he began his graduate studies in criminology by working his way into the good graces of the A1 Capone mob. For almost two years Alinsky was a veritable fixture at mob
headquarters, where he came and went as he pleased and even ran errands. He came to know major bosses, politi
cians and gang members, and was invited to gangster gettogethers. He also came to know the darker side of mob
We also take a look at one of our epoch's "anti-heroes." The continued influence and fascination exerted by hippie leader Charles Manson can still be felt in society today, es pecially as extravagant philosophical and social trends born in the sixties gain growing acceptance in the American cul tural mainstream (see page 8).
life with its extortions, its terror, its brutality. His two-year study ended when, tired of associating with gangsters, he joined the Institute for Juvenile Research.
(He never did write his dissertation on his mob experiences.) Not unlike Marx, Alinsky conveniently divides society into the Haves and the Have-nots, and then something he calls the Have-a-Little-but-Want-Mores, "or the all-
important middle class. In actions like the California grape boycott, Alinsky disciple Cesar Chavez won middle class
In the International section, we look at what the press did not see during John Paul IPs recent visit to Chile. Mr.
Atilio Faoro, a Brazilian TFP correspondent, presents an eyewitness report on what actually happened and who was responsible for the violence reported there. In addition, he discusses the Chilean TFP's campaign to spread a work
describing the real economic situation of the country.
sympathy by portraying the Haves as those looking after their own interests and the Have-nots as pilgrims of justice. What is particularly striking about the Alinsky view of the world is that it excludes a harmonious vision of socie
ty where all the social classes exist together in peace. Life and history are but a never-ending playing of one class against the other. Instead of constructively fostering the many legitimate and admirable inequalities established by
God in society, Alinsky sought to ch^Ienge every inequality so as to free the earth of both the Haves and Have-nots.
We are happy to introduce a new section in the TFP News
letter titled Catholic America. In response to many requests, this section will deal with facts and stories about our Cath
olic heritage that are often forgotten or neglected. Our first article, "Catholic Chicago—an Inextinguishable Fire," dis cusses the Catholic origins of that city (see pages 13-15). Finally, our Ambiences, Customs and Civilizations arti
cle brings to light an interesting view of what constitutes a true exchange of values between the West and East. In light of the strange New Age religions that borrow heavily from Eastern gnostic mysticism, we thought it opportune to pres
Even when a hierarchical society lives in apparent tranquility (with, of course, the problems inherent to all soci eties), Alinsky advocates not solutions, but disruption. "The first step in community organization is community disorganization," he teaches in his Rulesfor Radicals. The organizer must "rub raw the resentments of the people of the community,[and] fan the latent hostilities of n T
the people to the point of overt expression." The orgu.. cr must strive to create disorganization and chaos in the old system so that a new society can be introduced.
What, ultimately, is the ideal society for Alinsky and
others of his persuasion? An emerging self-managing so
ent how the West may legitimately benefit from the East
cialist society that molds a new type of man and that lev
(see page 16).
els all the diverse classes. Everything—even the most basic
These and our other regular features make up this issue of the TFP Newsletter.
decisions—would fall subject to the majority vote of com mittees organized into micro-communities. This is the secu
John Horvat II
lar, amoral vision of man that today affects the family, the schools and property and that opposes Christian civili ■
zation in America.
TFP NEWSLETTER is a monthly publication of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). John Horvat II, Editor. Subscription complimentary In the United States (third class bulk) and Canada. Rates for foreian subscriptions and list of other TFP publications available upon request. Direct all subscription requests ancTinquiries to: The American TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570. Permission is granted to reproduce in whole or in part any article of this newsletter with the credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER. TFP Newsletter
Christian Morality, Safeguard
Against the Spread of AIDS PLINIO CORREA DE OLIVEIRA
CO.nMEIVTARY
Undoubtedly, the moral fac tor is preponderant as a con
straint against the spread of AIDS in our country [Brazil] already so danger ously affected by this terrible evil.
clamor to God for vengeance, thus rev ealing its extreme gravity. Now, without a wide range moral restraint, I do not truly know how to
tating suffering and ending in death. A svord remains to be said about the
negligence and carelessness of those responsible for the transmission of
effectively repress homosexuality, and,
AIDS in blood transfusions. The mis
In short, it is general knowledge that the principal focus of contagion of
therefore, the spread of AIDS. It is worthwhile to note a, so to speak, sui
fortune suffered by these innocent vic tims because of these professional
this sickness lies within homosexual
cidal tendency that has already been
shortcomings make those responsible
ambiences. But bisexuals can also get AIDS—not only in their relations with
victorious in various countries and is
guilty of a very grave sin. And the jus tice of God can release itself upon them rigorously, even when they cun ningly manage to sidestep culpability for their crime before the justice of men. For a Catholic, this constitutes
their own sex but also with the femi
nine sex(who are, however, more resis tant to contagion than the masculine sex). These are the two major risk groups
in open ascent in others, which is not to qualify homosexuality as a crime. One could argue that the very up surge of the threat of AIDS exerts an
unrivaled pressure to repress homo sexuality; by repressing it, the danger
a motivation of nonpareil importance
of AIDS would become extinct. The
so that he will not be held responsible
persons subject to frequent blood
spread of AIDS would thus constitute a self-destructing danger: The very
—by negligence or by haste—for a transgression against the fifth com
transfusions, such as hemophiliacs, anemics, etc. They are the innocent victims of the cruel contagious disease,
panic of contracting the terrible sick
mandment: "Thou shalt not kill."
ness would lead men to avoid it by ab staining from that act against nature.
In this case, as in so many others, only specifically religious morals con
for the propagation of AIDS. There is a third risk group, made up of those
due to the little care in the professional selection of the blood that they receive. In effect, it can happen that they are
Without contesting the certain salu
thus given blood contaminated with
tary effect of the danger of AIDS as having a coercive effect on homosex uality, it behooves us to note that its
AIDS . . . For each one of these three risk
pends upon the addict (of this vice)
groups, the moral focus of the ques tion, according to the principles of the
ficult perspectives that are opened to
Church in our country (which is Cath olic, thanks be to God), exerts a most valuable influence. For, as it is gener ally known, the homosexual act is qualified by the Church as a "sin against nature" and catalogued among those sins that cry out to heaven and
himself to choose between the two dif
him: the hard battle to do away with the vice, or to keep this vice—even with the terrible risk of mortal contagion. Moreover, the psychology of uncount able addicts leads them to opt for
keeping the vice, which gratifies their weakness and disordinate appetites.
consider himself free to choose between one or the other route: He knows that
he is obliged to obey the will of God, to obey Him because of the love and submission that he owes
Him. But he also obeys Him because of the just
ON
fear that the hand of God
0m\)! 0f^
received his doctorate from the
Law School of the University of Sao Paulo. He was professor of the History of Civilization at the University College of the Univer sity of Sao Paulo, and later be came professor of Modern and Contemporary History in the Col leges of Sao Bento and Sedes
Sapientiae of the Pontifical Cath olic University of Sao Paulo. He has distinguished himself
since his youth as an orator, lec turer and Catholic journalist. He wrote regularly for the Catholic weekly Legiondrio and now writes for the monthly Catolicismo and the large daily Folha de S. Paulo. In 1960 he founded the Brazil
ian Society for the Defense of Tra
dition, Family and Property(TFP)
will sternly punish him with
the eternal pains of hell—
tional Council ever since.
and, be it well understood,
Autonomous kindred TFPs have now been established in 14 other
with proportionate punish ments in this life. Of these,
countries (in the Americas, Eu
rope and Africa), inspired by the
eled by the carrier of AIDS
book Revolution and CounterRevolution and other works of
—through the most devas
Professor Correa de Oliveira.
the inexorable road trav Protesters in New York City: seeking a financial solution for a moral problem.
Plinio Correa de Oliveira, born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 1908,
and has been president of its Na
one of the most terrible is
Vol. IV, No. 23, 1987
protects him from the multiple internal propensities toward evil. ■
value is somewhat relative. For it de
On the contrary, the Catholic, in face of such an alternative, does not
c0JflCl
stitute for man the saving rampart that
The nation's schools may be soon threatened by comprehensive sex education programs.
INSIDE A.HEKICA
The Sex Education Offensive:
Planning the Xew American Family? ((AS regards the offspring, it is jCx. provided that they should be begotten lovingly and educated
religiously"â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Saint Augustine. While today's whirlwind of events and developments may be reeling through and changing society, Saint Augustine's simple yet crystalline maxim provides a succinct and imperishable summation for the Christian education of youth.
moral well-being of their children. On the other side are educators who, in the
ject. However, in this extremely delicate
name of a questionable right of academic freedom, have insisted upon teaching
considered, some private instruction is
matter, the Pope notes that if, "all things found necessary and opportune, from
this controversial material.
those who hold from God the commis
One area of major concern has been an aggressive media offensive pushing amoral sex education programs, even upon the very young.
sion to teach and who have the grace of state, every precaution must be taken." Fighting Ignorance. Brazenly chal lenging this warning, sex education advo
Within the loving embrace of the truly
Errors Condemned. Sex education is
Christian family, duly aided by the Church and state, the child should be
hardly a new phenomenon. For years,
promoted a universal drive to "educate"
controversy has persistently shadowed the issue wherever it has gone. As early as 1929, in his Encyclical Divini IlUus Magistri, Pope Pius XI con demned the erroneous assumption that one "can forearm youth against the
youth, especially in matters of birth
conceived and encouraged to progress toward his eternal and temporal ends. The solicitous parents, mindful of their God-given role, have the duty to see to the formation of their children. To the
cates have progressively and relentlessly
control.
In the beginning of the century, radi cal feminists often united with socii and anarchist workers' movements u
proffer birth control as a means to liber
Church falls the right to teach and over see the full education of Her children, es pecially in matters of religion and morality. The state has the obligation to work in harmony with the Church to protect the parents' rights in education
dangers of sensuality by means purely natural, such as a foolhardy initiation and precautionary instruction for all in discriminately, and even in public." The Pontiff pointed out that sex edu
and lend its assistance when needed.
This harmonious working relationship among parents, Church and state has
refusing to recognize the inborn weak ness of human nature. Moreover, it ig nores the "experience of facts, from
been transformed into a bitter and an
which it is clear that, particularly in
prepared: Sex education forces carried
tagonistic battle in many school districts
young people, evil practices are the ef
their banner into the schools. As tradi
around the country. Debate has become heated in cases where concerned parents have presented claims that their rights have been usurped. They point as evi
fect not so much of ignorance of intellect as of weakness of a will exposed to dan gerous occasions, and unsupported by the means of grace." This by no means denies the necessity
tional moral barriers and social stigmas against sexual activity outside marriage
dence to textbooks and programs that seriously jeopardize the spiritual and
cation advocates grievous errors by
for some type of education on the sub
ate women. In the decades that followed
up until the sixties, birth controlâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;espe cially under the misnomer of "family
planning"â&#x20AC;&#x201D;began to find acceptance within the medical establishment and, consequently, in American society in general. By the advent of the sexual revolution
of the sixties, the ground had been well
had been brutally torn down, the in crease in oul-of-wedlock
births and
venereal disease had spiraled. Sex edu cation promoting not only widespread TFP Newsletter
i\siDE .\}n:Kic.\
birth control but abortion
support of allies inside the
IK'jB.r
government and the media.
was proposed as the catchail solution.
Sex education on all lev-
M
gis
Ignorance, they claimed,
cause of teen pregnancy
suddenly become a
political issue. To reduce (but not eliminate) the risk
was the supposed primary
aC'.H
and shattered teenage mar-
of AIDS infection, various
riages. According to their logic, teenagers should be exposed to a scientific
have actually distributed
contraceptives publicly.
of life, become familiar
Some college dormitories have installed dispensers
ministers and candidates
presentation of the facts |L JfelBl with birth control devices,
m â&#x2013; ill
^ -
and be given access to abortion. Such problems
for that purposeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or in-
igTa eluded contraceptives in welcome "kits" for fresh men. Some hotels have
would, then, assumably, just disappear.
even jumped on the band wagon, providing contraceptives gratis as part
Evidence of the Facts.
Such assumptions have sex education advocates target even young children Sex educati proven difficult to sub stantiate. Multiplex studies of dubious and Education Foundation, concludes value have been churned out attempting that the evidence strongly suggests that nore exten exten- educating young people about contracepto support the need of yet more
of that "extra touch" to cater to clients.
The federal government has recently
issued an AIDS education plan, which, while stressing monogamy and sexual ab
sive sex education programs.. With over ig pregnant one million teenagers becoming
tion is linked to higher levels of sexual activity (Michael Schwartz, "Planned
stinence, nonetheless calls for the use of
each year, many questions have been grams have raised as to why present programs
Parenthood Sells Lifestyle, Not Enlightenment," Our Sunday Visitor, March 1,
is trend. In failed to stem the tide of this
1987, p. 3).
what is mistakenly called "safe sex." Surgeon General C. Everett Koop has urged that children as young as third graders should receive information about
jssional ob obfact, many medical and professional
The tragic truth of the matter is that,
g take issue servers of the highest standing ing that in inwith the sex educators, claiming involvement in such programs actually in creases the likelihood of pregnancy gnancy and
despite 15 years of effort and expenditures of more than $500 million, preg-
abortion among teenagers. A report on teen pregnancy ncy by the House Select Committee on1 Children, mple, notes Youth and Families, for example, contracepthat despite sex education and1 contracep tives distribution programs, "there has been no change in the percentage tage of sex sexe pregnant, ually active teens who become rease in the but there has been a huge increase percentage of teens who are sexually jexually ac ac-
that sex education promoters seem capa-
ual activity tive. And this increase in sexual has led to a proportionate increase in is"(Report pregnancies to unmarried teens" ;ee on on Chil Chilof the House Select Committee Teen Preg Pregdren, Youth and Families, "Teen nancy: What is Being Done? A State-byState Look," December 1985, 15, p. 378).
Commenting on this escalating ating prob problem, Barrett Mosbacker of the Family Research Council notes that It the high "increase in teen pregnancy has as occurred even though more teens are using con conctive forms traceptives, using more effective of contraceptives and are exposed to
nancy and abortion rates continue to climb. The only conclusion, however, ble of making from these alarming
figures is that more sex education is needed at an ever-greater intensity, increasingly earlier ages, and proportionally greater costs, The New Offensive. While sex educa-
tion has edged its way into many American schools, the various programs vary
from district to district. Parental opposition has had the effect of hindering radical sex education advocates, who
constantly bewail the resistance of "old
fashioned" moralities and the inadequacy of present programs. With one swift, descending blow, however, the picture has changed. The
contraception in an effort to practice
AIDS and other sexually transmitted dis eases. He has also advocated contracep tion advertisements in newspapers,
magazines, and on television and radio (Sr. Louis Post-Dispatch, 4/2/87). In fact, after years of refusing con
traceptives advertising as distasteful, ABC became the first commercial tele
vision network to agree to air what it terms "public service announcements," claiming that such devices guard against AIDS. NBC and CBS will allow in
dividual stations to develop their own
policies[The Sacramento Bee, 2/20/87). New York Schools: Sex Education Model? As the offensive unleashes on the
public, new programs that seriously challenge the traditional family are be
ing developed in the nation's sc. In the spring of 1984, it was discu. . cd that the New York Board of Education
terrifying AIDS epidemic has appeared. One would think that its appearance would serve to prove that moral acts
was developing a new sex education cur riculum designed for use in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade; the program schools beginning September 1987. Church and lay groups, however, have
more instruction on sexual behavior jhavior and
have their tragic yet undeniable consequences. Yet, with blinders firmly in place, sex education advocates have generated a
birth control methods" (Barrett trrett Mos Mos-
near-hysteria climate, claiming that the
the proposed "Family Living Including
backer, Teen Pregnancy and id School-
AIDS crisis proves not the need for ab-
Sex Education" Curriculum. Not only
Based Health Clinics, Family y Research
Washington, Council of America Inc., Washington, 1986, p. 2).
stinence but .. . more contraceptives and even more complete sex education at an ever-earlier age.
are they concerned about the program's contents, but they fear that the accep
Interpreting the results of a Louis Har Harris poll for the Planned Parenthood ithood Fed Federation of America, Michaell Schwartz, mily Policy director of the Child and Family
With this new impetus, the barriers of Christian morality seem to have been finally breached. We are now seeing the launching of a new sex education offen
in New York would stimulate similar
Division of the Free Congress ds Research
sive, which counts on the formidable
0. Woolsey, director of the Office of
VOL. IV, No. 23, 1987
was to be implemented in all public
mobilized to protest vehemently against
tance of such a comprehensive program programs nationwide. "The curriculum is devoid of moral
values and premises," writes Msgr. John
i\siin: t ufvitfc t
Christian and Family Development of the Archdiocese of New York. "It con
veys information about sexuality in a mechanical fashion and a purely secular vocabulary" (Newsday, 1/8/87).
fostering the practice of virtue and the love of God, the child is confronted with an amoral and callow world that literally
forces adulthood upon him. Is there any reason, for example, why
Toward a New Society? A cursory
reading of the curriculum of this pro gram and others like it suggest that they are not unfortunate exceptions to the rule. Rather, they constitute a general introduction to a radically different
The Archdiocese of New York has
any child in pre-kindergarten through
officially censored the program, saying
second grade should be asked to explore
that it "concerns itself first and foremost
the concept that "curiosity about oneself
with the view that promiscuity is accept
and others is natural"? Even more hor
which will ultimately produce tribal-like
able as long as those involved are willing
rifying is the thought of soliciting young sters at that early age to describe, iden
unions, severed from their procreative
to use drugs or devices to avoid the con
ception of a child or, when the child has been conceived, as long as those involved
are willing to destroy it" (Statement of the Most Rev. Edward M. Egan, Vicar for Education, Archdiocese of New York, Dec. 4, 1986). A Distorted Curriculum. Some of the
most alarming aspects of the family liv
ing course are that it fails to define what the ideal family is and fails to localize sexual activity within the context of fa mily living. Throughout the course, stu-
tify, and define the specific similarities
morality. On one side is a value-free society,
end and aimed at the mere fulfillment of the individual. Such unstable and sterile
and differences between male and female
relationships no longer have the structure
human beings. And, again, constant comparisons are made between human
to provide support for the individual's personality.
families and animal "families."
Cut off from the family, man in a so ciety like this one is left alone to ramble purposelessly, aimlessly performing the
Imagine the effect on a fifth grader who is asked "What kind of family do you want when you are an adult?" or the junior high schooler who is confronted with the question, "Are junior high school fathers and mothers ready for parenthood? Why? Why not?" That same junior high student may
instinctive and mechanical activities ab
solutely indispensable to life.
Filling the vacuum left by the organic family unit is the monopolistic secular and socialist atmosphere of the welfare state, which will gradually mold a new
type of man and will have the power to decide and legislate all aspects of his life. Catholic Education. How this vision
differs from that of Saint Augustine! Tragically excluded from today's edu cation of youth are the joys and respon sibilities of Christian marriage and the family. At the same time, examples
(which are not lacking) of the misfor tunes and unhappiness of promiscuous
life must be clearly spelled out. Educa tion must seek to elevate, regulate and perfect the individual so that disorderly inclinations can be curbed, good tenden cies encouraged, and occasions for evil avoided. Value-free sex education prepares the way for a value-free future for today's youth
dents are asked to define a family and
the many "types" of families. Teachers
find himself in class where a physician or health clinic specialist explains various
are asked to be "cognizant and accept
methods of birth control and their effec
ing of different family structures in to
tiveness. He may be asked to explore the
day's world."
options in face of an unintended preg nancyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;options that include teenage
The teaching methods have also come under attack. The course places what is considered undue emphasis on discus
sion, role playing, personal feelings and values. Students are encouraged to share their opinions and present a consensus to the facilitator-teacher on
matters
regarding sexuality. They are invited to list, view, brainstorm, role-play, discuss, identify and fantasize. While teachers are
advised not to impose their viewpoints, each section of the curriculum is supplied vith an "expected outcome," which favors the course's value-free amorality.
Perhaps the most repugnant part of the proposed curriculum is its disregard
marriage, adoption, single parent foster care, extended family and . . . abortion. Imagine a high school student who is expected to identify and evaluate the choices involved in sexual expression, which, while including heterosexuality and abstinence, also lists aberrations like homosexuality, bisexuality and transves tism as legitimate options. What about a Catholic student who is asked to openly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of birth control techniques, many of
charity, honor and obedience. If the family were presented in i e light, how much easier it would l , lO educate children to live in harmony and virtue in today's chaotic world! In addition, models and peers whom children can admire and imitate are
needed. Without this, education is in complete and often ineffective since such models play an enormous role in attract
ing young people to practice virtue. Above all, since parents are the primary educators, they must be models for their children.
In short, the current sex education
which are condemned by the Church?
offensive can only be overcome by
Indeed, the course becomes censurable not only for what it says, but also for
resolving the root of the problem. In this
the proper development of the child. In
what it does not say. It makes, for ex ample, no mention of chastity, modesty,
stead of nurturing a child's innocence by
virginity, or even of marital fidelity.
for Christian morals that should orient
Marriage should be favorably por trayed as the basis and foundation of domestic society. Moreover, it is a divine institution of sacramental dignity and perpetual stability from which can be ex pected the blessings of unity, chastity,
respect, only a moral regeneration of the
Christian family can steer America away from the ruinous course it today relent lessly pursues. â&#x2013; TFP Newsletter
NEWS
DIGEST
Americans under Stress According to a recent poll, more than half of Ameri
Glasnost in Chernobyl While Gorbachev's much-heralded and little-credible
cans over 18 suffer from at least "moderate" stress in their
glasnost policy steps up its pace in the West,change is slow
lives. In addition, the study concluded that the more edu cated and better paid were more likely to report stress. Conducted by the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration, the poll questioned nearly 34,000 households about the frequency of stress in their lives. The
to come in the Soviet Union itself.
primary question asked respondents if, during the past two weeks, they had experienced a lot of stress, a moderate amount of stress, relatively little stress, or almost no stress.
Overall, 18 percent of all men over 18 responded that they had experienced "a lot" of stress, and 32 percent had felt "moderate" stress. Among women, 23 percent
reported "a lot" of stress, while 31 percent experienced "moderate" stress.
Those with more education reported higher stress lev
In Chernobyl, where the Soviets horrified the West by withholding information about the nuclear disaster, news of an even more appalling nature has leaked out. Accord
ing to the Danish-based Catholic press agency KIRA, Es tonian workers forced to clean up the site later told Finnish tourists that the evacuated villages bordering the nuclear
reactors have been turned into a concentration camp. The Estonian workers said that they saw transport
trucks carrying political prisoners, mostly from the Urals and Siberia, under heavy KGB guard. Before their arrival, the villages had been fenced off with barbed wire and gi ant electric reflectors set in place. Rumors are circulating that the camp will allow the Soviets to test the effects of
els. For example, 62 percent of the men and women with
long-term radiation on humans.
more than 13 years of education reported "moderate" or "a lot" of stress. The figure was 34 percent for men with less than 12 years of education and 42 percent for wom
Nor are the unfortunate prisoners the only victims of Soviet brutality in Chernobyl. According to the German
en in that same category. The highest stress level was reported among those in the highest family income group. Sixty-two percent of women and 60 percent of men with family incomes of $50,000 or more reported "moderate" or "a lot" of stress. Perhaps one conclusion the study failed to draw is the
confirmation that success and money do not necessarily buy happiness. The lives of those who have everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; youth, education or moneyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;are, in fact, the most likely to be clouded by the shadow of stress.
Transcending Boundaries
newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag, reports filtering into the West further claim that Soviet army officials sent "volun
teers" to quell the resulting fires immediately after the ex plosion. When 12 "volunteers" refused to expose them selves to the radioactivity, they were promptly executed for disobeying orders.
Europe's Silent Spring Marxist theory claims that pollution simply does not ex
ist in the workers' paradise. Foreboding signs in Eastern Europe reveal quite the contrary: An environmental time
bomb of massive proportions threatens to explode. According to James Bovard, a frequent writer on en
Yet another trend in education is on the drawing boards for future use in the nation's primary and secondary
vironmental affairs, pollution in the Warsaw Pact nations
is reaching unimaginable levels. In East Germany, air pol
schools. So-called international education is an idea whose
lution caused by antiquated coal-powered plants has
time is apparently coming. After nearly 15 years in development, global education
reached the point where 90 percent of all trees are sick, dead or dying. Human mortality rales have risen sharply in Poland, Hungary, Russia and Bulgaria. In Czechoslovakia, health risks were so high in early
leaders are uniting in order to get their controversial agen
da into the schools. Next November, education groups hope to establish a national alliance. Their proposals have
1986 that government officials seriously considered a mass
already stirred up considerable opposition and debate.
evacuation of its industrial region. In Prague, mothers are
Ostensibly, international or global education is aimed
at broadening the child's outlook and consciousness by discussing world events and the varying cultures and lifestyles of those who share the universe with them.
Such "broadening" experiences, however, appear ex
advised not to give their babies tap waterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even after boil
ing it. Dr. Zdenek Badura, a Czech environmental expert.
claims that "new viral illnesses are emerging. The activii of viruses has grown, and they are assuming new forms, unknown to us."
tremely suspicious to educational conservatives, who have
In Poland, only one percent of the nation's water is
already become wise to similar programs packaged under
potable, and nearly half is rendered unfit for any use at
the same label. The internationalist lesson plan includes discussion of such topics as peace, food and hunger, hu
all. Spot water shortages reportedly affect 120 cities and
man rights, and global responsibility. Critics claim that
dramatically in the city of Krakow that experts are predict
treatment of these topics carries an unpatriotic undertone that makes Americans feel guilty for their higher standard of living. Moreover, the global perspective, bereft of ideo
ing all plant life will have died by the year 1990 if meas
logical content, tends to favor a pacifist outlook and ig nore the totalitarian communist system.
hopelessly ineffective. East Germany tends to blame its dying forests on storms and heavy snow. In many coun
"This isn't to get rid of boundaries," claimed Pam Wilson, coordinator of a conference held last November on the topic. "But we have to be able to make decisions
tries, environmentalists, like all dissidents, are arrested.
about those boundaries, and sometimes to transcend
them" {The Christian Science Monitory 12/29/86).
Vol. IV, No. 23, 1987
10,000 towns and villages. Air pollution has increased so
ures are not taken soon (New York Times, 4/26/87). In face of this scenario, communist governments are
It appears that nature is taking revenge upon the com munist system, whose anti-natural philosophy clashes even with the elements. Unfortunately, the West ignores this lesson that nature itself is teaching.
Manson: Living Model of an Anarchical Future? WHEN long-haired young people calling themselves hippies and flower children began swarming into San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district in the sixties, many viewed these most log ical by-products of liberal society with
both fascination and disapproval. Their disapproval stemmed from a
i
natural repugnance for a counterculture that rejected all morality and civilized be
in touch with the other members, he re plied: "They've never really been my fa mily or my followers. We were together in a dream, man." Yet later he claims: "The family circle can never be broken. We're still together. There's no taking us
apart." Manson even implies that the murders represented a political statement that
precipitated a transformation in society. "Don't you realize what those kids have done for you people?" he asked.
havior. Yet, at the same lime, there was a certain fascination for the very radicality of the movement and its pseudomystic rejection of Western materialism. Starting in California, the young rad icals hoped to construct a post-industrial society and to introduce a drug-laced psychedelic Utopia based on the purely
"What do you think would have hap pened if the Manson family hadn't did what they did? You seen the Vietnam War stopped, didn't you?"
A Standard-bearer? In analyzing ex
naturalistic life of tribal communes.
tremist outbursts in history in his book Revolution and Counter-Revolution,
Manson: an Enigma. Among these discontents was a band of young misfits
Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira notes
led by guru Charles Manson. In August
that such extreme acts have often had the Charles Manson, helter skelter mastermind
1969, he took his "family" to Los An geles and, in an act that shocked the world, ordered the brutal murder of ac tress Sharon Tate and six others.
Charles Manson is an enigma of the
twentieth century. His appearance on the American scene marked a culminating explosion of the hippie movement, rev ealing its terrifying consequences to a
stupefied public. "Helter skelter" was the term he used to describe the apoca lyptical racial war that would ultimately topple the establishment and install a new age of love. However, almost as suddenly as he appeared, he apparently disappeared. Both the man and the mystery are incar
cerated at the federal penitentiary in San Quentin. At first glance, one might say that his
effect of advancing the Revolution. By their very radicality, they raise up a stan
and, with it, many questions arise about
dard and create a fixed target that fas
the circumstances surrounding the grisly incident. In the March issue of Life
cinates moderates and entices society to
magazine, reporter Rita Healy inter
gradually advance toward it. In fact, Manson and his tribal family
viewed the 52-year-old Manson, asking about the crimes that Life claims still
played a role in transforming Western society. To the eyes of the world, he is
grip America's imagination.
a figure representing the counterculture
Throughout the often incoherent inter
of the sixties and its mystical rejection
view, Manson revealed a world view that
of materialism in its most radical and
rejects Western civilization. During his trial, he put an X on his forehead, pro
perverse form. Today, this counterculture has entered
claiming he had A'-ed himself from the world. "I am not of you, from you, nor do I condone your unjust attitude toward
comes as a surprise to hear reports of
things, animals and people that you do not try to understand" (Vincent Bugliosa, Helter Skelter, Norton, New York, 1974, p. 421).
Such statements reflect his gnostic
the cultural mainstream. It no longer major American firms hiring gurus to
motivate and educate employees through the practices of Eastern mysticism, of ten adapted to the Western mentality.
Popular new religions and groups are emerging that stress a worldview sim
ill-fated heller skelter failed and that,
view of the oneness of all living forms,
ilar to that of the flower children, vet
with his immurement, the radical hippie
a unity that is also found in the mystical unity of the so-called Manson family. When asked, for example, if he stayed
wrapped in modern-day trap Stressing the divinity of man and tlK au-
movement seemed to die. However, both his deeds and his philosophy have made a profound mark on society. That he continues to intrigue and transfix public opinion even from his prison cell is apparent. For example, Manson donated a bizarre self-portrait for a re
sence of traditional Christian morality,
cent benefit auction raising
best: "It's hard to explain 20 years of a running psychotic epi {Life, March 1987). While it appears that Manson nourishes great confidence in his influence
the most notorious of the many -tieces donated by celebrities like
Johnny Carson, Bob Hope and Alex Haley. An Anchorage doc tor paid $400 for the work.
upon society, he fails to realize
that Our Lady spoke most defin itively at Fatima of the final out
March Interview. From time
8
Where will all this lead? Per
haps Manson himself said it
sode. It has no logic, no good, no evil; it all runs in insanity"
funds for a struggling Alaskan theater company. The item was
to time, the mystery surfaces,
they look toward a new man and a new egalitarian world of love.
Peace protests in Washington, mark of the uneasy sixties
come of this historic process when she said: "Finally, my Im maculate Heart will triumph!"B TFP Newsletter
l>Ti:U>AT10\.\L
What the Press "Did Not See"
During John Paul ii's Visit to Chile The TFP in Chile Launches a Timely Book by Carlos del Campo in Santiago
SANTIAGO de Chile—A Brazilian who arrives in Chile—as was my case —with ideas about Chile based on infor
mation presented by Brazilian news
papers, should be prepared for surprises. As I had the opportunity to make a careful, on site analysis of the actual sit uation in Chile, I soon became aware of
the inadequacy and partiality of certain media reports issuing from Brazil—as well as from other parts of the world— about important aspects of what is hap pening in this country. This had led to the formation of false
images which clash strongly with the ob jective observations of one who has the pleasure to be in this charming country. Thus I was both surprised and per
plexed upon confirming the existence of these media distortions and omissions. Since I was in this nation before and
during the visit that His Holiness John Paul II recently made here, I had the oc casion to note firsthand some of these
aforementioned gaps in the news. And I
Upon arriving in Chile, John Paul ii is greeted with enthusiasm. Contrary to media
am certain that the facts revealed here
reports, orderly crowds were to be found throughout the visit.
will not be read in American newspapers.
The Expectations of the Left. Before the papal visit, the Chilean left, and par ticularly the "Catholic left," were con spicuously flaunting the precedents in the life and work of John Paul II that al
lowed them to hope for the intervention
the Chilean coast about a year ago. The
phers and TV crews were ready with their
existence of this arsenal, more than 80 tons of arms and munitions, led the American government to issue a warning to Russia, as well as to alert the major South American governments of this danger.
cameras focused on the scene. . . . The
of this august visitor into the internal affairs of Chile. Such an intervention
public became impatient and began to demand that the agitator be removed as
they cried out: "Communist!" "Take him away! Take him away!" An officer, without resorting to violence, began to
remove the youth since only minutes re Popular Reactions That the Press
mained before the "popemobile" would
would, according to the left, favor, if not
"Did Not See." The "mass media" em
enjoin, a gradual socialization of the country. John Paul II, in accordance with such speculations, would adopt
phasized the demonstrations opposing
be passing through. The agitator cried out and struggled, as if he were being as
the Chilean regime on the part of the
saulted. When he perceived that the scene
"barricade of the left," that were staged by groups of ruffians at different times
was not being filmed and that the inc nanl public was shouting out again
during the visit of John Paul II. Curiously enough, however, this same
him, he got up and lost himself in the
gestures and offer words of stimulus to the left—and of censure to the right. Several of the most important organs of the international press faithfully ech
oed the expectations of the Chilean left. Exaggerating certain limitations of in
press "did not see" the rejection of these
multitude. . . . How did the press de scribe this incident? This one protest was genetically presented as "some street
presently advancing toward institutional
disorders manifested by the anti-leftist majority of the Andean people. The following episodes provide elo quent proof that strong and wholesome fibers of the Chilean soul are yet well
normality.
and alive.
Such organs above all suppressed the conspicuous fact that Chile is suffering
In Central Station, the people of San tiago had gathered, awaiting the passage
from the constant aggression of com-
of John Paul II. One youth unexpectedly
"popular revolt" were also recorded at other times during the visit.
munist-progressivist guerrillas. The world dailies literally appear to have forgotten that the most sophisticated and profuse
crossed the rope holding back the people and prostrated himself in the middle of the road. The militia—the police force
Shortly before John Paul II arrived at "La Bandera" Square, a meeting was scheduled to take place with workers and
supply of arsenal for communist subver
responsible for maintaining public order
militants of the Basic Christian Commu
sive action found in Latin American was
—hesitated in taking him away. The rea son for this: A few feet away, photogra
nities (BCCs), a meeting that I witnessed.
dividual freedom existing here, they avoided mentioning that the country is
discovered precisely in several caches on Vol. /V, NO. 23, 1987
demonstrations" that "the police re pressed with violence" {O Estado de S. Paulo, 4/2/87).
Poor Attendance at the Meeting Promoted by BCCs. Staged scenes of
Groups of photographers and TV crews 9
I.VTEII.VITIOY.IL
covered the area, taking "shots" of the event. A leader of a rebel group called
the meeting to order. In the next acts in
this puppet theater, the demonstraiors rhythmically moved as a body, rising and shaking their clenched fists, monoto nously repeating cadenced shouts: "He is going to fall, he is going to fall!" or "John Paul, our brother, take the ty rant away!"(both referring to Pinochet). The assembly, by its extravagant and
The violence of the aggressors in creased. Stones and sticks fell upon the police force, who defended themselves
with tear gas and water blasts. The va grants retreated. But, following their plan, they all quickly mixed with the multitude, shouting "Run, run!" Their obvious intent was to make it appear as if the people were with them, and thus force the police into a generalized sup pression of the disorder. And,should this
totally irregular tone, roused the curiosity of spectators—including guards—who were watching their movements as if they were witnessing a scene staged in a Holly wood studio! Luis, a young university
take place, it would all be duly recorded by the delighted international photog raphers and cameramen present there.
student who accompanied me, com mented: "Watch and see how only this is going to be shown to the whole
But this did not happen. The people did not fall in with the plan. Among the crowd, sensible voices could be heard: "Don't run! Don't run! Or they'll think
world! . .
This orchestrated scene in no way expressed the concerns of the Chilean people. Moreover, the crowd that was present,
discretely presented by the press as a mass of leftists, fell short of what had been expected. No more that 150,000
people were there, but a Brazilian jour nal spoke of "around 300,000" (Folha deS. Paulo,4/3/87), while another men tioned "more than 600,000"(O Estado de S. Paulo, 4/3/87). A few days before, conversing at this site with a BCC member, I was told that they were hoping for 500,000 to a mil lion people—a hope that was by no
means realized, as can be documented by aerial scenes taken by helicopters and shown on television.
In O'Higgins Park the Press Ignores the Orderly Behavior of the Population. The uproarious publicity surrounding the violence that took place in O'Higgins Park once again veiled the orderly be havior of the great majority of the peo ple present there. By a curious "coincidence," the acts
of disorder and violence all took place very near the site reserved for foreign correspondents.
A little after the start of the ceremony —a Mass and the beatification solemni
ties for Sister Theresa of the Andes, a Chilean religious who attained sanctity in a Carmelite convent at the beginning of the century—stones were thrown in the direction of the militiamen.
The aggressive violence of these ruf
fians shocked the people, who began to move away from the site. The agitators, trained in urban guerrilla tactics and identifiable by the black kerchiefs tied to
their faces—Sandinisia-style—knocked
over the wood posts holding the cordons. In minutes, they had started a string of fires, some reaching the height of 15 feet. This had the strategic effect of blocking exit from the park.
And it would finally win for the left their
Madrid's El Alcazar (4/8/87), the in
disputable organizer of the incident him self, Juan Carlos Latorre, stated that the authors of the violence "are the very ones who have recourse to the Church,
who counsels them, protects them, and collaborates with them when they feel or say they are persecuted." "Several sectors of the Church in
stigated the groups that promoted the violence," said Fidel Reyes, dean of the
Law School at Central University {El Merciirio, 4/5/87). John Paul II Himself Praises the Peo
ple's Reaction to the Agitation. So
longed-for political dividends.
notorious was the "show" that John
Paul li himself remarked, speaking to the cardinal of Santiago, Francisco Car dinal Fresno: "Small groups do not rep-
that we're communists!"
Who Instigated the Vio-
lence? One question, however, remains: Who was be-
.•* . I M,
hind such a harrowing inci- rL ' Af: dent, which, according to | official accounts, left 28 jlfcr.
I'*'
police officers and more than 220 people wounded? In accounts by Chilean
newspapers of various
it
slants, grave accusations were launched against the "Catholic left" as instigators of the violence. (These reports, however, were not carried outside the country.) For example. La Epoca (4/4/87), a paper of Chris-
ties dem< ties demonstrating.
what the the press d id see during the visit: ieftist minori What
tian Democrat orientation,
reported that in the park itself, "many laymen rebuked several priests, accusing them of having instigated what had taken place there." Worker-priest Fr. Mariano Puga was called "wretched," while Fr. Miguel Ortega was accused of "foment ing social hatred" and was upbraided as
resent the true sentiment of the Chilean
people" {El Merciirio, 4/5/87). In the same edition of El Merciirio,
Vatican spokesman Joaqui'n Navarro Vals stated that "The Pope praised the atti tude of the faithful in face of the vio
lence: T congratulate them because they
"disgraceful."
knew how to confront it as Chris'''^n<:,'
This attitude of the faithful has a log ical explanation. For, when the police
referring to the events at O'H Park."
forces, reinforced by cars and anti-riot
Along this same line. La Segunda
equipment, began to disperse the va grants, a group of 40 priests wearing liturgical vestments descended from the
(4/13/87) printed commentaries that
John Paul II made to Bishop Eladio Vic una, of Puerto Montt, when the latter
altar and, with linked hands, entered the
was lamenting the disturbances in
area of the confrontation. This had the
O'Higgins Park: "It was a small group in comparison to the immense multitude
immediate effect of diminishing the impetus of some of the aggressors. But it also had the parallel effect of imped ing the action of the police in restoring order to the park. With this unexpected "help," the agitators took on new cour
age. And they recommenced their ag gressive acts, throwing more stones at the militia—and even at some priests!
that remained until the end of the
ceremony." These, then, are the true facts about what happened.
Nonetheless, a correspondent from a
Rio de Janeiro daily, upon narrating the
In a radio interview that was later
incident, affirmed that "a vast sector of the park, where hundreds of thousands of persons had joined together, was in
reproduced in part by El Merciirio
vaded by armored vehicles of the police,
(4/5/87) and in even greater detail in
who threw toxic gases and water with TFP Newsletter
IVTKKVITIO.VIL
Finally, does the reader know that the
chemicals at the overexcited demonstra
or omissions destined to benefit one side
tors and the faithful." It also reported that the priests "abandoned their posi tions on the altar in an attempt to calm
or the other. Rather, a study was need
ed based entirely on sound and abundant
tem as a political economic model to
documentation capable of standing up to
combat the harmful social effects of the
the high spirits [of the people]," adding,
an objective, technical analysis and thus
recessive movement in Latin America?
moreover, that "amid that ruckus, the testimonies of the people were always
presenting a true picture of the nation as
World Bank singled out the Chilean sys
An Urgent and Necessary Campaign.
it really is. This so-necessary vision of the national reality can be found in the lucid work of economist Carlos Patricio del Campo, ti tled Chile 1987: Oblivion and Confusion
tion has recently been intensified in or
Threaten Private Property and Free En
gling amid a situation of supposed gener
portune to present a brief overview of
terprise. The author, Chilean by birth,
alized misery.
the psychological profile of the average Chilean. Observant, cautious, suspi cious, patient, he is in no hurry to take a position until the actual situation de
made up part of the initial nucleus of university students who founded the
attracted the attention of world public
against the police" {Jornal do Brasil, 4/4/87). The Guardsmen Are Applauded on Providence Avenue. Here it becomes op
mands a firm attitude. Then he does not
retreat. He knows how to be assertive,
even categorical. This was demonstrated, for example, on Providence Avenue, situated in a middle-class neighborhood of Santiago near the Apostolic Nunciature, where the
august visitor was staying. It was 1:05 p.m. on Thursday, April
magazine Fiducia, of which he was the first editor. This group, in 1967, consti tuted the roster of members and support ers of the Chilean Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property—TFP. Below we present some facts from this most timely book, recently edited by the
An international-scale wave of defama
der to denigrate the image of Chile, presenting the country as if it were strug
The presence of John Paul II in Chile opinion, which viewed the nation through the eyes of the hundreds of for eign journalists who covered his visit. To present a true picture of what is happening in Chile, the Chilean TFP has published and diffused the aforemen tioned study by Carlos Patricio del Cam
po, master of science in agricultural
Chilean TFP.
Do Americans know, for example,
that extreme poverty fell from 21 percent to 14 percent of the total population of
economics at the University of Califor nia at Berkeley. A finely bound first copy of the work
2. Preceding the papal retinue were
was sent to His Holiness John Paul II in
mounted escorts from the militia corp. Some leftists hissed and booed as a sign
Rome. Complimentary copies were also
of their protest. The people, however, responded with applause, drowning out
CHILE 1987:
the hisses. Then a small bus with more
sent to the president of the Republic, members of the Government Assembly, ministers of stale, leading public'figures of the country, members of the ec clesiastical hierarchy, members of the
police officers appeared. Hisses from the left. A new round of applause from the
amcnazan la propicdad privada
Diplomatic Corps, heads of all the
people. The climate was becoming tense.
Y la libre iniciativa
different political parties, as well as the journalists and foreign correspondents
olvidos y confusioncs
The "popemobile" passed amid gener
who were covering the papal visit.
al and unanimous applause. After a few moments, a group of mi
In the days that preceded the arrival of John Paul II, the Chilean TFP car ried out a large-scale campaign in the principal streets of Santiago in order to diffuse and publicize this work. In a few days, the book had become a lively top
litia marched down the avenue with ca-
denced steps. Hisses. Applause. A war of hisses and applause—to the point where everyone in the street and sur rounding buildings became engaged in it. The applause victoriously and boister ously drowned out the hisses. The hiss es ceased. The enthusiasm was so great that one lady commented: "There was more applause [for the guardsmen] than
for the Pope himself." From the balco nies and windows of the buildings, the applause continued. Of the 40 persons in one of the buildings in front of the
ic of conversation in Chilean social cir
cles. In bookstores, the sale of Chile 1987: Oblivion and Confusion Threaten
Private Property and Free Enterprise was Chile
1987: Oblivion
and
Confusion
Threaten Private Property and Free Enter prise by Carlos Patricio del Campo. Disput ing economic myths about Chile.
so great that, within a week, the work appeared on the best-seller list published
by the press.
Judging by the enthusiasm and wai... applause it aroused—and the manifesta tions of hatred based on no solid argu
Church of Divine Providence, 36 were applauding. One lady, turning to another, asked, "Why aren't the journalists here to film
Are Americans aware that, according to
mentation that it incited from the left—
ECLA (Economic Commission for Latin America, a subsidiary body of the Unit
the campaign fully achieved its objective.
this?"
ed Nations) the poverty index for the to
spokenness in its more than 20 years of timely interventions in national life, once again raises its voice to be heard—this
time, to do away with the oblivion and clarify the confusion about the socioeco
tion . . . at times, they are excessively
tal population of Chile was 16 percent in 1980 (this is one of the lowest indices in all Latin America, lower even than that of Argentina)? With respect to infant mortality, is the American public aware that Chile records
pessimistic; at other times they are exag
one of the lowest rates in the three
lead to the return of the material and
gerated eulogies.
Americas (17.9 deaths per thousand in
moral misery of socialism. May Our
1985), comparable only to the United
Disinformation Extends to the So
cioeconomic Sphere. A multitude of ar
ticles and studies have been published about the Chilean socioeconomic situa
What has been lacking, however, is
Chile between the years 1970 and 1982?
The Chilean TFP, known for its out
nomic reality of today's Chile. For such oblivion and confusion could
a full vision of the Chilean socioeconomic
States and Canada? And that illiteracy
Lady of Mount Carmel, Queen and Pa troness of this nation, preserve it from
panorama—without political compro
in Chile has practically disappeared, with
such a catastrophe.
mises of any kind, without exaggerations
a mere 5 percent illiteracy rate?
Vol. IV, No. 23, 1987
h\ Atilio Faoro
Nicaraguan Paradise Lost Amid the thunderous uproar about American aid to the contras^ no one
seems to be asking about the record
of the Nicaraguan regime presently in power. Yet according to a recent
study, torture and other serious hu man rights violations are rampant and have led to the exodus of nearly 300,000 people, roughly 10 percent of the population, since the 1979 Sandinista Revolution.
Issued by the Washington-based Puebia Institute, a lay Roman Cath
olic human rights organization, the
report documents allegations of res trictions on freedom or religion and government military attacks against civilians.
The study titled Fleeing Their Homeland is based on Interviews
with 100 NIcaraguans at refugee camps in the Honduras and Costa Rica. Reasons cited for the mass flight differ little from those proffered in other communist dominated countries:
restrictions on religion, arbitrary ar rest and torture.
On at least 13 separate ocassions since 1984,the government has car ried out air or ground attacks "Indis criminately and without warning" in southern Nicaragua. Also report ed were accounts of forced resettle
ment where family-size farms were confiscated and the former owners ordered to move to state-run farms. Where is the concern for these vic
tims? (St. Louis Post'Dispafcb, 5/10/87). No to Soviet Deo! While nations like Brazil and Ar
gentina are signing fishing agree ments that would allow the Soviet Union to fish In their territorial
waters, a tiny South Pacific island na tion of 8,600 has refused an enticing
Soviet offer for similar privileges. Tuvalu, a nine-island chain half the size of /v\anhattan Island, has banned
Soviet fishing fleets from its waters,
fearing infiltration by Soviet agents.
Abortion Pill to Come
After months of practically being begged to buy subsidized American more readily available to women wheat, the Soviets have finally through the use of a single pill that agreed to buy four million metric tons will provoke an abortion. at bargain prices. According to Prof. Marc Bygdeman According to the Agriculture De of StockhoFm's Karolinsko Hospital, partment, the agreement represents a new drug has already been tested the largest sale ever of subsidized on 600 pregnant women in Sweden, American wheat to a single country. Italy, china, India and other coun This also marked the first major pur tries in cooperation with the World chase of U.S. wheat that the Russi Health Organization (WHO),an au ans have made in two years. tonomous agency that works in con "In a sense the agreement Is a junction with the United Nations. breakthrough in this long trade rela Promoters want to put the drug on tionship between the Soviet Union the market within two or three years. and the United States," said Daniel Amstutz, undersecretary of agricul Torpedo Training to Chinese ture. "It gives evidence that the rela tionship is a better one that will lead The U.S. Navy is training a Chi to more business." nese naval officer and six technicians The tax-subsidized clearance sale to use $1 million worth of torpedoes amounts to twice the annual wheat that the U.S. has sold to communist crop of Nebraska or half the annual China. The arrangement is the first crop of Kansas. The generous subsi such instance of military training dy, which could reaoi $50 a" metric provided for a communist country. ton, provides yet one more prop for The Chinese are enrolled at the the hopelessly inefficient Soviet Naval Training Center's Advanced system. Undersea Weapons School in Orlan do, Florida. The course, which began Frankenstein Future in January, will run through October. The training was included as part of In a decision with broad moral and an arms package where the U.S. ethical implications, the federal gov sold Mark 46 anti-submarine torpe ernment has cleared the way for "in does to Red China. ventors" to patent new life forms produced through new reproductive Phone Draws Fire technologies and genetic engineering breakthroughs. Despite consumer criticism, en The decision will allow researchers trepreneurs Tom Tizzard and Frank to patent "remodeled" animals and Chen of San Dimas, Calif, plan to their traits created under laboratory market for next Christmas a tele conditions. Researchers say technol phone that looks and feels like a .45- ogy will eventually make it possible caliber Colt automatic handgun. to combine animal, plant, micro While the phones do not shoot, and human genes with animal eni they are exact replicas of the Colt bryos to produce custom-designed .45. To use the phone,the owner puts animals, and even entirely new ani the barrel to his own head and speaks mal types. into the pistol grip. At a January elec While the policy presently bars the tronics show in Las Vegas, Tizzard patenting of new genetic characteris reportedly received about 60,000 tics that could be developed for hu orders for the gun phone sets, which mans, the decision could eventually sell for between $100 and $150. lead to such practices. Critics have rightly asserted that "The decision says higher life forms guns are a serious business and that will be considered, and it could be a phone call which would simulate a extrapolated to human beings," said suicide could have disastrous conse Charles E. Van Horn, director of or Reports from Sweden claim that
soon the horror of abortion will be
Prime Minister Tomasi Puapua termed the $1 million agreement as "too dangerous" (The Sacramento Bee, 2/27/87). Optimistic Western nations would quences. "You don't place guns to your head do well to follow the example of the nation of Tuvalu, who put national in fun," said Bob Morris, vice-presi security above supposed economic dent of marketing for Colt Firearms advantages. (The Sacramento Bee, 1/27/87). J2
Subsidizing the Soviets
ganic chemistry and biotechnology in tne patent office. "But for the time oe-
ing, we are not going to consider ap plications involving human life" (Tne Kansas City Times, 4/17/87). TFP Newsletter
CATHOLIC A.MLItiCA
those "mustard seeds" that would come
Catholic Chicago —an Inextinguishable Fire Editor's Note: This year marks the
200th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. Not only is this an aus
picious moment for the nation, but it marks an occasion for celebration in the
histories of many cities as well. The city of Chicago,for example, is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its existence.
While the participation ofCatholics in the development of our nation is wellknown, the contributions Catholics have made to the growth of America's great cities have been less celebrated. Thefol
lowing article attempts tofill one vacuum in the glorious history of the Catholic Church in America.
Mrs. O'Leary's cow helped to burn down the town; an anarchist bomb blew
up Haymarket Square; Saul Alinsky found his footing in Chicago; later, an even bigger bomb was born at the University of Chicago. Like scenes from an old-time movie, images of Chicago flicker across the na tional screen, offering a myopic percep tion of the city. Today, Chicago no longer butchers hogs or plays with railroads. The jet stream has replaced the iron rails. Daley
player with the nation's railroads"; Daley's town—where "Hizzoner" held
political power (for better or for worse) for more than 20 years; Capone's ter
Chicago has 39 different spellings and 11 different etymologies. One of the first explanations given for the name can be found in the journals of an early French Catholic explorer, Louis Joutel. Upon reaching Chicagou in September of 1687, Joutel, a survivor of La Salles' ill-fated expedition to Texas, wrote:"We
continued walking until we arrived at a place which was named Chicagou, which, according to what we could learn, has
taken its name from the great quantity of garlic which grows in this district . . ." Certainly a humble enough beginning. However, lest Chicago be forever stigma tized with such an odoriferous genealo gy, there is also evidence that Chicagou means "something great," and another Indian word with a similar pronunciation
is gone, the famous political machine a
could be translated as "thunder of the
Mississippi River." A majority of the
as empty as his hidden vaults described
meanings stressed this attribute: strength.
in a recent TV documentary. The physi cists, the Haymarket anarchists, Alinsky
adding their pieces to that immense puz HICAGO"—just say the name and a multitude of images comes cascading into view: Sandburg's city—brawny and brawl ing,"hog butcher, stacker of wheat, and
dioceses in the nation.
shambles, the myth of Capone proved
and Mrs. O'Leary's cow have all done their damage or duty as they saw fit, ii
to form one of the largest Catholic arch
zle called Chicago.
There is, however, another Chicago . . . or "Chicagou" as it was called by the Indians, fur traders and missionaries who traversed, toiled, settled and died there long before the close of the seven teenth century.
This was the Chicago that did not die or move on. This was the Chicagou that
ritory—with enough hoodlum "heroes" to provide ample material for a score
cism in the Midwest—the Chicagou of
of Hollywood movies. Chicago, a city whose name is famous for a whole pot pourri of people and events.
Louis Joliet and Fr. James Marquette, of La Salle and of Jean Baptiste Beaubien, of the Catholic Potowatomis—
opened the pages of the story of Catholi
As early as 1688, Franquelin's famous map showed "Fort Chicagou" on the site of the future city some 13 years be
fore Cadillac founded Detroit, 76 years before Laclede set up his trading.post in St. Louis, and 100 years before Denham and Patterson platted the village that became Cincinnati.
Strangely enough, the story of Cath olic Chicago, a city so well-known for its enclaves of Irish, Polish, Italian, Ger
man and, more recently, Hispanic im migrants, began in Canada—in Catholic French Quebec. Into the wilderness of the Midwest, the Catholic Faith was carried by men of steel from the France of Louis XIV.
With their coming, the first links were forged between the Catholic Faith and
the city. Many a coureur de bois may have traded with the Indians in the
Chicago area. The fur trade, although small by modern standards, soon be
came an important part of "^-^erican/French commercial purst. In 1673, with an eye towaru ex panding the mercantile value of the colonies, Louis XIV commissioned
Louis Joliet to explore the Mississippi River. Joliet was accompanied by Fr. James Marquette.
Joliet attempted to find the longsought-after passage to the "western sea" and thus establish a trade route with Asia.
Father Marquette's vision was more broad. The driving impetus of his life was his devotion to the Blessed
Virgin Mary and his desire to bring the knowledge of her to those who lived in darkness.
The work of the Jesuits had begun Missionary Fr. James Marquette and explorer Louis Jollet bring the light of the Faith
among the Huron Indians in the little
the Midwest.
colony of Quebec. It almost came to
VOL. IV, No. 23, 1987
13
I fades away into history with Fa
(ITffOMC
an untimely end when the ire of
dants on the shores of Lake Il
the Iroquois fell upon the Indian
linois near present-day Ludding-
;
converts. Those who did not win
the crown of martyrdom fled from the eastern shore of their
lake to the forests beyond the
ton, Michigan. The story of Catholic Chicagou ther Marquette's death. There are no more detailed accounts of daily Catholic life . . . only an occa sional mention of visits by other missionaries passing by the area. Still, one bright spot emerges from the wilderness that yet enve
.
Superior—first at La Pointe, and then at Green Bay. It was here that the missionaries established
themselves once again. And it is
here that the story of Catholic
Chicago begins to take formal
famous voyage was lost when his I
loped the future city. During the end of the seven teenth century, a Catholic mission
canoe overturned, but Father
The earliest known picture of Chicago. Fort Dearborn The )orn
conducted on behalf of the Miami
Marquette's has become almost
13 Is on the right.
Indians flourished in the immedi
shape.
Joliet's journal of the now-
an epic saga of Catholicism in the United States.
Reaching the Great River by way / of the Fox-Wisconsin Portage, the twoi ex ex-
the light of day in that rough cabin on the banks of the Chicago River.
rem remained
until 1700. While its location
waterway as far as the Arkansas ter ter-
we have not lacked provisions," he
is si still uncertain, some historians have plat placed it on the margin of the marshy bod body of water known as "Skokie"—a
low ritory. Deciding that the river must flow capinto the Gulf of Mexico and fearing cap ture by the Spanish, they turned back: for
wrote, adding, "We also lived very pleasantly, for my illness did not prevent
dist distance of some two miles city city limits of Evanston.
me from saying Mass daily" (Thwaite,
k Known as the Mission de L'Angel
Green Bay. Passing through the land of the con confederation of the Illinois Indians, Father ther Marquette promised that he would return turn and establish a mission among them. m. True to his word, the Jesuit mission ionary returned late in 1674 at the Chicago ago portage. This noteworthy event is re re-
Jesuit Relations). Some time after Christmas, in order
Gut Guardien de Chicagou (Chicago Guard ian ian Angel Mission), it became a favorite
plorers floated down the magnificent cent
"The Blessed Virgin Mary has taken
ate vicinity of Chicago. Estab Hsh' lished in 1696 by Fr. Francois Pinei, it
such care of us during our wintering that
not to die without having kept his prom-
north of the
stop stopping place for pioneers en route to
ise to the Illinois Indians to establish a mission among them, he asked his
the the Mississippi Valley. V With the closing of the mission, a veil
companions to make a novena for this
is is 0 once again drawn over the religious
intention in honor of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
corded as follows:
Contrary to all human expectations, he
"Thus, in December 1674, began the first extended sojourn, as far as we have lave
recovered from his sickness and found himself able to proceed on his journey.
hist history of Chicago . . . this time for al mot most a century. Not until 1796 is there recc record of the area being visited by a Cat Catholic priest. h Nonetheless, it is certain that Cathol
record, of white men on the site of the Future Chicago"(Quaife, Chicago and the Old Northwest, 1673-1875). "Our first account of life at Chicago ago
In the spring of 1675, he traveled down the Illinois River preaching the
ics ics of every trade and profession con tinu tinued to settle in the area.
pictures the doings of a lonely priest ■iest passing the winter in a rude hut, ani ani-
at Kaskaskia, taking possession of the
mated by a fiery zeal for the salvation tion of the savages he was seeking, while hile
gave the mission at Kaskaskia the name of the Immaculate Conception of the
his physical frame was shaken with the pangs of a mortal disease. If plain liv liv-
Blessed Virgin Mary. This mission was
ing and high thinking be the ideal life, life,
civilization and Christianity made their first rude but glorious beginnings in the Mississippi Valley. His life's work accomplished, Father
no locality launched its recorded career reer more auspiciously than did ChicagoD in the winter of 1674-75"(Quaife, The De Development of Chicago, 1674-75). The spiritual duties undertaken by Father Marquette during this winter
Gospel. On Easter Sunday, he celebrated
A About 1790, the Santo Domingo Ne
Mass among his beloved Illinois Indians
gro, Jean Baptiste Pointe de Saible, en
lands in the name of Jesus Christ. He
destined to stand out as the site where
Marquette died among his Indian atten-
tere the Chicagou scenario. He was a tered
trac trader, and a good one at that. So well rece received was he by the Potowatomi that
he he :aspired to be their chief. De Saible sta> stayed in Chicagou for about six years, fina finally leaving for Peoria or St. Louis. E sold his cabin to Francis Le Mai, He aa Fi French-Canadian trader who, 1 n, sole sold it to John Kinzie when he u -d in CChicagou in 1804. This cabin expanded und under Kinzie's mercantile genius until
it became famous as the "Kinzie Mansion."
are the earliest recorded by a clergy
The most conspicuous of early Catholics settling in Chicagou was
man within the boundaries of the fu
ture metropolis.
Jean Baptiste Beaubien, who arrived
He celebrated the first Mass on the
in the early eighteenth century.
site of Chicago on or within a day or
He was a successful fur trader who
two of the octave of the Feast of the
purchased the Dean house within the limits of Fort Dearborn and later be came a cause celebre in a litigation
Immaculate Conception, December 15,
1675. He was the first priest known to have heard confessions, adminis
dispute over the house. AJso prominent among Catholics at
tered the Eucharist, and given reli
gious instruction in the locale. Father Marquette remained there until the
this time were two half-breed Poto watomi chiefs, who were believed to
end of March.
be instrumental in saving the lives of
It could rightly be claimed that the
Catholic Church in Chicago first saw 14
1R iver activity In Chicago during the 18608
some of the settlers during the Fort Dearborn Massacre. TFP Newsletter
C'.XTHOLIC .1 Mf:«fCVl
The massacre occurred during the tur
of those used in locomotives, was added.
Canal in 1835, contractors sent circulars
bulent era of the War of 1812. The Brit
This edifice was completely destroyed in
ish, fearing the strategic locations of the forts in the Midwest, stirred up the In
the Great Fire of 1871.
to all the eastern seaports offering work to potential immigrants. Soon Chicago
From the beginning, the Catholic
was inundated with workers. Those who
dians against the settlers. One chief in particular—Tecumseh— was England's most effective and will ing foin. Tecumseh was a vain dreamer who saw for the Indians a future of pac ifism, socialism and brotherly love un
Church recorded the largest congrega tion in the city. Until 1843, it was the principal denomination to minister to the immigrant population. So numerous were the French, for example, that in 1815 they received special mention in a
were not employed on the canal found work in public works and construction sites, on the railways and in the factories. They soon replaced the French as the
der a confederation of Indian tribes.
report on the diocese made by Bishop Flaget of Bardstown (Kentucky). By 1844, Catholic Church membership stood
Chicago Fire of 1871.
at 2,000, a number considerably larger
O'Leary's barn (ironically, now the site
than any other denomination. The Potowatomis played a direct part in the first formal organization of the Catholic Church in Chicago.
of the Chicago Fire Department Train ing Academy). Many factors propitious
To consolidate the tribes, he preached two things: temperance (as regards con sumption of alcohol) and communism. He advocated the abolition of both whis
key and private property. Tribe after tribe joined in his conspiracy. Under his instigation, Indians friendly
main support of the Church and, unfor tunately, were forever linked to the dis aster that was soon to follow—the Great The blaze started on October 8 in Mrs.
to disaster gave the fire headway. The watchman at City Hall tower had misjudged the location and called
to Tecumseh laid siege to the small force at Fort Dearborn.
the wrong fire company; a terrific
Among the inhabitants living near
southwest wind was blowing; the
the fort were John Kinzie and his
family. The commandant of the
fire crews were exhausted from a $7.5 million blaze on the West
fort, in return for safe passage,
side that had occurred the day be
agreed to destroy his extra weap
fore; all summer long Chicago's
ons and to give all the whiskey on
firemen had been going night and day—30 fires had taken place
hand to the Indians. He unwisely destroyed both weapons and whis key. At nine o'clock on the morn
only between the last day of Sep tember and October 5. It was to be a fire of o.ver-
ing of August 15, 1812 (Feast of the Assumption), he marched out
whelming proportions and dev
of the fort with less than 50 sold
astating results.
iers, 12 to 15 armed militiamen,
Flames miles wide and hun
Ml
and the women and children. By some strange quirk of fate, the
dreds of feet high lashed their way downtown on the gale winds. Fed
small soldier band was playing the ^
by the 150 acres of burning houses
"Death March." The Indians, in-
and factories behind it, the fire
furiated by the loss of the whiskey, attacked. The rest is history.
1^^ The average structure of stone,
n| jumped the four block fire break.
Popular tales recount that Chief H|
iron, and brick lasted about five
11 m
Pokegan (of the Saint Joseph Potowatomi), along with another
minutes. Iron columns melted like
butter; not even a piece of charred wood was left in its path; iron, bronze, gold and silver melted
Indian (Tope-in-a-bee), rowed the Kinzie family across the waters of
Lake Michigan to safety after the
Holy Name Cathedral In Chicago represents an Imposing Holy sing
massacre.
Cath Catholic presence in the 1S0-year-old city.
The relative situation of isola
10 puddles. The financial loss was estimated
tion suffered by Chicago had not
A letter in 1833 from Mr. Thomas J.
changed much in May 1833 with the ar rival of Fr. John M.I. St. Cyr. This first parish assignment was prompted by a group of Chicago Catholics who peti
V. Owen, U.S. Indian Agent at Chicago,
at $200 million. Three hundred people were killed, 18,000 buildings were de stroyed. The greatest part of the pro--
to Mr. Anson H. Taylor (builder of the
erty and possessions of the Cathol,
first bridge over the Chicago River) declared that "at the petition of the prin
loss ran as high as $1 million. Catholic
tioned the bishop of St. Louis in that
year for a full time priest. Up to that time, Chicago Catholics had been ob liged to Journey to St. Louis to receive Baptism and the sacraments. The "flourishing city" referred to in
the petition was surrounded by a muddy prairie and consisted of about 300 peo ple. The country was new to the priest, and Chicago his first parish. A month after his arrival, his desire
cipal chiefs of the Potowatomi tribe of Indians to the President of the United
States, permission was given to them to donate to the Roman Catholic Church
four sections of land on the Des Plaines
of Chicago River near the town of Chica
go for the purpose of establishing a semi
Church was demolished. Estimates ot
Chicago was in ashes . . .
A cleavage line was established by this fire between the Catholic Chicagou that was and the Catholic Chicago that was to be. But the spirit of Catholic Chica go would not—indeed, could not—die.
nary of learning!' For unknown reasons,
A common spirit linked them both. The spirit of Father Marquette etched in
this request was never embodied in the
a simple black cross was erected on the
Indian Treaty of 1833.
banks of the Chicago River. The inscrip tion reads,"To do and suffer everything for so glorious an undertaking."
By the time of the 1850 Census, the
for a temple where the "Divine Savior"
Irish could boast the most numerous and
might "dwell continually" in their midst
active immigrant population in the city.
Surely, there are yet many Chicago
by "the presence of the Blessed Sacra ment" was realized. The church, chris
Crop failures during the 1840s in Ireland had generated an explosion of immigrants
Catholics who harbor that same elevated
attitude as they look toward the Chicago
tened Saint Mary's, was small, costing about $400. Later a bell, about the size
coming from Ireland. With the authori
of the twenty-first century.
Vol. IV, NO. 23, 2987
zation to build the Michigan and Illinois
by Philip Moran, Sr.
.\>llUi:>CKS. flSTOMS. Cl\ IHZ.\TIO\S
M
(^(Zd^ OUR picture shows the fours sons of the maharaja of Kapurthala at the beginning of the century. The group makes an agreeable impression, as there is something quintessentially noble, gracious and refined in the bearing, coun tenances and attire of these small princes. They are true princes, quite authentically Indian. None theless, without detracting from that authenticity, one easily perceives that something from our civilization has pro
of the best values of the West. The West, in turn, could have also benefited greatly from its contact with a country such as India.
Before the Second World War, this exchange of values
had begun to some degree between the higher classes of In
foundly penetrated them and their surroundings.
dia and the West. Normally, it would have followed that
When two great civilizations meet, the most fruitful out come of the peaceful relationship that should be established
these values would have been diffused into the other social classes.
is a wise and balanced interchange of values. Thus, both
A characteristic example of this are these small princes.
ity. On the contrary, the worst outcome would be the
Certainly, they manifest something of the atmosphere from A Thousand and One Nights, yet they already have ass' --''-
destruction of one by the other. The Church does not identify Herself specifically with
"court air."
civilizations are enriched while neither loses its authentic
the civilization or culture of any particular people. It is Her nature to foster the conservation and growth of all that is proper and upright in the most varied of civilizations and cultures, as well as to eliminate what is false or evil in them. One easily sees how the Catholic influence thus tends to
promote a judicious interpenetration of values. When thus guided by the Church, this interpenetration results in an essential unity, a unity harmoniously variegated among the
different cultures and civilizations. That superior unity, based on the Faith, is called Christian civilization.
If the influence of the Church had reached its apex in
the Eastern nations, everything characteristic, elevated and upright in their civilization and culture would have been preserved. Abominable abuses such as the miserable situa tion of the pariahs and many workers, which also made
16
The India of today would still have been quite Indian in nature, still imbued with its own admirable traditions, but also quite Christian, having profited from its acceptance
lated some of the refinement and nobility of the Wes.
But the Revolution entered the picture, destroying in India, as in the West, their traditions. It turned them
against everything authentic and organic in their culture.
Under the pretense of correcting abuses, it is fabricating a cosmopolitan and inorganic nation, transferring the of
ten excessive authority of the maharajas to the despotic rule of the machine, bureaucracy and propaganda. Has this been a benefit or a detriment for India? This
question, while providing an opportunity for endless dis cussions, would have the drawback of deviating our atten
tion from another much more interesting problem: Why
up part of authentic Eastern values, would have been
did that country not follow the path toward a wise inter penetration of values that, in at least some ways, it had
abolished.
begun to pursue? TFP Newsletter
(. ■"
'
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' ''Belle Meade"—This Tennessee mansion symbolizes a calm, rural and pre-industrial way of life which harbored the traditional and harmonious extended family. It represents ^
marked CQptrast to4oday's fragmented families which have given
* . m ' 0ti
^m
rise ta moral and social problems nonexistant in tl^es pasYr •
' ^See '^Tradition, Tmnsition dhd Turmoil: '
^ ^ Look at the Family in Crisis^^pages 4-9.)
Tfik American Society rofe the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property
^
ij:tti:ic i ko>i iiik Ki>n<>u
Since the family is the building block of society, many of today's social crises can be traced to the breakdown
The Crystal Solution
of the family. For this reason, we have focused a large
portion of this issue on the changes undergone within the •family not only over the last decades—but over the past
Yet one more New Age superstitionfad is invading the marketplace. Crys-
centuries.
Our special article "Tradition, Transition and Turmoil:
tal power, or crystal consciousness,
a Look at the Family in Crisis" (see pages 4-9) discusses little-known aspects of the extended traditional family
shape and size are being promoted
and its impressive support system for the individual. We
as a mystical catch-all solution to
trace the changes brought about by the Industrial Revo
problems ranging from arthritis treatment to gardening. Natural quartz crystals are now labeled cosmic computers that New Agers say are recep tive to human thoughts and, therefore, capable of a
lution and the consequential loss of several stabalizing factors that favor personality development.
At the same time, we discuss the growth of the nuclear family that came to dominate American society during the twentieth century. We also deal with the disturbing trend toward childless "families" now making headway among an ever-growing group of young, two-income cou
ples. Drawing from a variety of sources from all over the world, we feel that this analysis will be most helpful in
explaining some* of the many problems now facing the family.
has arrived—as crystals of every
Of
variety of feats. Headaches can allegedly be stopped by ap
plying crystals to the head. Energy fields can be created by locating crystals at various points in a room. A Texas farmer reportedly bought a number of them to keep flies off his cows. Some enthusiasts are even suggesting their use against AIDS and other diseases.
Like other New Age fads, the rocks of the eighties enjoy a slew of endorsements from various celebrities. Actress
Shirley MacLaine, a popular New Age figure, has already pronounced herself in favor of them, as have Jane Fonda Our Inside America(see page 10) deals with a concomi tant problem that we have witnessed over the past few years—the emergence of a number of incurable diseases. For all our technological advances, modern science is baf
fled by the diseases, many of which are caused by chaot ic modern lifestyles.
and Jill Ireland.
Some observers note that today's almost irrational fasci nation with crystals is similar to that of earlier primitive peo
ples who revered crystals as living beings with universal intelligence. Today's neo-primitive adepts like)yise ascribe esoteric powers to them. "People who don't understand anything about them or
why they should have them are being drawn to them," claims Ruth Hoskins, director of the Philadelphia-based Prana, a In our Commentary section, Prof. Plinio Correa de
New Age networking organization(Kansas City Star, 6/2/87).
Oliveira engages in a dialogue with a childhood acquain tance who presents his objections to the TFP and its view point. "On the Airplane with Gogo" is a charming article by Professor Correa de Oliveira that disputes many of
products. Jewelry, videotapes, books and even pet accesso ries are being peddled. One book, titled The Truth About Crystal Healing, offers step-by-step instructions on how to
the myths some people might harbor about tradition. In our essay "Flight from Wisdom," we discuss the
nineteenth-century intellectual movement which empha sized a skeptical and relativistic practical science. An in formal discussion group called the Cambridge Apostles included figures like G. E. Moore and Bertrand Russell. The consequences of this current are still being felt today.
A burgeoning market has produced a variety of crystal
build a "home and garden field protector" aimed at keep ing away unwanted guests from the home and insects from the vegetable patch.
Most crystals consist of plain unset stones of clear quartz one fifth of an inch long and a thumb's width in diameter.
They usually cost $10—thrice the selling price just a few years ago.
We are pleased to include in this issue another article
With all the paraphernalia comes a myriad selection of
on our American Catholic heritage. "Sowing Seeds of
courses and workshops incorporating New Age r^'^ndomysticism and teaching crystal adepts how to get il 'St
the Faith: the Rocky Mountain Missions" is an article
about one of the most epic and amazing missionary ef
out of their product. Some teachers even show how to
forts in America. We recount the tale of the Rocky Moun
cleanse a crystal of negative emotions by soaking it in sea salt and water for a week. Crystals can also be charged by
tain Indians who went in search of a missionary to teach them about God and His Church. The extraordinary story of Fr. Peter De Smet certainly deserves to be much more widely known.
These stories as well as our regular features make up this issue of the TFP Newsletter. John Horvat II
exposing them to sunlight or moonlight. Others claim that
they may be programmed to accept and store whatever in tention the owners wish to put into them. Crystal consciousness points once again to modern soci ety's dangerous encounter with the mystical and occult. The magic and superstitions of a pagan past have been reincar
nated and are gradually finding their way into modern American society.
TFP NEWSLETTeR is a monthly publication of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Fomily ond Property (TFP). John Horvat II, Editor. Subscription complimentary in the United States (third class bulk) and
Canada. Rates for foreign subscriptions and list of other TFP publications available upon request. Direct all subscription requests anci inquiries to: The American TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pleasontville, N.Y. 10o70. Permission
is granted to reproduce in whole or in part any article of this newsletter with the credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER*
■
On the Airplane with Gogo PLINIO CORREA DE OLIVEIRA
COMME^TAUY
I BOARDED the airplane for Rio and took my seat. As the plane ascended, I picked up a newspaper to
pass the time, but it was uninteresting. For lack of anything better, I turned
to look at the passenger at my side, who was a somewhat uncommon type of man. His long neck atop a lanky body supported an unexpected head. His face was round and enormous, but his cranial structure from front to back
was exceptionally shallow. One might say that his head was like a coin, with one side bearing the eyes, nose and mouth of a man, and the reverse sport ing a full head of gray hair. Between
dola, thus insinuating that, by her cor
pulence, she occupied the space not of a little girl, but of a gondola. Maria
Gondola and Gogo were very close. She, who had more personality, exerted a strong influence over him.
comes into the world should reject everything from the past and should build its own history according to its own inspiration. There's no reason to
Maria Gondola became a nun around
hold on to the old-fashioned ways that the majority of people cling to." I: "What you are literally saying,
1945, and she soon became involved in the nascent progressivist movement.
its very onset, should place itself in the
As was the style in that era, she took part in protests, and confrontations with the police, and was "counseled" to study abroad. When she returned,
state of barbarism, which is the zero point of departure for all civilizations. And from this state, each generation should reconstruct everything that was
she was aggiornata from head to toe. She no longer wore any vestige of a re
done by those who preceded it. Is this
ligious habit and began to live in an
then, is that each new generation, from
really what you want?" Gogo:"I already told you—what we
these two sides was a small area from
apartment by herself. Was she still a
need to do is finish with everything
which jutted two ears. His slightly pro truding eyes were inexpressive. His
nun? I do not know. Nor do I know if she herself knows.
old-fashioned, which is no longer use
lower eyelids, drooping and swollen,
The stewardess passed by, offering coffee. Gogo accepted, and began to sip his coffee. Stimulated by the drink,
were etched with deep lines. Noticing my gaze, he looked at me and asked in a slow and well-timbered voice:
"Plinio, do you remember me?"
He was obviously an acquaintance of times long past, some childhood companion perhaps. While stalling for time with the classic evasive remarks, "Imagine that!" "It's been such a long
he began to converse: Gogo: "Well, Plinio, Maria and I often reminisce about our past and we also speak of you and what you are doing—with your books, your cam
paigns, your *TPF'!"
ful. The rest could all remain."
I: "Oh, then it is no longer the past that you want demolished? It is only the old things. And how do you define this 'old'?"
Gogo: "Old is, for example, the Middle Ages with its confining atmos
phere, its inequalities, its despotic re gimes. With its protocol, its pomp, its rigid morals, its dogmas, its meta
I: "No, Gogo, you are wrong, for
physics. How 1 hate all that! And
time!" and so forth, I was forcing my
the TFP is not mine. Rather, I belong
Maria also hates it. How different the
self to make an archaeological explo ration to see what figure from the past
to it—and with my whole soul. And as
medievals were from the Greeks and
Romans, whose civilization was filled with enduring elements. It is unfor tunate, however, that the medievals
I could reconstruct based on these
for its name, you have also mixed things up. It is not the TPF,' but the
ruins. However, I could find nothing
TFP: Tradition, Family and Property!'
—until the moment that my gaze fell by chance upon his neck where a point
Gogo: "Yes, yes, I know, I know! Maria and I often speak of the 'TPF.' At first, I would correct her, but she said that in her circles everyone made it a point to say only 'TPF.' Counter-
ed lump was rapidly ascending and de
scending. Around this lump everything fell into place and became clear. "Gogol" I exclaimed, "How are
you?" He laughed happily. We shook hands warmly and began to converse.
propaganda, you see? Spite. So now
she has gotten into the habit of always calling it this." Gogo smiled with a kind of hollow malice that attempted in vain to be ar dent. I don't know but that perhaps at
Godfrey Gondra de Godoi Gomes was the full name, not lacking a cer tain pomp, of my childhood acquain tance. Obviously, his classmates had
um. At any rate, as if to add more sub stance to his words, Gogo added:"The one who feels passionately about this
simplified the name, nicknaming him
is my sister, for she is intelligent."
Gogo.
What had become of this Gogo? What was his occupation? What did he
that moment he himself felt this vacu
As for intelligence, Gogo had a cer
days—what remained of the classical culture, which the barbarian invasions had destroyed." Gogo: "I already told you, Plinio, that everything that comes from the Middle Ages is old-fashioned." I: "How strange! The time factor,
then, does not enter into your defini tion of old-fashioned! A culture prior to the birth of Jesus Christ is not old
Moreover, she was always a real
is. . . . Then old is whatever you and
rabble-rouser.
Gondra de Godoi Gomes, or, Maria
like the TFP then? And you don't
Gondra, as she was more commonly
either?"
called. With the cruelty of children, her
Gogo: "Frankly, no. I am absolutely against tradition. Each generation that
Vol. IV, No. 24, 1987
own world. In reality, the medieval ag^ preserved for posterity—even to oui
tain amount of reasoning capacity, but his "passionate" sister had quite a bit.
do in life? All these facts were lacking to me in conversing with the man. I knew more about his sister, Maria
classmates had dubbed her Maria Gon-
did not know how to preserve these things." I: "If the two were so different, Gogo, then, indeed, it is the medieval world that deserves your praise. For they repudiated the past and built their
I: "So, Gogo, your sister doesn't
for you; a culture far posterior to it your sister find disagreeable, whatever
happens to clash with your prejudices!' Gogo: "Look, I don't have any prej udices. A prejudice is a medieval thing. For you it is a good thing—going [Continued on page 13]
FAMILY
Tradition, Transition and Turmoil: a Look at the Family in Crisis pearance—the nuclear family— whose characteristics acted strong
ly to unleash or aggravate the cri sis of the family and the conflict
!ln societies of times gone by, where between generations.
The Traditional Family of Old.
the tonus of rural life prevailed,
conditions fostered the harmonic
development of the youth from childhood to adult, without pass-
- .j ■ ■"*
ing through the so-called adolescent crisis. In those societies, governed by stable and coherent
^ principles, the family was exten^ sive, patriarchal and hierarchical— encompassing collateral relatives ^ and frequently including three
ms.
generations. In such a family a child could confidently resolve any
TL
|H problem with his parents without
>'
W
necessarily confronting them
In traditional society, a tone of rural life prevailed which fostered family development ent
Much has been written about the problems that exist between par ents and children. "Adolescent crisis,"
"the generation gap," and other such ex pressions all indicate that the inter-family relationship today is not one of great harmony and understanding. The fact is that the institution of the
family has been suffering a steady proc ess of disintegration, which has acceler ated in the last decades. This can be seen,
on one hand, by the decreasing number
has, moreover, served to deteriorate the
directly since he could have re course to various relatives, such as older brothers and sisters, cousins, uncles and aunts, grandparents, and so
warm relationship and understanding that should exist between parents and
intermediaries for the conflicting parties,
children.
To demonstrate this, we have recourse to various texts written by specialists on the subject. These represent, however,
only a small fraction of all that we would like to present, limited as we are by the scope and extent of this article.
forth. These relatives could then act as
thus easing disputes. This prevented emotional problems from reaching more acute phases. Within his family, the child would
thus find his models and his compan ions: "The traditional family usually provided more than one significant other [model] and therefore offered children
Social
Transformations
Alter
the
greater flexibility in choosing a model.
of marriages, and, on the other, by the
Structure of the Family. "The relative
. . . In the large traditional family the
increasing number of divorces, single-
decline in the importance of rural life
child usually grew up with peer"? who
parent families, free marriages, illegiti
and the urbanization of that which lingers on certainly constitutes one of the major
were members of his or her
mate children, the use of contraceptive methods, abortions and so on. The discord observed between spouses themselves, and between parents and children, make up pan of this crisis. Sig nificant aggravating factors of this plight
turning points in the cultural and institu tional history of mankind. The reduction
the family to find playmates" (Hans Se-
of rural life and institutions to a subor
bald. Adolescence: a Social Psychologi cal Analysis, 2d ed., Prentice-Hall Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1977, p. 138).
dinate position in Western civilization
occurred in the last 200 years, culminat
has veritably introduced a new epoch in human history" (Harry Elmer Barnes, Society in Transition, Prentice-Hall,
ing in the establishment of an urban, in
Inc., New York, 1939, pp. 559-560, in
dustrial society. Our article attempts to show how the
Paul H. Landis, Adolescence and Youth — The Process of Maturing, McGrawHill Book Co., New York, 1952, p. 64). These social transformations pro
are the social transformations that have
passage from an agrarian and rural so ciety, where the family was organized on a patriarchal structure, to the mod ern industrial and urban society, where the family has been fragmented and broken into small nuclei, has perceptibly prejudiced the harmonic development of the child and youth in his home. It
i
group. They were playmates and nated the necessity of stepping outside of
Problems were resolved within the fa
mily itself, in an ambience of under standing and respect: "A family in which there is unity, understanding, love, sac
rifice, sharing of goods, resolving of needs, etc., has the strength of an insti tution that protects and supports. It does
foundly affected traditional institutions,
not look for solutions outside the home
among which the institution of the family
to conflicts that present themselves, but
stands out, in view of its singular and fundamental function in society. With
rather examines and discusses them from
the advent of urban and industrial soci
Until he has reached the age of taking
ety, a new type of family made its ap-
part in all the family matters, the adoles-
within the bosom of the family itself.
TFP Newsletter
FA^IILY
cent tries to resolve his personal
M
problems by himself, but in keeping with the corrections or ap
proval of his father, who, as safe- ^ guard of the family tradition, duly
M
prohibits that which is not fitting. H . . . The influence of the family I thus constituted is very strong, U creating an atmosphere of respect, H which, like a power moderator,
M
avoids many outbursts"(Jose LIo- ^ pis, La orientacion del adolescenle y la "Guidance of Youth" norteamericana, Ed. Herder, Barcelo-
na, 1965, p. 34).
a M
^
Marriage as a Solemn Instltu- H tion. One of the most powerful H factors that conferred solidity and fl] stability to the traditional family With the advent of the nuclear family, women began to work more outside the home was its public and institutional na ture: "Before, at least in the West and recent curious aberration, an eccentric Normal Development of the Child in Roman times, the family was, above position adopted by 'advanced' soci Without the "Adolescence" Phenome all, an institution. It was founded, pub eties. In the past . . . marriage was a non. In the traditional family society,
licly and formally, upon marriage, which was governed by long established reli gious, ethical, legal and traditional
primary tool for social cohesion and for
each man is born to occupy his place in
uniting interests and conflicting social
society, in this society, the child grows
groups. ... In considering the general procedure of arranging marriages through
perseded and transcended ... the criter
time and space, we note that it was typ
up in the tradition of his family, assum ing the occupation of the family, main taining throughout his life the family's
ia, sentiments, preferences and private decisions of the spouses, without, how ever, necessarily excluding them. This in
ically and normally a diplomatic ac cord, and that it is always, in a certain sense, a 'matrimony of state.' Its essen tial purpose is to establish an alliance
professional status. "A youth, knows what he is born to and makes the adjust ment more or less naturally and uncons ciously. But in our kind of society no
between different and frequently op
Icalofmodernsociety.However,it
norms that were very strict; they su
stitutional character provided a great solidity and stability to the family. A public breach [of the marriage contract] was generally next to impossible or very difficult, and,almost always, the object of social condemnation. The members of
a broken family customarily consid ered this a disgrace, a stigma and a
tragedy"(Mariano Yela, "Prologo"
,
to Jose Antonio Rios Gonzalez, Orientacion y terapia familiar, Ed. Instituto de Ciencias del Hombre,
Madrid, 1984, p. 10). The idea that marriage should not
posed social groups"(Frank Musgrove, Familia, educacion y sociedad, Ed.
Verbo Divino, Estella (Navarre), 1975, p. 92).
youth knows what he is born to"(Paul
H. Landis, Adolescence and Youth â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The Process ofMaturing, McGraw-Hill
Book Co., New York, 1952, p. 63). The phenomenon of "adolescence," with its crises and problems, is typiwas nonexistent in prior times:
"This phenomenon, which surged in Wagnerian Germany, would pene trate France somewhat later around
,
1900. The 'youth,' who was now called an adolescent, was becoming
'
be left to the sentimental caprices
a literary theme and a preoccupation of moralists and politicians. . . .
and emotions of the future spouses
prevailed until the end of the eight
From that time forward, adol
eenth century. This in itself con
tj cence expanded, pushing back i
tributed greatly to the stability of families and the common social
time of childhood and advancing the k
time of maturity. . .. Thus, we passed from an epoch without ado lescence to an epoch where adoles cence is the preferred age. This had
good."It was unthinkable to ask the I future spouses their opinion. Mar- I riage was something more important I than this. It was an essential strata- I
gem for the survival of the family.
become the age which one tries to reach as early as possible and remain
W
It was not through cruelty that it ^ was decided that Alice should not
in as long as possible" (Philippe
I
Aries, Historia Social da Crianga e
marry Joseph. The fact that they I loved each other was unimportant in I
da Familia, Zahar Eds., Rio de
relation to the primordial factor,
m
that is, the continuity of the fami-
H
Thus, the appearance of the phenomenon of "adolescence"
ly" (Louis Roussel, "Famille I
coincided with the emergence of
d'aujourd'hui, famille dedemain," I Sauvegarde de I'enfance, no. 1-2, I 1985, Paris, p. 118). I
Janeiro, 1978, pp. 46-47).
romanticism, with all the distortions of reality and myths that it created.
S
Societies of pre-romantic, pre-
"Our modern Western system of
ai All family members especially the elderly had id
industrialized eras did not know
romantic marriage is a relatively
im Important roles In safeguarding family tradition. I.
these myths and distortions with
Vol. IV, NO. 24, 1987
F.X.UILY
respect to the normal development of the
er hand, is not guided by coherent, sta
child in his family. "In the Middle Ages,
even for a long time afterward, in the
ble principles. Rather, everything in it is unstable, conflicting, competitive and aggressive. In it there is no place for the
classes of the people the children mingled
traditional family. Instead, we have the
with the adults as soon as they were con sidered able to help their mothers or nurses. . .. From that moment on, they
nuclear family—composed only of the single set of parents and one or two chil
at the beginning of modern limes, and
immediately began to participate in the great community of mankind. . . . Our
dren, making the affective communica tion and mutual understanding between generations increasingly difficult. Chil
world is obsessed by material, moral and
dren and parents can no longer depend
sexual problems from childhood. This
on
preoccupation was unknown in medie
reciprocal difficulties. And the television has become a powerful contributing fac tor, accentuating this lack of communi cation and understanding.
val civilization, because that society did not have such problems; for, as soon as a child was no longer an infant, or a short time later, he became the natural companion of the adult" (ibid., pp. 275-276). The Role of the Traditional Magisterium of the Church. Rural society of old, with its patriarchal families, was praised by Pius XII in the following words:
"These families, aptly termed patriar chal, offered a magnificent example, es pecially in some regions. In them the spirit of the deceased grandfather still en dured, communicating and transmitting itself from generation to generation as the greatest and most sacred patrimony, guarded more zealously than gold and silver. It was such patriarchs and fami
lies that supported society with their hopes and their realities. And these homes, blessed and made fecund by re ligion, are those that give to civil society
intermediaries to smooth
over
Moreover, children no longer know exactly what they were born for, nor are they oriented by their parents toward any Today's youth seek values outside the home
particular professional and social life.
most strong vigor. In them a strong and
Instead, they turn to the outside world in search of groups of companions,
respected paternal authority was found
where they hope to satisfy their need for
and verified, an authority that was sanc
the liberty and understanding that they
tioned by religion. For the child saw in his father a reflection of the paternity of
do not find in their homes.
God; for in these homes the faith in Christ has the primacy of reverence, of
With families living in increasingly confined quarters, the disagreements and
union, of submission and of harmony"
tensions that exist between the parents of a modern nuclear family become more
(Pius XII, Allocution to the men of the
evident to the children. This causes ad
Italian Catholic Action on September
ditional psychological tension for the children and adolescents, who, despite
20, 1942, Coleccion de Enciclicas y Documentos Pontificios, Publicaciones de la Junta Tecnica Nacional, Madrid, 1955, p. 1177).
the problems they might have with their parents, nonetheless want to see their home as a refuge and shelter against the multiple assaults of modern society.
The nuclear family is essentially a fruit
and to their fatherland its most serene
The Nuclear Family of Urbanized So ciety: a New Mentality, a New Behavior.
of urbanization, which transforms not
physiognomy,its most firm cohesion, its
Urban and industrial society, on the oth
only the material conditions and aspects
The Future American Family: the DINKs? WHILE the Industrial Revolution reach the highest figure since the achieve their very high and often lux paved the way for the predom inance of the nuclear family, post-
Depression.
industrial trends are appearing that
tributed to the surging presence of
The emergence of the DINKs is at
urious material aspirations. The infamous decision to legalize
abortion and the proliferation of'^•rth control have also played a majo.
give some clue to what may constitute
women in the labor force. From 1965
the future American family—if indeed
to 1985, for example, the number of women with jobs nearly doubled.
in the "dinkification" of America, in
For couples in today's carefree life styles, the nuclear family is restraining and passe. To describe them, modern journalists have coined the less-thancomplimentary acronym DINKs—that is. Double Income No Kids. This term serves to succinctly describe the grow
Among married couples between the ages of 25 and 34, almost two-thirds of the wives work, up from less than one half a decade ago. It is becoming
ing, as some 39 percent of all married couples were reported surgically ster
ing number of childless baby-boomer couples where both parties work or
sonal careers over parental responsi
more widespread and acceptable, an
bilities.
other subtle phase of the family revo lution shifts into gear. The now-tradi tional nuclear family is losing ground. The family where the husband is the
it can be called such.
have careers. Demographers are talk
addition, voluntary sterilization is ris
ile in 1982. The high divorce rate has
taken stability away from the family
clear that motherhood is not viewed
as couples weigh the risks of bearing
as an essential or even desirable role
children in unions that may not last. With the childless couple becoming
for many baby boomers who put per
Officials also note that economic
ing about a powerful, young voting
considerations weigh heavily on the
constituency with an entirely different
lifestyle patterns of the materialistic
outlook on life. In fact, the percent
me-generation. Only by postponing or
age of couples without children has
passing up the decision to have chil
breadwinner and the wife the homemaker, now accounts for less than a
doubled over the last few decades to
dren do these double income couples
third of all American households.
TFP Newsletter
F.4.TIIL1
He progressively reaches maturity by
conforming himself to this model that he observes. In our society, on the contrary,
the father is only infrequently at home and, more often than not, his profession al activities seem obscure and far re
moved from the child. .. . Before, in a stable society, much less mobile in its structures, the role of the father was not a problem. It would be transmitted from
% dli
one generation to another, and no one
disputed it. . .. Yet today, by the very fact of the rapid changes in society,
... the parents feel themselves disarmed" (Anne-Marie Rocheblave-Spenle, El adolescente y su mundo, Ed. Herder, Barcelona, 1972, pp. 137-140). "The family no longer exercises its traditional functions. . . . Installed in
front of the television, parents do not talk about their activities or professions. The family all too frequently exists in a Condominiums: suburban mass produced homes for today's mobile and unstable family
morgue-like silence. . . . It is becoming increasingly rare to find a son who learns
of life, but also the mentality and be havior of people. "Urbanization is significant not only because it increases the density of popu
lation but because it changes the entire tone of the social aggregate. People be have quite differently when thrown to
gether in large aggregates with little geographical space between them and
trutura da escola," Educagao e Ciencias Sociais, 1956, 1, no. 2, pp. 139-172, in Samuel Pfromm Neto, Psicologia da Adolescencia, 7th ed., Livraria Pioneira Ed., Sao Paulo, 1979, pp. 226-227). The Loss of Specific Functions in the Nuclear Family. This egalitarian and liberal transformation of the family
from his father a trade or profession. . .. The family also in great part has lost its function of transmitting its moral values"(Marie-Franfoise Cote-Jallade, De 14 a 19 anas â&#x20AC;&#x201D; La adolescencia a la
dificuldad deser, Coleccion "Asi se hace el Hombre," no. 8, Ed. Sal Terrae, Santander, 1984, pp. 53-54).
when isolated in families or in small
deprived it of one of its most specific
Urbanization Favors Juvenile Delin
neighborhood groups. The problem of child rearing, of economic adjustment,
functions: the function of educating.
quency. One of the most perturbing as pects of this rapid and disorderly urbani
of morals, religion, marriage, and fami ly, all factors bearing on growing up, be come new with this major modification in the life pattern of a people"(Paul H.
Contributing strongly to this were the increasing problems in relationships be
zation is the formation of large residential
tween the generations, motivated not
bodies, where the nuclear families, con
only by the frequent absence of fathers
fined in minuscule apartments, have no
and mothers from the domestic home.
desire to remain in their homes and tend
Landis, op. cit., p. 65). People living in patriarchal families in the rural environment tend to adopt norms of moral conduct that are more
rigid and conservative. But their trans ference to the urban milieu, where they begin to live in nuclear families, leads
'Installed In front of the television, parents do not talk about their activities or professions. The family all too frequently exists in a morgue-like silence.'
them to assume much more liberal atti
tudes in matters of customs, if not com
pletely altered patterns of life.
but also by the tense atmosphere caused by close confinement. Added to all this
to spend the greater part of their tim - 'n
"Urbanization is the decisive factor in
was the interference of extrinsic factors
the street. This occurs not only witli parents, but also with the children, ihui
the evolution of the family. This began
affecting the family, such as the school,
impeding the educative function of the
on an appreciable scale during the nine teenth century, when the rural elite began
the state and television. "The state assumed more and more of
family and favoring delinquency.
to relocate to the city. . . . A definite
the functions that had formerly belonged
"If the bonds seem to weaken in the
tendency thus exists that favors the rapid
to the family: instruction, education, lei
interior of families, other new ones form circumventing it. These, at times, can be
transformation of what remains of the
sure pastimes. Society increasingly inter
quite disconcerting to adults. The youths
patriarchal structure. This gave rise to the following characteristics: an equality
vened, even in the education of the children in the home, by means of news papers and magazines, television, books
forming bands . . . whose formation can be seen as rising from this artificial cre
of status between the man and the wom
an; the increased participation of the woman in salaried jobs; the increase in birth control; the increase In the number
of divorces and separations; the loss of paternal authority and consequent loss of family intimacy; the weakening of fa mily ties, and, consequently, the conver sion of extensive family groups into single family units"(Antonio Candido,"A esWOL. iV, No. 24, 1987
. . . and various organizations. . .. All this contributes to give the impression that the family is losing its rights . . . "T. Parsons considers today's nucle ar, or conjugal, family to be one of the principal causes of the aggressiveness of the youth and adolescent. Within the traditional family, the son sees his father
as a masculine and professional model.
increasingly join together in groups, ation of immense residential areas, a city-dormitory abandoned during the day to youths without guidance or supervi
sion"(Robert Laplane, Geraud Lasfargues and Denise Laplane, La Pubertad,
Oikos-tau Ed. SA, Barcelona, p. 129). This transformation of society and the family as a cause of delinquency is con firmed by the majority of the experts.
f MUIM
"In prior times, the members of a com munity were motivated by strong family ties and a governing uniform conduct,
Such a society is what Durkheim considers
with little probability of seeking alterna tive activities. Social development led to
opment of criminality"(C. I. Sandslrom,
the proliferation of large cities and the rupture of these familiar ties. To a large extent, work took place outside the family circle, and the old values became dissolved without being replaced by other
Psicohgia del nino y del adolescenle, Ed. Morata SA, Madrid, 1968, p. 265). Moreover, the simple marginalization of the minor, regardless of whether he becomes a delinquent, is considered a
isolated and anonymous and, as a result,
alization and urbanization. ... It arises
the social controls become much weaker.
from the profound social transforma tions that have affected society, reflected principally in the structure of the family. Every country is seeing the family change from agrarian to urban, from large to
as the basis and sustenance for the devel
new ones. This causes the individual to
fruit of the urbanized and industrialized
feel himself more and more enveloped in
society:
a social vacuum, unconnected to any
"The so-called problem of the minor
place, tradition or group of work. The members of the community become more
. .. is typical of the mass society in
which we live, characterized by industri-
small. . . . The so-called nuclear family (parents and children) has reduced the ambit of protection and assistance provided to the minor. Family bonds
have been weakened, no longer allowing other relatives to assume the place of the mother. . . . The greatest cause of the marginalization of the minor undoubt
edly lies in the dissolution of the family, the rise of poverty and the rapid change of values" (Camara dos Deputados, A Realidade Brasileira do
The Traditional Family
The Nuclear Family
✩ Typical of a rural, agrarian society. ✩ Numerous, with many children.
ized society. Restricted in size, with few
Incapacity to Provide Services for Its Members. But it was not only in
children.
its moral, psychological and social aspects that the family was affected
✩ Generally Including three generations who all live together.
Menory Coordena?ao de Publicafoes, Brasilia, 1976, pp. 23 and 31).
Typical of an urban, industrial
It is not the custom for the
three generations that compose the family to live together.
by urbanization and industrialization. Its economic activities were also al
✩ Many collateral relatives.
Few collateral relatives.
✩ Much familiarity between the
tered. The family ceased to be a unit
Little familiarity between the
of production and became incapable
various family members.
✩ A unit of production. ✩ Tensions dissolved by the am
various family members. A consumer unit.
Tensions aggravated by the
of providing the services and exercis
ing the functions of former times. "The enormous growth of present
✩ The youth passes from infancy
surroundings. The youth confronts the crisis
day cities, mechanization and the
to maturity without any crisis.
of adolescence.
created ambiences that are profoundly
bience.
mass communications and
media
✩ The parents are models of psy
Parents are not models for
transforming the family structure of
chological and professional iden
their children, who then seek peers outside the home.
the past; Men do not work in their
his father and follows his pro
The son does not learn the pro fession of his father, and generally
Salaries are not received in goods, but in money. The family unit is no longer
fession.
follows a different line of work.
an entity that produces food, but has
tification for their children. ✩ The son learns to work with
✩ The mother stays at home, watching over her children.
✩ The family resolves its prob lems internally, without recourse to strangers.
The woman frequently works
husband and wife are no longer capa
care for her children personally.
ble of caring for their aged, their sick and their children. Instead, it is a so
The family does not resolve its own internal problems, but has re course to strangers.
It is dependent on external in
institutions for the education,
stitutions for the education, health and welfare of its offspring. An oppressed existence, in cri
✩ A closely collaborated and har
monious life that Is well-integrated into a broad and ample society. I'- A society where this integrat ed state is a factor for psycholog
ciety that must provide nursing homes, hospitals and child care centers. The
socialization of children (that is, the progressive and proper integr-^tion of the individual into the extra-
iar
society) is taking place less m the
sis and conflict with the social
home and more in day-care centers,
structures.
the streets and the schools. The basis
ical and social equilibrium. ✩ A stability that derives from
The society into which it is in tegrated generates psychological and social problems. Its instability comes from a
faith and the observance of reli
lack of faith and inobservance of
gious and moral principles. ✩ A sacral society where faith and religion pervade the whole ambience of the family.
religious and moral principles.
✩ In resolving problems, reason prevails over sentiment.
become a consumer unit. . . . The
outside the home and does not
✩ No dependence on external health and welfare of the children.
homes, but in offices and factories.
A laicist and materialistic soci
ety; an atmosphere of naturalism and practical atheism dominates. Sentiment and emotions dom
inate; one is governed by Im
for entertainment is less interpersonal and increasingly takes place in front of television screens or outside the
home in parks and public shows"
(Jose Manuel Rodriguez Delgado, "Fundamental biologicos de la familia," Estudio Sociologico de la Familia Espanola, Instituto de So-
ciologia Aplicada de Madrid, Confederacion Espanola de Cajas de
Ahorros, Madrid, 1976, p. 471).
pulses and Instincts.
✩ Marriage is not dictated by the sentiments of the spouses, but by family considerations.
Marriage, when it exists, is the
fruit of emotional Impulses, al most always short-lived in nature.
The Real Cause of the Crisis of the
Family. We have examined here some of the aspects of the detrimental in fluence that the social transformation TFP Newsletter
I
of the last two centuries, characterized
and Counter-Revolution, 2d ed.. The
especially by the phenomena of industri
Foundation for a Christian Civilization, Inc., New Rochelle, N.Y., 1980). It is
alization and urbanization, has caused to disturbance of the traditional institution
this that set in motion the psychological and sociological factors that transformed
of the family had—and continues to
customs and institutions. Without its in
the internal structure of the family. This
have, evidently, profound repercussions
fluence, industrialization and urbaniza
in the social order.
tion would not have taken place in the
and anti-liberal [society]" (ibid., p. 87). The False Revolutionary Solution. We most vehemently reject, therefore, the
solution that revolutionary psychologists and sociologists offer to alleviate the evils of urbanization, industrialization, and the nuclear family: the establishment of family communes, or of communities of families, in a socialist and self-man aging regime, with Its accompanying
and urbanization alone would not have
unbalanced, anarchical and precipitous manner in which they occurred. And the traditional family—patriarchal, exten
been enough to cause this profound dis
sive, protective, providing an education
solution of the family without the pres
and formation for social and profession al life, without psychological problems,
growing liberty of customs and complete social egalitarianism. This would be the implantation of the Fourth Revolution,
In conclusion, we would like to em
phasize the following: Industrialization
ence of another underlying agent. This force, acting with great profundity and even greater dynamism. Is a most impor
without the generation gap, and without
the anarchical and tribal revolution, so
the crisis of adolescence—could have
opportunely denounced by Prof. Plinio
tant moral, religious, and often even secular crisis called the Revolution (cf.
continued to exist and provide the tone
Correa de Oliveira in Pan 3 of his work,
of society, an "austere and hierarchical,
Revolution and Counter-Revolution.
Plinio Correa de Oliveira, Revolution
fundamentally sacral, anti-egalitarian
b\ MuriUo Galliez
A Postponed Generation SEVERAL factors within today's nuclear family have seriously im
paired youth's ability to enter into so
financial security, these parents often
communicated a false sense of security and comfort to their children.
The result has been postponed adults
this is no longer the case. Parents are baffled to find grown-up children who expect unlimited support. Paradoxically, instead of gratitude
ciety. Perhaps the most puzzling aspect of this problem is a frequently pro nounced disinterest in growing-up. Such is the opinion of at least one ob
who have an egocentric and lackadai
these children often treat their parents
sical sense of entitlement. They feel they deserve an interesting job, a good
with callous indifference, creating an atmosphere of tension inside the home.
server of the me-generation.
income and comfortable life without
Not only do they reject the very 9-to-5
Susan Littwin's recent book. The Postponed Generation: Why America's
the unpleasantries that often accompa ny such aspirations. When life bogs
work schedule that makes possible
Grown-Up Kids Are Growing Up Later describes in painful detail the fright ening specter of a lost, pampered and
down, they simply pull up stakes and try another experience—all under the
disoriented generation now approach
protection of the family home. Many Americans "find themselves
ing middle age. Because they are ill-prepared for the
in their late twenties or early thirties
future, young adults are experiencing an aversion to facing life's often cruel realities. In fact, these wayfarers ap pear to be doing everything to post pone their entry into the adult world.
are and where they are going in life,"
before they have any sense of who they Littwin claims.
The phenomenon is unique in Amer
their comfortable existence, but they
even vocalize their spite for it. One of the remedies suggested by the author is cutting the purse-strings on the offspring. Only then, she claims will these procrastinators take seriously
the responsibilities of adult life. The unexpected appearance of the postponed generation is symptomatic
of the family in crisis. Without the fa
ican history. The author explains that
mily support system orienting, form
in time past the presence of an adult
ing and educating the child, youth is
She claims that there are numerous
of 25 to 35 who depended in such a
doomed to wander about devoid of the
American babyboomers who live in a
fashion on his parents was an object of derision or pity. Today, however,
tion so necessary for facing life.
post-adolescent limbo. They can be
values, experience and moral founda
found everywhere. Some can be seen
resisting graduation flitting from de gree to degree in the universities.
Others spend a year or two roaming about Europe so as to avoid the deci
sion to settle down. Many take tem porary unskilled jobs instead of seek ing entry into permanent employment —a specter they consider boring. To support this gypsy lifestyle, the
postponed adults tend to be quite will ing to depend upon parents for finan cial and emotional support. Generally, the postponed baby-
boomers are the pampered offspring of middle-class parents reared in the Great Depression. The author explains
that after struggling hard to achieve
Postponed babyboomers often find refuge in the universities
I\SIDK AMEiCK'A
Coping with the
r-fif r '1
Incurabie
.- f
Aidsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. From an obscure dis ease discovered eight years ago, AIDS has become a common yet terrifying household word. Within a short time, it has struck tens of thousands, largely homosexuals and drug addicts, and threatens literally millions of Americans in the coming decades. The incurable AIDS is just one exam
that leads some researchers to believe
ple of several '.'twentieth-century" dis
that eventually everyone carrying the vi
A number of new incurable diseases threaten to overload the nation's hospitals
transmittable and may possibly be spread by coughing, or even sharing of glasses
eases that are defying science's attempts
rus will come down with the disease or
or utensils. Other factors that could play
to understand and control. For all the
AIDS-related conditions. Moreover,
advances of modern biotechnology, the medical establishment is coming up em
continued sexual permissiveness, espe cially within the homosexual population,
a role in the disease are stress, poor nutri tion and fatigue. Like AIDS, the virus may also be spread by sexual contact,
barrassingly empty-handed. Large sec tors of American society are facing the
has only served to expand in ever-
and prenatally from mother to child.
terrible fact that there is no medical so
widening circles the number of infected. Today, heterosexuals, health care per
temporary relief, there is no known cure.
lution for their problems.
sonnel and even children born to AIDS
The AIDS Pandemic. Perhaps no oth er disease has catapulted into the nation al limelight with greater impetus than AIDS. It has progressively gone from a
medical to a political issue. Spread main ly through homosexual promiscuity, in travenous drug injections and blood transfusions, AIDS has become an im penetrable roadblock to a whole lifestyle. Almost overnight, Americans have had to face the decision to either aban
don a promiscuous way of life or to face
infected mothers are subject to exposure. As the number of AIDS cases ap proaches 40,000 (22,000 of whom have
disease was discovered as a rare disorder
of the brain occurring in old people. Over
datory testing are all part of a jumbled public debate aimed at containing AIDS while avoiding the obvious, but painful, decision to drastically change lifestyles.
the last two decades, the frequency of its
occurrence has mushroomed so high that today it figures as the singlemost com mon cause of senile dementia.
Medical officials say that as many as
2.5 million Americans are afflicted by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. While
hardy virus has been known to lay dor
disease.
most lethal form.
Affects Oldster's. First
public policy to deal with the oncoming crisis. AIDS education, civil rights, man
damage has already been done as the mant for years before appearing in its
Disease
described in 1906 by German neuro pathologist Alois Alzheimer, Alzheimer's
died), the cure remains as elusive as a
health care officials are bracing for the AIDS patient flood expected over the next five years, medical authorities are noticing the emergence of yet another
the seemingly inevitable infection with the AIDS virus. Even so, much of the
While an experimental drug has supplied
After two years of study, doctors have
the disease and that over 100,000 Ameri cans die annually because of it. It is a progressive, irreversible disorder that causes gradual memory loss, disorientation, personality change and loss of lan guage skills. Most victims are over 65,
but it has been known to strike persons
identified "chronic fatigue syndrome,"
in their forties and fifties.
Like the other medical m\ s, scientists are not exactly sure what L..dses
The current picture of African villages
the so-called yuppie disease, as a virus
decimated by AIDS could foreshadow scenes in this country, some officials
that may be more widespread, virulent and serious than previously thought.
speculate. Dr. Summer E. Thompson,
been developed. Despite research efforts, a cure has not been found, nor have re cent experiments proven successful.
deficiency syndrome section in Atlanta,
The syndrome first emerged in the re sort community of Lake Incline, Nev.,in late 1984. Since then, infection clusters are now popping up all over the coun
recently noted that African villages
try. In San Francisco, for example, doc
and science would overcome all health
where AIDS has swept heterosexual pop ulations "look like the plague." He also
tors estimate that hundreds of cases have
problems; some persons have even had
appeared in the last 18 months. Symptoms of the disease include brain
their bodies frozen, hoping to overcome death itself. Our perpetually youth-
senior medical consultant in the Centers
of Disease Control's acquired immune
expressed concern that "we could be in such a situation in the next five to six
lesions and progressive dementia. Victims often experience loss of concentration,
the illness, nor have any diagnostic tests
It was once thought that technology
oriented culture has tried to avoid both
Most officials believe that one to three
dizziness and forgetfulness. A few have
the disastrous consequences of permis sive social mores and the threatening,
million Americans are presently infected with the virus and that 20 to 30 percent of these wiH actually contract the disease over the next five years. The chances of
developed a rare cancer of the immune
ever-present specter of death.
system.
virus called Human B-cell lymphotrop-
Today's incurable diseases have changed everything since it is becoming increasingly evident that one's actions
ic virus (HBLV). Scientists studying the virus claim that it appears to be highly
have inescapable and often fatal conse quences, and that death spares no one.B
years" {Topeka Daily Capital, 2/5/87).
developing the disease increase dramat ically five years after infectionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a fact 10
The new malaise is caused by a herpes
TFP Newsletter
NEWS
DIGEST
Tribal Ecology Yesterday
"Most freethinkers," says Anne Gaylor, president of the foundation, "believe religion to be not only untrue
and Today
"to justify war, racism, sexism and slavery" {St. Louis
but harmful." She even claims that the Bible has been used
Post-Dispatch, 5/23/87).
The idyllic concept of the "noble savage" has endeared itself to many ecologists who like to claim that tribal life and good ecology go hand in hand. This idea, how ever, is not necessarily true. In fact, according to scien tist Jared M. Diamond, many primitive peoples actually contributed to their own extinction because of their abuse
Ironically, atheists seem to ignore that it is their creedatheismâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;adopted by communism,that has led the world to unprecedented war, genocide and misery.
Glasnost in Fantasyland
of the environment.
These conclusions were reached by Mr. Diamond to
Smiling faces and glowing promises can often be deceiv
gether with other archaeologists as they conducted studies
ing. This lesson was recently learned by Charles Z. Wick,
on cultures in southern Greece, the American Southwest and the South Pacific. The results were published in the English magazine Nature. At the same time, Julio L. Betancourt of the Univer
ter with Valentin Falin, head of Novosti, the official So
director of the U.S. Information Agency, in an encoun viet press agency.
sity of Arizona has reached similar conclusions about the
Mr. Wick went to Moscow in June to open an exhibit called Information USA. He was unexpectedly treated to
Anasazi Indians who inhabited the Chaco Canyon region in southern South America between the years 1000 and
the Soviet version. Disinformation USA. At a subsequent
1200.
about a Novosti report that America was using "war
Following in their predecessors footsteps, today's com
munists are proving that communal life and good ecology are equally incompatible in the twentieth century. Extensive environmental damage,for example, recently
took place with a giant forest fire in Communist China that burned 2.5 million acres.
Analysts say the fire will only compound problems
press conference, Mr. Wick said he confronted Mr. Falin gases" in developing countries. Falin not only reaffirmed the allegation but added a list of others. The U.S., he claimed, had developed a gas used in Africa that was deadly only to blacks. Additional fan tasies included charges of experiments on the Japanese in World War II camps and U.S. responsibility for "epidem ics now sweeping Nicaragua and Cuba."
caused by decades of deforestation. The lack of trees is
The 50-minute tirade ended when, after a brief response,
being blamed for widespread erosion and desertification. Both the Yellow and the Yangtze Rivers are reportedly
Mr. Wick calmly walked out of the meeting that had been called to explore ways to reduce friction between the two
clogged with silt.
countries in the information field.
Unlike the Anasazi Indians who had to pay dearly for their negligence, the Chinese may not be doomed to ex
tinction since an accommodating West is only too willing
No Sanctuary for Presbyterians
to bail out the anachronistic communist system.
The first church to adopt an official policy of offering
Breaking Faith In wake of recent evangelical scandals, the nation's atheist organizations are reportedly on the offensive. They argue that the downfall of a major church figure should be enough to shake one's faith in God. For example, in Missouri, the 22-member Rationalist Society of St. Louis placed an ad in a local newspaper
refuge to illegal immigrants from El Salvador was the Southside United Presbyterian Church of Tuscon, Ariz., which in 1982 publicly declared its policy of sanctuary. This endorsement, followed by that of the General As sembly of the United Presbyterian Church, has given the
mistaken impression that most Presbyterians support the sanctuary movement and its left-leaning ideology. Presbyterians for Democracy and Religious Freedom, a Nashville-based caucus, disputes this claim, saying that
promoting what it called a "de-baptism" ceremony.Pur portedly to erase the indelible mark of baptism on the soul, the ceremony involves the public renunciation of all re
Presbyterian congregations have shown a "massive rejec tion" of the official church position in support of ti
ligion. Among those who participated in the preposter
In a nationwide survey of the country's 11,621 congre gations, each church was questioned about its position on
ous ceremony was Catholic-born Albert Stanger, 29, who formally broke with his faith, calling religions fantasies created by human beings. Some groups have even resorted to television ads to pro
mote their disbelief in God. One such effort by the Free dom from Religion Foundation of Madison, Wise., met with little success. Of the 200 television stations ap proached by the group, only two would accept the ads,
and one of these refused to carry future ads. What seems to concern the rationalist fringe the most is the fact that so many persons are steadfast in their
movement.
the controversial movement. Of the 1,889 responding churches, 24, or 1.2 percent, reported that they had agreed
to become sanctuary churches. Nearly 80 percent, 1,167 churches, reported that they had either studied and rejected sanctuary status or that they had no plans to take up the issue.
"This massive rejection of sanctuary by Presbyterian
congregations after four years of urging by the denomi nation's staff, and after large outlays of church money and staff time in support of the Sanctuary Movement,"
insistence upon believing in God. With amazing zeal, groups like the Freedom from Religion Foundation have filed suits to prevent religious references in the public
said PDRF chairman John Boone of Nashville, "is fur
domain.
denominational staff."
Vol. IV, NO. 24, 1987
ther evidence that the overwhelming majority of Pres byterians do not share in the political enthusiasms of the
11
KSSW
Flight from Wisdom IN his book A History of Western Philosophy, Bertrand Russell tells us that the two most important ways in which the "modern" period of history
In this perspective, mod-
ern science no longer stressed
P
theoretical science, which is
^
differs from the medieval one can be seen
an attempt to understand the world. Practical science,
in both a negative and a positive sense. The negative sense is the diminishing
the world, emerged and con
which is an attempt to change
authority of the Church while the positive
tinually increased in impor
one is the increasing authority of science.
tance until it has almost ousted theoretical science
Such views are consistent with the
widespread belief that the Church and re ligion are constantly at war. Since the Church has nothing to fear from real science, this imaginary war involves something more than just a clash be tween empirical data and revelation.
More appropriately, it is a fight be tween two religions or two revelations
both striving to triumph over the other in a way consistent with the respective logic of each one. "The authority of science," Russell
wrote, "which is recognized by most philosophers of the modern epoch, is a very different thing from the authority of the Church, since it is intellectual, not governmental. . .. It prevails solely by
its intrinsic appeal to reason. It is, more over, a piecemeal and partial authority; it does not, like the body of Catholic dogma, lay down a complete system, covering human morality, human hopes, and the past and future history of the universe. It pronounces only on whatever, at the time, appears to have been scien tifically ascertained, which is a small is land in an ocean of nescience. There is
from men's thoughts.
-SA
The logical outcome of
this spirit was the industrial
^
development. As James Burke, author of The Day the Universe Changed sloies: "The greatest invention of the nineteenth century was the invention of the method of invention. A new method entered into life. In order to
\Ll
understand our epoch, we can neglect all the details of change, such as railways, tel
egraphs, radios, spinning
machines, synthetic dyes.
Bertrand Russell, apostle of anarchy? Bertrand
We must concentrate on the
method in itself; that is the real novelty, which has broken up the foundations ations of the old civilisation. The prophecy 3hecy of
tial and irretrievable uncertainty and the observer, in observing, modifies the
Francis Bacon has now been fulfilled; and man, who at times dreamt of if himself as a little lower than the angels, has sub submitted to becoming the servant and min min-
'You see what you want to see.' The universe is what we say it is. However,if this is so, what is knowledge?"(ibid., p. 301). "In spite of its claims," he explains,
ister of nature. It still remains to 0 be seen
"science offers no method or universal
whether the same actor can play lay both parts" (Little Brown, Boston, 1985).
time. The search for truth, the 'discov-
phenomenon, then, as Wittgenstein said,
explanation of reality adequate for all
yet another difference from ecclesiasti
The tendency of this pseudo-science o-science
ery of nature's secrets,' as Descartes put
cal authority, which declares its pro
had been to transform the whole; universe
nouncements to be absolutely certain and eternally unalterable: The pronounce ments of science are made tentatively, on
from a living, breathing creation n of God
it, is an idiosyncratic search for temporary truth. One truth is replaced by
into the ideal forms of mathematics. :ics. Thus
another. The fact that over time science
the world became amenable to explana explana-
has provided a more complex picture
a basis of probability, and are regarded as liable to modification" (Simon and
tion in mechanical naturalistic terms. rms. The
of nature is not in itself final proof
new scientific outlook, altogether er free of theological presuppositions, was;strongly strongly
that we live by the best, most ac
Schuster, New York, 1945). As man's faith in industry and science wanes in light of such failures as the ex
reinforced by Darwinism.
plosion of the space shuttle Challenger,
Science and Nescience. Ironically, :ally, the very science that exalted practical lical and empirical knowledge has given rise to a nescience of vast proportions. From a
it is important to note that this conflict
continues and is consistent in today's post-industrial era now aborning.
acquired through the use of selective
common sense point of view, the nes nes-
Changing the World. Toward the end of the last century, a whole intellectual
model so far." He concludes that when knowledge is
cience of our modern times might ight best be understood as a stale of mind id that is
structures, then all views at all times are
equally valid. There is no metaphysical, super-ordinary, final absolute reality. There is no special direction to events,
The universe is what we say it is. When theories change, the universe changes, The truth is relative (ibid., p. 337).
current developed, especially in Cam
not certain about what it really knows or cnows or
bridge, that exaggerated the importance
can know. Nor is this inconsistent ent with
of reason, maintaining that men's minds
the philosophy of those who ushered ihered in
Path to Nowhere. It is not surprising that this relativistic outlook, fraught with
could be changed by rational argument
the modern era.
skepticism, would eventually provide the
and that belief could affect action. One
The aforementioned Jamess Burke
philosophical foundation for everything
such Cambridge scholar, Alfred North Whitehead, even attempted to formulate
wonders what became of knowledge /ledge in the context of modern science. He [e writes:
afterward, from Shirley MacLaine's New Agism to Charles Manson's "Helter
what he referred to as a "unified scien
"If, as Heisenberg suggested, every ;very de description of reality contains some le essen-
Skelter."
tific religion."
In The ABCs of Relativity, Bertrand TFP Newsletter
ESS.W
Russell actually predicted this when he
hysterical laughter . . . and turned his
be forced to build up knowledge again
wrote:
back to the room and rested his forehead
"If people were to learn to conceive the world in the new way, without the
on the mantelpiece. When he had reco
empirically, and this time it would prob ably be recorded, and would not require
vered, he went on in the same attitude:
to be done a third time. . . .
old notions of 'force,' it would alter not
This universal skepticism will no doubt
"All this he meant as earnestly as the
only their physical imagination, but probably also their morals and politics."
produce the dissolution of society, which
most intense eagerness could make him.
I should welcome; as people would then
At one point he said: skepticism cannot destroy enthusiasm, there is one which will always remain, and that is the en
One of the highly influential propo
nents of modern philosophical thought, George Edward Moore (1873-1958), went even further, admitting that it would
thusiasm for skepticism. And to see him say it no one could doubt his utter con viction of the truth of what he was say
eventually lead to society's dissolution. As a Cambridge Apostle, the child-like
ing. We all felt electrified by him, and
G. E. Moore was the charismatic mentor
as if we had all slumbered hitherto and
to such figures as writer D. H. Lawrence,
never realized what fearless intellect pure and unadulterated really means (Paul Levy, Moore: G.E. Moore and the Cam bridge Apostles, Oxford University Press,
economist John Maynard Keynes and phi losopher Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson. One of Moore's chief claims in ethics is
New York, 1981, pp. 125-126).
that the notion of good is indefinable. Bertrand Russell's account,in a letter to his fiancee, of G. E. Moore's debut
The tragic consequences of this mod ern philosophical thought can be seen in our value-less, ever-changing amoral so
before the Cambridge Apostles in 1894 illustrates this point: "I had said (we were discussing the
ciety that has abandoned wisdom for the false promises of practical knowledge.
Cambridge education) that our training up has produced such a profound skep
be seen as a constant call to return to the
ticism about everything that many of us are unfitted for practical life: Moore said
wisdom by which man obtains knowl edge of things through their ultimate
that was one great gain from education:
causes. He who knows and tastes the
at least, he said, we are not so far unfit ted as to be unable to earn our bread; we should therefore spread skepticism un til at last everybody knows that we can know absolutely nothing. "At this point he was overcome by
The Church vs. Science "conflict" can
highest cause, which is God, is thus di sposed to judge all things by their prop er divine reason. It is a special call to confide in Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom,
who predicted at Fatima the triumph of A. N. Whitehead, Cambridge scholar
her Wise and Immaculate Heart.
On the Airplane with Gogo [Continued from page 5] around with your gold lion on its red
background like you do. I don't have anything medieval on me." I: "Not so fast, Gogo. You are co vered with things that came from the Middle Ages. Your glasses came from the Middles Ages, and also your watch. And all the buttons on your shirt. Eye
worth. As for heraldry, it is in full use in contemporary Brazil. Each state, each city of our country has a heraldic coat of arms. The city of Sao Paulo,
for example. Don't you remember the
were returning to Sao Paulo that same
day. Yes, in a later plane, he replied. I thought to myself, if we should happen to return together, I am going to avail myself of the opportunity to bra a bit more with Gogo, and ask .
Gogo: "And what about all the me
You extended your hand a short time
me that inequality is a good!" I: "Then you are a communist, Gogo.
was in the Middle Ages that the lan guage you are now speaking was devel oped. If you like, I can show you hard proof that the Middle Ages were much more diverse than you think!' Gogo: "There you go again, dying
A short jolt; the plane began to land. Gogo got up quickly. He was ready to leave immediately. I asked him if he
beautiful "Non dutor, duco" of our
dieval inequalities? I hate every type of inequality. You're not going to convince
was born in the Middle Ages. And it
none at hand.
Sao Paulo?"
glasses, watches, buttonsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all these things originated in the Middle Ages. ago to greet me. This form of greeting
searched for an escape, but there was
about Maria Gondola.
For anyone who hates any type of ine quality whatsoever has to want a class
When I next saw him he was already in the lounge, having rather aimlessly
less society, that is, a society where
merged his narrow frame and coinshaped head into a small group of
everyone shares the same social and economic level, which is a communist society!' Gogo: "Well, no, not that. But .. !' I: "Then don't say that you are
tourists.
an old-fashioned, totally medieval
have to accept unless you want to be
Strange, this man. He speaks just like he walks, haphazardly, fleeing from one subject to another and trip ping up in each of them, aimlessly wan dering along with the meager intelli gence and watery, superficial gaze that
thing that has no use today. Tell me
communist... . Isn't this true? Tfell me,
proceeds from his coin-shaped head.
who still believes in this?"
then, which inequalities you accept and
There are many Gogos in this world, who argue about things that they do not know anything about, and who would not understand them even if they did.H
to seize me just like that angry rampant
lion on your heraldic standard. Now, take this heraldry, for example, that is
I: "If your conscience were clear, you
against every type of inequality what soever. For there are some that you
which ones you reject!'
would have no fear of our lion, Gogo.
The pointed lump beat up and down
His talons are only for those of no
rapidly on the neck of Gogo. He
â&#x2013;
Students Vote Pro-Life
Affirming that it was time to take a stand on abortion, the government of the Student Body Senate at iowa
In Defense of the Siesta
Bone Fashions
In what may seem like a departure from efficiency, some scientists are now suggesting that the mid-day sies
unveiled the latest in tribal art. On
State University voted to "actively endorse and applaud" campus and national right-to-life organizations working to educate students about
ta is not such a bad idea after all.
the abortion issue.
a siesta because their sleep-wake cycles are in order.
sed pproThe vote of 16-9-3 endorsed life educational )nal effo efforts and will allow
the campus group. group,tSave Our Unborn Lives {SDUL), to place a petition opposing the infamous Supreme Court Roe vs. Wade decision in the student
government office. Eastern Earthquakes Likely
New studies on the human biolog ical clock claim that people are more efficient in their afternoon work after
Researchers at the Max Planck In
stitute for Psychiatry in Munich found that test subjects showed definite sleep rhythms that Included daytime sleep. Studies at Harvard Univer sity revealed similar findings. Some scientists believe the nap might be the body's way of conserving energy.
Louis Biro, a California artist, has
sale at the Forma shop on the Bay Area's Haight Street Is a line of products made of human bones. Napkin rings made of vertebrae go for $200 per four-piece set. A pen made from a thigh bone will cost $100. Finally a five-arm chandelier made of a variety of bones is ex pected to sell for $2,800. Biro bought the bones from a spe cialty store which in turn imported them from India.
Czech Catacombs
While modernized progressive con
While complacent New Yorkers Queen Winnie's Palace are accustomed to reading about California tremors, scientist are say One of the tactics of the psycholog ing that the eastern seaboard will ical warfare being waged against definitely be the site for a future South Africa is the spreading of the
vents in the West look in vain for inno
vative ways to attract novices, Czech authorities are making a quite differ ent search. According to the West German Catholic press, Czech officials are cracking down on women illegally
quake.
idea that black liberation leaders
According to Dr. James E. Beavers, an engineer with Martin Marietta Energy Systems in Oak Ridge, Tenn., there is a nearly 100 percent chance of a serious earthquake hitting the Eastern United States and causing severe destruction and many deaths. "The probability of a destructive earthquake occurring somewhere in the Eastern U.S. before the year
represent the nation's poor. However, a new house built by Winnie Mande la, wife of imprisoned South African
joining Catholic religious orders.
terrorist Nelson Mandela, has raised
new members are raideci by police. To combat the proliferation of clan destine convents, employers are told to monitor the religious behavior of their employees; particularly devout single women ore scrutinized, and agents have even been known to
2000 can be considered better than
75 to 95 percent, and before the year 2010 nearly 100 percent,"
several questions and eyebrows. Finishing touches are being put on
a sprawling five-bedroom, two-story California-style house In the affluent section of the Soweto township for the Mandela family. The finished product will reportedly have a swim ming pool, elaborate gardens, Ital
Reports soy that religious commu
nities suspected of illegally admitting
stoke out Masses.
In recent years, small underground
ian marble tiles, and balconies in a
convents and cloisters have sprung
Beavers said (Corpus Christ'i CallerTimes, 3/9/87).
house that the Johannesburg Star qualified as "fit for a queen." Sowetans, noting the apparent con
women from all levels of society are
Subhuman Creation
tradiction between the activist's words
reportedly following the vows or their orders in secret(The Tablet, 6/13/87).
decrying black poverty and her afflu ent tastes, are divided in their opin
Leech Technology
According to an Italian anthropol ogist, experiments aimed at creating 0 half-human, half-ape being hove already become feasible.
ion of the house.
For the latest in medical technology, Buttering Up Russia
Brunette Chiarelli, dean of anthro
pology at Florence University, caused shocK waves when he announced
that, through refined techniques of artificial ^rtilization, biogenetic ^rtili:
up throughout the country. Men and
Keeping in line with the West's sui
some surgeons ore resorting to the use of on ancient friend: the leech. New advances in medical technol
ogy have revived interest In the use of leeches, especially among micro181,500 tons of aging butter to the surgeons who reattoch small body
cidal policy of feeding the Soviet Un ion, the European Community will sell
scientists ore capable of m^ing a Soviets at better than bargain base 'P<
parts. Modern science has been un able to synthesize a drug or tech he claimed that experiments involv From the bursting larders of the nique that can duplicate the effects of ing the new subhuman have already ECC, the butter wilt be sold at $24 the gray-green segmented worm In taken place, although they have per 100 kg (220 pounds)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;or one- unclogging congested blood vessels been interrupted at the embryo stage fifteenth of what the Community origi and encouraging the flow of blood because of ethical problems. nally paid its farmersi through once-severed veins. The new ape-man species would Community officials justified the sole A New York-based firm. Leeches purportedly be a slave race used for by saying that ridding themselves of U.S.A. Ltd., has capitalized on the repetitive ond unpleasant tasks or as the mountain of butter would save demand and regularly ships leeches sources for transplant organs. storage costs. to between 50 and 100 surgeons.
new breed of anthropoid. Moreover,
14
ment prices.
TFP Newsletter
C A I II <M J C A
i:K IC A
crushing end. The Huron's fierce and implacable enemy, the Iroquois, suddenly attacked them in 1648 in what was less
a war than inhuman butchery. The Hu rons, either not fully comprehending the
danger or simply resigning themselves to it, put up little resistance and conse quently were virtually exterminated. This ferocious uprising contributed to the
death of seven Jesuit priests and brothers, all of whom have been canonized. Un
concerned about their safety, the remain
ing Jesuits turned their attention to the murderous Iroquois and succeeded in converting a number of them. Seeds of a New Mission. "The blood
IS^
- ^,-n/.cT--^? . ..
:-, .'r-
THE MISSrONER'S WELCOME. •ifm riii'milr ii I'li I'r < •" Jk.'!,-.-H.'iitiil/ ."• I
The Catholic missionary was often welcomed with enthusiasm by the Indians
of martyrs is the seed of Christians," wrote Tertullian in the second century. In the same way, the blood of the Jesuit martyrs was to bear fruit in a most ex pected way nearly 150 years later.
It happens that a Catholic Iroquois decided, under what compulsion or
heavenly inspiration we do not know, to leave his residence at a mission near
Montreal and travel westward. Some
Sowing Seeds of the Faith: the Rocky Mountain Missions
time between 1812-1820, Old Ignatius, as he was called, took with him a small
band of baptized Iroquois, crossed the Mississippi, and headed for the Rocky Mountains and a rendezvous with history.
Receiving a warm and generous recep tion from the Flathead Indian tribe, Ig
Thoughtful students of history
the new arrivals uplifted the spirits of the
natius and his group decided to settle
often speculate on what would have happened if a key person had not acted
struggling mission. Heartened by these events, the Jesuit vice-provincial, along
lent one, for the Flatheads, along with
as he did. For example, what would have happened if a small group of Indians, in
with another priest, Don Luis, seven Jes uit brothers and four Indian boys who had been educated at an academy in
the neighboring Nez Perce, were consid ered among the most noble of the Rocky
Havana, set out for the future Virginia.
Inside Old Ignatius' soul burned the zeal of a true missionary. He began to
spired by one courageous, determined in dividual who opened the way to the conversion of thousands of pagan Indi ans, had not corresponded to their Godgiven vocation? By the same token, what
would have happened if a native mission ary who succumbed to a strong tempta
Upon arrival, they received a friendly welcome from the Indians, whose chief was the brother of Don Luis. However, a few months later, for some terrible, in explicable reason—be it the attraction of
among them. The choice was an excel
Mountain Indians.
speak to the Flatheads of the Catholic
faith and his beloved priests or "Blackrobes." His sincerity and strong convic
tion undoubtedly impressed his hosts, for
sion, and assisted in the conversion of
a more irresponsible lifestyle, the power ful exertion of the vices of paganism or
thousands of Indians who were other
some demonic fury, Don Luis^ joined by
wise neglected? Oftentimes, the salvation
a party of warriors, slaughtered the en tire missionary group with the exception
Catholic doctrine, practices and prater, They adopted the practice of prayii; the morning and at night, and refrainca from servile work on Sunday. However,
of one Indian boy who escaped and
their religious life was incomplete with
tion had resisted and risen to the occa
of many souls rests upon the action of one man.
they listened eagerly to his instruction on
found his way back to civilization. Be
out the sacraments and further instruc
cause one man not only failed to cor
tion from the Blackrobes for whom the
that of a young Indian from what later
respond to God's touch of grace but
Flatheads thirsted most ardently.
became Virginia. After spending nine years in Spain studying under the Domin
went in the opposite direction, an entire apostolate was wiped out and thousands
icans, the Indian Don Luis de Valarce
of souls were never Christianized.
A Failed Mission. A case in point is
volunteered to return to his homeland
to guide and assist a Catholic expedition in converting his tribe, probably the
far more successful in the northern part
Successes in Canada. The Jesuits were
Powhatan. Sailing to the Jesuit mission
of the continent in what is now New
in northern Florida in 1570, the young guide disembarked shortly after the ar
York State and Canada. One apostle. Saint Jean de Brebeuf, by his enormous
rival of a letter from Pope Saint Pius V and several letters from the great Jesuit leader Saint Francis Borgia.
patience, prudence and sacrifice, con
This encouraging correspondence and Vol. IV, NO. 24, 1987
verted approximately 30,000 Hurons. At the height of his success, however, his magnificent effort came to a savage and
The St. Louis Expeditions. Word
reached the tribe that perhaps in the bud ding city of St. Louis a Blackrobe might be secured. In the spring of 1831, a small delegation of four, representing the Flatheads and Nez Perce and led by Ignatius' uncle, set out for St. Louis.
It was a hazardous journey of 3,000 miles over mountains and rivers, through hot, treeless plains and deserts. Always present was the danger of ambush and capture by fierce enemy tribes.
CXrilOLU
But the trials of this apostolate were
Heaven Is Moved. Such constancy by
IHKItlC I
mission, Father De Smet pleaded with
just beginning: Upon their successful ar
these Indians would no doubt win admi
his superiors to be allowed to begin the
rival several months later, they discov
ration within the tribe, but any further
difficult and dangerous apostolate, and
ered that no one in St. Louis could speak their language. Two of the Indians, still suffering from the rigors of the trip, died after just a few days. The two remaining
effort to secure missionaries would cer
they, well aware of his thirst for souls
tainly be considered beyond the call of duty. After all, one could argue, they
and admirable qualities, consented to his insistent appeals. So, on March 27,1840 began a story of adventure, heroism and
travelers perished on the return journey, victims of either fatigue or hostile tribes. However, their suffering and deaths were not in vain, for their bearing, piety and determination had greatly impressed the understaffed St. Louis mission and
aroused an interest in the conversion of
the Rocky Mountain Indians. Meanwhile, the anticipation of the
had tried, but the odds against them were overwhelming. Fortunately, the Catholic Indians, who did not lose sight of the end for which they were created, were undaunted and determined to see the fruit of their
unwavering efforts. For the fourth time a deputation left the Rockies for Missouri, this time made
up of only two Indians, both Iroquois.
Flatheads and the Nez Perce turned into
While traveling down the Mississippi the
disappointment as, with the passing of lime, they realized that their com panions had suffered some misfor
two Iroquois stopped to visit a Potta-
tune. The determined Christians-in
sacrifice thatâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;we regret to sayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;has rarely been told. A Mission Begun. With one of the pil
grim Iroquois as guide, Father De Smet joined a small caravan of trappers at the frontier city of Westport (modern Kan sas City) on April 30, 1840. No sooner had they departed than the Jesuit mis sionary was seized by a debilitating ill ness with recurring attacks of fever, followed by chills. When his com panions urged him to return, he responded by saying that the salva
spirit decided to try again. This time. Old Ignatius, who had for tunately learned French in his youth, volunteered to make the journey, accompanied by his two sons whom he wanted to have bap
tion of an entire nation was far
more important than his temporary suffering. Bravely staying in the
saddle until his strength gave out, he eventually was forced to travel
in a jolting, bumping cart. Despite his misery, the valiant priest pushed on, slowly recovering his strength.
tized. Again, the Jesuit officials in
St. Louis expressed their sincere de sire to establish a mission in the
Two months later, the caravan
Rockies among these Indians, whose virtue and religious fervor
reached a prearranged camp in the
they clearly recognized. Unfor tunately, lacking sufficient priests to staff even their college in St. Louis, the best the provincial could
assembled annually to trade their
Rockies where the beaver hunters furs with the white merchants.
There Father De Smet experienced a joy that more than compensated
for the arduous journey. An honor guard consisting of several dozen
do for the moment was to offer fu
ture assistance as soon as more pri ests were available and to instill
warriors had ridden several hun
some hope in the fervent old Indi
dred miles through the mountains to greet their beloved Blackrobe, whom they had never met, to escort
an that this would be in the not-
too-distant future. Ignatius then returned to his people. After a wait of 18 months, this heroic Catholic Indian, who cer
tainly practiced the cardinal virtue of fortitude in its plenitude, set out once again in the summer of 1837
him back to his eventual mission.
With tears of happiness in their
eyes, both the great missionary and the Flatheads beheld each other as Fr. Peter De Smet, missionary among the Indians
on the perilous journey in yet another at tempt to accomplish his lifelong goal, the only thing that truly mattered in his life. And a perilous journey it was,for this time it came to an abrupt and violent end. While passing through hostile ter
ritory, they came upon several hundred Sioux who barred their path. A small band separated to engage the Christian
if they had been life-long friends. When they reached the Flathead
watomie mission in Iowa. Here they came into contact with a Belgian Jesuit who was destined to become the greatest
camp after eight days of crossinp moun tains and rivers and scaling stet cipices, yet more tears of joy fell n. tor
apostle in the history of the United States. Fr. Peter De Smet was extremely
children, some from the neighboring
impressed, as all were, by the nobility and fervor of these Indians. Shortly after this encounter, he wrote to his brother: "With tears in their eyes, they begged me
rents as 1,600 Indian men, women and
tribes, welcomed him with respect and affection. Thus began the epic career of Father De Smet, a legend among the Indians, famous and beloved in Catho
delegation in battle. Ignatius, who was traveling as a white man, could have avoided the scrimmage. But to the old man, honor was more dear than life. Rather than abandon his companions, he
to return with them. Should God deem
lic Europe, and sadly neglected in this
me worthy of the honor, I would be will ing to give my life to help these Indians."
joined them in the battle where they
cathedral where they heard Mass and
country. Through a singular grace and his great virtue, especially his honesty and justice, he exerted an enormous influence that attracted every tribe he met. Whether during his missionary ac
found themselves so grossly outnum bered. With the end never in doubt, the
were confirmed by the bishop. With the bishop as advocate, Rome finally con
ous trips up and down the Missouri
When they arrived at St. Louis, they made their confession and went to the
tivities in the Rockies or on the numer
valiant Christians went down under the
sented to open a mission in the Rocky
River, it is estimated that this extraordi
weight of superior numbers, having
.Mountains.
nary man opened the way for the con
sacrificed their lives to see their tribes
When he learned that the governor general had given his permission for the
version of over one hundred thousand
men converted. 16
Western Indians.
â&#x2013; TFP Newsletter
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KANS^I^ OLAi
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Fr. Miceli Addresses the TFP Abortion and Contradiction
A Call to Zeal and Fortitude
It is really very simple. There is a philosophical principle that something cannot be and not be at the same time. It is a principle so evident that it
IN our time more than ever before," said Saint Pius X
would hardly seem necessary to explain it to any
greatest asset of the evilly disposed is the cowardice and
one of sound mind.
weakness of good men and women, and all the vigor of Satan's reign is due to the easygoing weakness of Catholics." In this way, Fr. Vincent Miceli began a timely speech on
However, our times are different. Some claim that what exists for one may not exist for another. Others color the truth to their own whims and fan
cies. Yet others run from the question in fear of the consequences.
at the beatification of Joan of Arc(Dec. 13, 1908), "the
"The Need for Zeal and Fortitude
Only the Church stands firm, basing Herself on revelation and tradition coming from Our Lord Je
in Defense of the Faith" for TFP
sus Christ. But even in the Church there are those
The renowned writer-lecturer showed that the fundamental evil of
who challenge Her authority and try to change that which has been taught by the supreme Magisterium.
members and supporters.
our days is that man has abandoned
Such is the case of abortion. For years, Catholics have united in opposing this barbarous crime. Yet, breaches have appeared in the bulwarks of this op
faith in God and love for Christ and His Church.
position. Groups and individuals have asserted that one may be both pro-abortion and Catholic.
humanism has become the state re
Our cover story "Catholic and Pro-Abortion: A
Contradiction of Principles" deals with this aspect of the abortion struggle. The American TFP's participation in the March for Life underscores our dedication to being Catholic and antiabortion. Besides a narrative of the march, we have also
reproduced in its entirety the TFP statement on that occasion.
In Commentary, Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira
deals with this topic as well, analyzing different families of souls in face of today's worldwide crisis, especially one which lives this contradiction (see
"In both East and West atheistic
ligion," he said. "Everywhere in the most powerful and civilized nations,
there is a supreme effort to govern and dominate the world without God. It is already an ac
cepted and spreading dogma that nations should have noth ing to do with the religion of Christianity; religion is seen as a mere private matter, an affair of the individual con science. Moreover, there is a united powerful movement to crush the Church, to strip Her of power and place. There is a mania to get religion out of public activities—in schools, the mass media, social transactions, political affairs." What is necessary to oppose this trend? Father Miceli in dicated the virtue of Christian zeal. Citing Saint Thomas
Aquinas, he explained how zeal comes from an intensity of
page 3). Yet more on this theme can be found in our es
say,"The Spirit of the Times," which shows how the departure from the Church has wrought devas tating consequences in our lives (see pages 8-9).
In Catholic America, we present "Good Saint Anne Visits New York"(see pages 12-13). Our sto ry deals with the amazing visit of the relic of the mother of the Mother of God, Saint Anne, to New
York City at the end of the last century. We com
plement this with an account of the finding of the body of Saint Anne.
love. The more intensely one tends toward anything, the more vigorously one withstands opposition and conquers enemies. Therefore, love is a movement toward the object loved; an intense love or zeal moves single-mindedly towards the beloved, overcoming in its progress every obstacle in the path to communion with the beloved. Thus the distinctive note of zeal is vehemence and intensity of love in the lover for the beloved.
Father Miceli defined the zealous as those who are seri
ous about religion, salvation and the glory of God. "The zealous," he explained, "adhere to God in holiness; they are loyal to God even to the excess of giving their lives for
His honor in martyrdom. Their zeal is founded on a deei unshakable faith in Christ and His Church."
Zeal's companion virtue, fortitude, is also necessary. Cit
ception of "leftist Catholics" regarding justice and
ing Saint Ambrose, Father Miceli explained that fortitude defends the honor of the virtues and guards their behests. It wages an inexorable war on all vice, is undeterred by toil, brave in the face of dangers and unyielding to lusts. Today, more than ever, these virtues are needed. It is, the
charity.
speaker noted, the "Catholic hour," for zealous priests,
In our International section, we discuss the he roic Afghans and, lest it be forgotten, the terrible suffering they have undergone. Our Ambiences, Customs and Civilizations deals with the miscon
John Horvat II
bishops and lay leaders to mount a campaign to defend and spread the faith with fortitude. "It is God Who wills it." □
TFP NEWSLETTER is a publication of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). John Horvat II, Editor. Subscription complimentary in the United States (third class bulk). Rates for foreign subscriptions and list of other TFP publications available upon request. Direct all subscription requests and
Inquiries to: The American TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pleasantviile, N.Y. 10570. Copyright © 1989. Permission is granted to reproduce in whole or in part any article of this newsletter with the credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER. TFP Newsletter
The Afflictions of the Third Family PLINIO CORREA DE OLIVEIRA
COMMENTARY
WE live in complete chaos. "What a banal way to start an
article!" some might think upon read ing this opening sentence. In fact, it is banal, most banal. And
nign unconcern are diminishing in
arms crossed, in the obstinate hope that
number.
something will stop the chaos without implanting the reign of coherence.
c) Even more numerous are those
persons who make up the third group or family of souls. They subsist on the
I present this idea, in itself so banal,
chaotic contradiction of our days, liv
even trite, in its most elementary form
ing in a confused daze. What is more, to live any differently seems impossi
to emphasize, even to the extreme, just
Let us now look at some examples in this third family of souls. Many are the homes wherein im
how banal it is. By so doing, I can
ble to them. If the contradiction does
make my readers (even the most op timistic ones) feel how it is a certain,
at times frighten them, it is because it
moral television shows or foolish, and
clashes in the depths of their souls with coherence. They would like to prolong, against the winds and seas, their ago
sensual books paint with fascinating colors a most promiscuous image of
evident and indisputable fact that we live in this chaos. In this case, as in
many others, the banality of the fact
everywhere in our daily lives. We see
nizing world resulting from the "equi librium" of contradictory ideas, which "regulate" themselves in an amazing coexistence. For this family of souls,
people at every moment whose actions
ideas are formulated to float in the air,
today contradict those of yesterday,
lacking any relationship with reality. Not the least risk exists, in their opin
is equivalent to proof. This sensation of chaos assails us
and will also contradict those of to
morrow. At times, in a single conver sation, and often even in the same sentence, our interlocutors express convictions that are logically at odds
ion, that this "balance" of contradic-
with one another. It is increasingly rare
., certainty is nour
ished that these images have only platonic effects. Later, if a son
lies of souls:
a) People of the first familyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the least numerousâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;understand, admire and praise coherence. Because of this,
they abhor this illogical atmosphere and impute to it the worst fruits of the present and the future. b)Those of the second family close
or daughter goes astray, everyone pleads that They don't understand why* and that The world today is in chaos.* *'
ideological equilibrium from other times. They are the normal effect of
turmoil that ferments in periods of transition. Since they are normal, they
that "they don't understand why" and that "the world today is in chaos." Many a proprietor proclaims the most radically egalitarian ideals before his children or employees, professing human dignity. (This does not stop him, nonetheless, from transacting
large business deals and amassing lav ish profits. . . .) Yet if his son or daughter becomes a communist, he is
astonished. If his well-paid employee
begins to cause trouble, he is discon certed. He does not understand that he
is reaping the bitter fruits of the chaos and disorder he himself planted. However, in this same family where
the television programs and immoral books have found acceptance, the fa ther and mother at times (to maintain a balance based on contradiction)
preach some Christian principles of morality or order. They might, for ex
their eyes to the fact, but when it con
fronts them they find a way to justify it: Such contradictions, according to them, act as necessary breaches in the
platonic effects. Later, if a son or daughter goes astray, everyone pleads
that all class superiority is an insult to
to find persons all of whose thoughts,
words and actions consistently follow several fundamental principles. Evaluating this scenario, people can be classified into three principal fami
life. In such a home, the certainty is nourished that these images have only
tions will someday explode to the det riment of the serene and good order of the facts.
This family of souls considers this intrinsically unbalanced situation to be the quintessence of balance. And as ex
perience plainly proves the nonviability
ample, speak about the legitimacy t property, denounce communism, oi uphold respect for certain moral tra ditions. In the same factory where the owner proclaims himself to be in the socialist vanguard, anticommunist propaganda may abound.
do not cause disasters except on the
of this equilibrium, a member from this
surface layer of reality and should be
family finds himself facing an option
But if a son or a worker suddenly raises the standard of the TFP, the
that terrorizes him: on one hand, chaos
surprise and, later, the ill will would
of souls was even more numerous
that tears like a hurricane through his house and life; on the other, a coher
this "equilibrium" could allow for
some years ago, but, seeing that the
ence that seems to function on a logical
so-called turmoil teeming with con tradictions is taking on the mark of
plane, but that is unyielding, uncaring,
viewed, in final analysis, with a benign and amused indulgence. This family
a farandole with a devilish tone and
sinister consequences, those who con tinue to maintain this smiling and beVol. V, No. 4, 1989
be enormous. Who would imagine that
rigid and, in a word, inhuman.
a coherent option? That these princi ples of order could renounce the pla tonic world of ideals to engender mili
Dismayed before such an option, the people of this family of souls come to
the concrete order of the facts? How
a standstill. And so they remain, their
{continued on page 9]
tants who want to introduce them into
TFP NEWS
Catholic and Pro-Abortion:
A Contradiction of Principles IN these early months of 1989, the abortion struggle stands at a cross
waters and confusing the public: a num
from the appearance of pro-abortion
ber of prominent Catholics are publicly
"Catholics."
In fact, ever since the complete de-
declaring themselves to be both proabortion—and Catholic. Even more per plexing is the fact that theologians and religious have joined these ranks despite the Church's ringing condemnations. In response to this blatant contradic tion, the American Society for the De fense of Tradition, Family and Property
criminalization of the abortion crime in
(TFP)issued its statement, "Abortion:
1973, the one thing that has character
'A Real Slaughter of the Innocents Is Be ing Carried Out Every Day Throughout
roads. The infamous 1973 Roe v. Wade
decision is being seriously challenged. Antiabortion bishops have become in creasingly outspoken. Pro-abortion rad icals are running dramatic full-page advertisements warning that the "right"
to abortion is being threatened.
ized the abortion struggle is that the sides are clearly defined; the battle positions are clearly drawn. No one has the right to kill a child at any stage of development whatever the reason, assert antiabortionists in a posi
tion echoing that of the Holy Catholic Church. Meanwhile, a radical "prochoice" minority essentially claims the
the World.'"
The TFP declaration was distributed
Complementing the publication, a
large contingent of TFP members joined the 70,000-80,000 people from all over the United States who marched on the
Capitol to voice their vehement opposi tion to the slaughter of the now 23 mil lion innocent aborted victims.
American TFP supporters came from
several states, including New York, California, Colorado, Missouri, Kansas and Ohio. Tens of thousands of pamph lets with the TFP declaration were dis tributed at the event.
as a flyer at the 16th annual March for
One of the many large banners carried
Life held on January 23 in Washington,
during the march proclaimed: "This un speakable crime against human life which
D.C. It reasserts that a Catholic is by
definition antiabortion and supports this
rejects and kills life at its beginning sets
affirmation by citing ten conclusive Pa
the stage for despising, negating and eliminating the life of adults and for
contrary.
pal texts from Pius XI to the present. In addition, the call to all Catholics
A new development has entered the scene that threatens the pro-life bulwark,
and all Americans appeared as a halfpage advertisement in the January 23
especially among Catholics who form the largest bloc opposing the crime. A third position is appearing that is muddling the
Washington Post (page 4), convoking
I , ',w ABORTION!"A REAL SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS IS BEING CARRIED
4 - OUT EVERY DAY THROUGHOUT
them to oppose the abortion calamity. It
THE WORLD"-JOHN PAUL II •:
noted that non-Catholics also suffer
^ \
.'J Cail fo Catholics—A Call to til imerleans
The American TFP Convokes All Catholics
to Oppose This Calamity
TFP supporters from Michigan: Part of an immense throng 4
American TFP's ad in the Washington Post TFP Newsletter
TFP NEWS
rj:i'.cxH
xri
Part of what feminist call the antlabortlon "minority" gathering behind the White House
attacking the life of society." The quo
God is the Judge and Avenger of inno
were also held in nearly every state capi
tation from John Paul II leaves no doubt
cent blood which cries from earth to Heaven."
tal and in other communities across the
as to the Church's position on the matter. To further spread the antiabortion
message, TFP members accompanied the proclamation of slogans with trumpets and drums.
"If the public magistrates not only do
The March for Life was also marked
by the presence of several Princes of the Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Cardinals John O'Connor, Bernard Law and James Hickey, Phil adelphia Archbishop Bevilacqua and
nation. According to the National Right
to Life News, at least 145,000 pro-life in dividuals marched, protested or partici pated in such activities. Successful events like the March for Life show that the abortion issue is es
not defend them [the unborn]," pro
Bishop Austin Vaughan, the outspoken
sentially one that affirms the principle of
claimed the TFP members quoting Pius XI, "but by their laws and ordinances
auxiliary Bishop of New York. Numer ous congressmen and senators delivered speeches for the event, and newly inau
contradiction. In the midst of clouded
gurated President George Bush addressed the throng via telephone message.
abortion and Catholic at the same time.
betray them to death at the hands of doc tors or of others, let them remember that
Groundswell reactions to abortion
principles, the antiabortion movement declares that one cannot be both proOne cannot be humane and support the
slaughter of the innocent unborn.
Do Therapeutic Abortions Exist?
ONE of the most common argu
arguments to be against abortion. I
emotional argument that it may be necessary to save the mother's life.
have held a chair in Madrid for nine
Modern gynecology, however, con tests this claim. Many leading doctors
confronted with
assert that such hypothetical solutions are extremely rare, if not nonexistent. And yet the pro-abortion organgrinder consistently uses the "ther
apeutic" abortion as a reason for allowing the barbaric crime. According to Prof. Del Sol, presi dent of the Spanish gynecologist as sociation: "My opinion as a gyn Marchers: Making a point VOL. V, No. 4, 1989
ecologist is that there are abundant
ments in favor of abortion is the
years and during this time I was never the dilemma of
choosing between the life of the moth er and that of the fetus, and in this
time I have assisted some 30,000 births" {La Vanguardia, 6/5/85). The well-known American spe cialists, Dr. J.C. Wilke and his wife, authors of the Handbook on Abor
tion, affirm that in our days a truly therapeutic abortion is "practically nonexistent."
â&#x2013;Ą
TFP NEWS
A Call
A Call
to All
to All
Catholics
Americans
ABORTION:"A REAL SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS IS BEING CARRIED OUT EVERY DAY
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD"-JOHN PAUL II
The American TFP Convokes All Catholics
to Oppose This Colomlty Throughout its two thousand year history, the Catholic Church has never given the slightest approval to abortion. Much to the contrary, Popes, bishops, doc tors and moralists have been very emphatic about the im portance of Catholics abstaining from anything injurious to human life developing in the mother's womb.
This emphasis, however, has been especially felt from the reign of Pius XI on. This is so because, although the cam
paign in favor of abortion has long been waged through out our century with fluctuating intensities, it has taken on a special vigor in our days as a result of an immensely sad fact: with the infiltration of progressivism into Catholic
ranks, there is a growing number of persons who, while professing to be Catholics, also manifest themselves in fa
after the most recent Papal condemnations. This weakens the entire line of resistance against this crime, including those segments outside the Holy Catholic Church.
Thus,the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP)—the defense of the sacred in
stitution of the family being one of the essential elements of its trilogy(Tradition, FAMILY and Property)—thought it indispensable to publicly show those Catholics in favor of abortion how they are misinformed or perhaps misguid ed, while at the same time strengthening the resolve of those who are against it.
However, the voices of the Popes themselves are b' than any arguments. We will, therefore, proceed to cite very conclusive Papal texts on this subject. The reader, how
vor of abortion. In so doing, they do not hesitate to clear
ever, should not delude himself that this exhausts the sub
ly oppose the voice of the Popes. Of course, some of those who so proceed may be ignorant that this is the official
ject. There are many more. We limit ourselves to these for
teaching of the Chair of Saint Peter. Others, however— and it pains us to say this—do it knowing full well what is the unwavering teaching of the Roman Pontiffs.
brevity's sake.
Papal texts:
Such a situation sows the seeds of confusion and disorien-
* "Those who hold the reins of government should not
tation among many Catholics and non-Catholics alike. The Catholic Church's grandiose and unshakable firmness in
forget that it is the duty of public authority by appropriate
opposing abortion was always a pillar to even those who,
laws and sanctions to defend the lives of the innocent, and
though not belonging to the Church, nevertheless felt ad miration and respect for Her position. This confirmed their
this all the more so since those whose lives are endangered and assailed cannot defend themselves. Among whom we must mention in the first place infants hidden in the mother's womb. And if the public magistrates not only do not defend them, but by their laws and ordinances betray
own opposition to abortion.
On the contrary, they must evidently feel disoriented when they see Catholics rising up in favor of abortion even
TFP Newsletter
TFP NEWS
them to death at the hands of doctors or of others, let them
remember that God is the Judge and Avenger of innocent
in his mother's womb, an indirect blow is struck also at the whole of the moral order, which serves to ensure the
blood which cries from earth to Heaven.
inviolable goods of man. Among those goods, life occupies
Pius XI
the first place. The Church defends the right to life not only
* "But another very grave crime is to be noted, Vener
in regard to the majesty of the Creator, who is the first
able Brethren, which regards the taking of the life of the
giver of life, but also in respect to the essential good of the
offspring hidden in the mother's womb. Some wish it to be allowed and left to the will of the father or the mother;
human person."®
others say it is unlawful unless there are weighty reasons
John Paul II
* "I wish to recall emphatically to your memory to
which they call by the name of medical, social, or eugenic
day only the following: the killing of unborn life is not
'indications.'.. . There are those, moreover, who ask that
a legitimate means of family planning. I repeat what I said on May 31sl of this year to workers in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis: 'The first right of man is the right
the public authorities provide aid for these death-dealing operations, a thing, which, sad to say, everyone knows is of very frequent occurrence in some places.. . . What could ever be a sufficient reason for excusing in any way the di rect murder of the innocent? This is precisely what we are dealing with here. Whether inflicted upon the mother or
upon the child, it is against the precept of God and the law of nature: 'Thou shalt not kill.' The life of each is equally sacred, and no one has the power, not even the public
authority, to destroy it."^
Pius XI
to life. We must defend this right and this value. In the contrary case, the whole logic of faith in man, the whole program of really human progress, would be shaken and collapse.'
John Paul II
* "On my part I owe it to my apostolic office to reaf firm as clearly and as strongly as possible what the Church
of Christ teaches in this respect, and to reiterate vigorously her condemnation of artificial contraception and abortion.
* "Moreover, every human being, even the child in its mother's womb,receives its right to life directly from God, not from his parents, nor from any human society or authority. Therefore there is no man, no human authori ty, no science, no 'indication' whether medical, eugenical,
social, economic or moral, that can show or give a valid juridical title for a deliberate and direct disposing of an in
Yes, from the moment of conception and through all sub sequent stages, all human life is sacred, for it is created in
the image and likeness of God."^
John Paul II
* "Dear brothers and sisters: on this evening when we celebrate life, we are also mindful of the many threats to
an end or as a means towards some other end which may itself be in no way illicit. So, for example, to save the life
life which exist in our technological society. Of incalcula ble danger to all humanity is the rate of abortion in society today. This unspeakable crime against human life which rejects and kills life at its beginning sets the stage for despis ing, negating and eliminating the life of adults, and for at
of the mother is a most noble end, but the direct killing
tacking the life of society."®
nocent human life, that is to say, for an action which aims at its destruction, whether such destruction be intended as
John Paul II
of the child as a means to that end is not lawful. The direct
killing of the so-called 'valueless life,' whether born or un
* "Over the last twenty years, many states have re
born, which was practiced a few years ago in numerous in stances, can in no way be justified."^ Pius XII
nounced their dignity as defenders of innocent human life, enacting laws permitting abortion. A real slaughter of the innocents is being carried out every day throughout the world."JO John Paul II
* "Indeed, all must regard the life of man as sacred, since from its inception, it requires the action of God the
Creator. Those who depart from this plan of God not only offend His divine majesty and dishonor themselves and the human race, but they also weaken the inner fiber of the commonwealth.'"^ John XXIII
* "Vatican II reiterated the point: 'Abortion and in fanticide are abominable crimes.'. . . The first and most
fundamental right of man is the right to life, that is, to
1. On Christian Marriage, St. Paul Editions, Boston, pp. 33-34.
2. Ibid., pp. 31-32. 3. Address of Pope Pius XII to the Italian Catholic L.
of Midwives, The Clergy Review, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 382-383. 4. Mater et Magistra, St. Paul Editions, Boston, p. 55.
the protection of his life. And no one can have a con
5. The Pope Speaks, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 334-335.
trary right where an innocent person is concerned. The
6. Homily at the Mass on the Capitol Mall, Washington,
weaker the subject is, the more he needs protection, and
D.C., October 7, 1979, Sacred in All Its Forms, St. Paul Edi
the more all have a duty to protect him. The mother is
tions, Boston, pp. 160-161.
particularly accountable as long as she has the baby in her womb."^
Paul VI
* "I do not hesitate to proclaim before you and before the world that all human life—from the moment of con
ception and through all subsequent stages—is sacred, be cause human life is created in the image and likeness of
God. . . . Let me repeat what I told the people during my
7. Homily at the Mass for families, in Cologne, Germany, November 15, 1980, Sacred in All Its Forms,St. Paul Editions, Boston, p. 196.
8. Homily at the Mass for families, in Cebu City, the Philip pines, February 19, 1981, Sacred in All Its Forms, St. Paul Editions, Boston, p. 204.
9. Address to the youth, to the aging, and the disabled in Van couver, B.C., L'Osservatore Romano, English edition, October 8, 1984, p. 17.
recent pilgrimage to my homeland: "If a person's right to
10, L'Osservatore Romano, English edition, April 11, 1988,
life is violated at the moment in which he is first conceived
p. 6.
Vol. V, No. 4, 1989
ESSAY
The Spirit of the Times The spirit of the times" is an ambig
by French philosopher Rene Des-
H
cartes to explain the world. Whereas the medievals accepted the existence of objects as such, Descartes admitted the existence of the world of matter, but thought it necessary to demonstrate it since for him everything within us and
H H H H H H H
in order to exist in this new environ
without us conspires to deceive us. He even questioned his own exis-
Wri Writer James Joyce, rejecting home, country and church chu
ment"(William Barret, The Illusion of Technique, 1978, p. 232).
tence, for which he found the fa mous formula, "I think, therefore I
uous expression used to mean many things. Above all, it stands for the idea
of the progress and change that have so drastically transformed society. To use the words of Norbert Weiner, an early developer of the computer,"We have modified our environment so radi
cally that we must now modify ourselves
times, modern man has changed with
Rational Consequences. Reading the
philosophies of Bertrand Russell, White-
Thus it is that, in the spirit of the He held that it is only the discovery of
head, or Wittenstein in his early works,
ever-increasing velocity; at the same
method that enables man to wrest na
one can see an over-rationalization of life
time, he has sought to rid himself of the civilization that produced him. Writer James Joyce's character Stephen
ture's secrets from it. His mathematical
that took place at the turn of the centu
method triumphed over and transformed
Dedalus may well speak for twentieth-
Descartes insisted that this was the
ry. It was an idealization of Descartes' intense reasoning that left little or no room for feeling or a life of reflection.
century man when he states that he will no longer serve "that in which I no
method for every field. History, art and poetry were little more than "chaotic
led to a world that excluded all other
longer believe, whether it call itself my
visions." What is really important in
knowledge. This was a world of speciali
home, my fatherland or my church; and
the Cartesian world is that the will can
zation, technology, large organizations
I will try to express myself in some mode
freely choose to go against nature and
of life or art as freely as I can and as
natural impulse in order to conquer na
wholly as I can"[A Portrait of the Ar
ture and its secrets.
and big business, which denigrated the supernatural, the artistic or the intuitive. The technical organization of life re duced people to mere numbers to be calculated by means of plans.
our world. Even worse was the fact that
tist as a Young Man, p. 247). Dedalus is the "drop-out" from Western civilization who organizes
The supremacy of method and science
"Our lifestyles," writes Prof. Wil liam Barret, "a horrible term, which
his life around his total and intransi
is itself part of the general objectify ing phenomenonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;go in the direction
gent negation of everything Western. There is nothing mysterious about the aim of this spirit of our times: It is characterized by the resolve to eradicate all vestiges of the Catholic
of extroversion, of the most mindless and aimless sort. The television talk
-â&#x2013; rn
Church from the human mind and to raise an iron curtain between God and
His creation. It is a spirit that has de termined once and for all that heaven
r.
is a place on earth where man can do everything that his heart tells him a
human being can or might do. In essence, it is the creation of a new heaven and a new earth from which Our Lord Jesus Christ and
the Blessed Virgin Mary will be forever excluded. Theologically, this
is a description of the hell in which our century no longer believes, yet it
C P
is a hell that is now emerging around
â&#x2013;
show replaces conversation; the infor mation bulletin supplants serious and
detailed journalism; and the weekly news digest crowds out the reflective periodical. One couii.. on almost endlessly merely on these prevailing modes of communication that tend to rivet us more and more
to the quick, casual, efficient, but
also thoroughly external snapshot of reality."
Subjectivism in Life. On the other hand, Cartesianism also produced a type of subjectivism that has its con
sequences in modern life. The empha sis placed on objectivism resulted in
a compensatory heightening of sub jectivism. German philosophy was a I response of subjectivity to the objec-
Descartes: Separation from Reality. The construction of this new world is
If tifying tendencies set loose by Des-
born from a separation of man from reality itself. One of the great factors in this break was the fiction contrived 8
-I' cartes and modern science. Modern art, detached from real life
"Human subjectivity is not an TFP Newsletter
absolute," claims Prof. Barrett. "It
differs in its shadings, degrees and kinds. The subjectivism that haunts the ma
chine age has nothing to do with the dif ficult and highly conscious subjectivity of the single person, the T' that smug
gles for its passionate inwardness in the writings of a Kierkegaard. Rather, it is
How such a vision differs from that
artist from real life. Except for critics and its enthusiasts, modern "art" is but
of Catholic metaphysics, with its belief
a peripheral and marginal affair of lit
in absolutes and the reality of things!
tle actual concern to society.
Stephen Dadelus' denial of home, coun try and church rejected those very things
Metaphysical Wasteland. Thus, mod ern man, moving in the spirit of the times, finds himself in a metaphysical
that make human existence warm and
livable, and that make art a living com ponent of everyday life.
the subjectiveness of the 'we,' all of us
together in our loneliness as 'the lonely crowd.'"
"We are made for Thee, O Lord, and our hearts are restless
This kind of subjectivism haunts the until they rest in Thee," said Saint Augustine. His timeless masses in the technical era. Metaphysi cally, men have become islands adrift in exclamation presents the best remedy to our anxieties ... a cosmic sea where all traditional ties have been severed. Consciousness has be
where he is but a mere number among the faceless masses. On the other hand,
"We are made for Thee, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee," said Saint Augustine. His time less exclamation presents the best reme dy to our anxieties since they can only
things have become so subjective that all
be put to rest by confiding in the Eter
suffer an immense isolation caused by a
nal Wisdom, the God-man, and by har
detachment from reality. Ironically, mod ern man's pursuit of delights and pleas
boring a true devotion to the admirable one who bore Him, the Blessed Virgin
ures ends in isolation and frustration.
Mary.
come such an intrinsically private and
wasteland. On one hand, he has so ra
subjective affair that each person is like
tionalized everything that he is dominated by a cold, calculated machine-world
a sphere hermetically sealed off from the world outside.
The implications of this mass subjec tivism are immense. Today's arts, for ex
ample, give free play to the imagination, and offer a proliferation of new and var ied styles. But all this variety and free dom was paid for by a detachment of the
iH
COMMENTARY
[continued from page i] can everyday living accept the pres ence of coherent, logical persons who take seriously that which was
taught them about the foundations of social order and of Christian civilization?
Thus, in short, a comfortable and affable disorder in ideals is
professed by this family of souls. It is a disorder that stems from liv
ing on a totally plaionic sphere, be tween fragments of both good and bad, of error and truth. Some, within this ambience, opt for the integrity of disorder; others, for that of order. Because of this, th.
family of souls is sinking in lamen tations and fear.
The aurora borealis photographed on March 12, 1989, at 10:50 p.m. in Bedford, New York
This family of soul's situation
Rare Aurora Borealis Sighted
rouses problems of the highest lev
INTENSE bursts of red light seen as far south as Texas, Florida and Cuba
equilibrium of contradictions figure importantly in a march toward a
el. Doesn't the destruction of this
during the night of March 12 marked an aurora borealis that the National Weath
er Service qualified as "extremely rare" for southern latitudes. "In fact," it noted, "it would be a quintessential once-in-a-lifetime event" {New York Times, 3/16/89). Two nights later, an aurora was seen in Spain for the first time in 50 years, the
one-sided and exaggerated situation, in short, toward radicalization? If the answer is affirmative,
last one having been registered in 1937, according to the director of the Madrid Observatory. The director of the Astronomical Observatory in Santiago, said "It
isn't incoherence the opposite of
was a coppery red color, as if reflecting a large fire, and was quite uniform, al
though other persons who saw the phenomenon in Galicia told us they saw stripes.
In these questions the third fa mily of souls is writhing and fret
It could be observed all night long" {El Pals, 3/17/89).
ting today.
Concurrently, the aurora australis was observed in Uruguay. VOL. V, NO. 4, 1989
â&#x2013;Ą
radicalization?
â&#x2013;Ą
DIGEST
Battling for Spiritual Custody Divorce, breaking asunder what God has joined, brings with it an inevitable and unnatural upheaval. The trau
For years, Western specialists have maintained the no tion that the Soviet Union is an economic "superpower"
ma is compounded as the court, Solomon-style, decides
of vast proportions. At the same time, they largely ignored
the division of the family estate and, especially, the cus
lesser-known figuresâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;many of them Soviet emigresâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;who
tody of the children.
warned that such a vision was greatly exaggerated.
For years, family law has concerned itself with divid ing and awarding to the conflicting parties the material fruits of their union. Now the psychological scars suffered
both by parents and children in the fight for custody are
Not that the specialists' evaluation was that great to be gin with. They rightly pointed out that the centralized planning system is enormously wasteful, that the growth rate is declining and that Russian living standards lag de
certain to increase in face of the latest development in these
cades behind the West.
shattering battles, the determination of "spiritual custo dy." The courts are now deciding the religion in which
Proponents of the second view, however, held that even
the family's offspring are to be reared. Not uncommon are cases where a mother may have
this analysis was too optimistic. Although bolstered by massive Western aid and loans, the Soviet economy was really much worse than imagined. Now, with glasnost-
physical custody of the children yet be forced to raise them
induced confessions becoming ever more frequent, the
in a faith different from her own. With the increase in
Soviets themselves are confirming this dismal diagnosis. For example, the CIA has long estimated the Soviet
interfaith marriage, the number of "spiritual custody" cases are growing and are wreaking spiritual havoc on the remnants of what were once families.
As judges are asked to decide between religions, they will not generally address the issue of the religion itself. Instead, the "spiritual custody" notion rests on the con sideration that raising children with more than one relig
ion causes confusion and trauma. Yet, in resolving the case, the judge may add to the confusion by simply pick ing the religion he considers most convenient at the time.
Tribal Identity Every once and a while, anthropologists have made
headlines by discovering some long-forgotten tribe living in utopic isolation and knowing neither war nor strife. Ac counts glorify the tribe's idyllic natural lifestyle in contrast to the complications of modern-day life and corruption. Reality, however, invariably comes charging in. More careful observers later find that the "peaceful" tribe is not that peaceful or that the idyllic setting is really the breeding ground for misery and vice.
So it was that in 1971 anthropologists in the Philippines discovered the Tasaday whom they exuberantly claimed to be a Stone Age tribe of forest gatherers who dressed in orchid leaves and bark and who had no word for war,
enemy or ocean. Later, visiting journalists began to no tice telltale bits of clothing, knives and trinkets that did not quite fit with the tribe's primitive heritage. By 1986, the Tasadays were declared a hoax. Accord ing to Jerome Bailen of the University of the Philippines, it was "the most elaborate hoax perpetrated on the an thropological world" in 80 years. He claims that the Tasa day were really members of another tribe who were persuaded to wear leaves and use stone implements. The tribe claims such accusations are false. "We are
the forest," said tribeswoman Dul."We are as real as the forest and the flowers and the trees and the stream."
To stress their point, the politically savvy Tasadays are also filing suit against the two anthropologists who are
among their most insistent debunkers. The legal complaint insists that the Tasaday are "a separate ethnic community with their own language and forest home."
10
Soviet Bear Without Claws
gross national product at slightly more than half the American. Per capita output was calculated at less than half the American level. However, an economist at the
Soviet State Planning Committee recently published a re
port which measured the Soviet economy at a mere third of the American and per capita output just over a quar ter of the America levelâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and this using the ruble's ar tificially high exchange rate. Other cracks are appearing in the Soviet economic su perpower myth. Recent Soviet declarations have admit ted that for years the Soviets have been running large budget deficits. Officials admit zero growth rates in the 1980s. Defense spending is now estimated to be 25 per cent, not 15 percent of the GNP. Western currency trans fusions have played a much more important role than
heretofore imagined in sustaining the economy.
California Deconstructionalism New York has the Statue of Liberty, St. Louis, the Gate way Arch and California will have . . . "Clouds of
Steel." Or at least it is on the drawing boards. The design, by Hani Rashid, a New York firm and as
sociate Lise i^n Couture, was just selected by a jury from 150 entries in the "West Coast Gateway" competition,
and the decision provoked immediate and persistent con troversy all over California. While the designers call th winning entry neomodernist, it has been labelled decon structionist because of its jumbled, unfinished-steel con figuration. The massive $33 million dollar structure would consist
of a series of horizontal beams containing an immigrant museum, a theater called the sphinx, a musical forest, and
restaurants and aquariums. Adding yet more to the con fusion is the fact that the whole complex will be built over a downtown stretch of the Hollywood Freeway. Whatever it is, many Californians cannot make heads
or tails of it. A "meaningless pile of scrap" and "a praying mantis-like monstrosity designed by two New Yor kers" are among the commentaries. Writes Herald Ex
aminer columnist Gordon Dillow: "It is unbelievably hideous, grotesque and monstrous."
TFP Newsletter
INTERNATIONAL
Lest We Forget Afghanistan: In the Aftermath of Catastrophe After nine long years, the Soviets
farms, fields, vital irrigation systems and
have finally left Afghanistan. A
animals have been systematically de
children surviving communist massacres were often sent. To this pitiful spectacle,
tottering communist regime holds on to power while plans are being made to in
stroyed, turning the country into a waste land. Airpower alone helped destroy an
ing the Afghans themselves to destroy
stall a legitimate government. Whatever
estimated five million animals.
the internal squabbles of the resistance may be, all are united against the current regime and are determined to replace it. Many, however, are deceived into thinking that the Soviet departure is a Gorbachev goodwilled gesture. They fail
Additionally, indiscriminate massacres
the Soviets added the humiliation of us
their own country. One senior official accompanying Mikhail Gorbachev on a
to realize that even up to the last min
million civilians have died in the war.
1986 visit to India reportedly claimed that they were "paid for everything" they sent to that country(Rosanne Klass, Afghanistan: The Great Game Revisited, Freedom House, 1987, p. 11). One way to pay for billions of dollars
ute, Soviet troops continued massive hu man rights violations.
Some 4.5 to 5 million have taken refuge
of "military aid," was the establishment
and atrocities were often committed by Soviet and communist Afghan forces. Civilian targets were frequently bombed and the use of chemical weapons has been widely reported. More than one
of leech lines from the
Without apologies or
vast natural gas deposits
regrets, the Soviets leave
in northern Afghanistan
Afghanistan after sub
to the Soviet Union. Even
jecting her to a systemat ic and deliberate process
the Soviet's own,figures show that they never paid Afghanistan more than a fraction of the going
of actual and cultural
genocide.
world market price for
From the very begin ning of communist rule
this natural gas which is
in 1978, a ruthless poli
always metered on the
cy of terror and death
Soviet side of the border
was introduced. Its un
and by Soviet personnel.
popularity set in motion
The one unforeseen
factor in the Afghan
the 1979 Soviet Christ mastime invasion of Af
struggle was the mujahedeen, the Afghan re
ghanistan. The mere ap pearance of over 100,000
sistance fighters. By their
daring and cunning, this
troops was designed to cowl any resistance into submission.
Contrary to expecta
tion, the Afghans were
Their arms are outdated, but they have an unbreakable will to resist
not ready to be intimi dated. Governed by a social code based on honor and revenge, the Afghan tribes rose up en masse against the atheistic re gime's attempt to socialize their tradi
tional hierarchical society. The response was a policy of genocide and destruction that curiously awakened little indignation or outcry. A 1985 Hel sinki Watch report, "Tears, Blood and
amalgam of courageous peasant-warriors has captured the imagination and admiration of many in the West.
in Pakistan and Iran while an addition
al two million internal refugees fled to Kabul and other cities.
According to U.S. Defense Depart ment estimates, the Soviets left behind some 10 to 30 million mines, most of
them antipersonnel devices which were
With scanty and outdated arms, int. Resistance humiliated the mighty Red army before the world, turning what should have been a quick military oper ation into a bloody war of attrition. In
response to overwhelming military and psychological maneuvers, the muja-
scattered almost indiscriminately {New
hedeen responded with a dogged will to
York Times, 3/1/89). Furthermore,
fight that inflicted heavy losses.
Criesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Human Rights in Afghanistan"
mines disguised as toys, watches, pens
To the great shame of the West, the
related that almost every "conceivable
and knives were sown in target areas, often maiming innocent children.
Afghans, whatever their shortcomings, will go down in history as the only na tion to have successfully defied the So viet bear. While their land may be
human rights violation is occurring in Afghanistan and on an enormous scale."
The Soviets depopulated much of ru
Afghan children were also the victims of communist indoctrination. The Soviets
ral Afghanistan through massive bom bardments which destroyed whole vil lages. According to a recent survey by
shipped as many as thirty thousand chil dren between the ages of four and four
devastated, their honor remains intact.
teen to the U.S.S.R. for educationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;with
the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan,
or without their parents' consent. Village
trading with the Soviets and remaining silent in face of such an outrage. â&#x2013;Ą
Vol. V, No. 4, 1989
And the West will be called to task for
11
CATHOLIC AMERICA
'^Good Saint Anne" Visits New York UNHERALDED and unexpected,
He felt he could not disappoint the
Bishop Marquis arrived at the rec tory of Saint Jean Baptiste in New York City on a Sunday morning, May
tressed. The ecclesiastical authorization
multitudes of the believing and the dis was obtained, and the relic was exposed
I, 1892. Traveling from Rome to Que bec, he had stopped in New York to
throughout the week, with the devotion constantly increasing. Thus passed the first and then the se cond week of May. It is calculated that
rest before continuing his trip. No sooner did Fr. Frederick Tetreau
200,000 to 300,000 venerated the relic during these weeks.
and his assistants learn of the prelate's mission—he was the bearer of a relic
of Saint Anne, solicited from His Holi ness Pope Leo XIII by the CardinalArchbishop of Quebec—than they begged him to allow this sacred treas
to increase day by day on into the third week. Bands of men and women,sever
ure to be exposed for the veneration of
New England and mid-Atlantic states
the faithful during the evening's Vespers service. Since the bishop was
Pittsburgh, Baltimore—were moved by
The multitudes who came continued
al groups led by their priests, from the —from Boston, Philadelphia, Scranion,
not scheduled to leave for Quebec un
a holy impulse to come and venerate
til the next day, he consented and the reliquary was taken to the church. The relic, a fragment of the wrist of Saint Anne, which showed the joint near the thumb, was some two or three inches in length, with the skin and flesh still adhering to the bone. The very sight of the reliquary,
the relic. Letters arrived from the South
which displayed the polished point of
the last day of the relic's stay. There
and West, from Louisiana, Utah, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Min
nesota, earnestly beseeching Bishop Marquis to delay his departure for Canada yet another week. This, however, was impossible. It was announced that May 20 would be
the wristbone with its adherent flesh,
was no means of keeping an accurate
made a deep impression on the priests.
account of the numbers and names of
During the interval between Mass and
those who were daily said to be cured.
Vespers, the news spread that the faith ful would have an opportunity to venerate the relic, and the church soon
All the events of these three weeks had
been absolutely unplanned and unex pected. No one had registered the
Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary
became crowded with the sick and
names or circumstances of cures at
suffering who came with others to kiss
Stream of petitioners filled the usually
tributed to the relic, although several
the reliquary and to beseech "good Saint Anne," as she is fondly called in France
quiet and out-of-the-way little church. In face of such a reaction, the reluc
near the sanctuary in silent testimony.
and Canada, to obtain cures from God. As a writer in one of the great daily papers expressed it, this relic brought
tant Bishop Marquis was persuaded to remain in New York a few days longer.
day; heavy rain and hail fell without in
pairs of crutches and spectacles remained Thursday, May 19 was a dark, stormy termission, and a fierce easterly wind
one very near the person of Our Lord,
lashed the streets, making it di^^'-'^'ilt
since it enabled one to touch not
for even the strongest passeri^ > hold up their umbrellas. Nonetheless, from five in the morning until ten at night, the street in front of the church, from Third to Lexington Avenues,
merely the garment of Saint Anne, but her very flesh.
From the crowd, a young epileptic approached the communion railing and fell into fearful convulsions. Eye witnesses relate
that it took
was thronged with pilgrims. The side
the
walks in front of and behind the
strength of several men to hold the
church were densely packed with those
boy down, but, as soon as the priest touched him with the reliquary, the
try into the church. On the opposite
convulsions ceased.
side of the street stood hundreds
who braved the elements to await en
The sudden cessation of the epilep
more. It was a sight never before seen
tic spasms struck those present with
on the banks of the Hudson. Not un
awe, and word of the prodigy spread
til the last petitioner for Christ's help-
rapidly to other parts. The eager
I ful goodness had knelt at the altar rail
crowds of visitors thronged to the church long after Vespers. All through that day and the next and the next, and far into the night, a living
5 and kissed the crystal cover of the reli-
12
^ quary was the church closed. ;Small relic of Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist, iused for dally veneration In the New York church.
It had been announced that the relic
was due to leave at noon the next day. TFP Newsletter
CATHOLIC AMERICA
w;
Lett. The exterior of the Church of Saint Jean Baptiste. Right An Interior view of the beautiful church with the Blessed Sacrament exposed.
All through the morning hours, pilgrims crowded the street and flowed in one con-
have a special sanctuary in New York. It occurred to them that the small church
cures had taken place in the presence of the crowd in the church; the names and
tinuous stream through the church. So great were the numbers still waiting that Father Tetreau's generous heart could not bear to withdraw his sacred treasure until the moment of Bishop Marquis' departure was near at hand. When four o'clock struck, he was finally forced to announce that he had to take the relic of Saint Anne from the church. The announcement drew loud groans, Father Tetreau, his voice broken with emotion, raised the relic in both hands above his head, blessed the faithful in the name of Christ and besought His bless-
of Saint Jean Baptiste should be enlarged to accommodate the crowds of pilgrims and visitors. This resolution assumed a more determined form when Bishop Marquis revealed that he had brought with him from Rome a second relic of Saint Anne, only slightly smaller than that destined for the Shrine of Beaupre in Quebec. This he would bestow on the new sanctuary of Saint Anne in the church of Saint Jean Baptiste. On July 15, 1892, Bishop Marquis fulfilled his pledge to return to New York with the promised relic of Saint Anne. No
addresses of the persons were carefully recorded; and the priest who had witnessed these instantaneous displays of God's power and goodness was there to attest to the facts, From that time on, the fame spread of new miracles wrought there daily, involving persons of every age, infirmity and residence. Saint Anne's Shrine be.a national shrine and place of pilgn. offering relief for the physical and spiritual illnesses of those faithful who sought her help, Today, the Shrine of Saint Anne can
ing on them all through the intercession
sooner was it known that Bishop Mar-
still be found at Saint Jean Baptiste
of Christ's virgin mother and her holy
quis had brought the relic than people be-
Church on East 76 Street in downtown
mother, Anne. As he moved toward the crowded middle aisle, people cried out
gan to flock to the church from all parts. Sultry weather notwithstanding, crowds
New York, but there is no flood of pilgrims. Today's crowds scurry about in the
from every side, "Goodbye, Saint Anne!
soon filled the church that day and the
agitation of the city's stress-filled business
Goodbye! Come back to us soon. Saint Anne! Come back to stay!" The poor priest struggled through the throng, touch-
11 following days, culminating on the feast of Saint Anne on July 26. Every day brought new reports not only of physi-
world, or lose themselves in the pleasures and diversions the city offers. Amid their ever-growing personal problems, they
ing those who were near him, again blessing with the relic those whom he could not reach.
cal cures, but also of the return of many fallen-away souls to the Church, On July 26, the hottest day of the year,
search in vain for real solutions, If only they were to have recourse to Good Saint Anne, who has shown so
From the very first week of May, the idea had begun to take root in the minds of the people that Saint Anne should
the priest at Saint Jean's announced that Good Saint Anne had obtained by her prayers two extraordinary cures. These
often and so profoundly that she can obtain from God and her good daughter the favors asked by those of faith. C
Vol. V. No. 4, 1989
'
/.?
RELIGION
The Marvelous History of Saint Anne first concern, upon ar-
at Apt, was to have the cathedral re-
after the Mass.
consecrated by Archbishop Turpin during
It happened that a young noble boy of 14,
The steps to the altar were removed; thereupon everyone saw a door sealed shut with huge stonesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the door of the ancient crypt built by the provident Saint Auspicius centuries before. No sooner was this door opened and the flight of steps leading down to it discovered than the blind boy rushed forward as if his eyes were suddenly opened and led the way into the underground church. Charlemagne himself took the boy's hand and gave orders to hold back the
the son of the baron of
excited multitude.
the Easter solemnities. Yet even amid the re-
1 I
joicing of the people, a sadness pervaded, since every effort to find the long-hidden remains of Saint Anne had proven
ÂŤ r
f
<
interrupted tradition of the Church,the body of Saint Anne was car ried to Gaul by the same vessel that, in the first century of the Christian era, had brought Lazarus and his sisters there when they had been banished from
John, the young noble, struck the wall
at the ceremony. People
of the crypt to show that they must
/
near the boy in the sanc-
search yet further. Another and lower
tuary noted that during
/Y
the divine service he was
crypt was discovered at the end of a long, narrow corridor. There, a sudden beam
carried away by some overpowering emotion. The boy, who had been born deaf, dumb and
1
, H blind, seemed to be
^ 1 H listening with rapt and
statue of Saint Anne with the Virgin Mary at the Cathedral In Apt
According to an ancient and un
Casanova, was present
ii n
k
ried in a crypt, a fact to which the Martyrology of Apt, one of the most an cient in existence, testifies. With the coming of the persecutions and barbarian invasions, the first Bish op of Apta Julia, Saint Auspicius, took
of bright light flashed upon the king and his attendants. They beheld, in front of a walled recess, a burning lamp which flooded the area with unearthly splen
dor. As soon as the king and his cortege entered, the lamp went out of itself.
upturned face to voices
More wonderful still, the boy could sud
from above. Moved by the impulse of grace, he
denly see, hear and speak. "The body of
Saint Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary,
walked toward the high altar and struck
Mother of God,lies in that recess," were
the steps leading up to it with his staff, making signs that they should dig there.
his first words.
His behavior caused no small distur
bance during the solemn rites, but neither the clergy nor the royal guards could
quiet or restrain him. Charlemagne,
After a moment of silence, the awe
struck king and his followers burst into words of praise and thanksgiving. The walled recess was opened, and a sweet fragrance like that of oriental balm filled
the air. They found there a casket of cy
Palestine because of their faith.
These personal and devoted friends of Christ bore her precious remains for safekeeping to the city of Apta Julia (to day known as Apt). The body was bu
deeply impressed by what he saw, or dered that the steps should be excavated
Charlemagne highly venerated Saint Anne
press wood containing the body of the
saint, which had been wrapped round and round with folds of precious cloths.
On the casket was an inscription saying: "Here lies the body of the Blessed Anne,
mother of the Virgin Mary." After venerating the relic befoic aii present, Charlemagne had an exact ac
count of the discovery drawn up by one
from desecration. He buried it in a yet
of his notaries and a copy of the same sent to the Pope with the royal seal. This letter and the Pope's reply still exist to
deeper subterranean chapel and sealed all
this day.
precautions to guard this holy deposit
approaches to it until a safer day. Toward the end of the eighth centu ry, when Charlemagne won a last deci sive victory over the Saracens in the
From that time forth, the cathedral of Apt became a center of attraction for
Catholic pilgrims from all parts of France.
plains of Province near Montmajour,
peace and security returned to the land.
Note: Both of these stories are adapted
The people began to restore and rebuild the holy places destroyed by the in vaders. Among these was the cathedral of Apta Julia. The Bollandists say that Charlemagne's
from the booklet The Good Saint Ann,
14
Mother ofthe Blessed Virgin Mary and Her New Shrine in the Church of Saint Jean
Baptiste by Right Rev. Bernard O'Reilly, D.D., Blessed Sacrament Fathers, 1919. TFP NEtVSLETTER
Returning to Walled
"New" Ministries
Signs of the Times
Vietnamese In Gulag
Cities?
Today new updated minis Surging crime rates and breok-ins hove convinced
many South Florida commu nities to resort to barricades
and guard-houses. Among those involved in
the trend is Dode County's Andover area where a guard house was just erected. Bar ricades were also set up In suburban Miami Shores. Twelve road barriers were installed In Fort Louder-
dale's Riverside section.
The highly popular move has increased taxes, but most
have been sent to the Soviet
identities are appearing. For example, Felician Sis
dent newspaper column. "My girlfriend just broke-up
Union as pawns in "trade agreements" which compen
ter Melanie Marie, also known as Sister "Rainbow,"
with me. . .. mv parents
sated the Soviets for the es
want to get a aivorce. . . .
timated S2 billion in economic
My friends hate me. I want
aid given to Hanoi.
dons face paint and clown costume as part of a clown troupe at the order's high school near Pittsburgh. Fr. Joe Whitehead, an as sistant pastor at St. Mat
to commit suicide. What
a Vietnamese army journal reveals the deplorable work
"Dear Brunhilda, I am
ing condition of these ex ported slave-workers. The newspaper called for new work agreements which
going to commit suicide.
Do you want to know why?
Flo., puts on his fighting tights and wrestles profes
I don't think so. Giving up." "I'm beginning to wonder
sionally using the name of
if I was a mistake. My par
laborers to work in danger
"Iron Priest."
ents will never love me as
ous places such as contami
Grass Clothing
nated areas, deep under
er. I have thought about
ground mines or areas
running away and commit
where the harsh conditions
exceed the physical endur assign our laborers to work
fashion, Chicago "artist" Rehabilitating Cain
Bill Harding has designed
their lives?"
In a world where even the
and is marketing a new productâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the grass robe.
genocidal Khmer Rouge are
"past excesses," it is hardly surprising that history's first murderer, Cain, would be
likewise acquitted. At a December mock trial
by biblical scholars, histori ans, magistrates and crlminologists in Venice, Cain
was found not guilty of premeditated murder.
In typical sociological doublespeak, a 5 to 4 jury verdict said Cain hod acted out of "inevitable human
For the latest in eco-
Harding, 29, who has even taught children's class
Executions on Demand?
two editions of the newspa per are not from a troubled
inner city high school but came from sixth, seventh
seeds on fabric. Now he Is
typical junior high school in
putting together an $85 gross robe kit. "Wearing one is a unique experience," he says. "It's
northern California.
Flight from Reality
emotion, dictated by other reosons of a social nature."
The above selections from
es on growing grass cloth ing, has long planted grass
the only instanceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;besides being in the wombâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;where you're enclosed in a living thing" (Corpus Cbristi Caller' Times, 10/17/88).
In the quest for ever more sensations and ever more extravagance, a new type
would not "send our
much OS they love my broth
ting suicide. What do you think, should I get out of
said to be recognizing their
A recent telltale account in
should I do?" Signed "On the Edge."
thew's Parish in Jacksonville,
in crime rates hove more
than compensated them.
Nearly 80,000 Vietnamese
the Dear Abby-type stu
believe that an increased
sense of security and a drop
"Deer Brunhilda," reads
tries and even new clerical
and eighth graders at a
Mental Health Reports The bitter and harmful
ance of Vietnamese and not
with convicts under a system of forced labor."
Selling More Rope Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker, hopes to
be China's largest. For three years. It has jointly produced 35,000 VW Santanos in Shanghai. Now, Volkswagen is de
fruits of drug and alcohol
veloping a huge plant in
abuse, modern stress and
Changchun which will assem
chaotic lifestyles are becom ing increasingly noticeable
ble its Audi 100 model.
in the health of the nation.
be locally made and fitted with a Chrysler engineered
According to the most recent study sponsored by the Na tional Institute of Mental
Health, almost one third of all Americans suffer from
Eventually, all ports are to motor. It will initially pro duce 150,000 cars a yr by 1994, later to be ex ponded to 300,000.
of hotel is beginning to ap pear that stresses fantasy. The Royale Hospitality
acute metal illness during their lifetimes and, at any given time, major mental
Poor underdeveloped Red China currently has a mere one million cars among its
Group, a Midwest concern,
disorders afflict almost 15
one billion people.
nals executed in Red China.
has been buying up hotels
percent of the nation's popu lation.
News is circulating in
Hong Kong about a grisly trade in the kidneys of crimi It appears that the unethical
and transforming tne normal
Chinese will deliver kidneys
humdrum hotel rooms into
to anyone lyone who is willing to pay to the two . $13,000 513,(
suites resembling Arctic igloos,
findings significantly exceeded
many earlier estimates. They
Cantonese hospitals thot
the stone vault of a Pharaoh's tomb or the recesses of a
deal in them. Kidneys must
prehistoric cave. Guests may
patients with fear disorders
be transplonted within six hours of death, leaving
also fly from reality In a suite called Space Odyssey where the bed Is a replica of a Gemini space capsule.
are seeking no remedies but
questions about the real rea sons for the executions.
Vol. K no. 4, 1989
Misspelling Justice
The institute's most recent
further revealed that many are simply learning to live with their Illnesses to the best of their limited abilities.
A Nebraska man has been
acquitted of a charge of manufacturing and distribut ing a "designer" drug called "ecstasy" because
the drug's lengthy scientific name was misspelled in the state law prohibiting the same.
AMBIENCES, CUSTOMS, CIVILIZATIONS
w
HOW REACTIONARY!... ONE of the practices of so-called Catholic leftism consists in acting as if the matter ofsocial justice and welfare has been addressed for the first time only in our own days, as if the preceding centuries had com pletely ignored the obligations of justice and charity regarding the poor. This conception is totally discredited by any serious historical study of our own and every other epoch. But lies have a long life. Consequently, this revolutionary fraud continues to circulate.
tenor of living, a strong, intimate and calm family life. In short, everything about them would surely attract contemporary workersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;despite such alluring bourgeois comfort.
These, however, are not the homes of magistrates, professors or public officials. These are the residential
homes offishermen!How their charm, serenity and har
mony differfrom the vulgarity, squalor and hubbub of so many suburbs in today's modern BabyIons. The waters of the Regnitz run tranquilly through the noble city of Bamberg,former residence ofsover
eigns and bishops. Thefagades ofthese oldfour-storied
olic" would not argue. Rather, he would restrict himself
homes, both pleasant and serious, are reflected in the
to his habitual defense and say: "The man who writes
water.
this is just so reactionary." Then he would continue to repeat his same old mis representation of the past.
Excellently well-cared for, adorned with cheerful
plantings, they reflect an unpretentious,full and stable 16
IVe could illustrate so many other similar examples, but to do so would reap little profit. Looking at the pho tograph and reading the commentary, our "leftist Cath
TFP Newsletter
Telktng with the "Man In the Street":
HAS COMMUNISM DIED? AND WHAT ABOUT ANTICOMMUNISM? by PMnIo CorrAa da Ollvalra
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COMMU
"-^J,.? j-i The American Sociefy for the Defense i of Tradition, Family and Property(TFPI » ^ 1} for moro Informollon writs to
Cm mug
1
i - 'i
Tl's Atitoflcan TFP, P.O. Box 121,
Pleasanlville, NY 10570 • Tel.: 19141 2417015
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition. Family and Property
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Gorbachev, a Bishop and the Flag About the only certainty in Gorbachev's perestroika is that it is full of uncertainties. Nobody really knows how it is being received in the Soviet Union. But in these days of falling walls and curtains, there are many illusions or conjectures based on danger ous assumptions. Our cover story analyzes these at
titudes in a special article written by Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira. Published in the Wall Street
Journal, this timely article deals with the premature announcement of the death of communism and an-
ticommunism (see pp. 3-7).
In the midst of a "changing" communism, there are often glimpses of the sect's true unchanging face. The TFP expresses its horror and indignation upon hearing of the torture and assassination of a Colom bian bishop by Marxist guerrillas in an isolated ru
FOLLOW-UP ON THE NEWS
Questions about
East Germany Is the hand that Gorbachev extends to the West through
his markedly self-managing reforms really an authentic peace symbol? Or does this gesture denote a deceiving cor diality that will envelope the world in an immense maneu ver of revolutionary psychological warfare tending to demobilize Western public opinion and deactivate it in face of an already planned Soviet assault? More specifically, do the obviously Gorbachevean con vulsions that just took place in East Germany and the spec tacular fall of the Iron Curtain lay the groundwork for a serious and durable peace? Or does it prepare an illusory peace all of shrewdness and cunning, opening the way for a future Soviet attempt to dominate the West?
States by an American TFP caravan. Contrary to
Curiously enough. Prof. PUnio CorrSa de Oliveira, au thor of the cover story, predicted this possibility in an ar ticle titled "Decisive Days for the Two Germanies" pub lished on November 23, 1969, in the Folha de S. Paulo, Sao Paulo's largest daily. We reproduce here some passages of this article, the con sideration of which will provoke many American readers
media commentaries, the warm reception to the cam
to wholesome reflection.
ral area of that country (see "Bishop Jaram'illo Monsalve: Martyred for the Faith, Victim of Com munism," p. 11). On another note, we include an update on the TFP's campaign to save the honor of the flag and an account of the 20-state trek across the United
paign shows that most Americans are concerned about the moral fiber of our country and want to
protect the flag from dishonor (see pp. 14-15).
"There are others who think of another solution for Eu
rope. This apparently sensible solution is terrible. It would be the implantation of a new federative regime compris
ing the two Germanies. These would gradually become homogenized. West Germany becoming a bit more Bolshe
vik and East Germany a bit more capitalist. In our Inside America section, we deal with "liber ation theology"—something most Americans assume exists only south of the border. "Liberation theol ogy" has, however, made significant inroads in the Catholic Church in America. Our article discusses
this development (see p. 12). Our Ambiences, Customs and Civilizations section comments on two fifteenth century paintings and two
contemporary works to illustrate a discussion of the spirit of modernity (see pp. 8-9). Finally, we are publishing a story on the origin of
the very beautiful tradition of setting up nativity scenes(at a time when the Supreme Court could not ban them). As we approach the glorious feast of Christmas, the TFP Newsletter staff extends to all readers our heartfelt desire that the Infant Jesus, un
der the adoring gazes of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, shower upon you and yours all the blessings and graces of a Holy and Blessed Christmas and for the coming year of 1990. John Horvat II
"One can well see that if this works on a German scale,
it could be applied on a European scale: a continental federation, including Russia, which would in turn be 'homogenized.' "This would be, according to some simpletons—or tricksters—the way to avoid war. "The fruit of morality is peace: 'opusjustitiaepax.'To this aphorism, upheld by the wisdom of the Church, cor responds an opposing principle: the fruits of immorality are disorders, tumults and wars.
"Can peace be attained in Europe by generalizing com munist immorality? "Someone might say that this involves only s. immorality. This I do not deny. However, I ask what is semi-immorality but immorality? What is semi-dirty wa ter but dirty water? "Dirty water, yes, at the service of deceit. Thus with the semi-communization of Germany and Europe who profits but those who deceitfully wish to lead Germany and Eu rope to complete communization? "We applaud German unification, but not by this spu rious process." □
TFP NEWSLETTER Is a publication of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). John Horvat II, Editor. Subscription complimentary in the United States. Rates for foreign subscriptions and list of other TFP publications available upon request. Direct all subscription requests and inquiries to: The American TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pleasantviile, N.Y. 10570. Telephone: (914) 241-7015. Copyright © 1989. Permission is granted to reproduce in whole or in part any article of this newsletter with credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER. TFP Newsletter
PLINIO C0RR£A DE OLIVEIRA
COMMENTARY
Talking with the "Man in the Street":
HAS COMMUNISM DIED? AND WHAT ABOUT ANTICOMMUNISM? ITrE believe the present work is very timelyfor Americans. W Due to the many genuine and troubling internal prob
the notion that the communist danger has virtually disappeared
from the face of the earth. In light of this, anticommunism lems such as the drug and abortion issues, the national debt loses its reason for being. As the number increases of those as well as the budget deficit, the in who confide in Gorbachev as the stability ofthe stock market, the cap guardian of the West—his presence ital gains tax debates, flag burning in Russia averting the catastrophe of and the like, sectors of our nation pay little attention to international affairs. In view ofthis, the American TFP considered the topic ofPlinio Correa de Oliveira's recent article published in the Correio Braziliense, a daily of the Brazilian capital, to be of great importance, and brings it, therefore, to the attention of the American
a nuclear war—anticommunism is
seen as a vigilant and combative psy chological attitude which events have made obsolete, useless, and even dis agreeable.
That this optimistic and superfi cial view is unrealistic is what the
author's analysis demonstrates. The
arguments presented are not based solely on the fickleness and deceptiveness ofdaily events, but also, and
public. In fact, the media informs us that Gorbachev is maintaining himselfin power by gradually clearing away the numerous obstacles to glasnost and perestroika. The American reader merely gives this a cursory glance
more notably, on a panoramic view
comprising the notion of glasnost and perestroika, their relationship to
and accepts it without further ado.
the ultimate goals of the worldwide communist revolution, and the general historical lines which com
Consequently, heforms the mental habit of no longer viewing interna
throughout its sometimes more and
munism has implacably followed
tional communism as an important danger, because Gorbachev holds
Prof. Plinio Corrda de Oliveira, who holds a chair
In the Pontifical Catholic University of Sio Paulo, Bra zil, and Is the president of the National Council of
the red bear on a short leash.
the Brazilian Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property(TFP), is the author of the world-
This subconsciously creates an at
sometimes less authentic transforma tions from Lenin to our days. By spreading these timely consi
derations, the American TFPfulfills its obligation ofbringing to the atten
mosphere ofease in our country, as
renowned Message of the TFPs: "What Does Self-
well as in the whole world, and in duces countless people into a reck
Managing Socialism Mean for Communism: A Bar
tion ofpublic opinion the necessity
rier? Or a Bridgehead?" The Message was published
of maintaining a state of sagacious
less confidence in thefinal results of Gorbachev's pacifism. And Ameri
In 1981 and 1982 by 47 newspapers In the United
States and the other Americas, and In Europe, Asia,
and constant anticommunist vigi lance. We deem this imperative, at
and Africa.
cans will instinctively do everything
This Message was an impressive prediction of
least until thefacts in the Soviet Un
possible to maintain this belief. The aforementioned elements tend
perestroika as a ruse of International communism to
ion become clear and their repercus
to produce, in the short or long term.
completely mislead Westem public opinion about its true goals.
The average man in the street is not
sions in the West may be evaluated
with serenity, prudence and assur.
short, he is a ponderable factor in pub
opinion. The latter could, in turn, be
lic opinion.
thrown into such a turmoil of confusion,
necessarily uneducated. He is typi cally a person who has completed high school and may even have a college de
counterbalance the influence—otherwise
nations could agonize for decades or
gree. He, therefore, has a certain culture;
valuable in so many respects—of intellec
even centuries.
he reads the newspapers—although not all of the extensive weekly supplements, of interest only to specialists or those so
excesses cause them to tend toward a
fond of the subject as to make it a pastime.
His common sense naturally helps to
contradictions and dramas that whole
tuals, technocrats, and bureaucrats whose technical, bureaucratic and bookish to talitarianism, and whose exclusivism fre
Soviet Russia: A Weil-Known Stage for Political Melodramas
quently leads them to plan and conceive
His lifelong experience—personal,
solutions in an unrealistic, Utopian, and
familial, social, professional—and those responsibilities which compel him to worry and to think impart a certain in
confined atmosphere. Within such an atmosphere, vitality is stifled; the subtleties of reality escape
tellectual ascendancy that affords him an indisputable influence in his circles. In
and vanish; unilateral and senseless
other theoreticians from communism's
ideologies assault and conquer public
first phase are commonplace. These are
Vol. V, NO. 7, 1989
This is precisely the case of Russia to
day. Political melodramas revolving around bookish interpretations of the works of Marx, Engels, Trotsky, and
3
PLINIO CORRfiA DE OLIVEIRA
COMMENTARY
management. And so the drama would go on. It is not surprising, then, that he
may have to eventually face a dangerous reaction to self-management waged by
"conservatives," those advocating the present Soviet state capitalism. Separatist Movements: A Brouhaha of Unknowns
While this is taking place in Russia, the rest of the Soviet empire is coming apart at the seams. Separatist movements rock such distant "luilted republics" as Estonia and Armenia, and extend from Ukraine to Kazakhstan and even as far as Siberia.
At the same time,impetuous centrifugal tendencies toss about "sovereign" com
munist republics such as Hungary, Ru The man In the etreet Is a ponderable factor In public opinion. His common sense naturally
helps to counterbalance ttie influence of intellectuals, technocrats and bureaucrats.
mania, Bulgaria, and, above all, Poland. What will become of all this?
Nobody knows. Nor could one know,
followed by Utopian politico-ideological debates on Lenin's real or alleged infi
everything held in common: goods, work, the fruits of one's labor, and
brouhaha of unknowns that convulsively
because this scenario is an immense
delities to the school of Marx. The same
even—as some state or imply with much
churn, clash or collaborate under the
thing happens as regards Stalin's infidel ity to the teachings of Lenin. And then
likelihood—"spouses" and children.
penumbra of ever more somber news.
Khrushchev and Brezhnev (just to men
Gorbachev Slowly Steers Toward Self-Management
The Optimist's Utopian Dreams Tend Toward Total Convergence
tion the principal figures) are similarly questioned in the same vein. And, finally, the drama now engulfs
the whole Soviet empire. On the one hand are the radical communists, the
How can this internal and intergroup harmony be explained? Utopian intellec
hard-liners of state capitalism. On the
tual "purists" do not linger long with
other are the supporters of self-man
such problems. These groups—forming immense magmas that are peaceful,
agement who avidly seek to dismantle state capitalism (and the private capital
However, there is someone who thinks
he knows "the answer." He lives in the^ West. It is not one man, but a legion of^ men to be found in that Western current
primitive and pastorally simple—are
of opinion comprised of optimists. Fore most among them are prominent figures
their Utopian goal, the aim of their wish
in various specialized fields who live al
ism of the West as well). Both sides ar gue as to whether it is the case to replace
ful thinking. Ardently desiring this ide
most exclusively in the stuffy precincts
both capitalisms with self-managing so
al, they begin to dream about how to
of libraries, laboratories, macro-bureau
cialism. This new system is touted as be
attain it.
cracies, or even in the offices of big cor porations.
ing innovative and invigorating, and its
Some, possibly influenced by the goal
proponents envision a fabric of cellular
set forth in the Preamble of the Soviet
human groups as the ideal social organi zation for today. Each cellular group
Constitution,' would have Gorbachev painstakingly steer frail ships like peres-
port of the majority of the media, the
would manage itself with a Utopian and imperturbable internal harmony, with
troika and glasnost through the murky waters of the new Russia toward self-
technocrats, detached as they are from reality, would have no bearii ' the
1. "The highest goal of the Soviet state is the building of a classless communist society in which social communist self-adminislralion will be devel
ties inherent in socialism, of their right to take a
loudly and clearly in his book that people of the
real part in the administration of state affairs. "It goes without saying that in these conditions Lenin's valuable ideas on management and self-
Were it not for the overwhelming sup mere influence of these intellectuals and
West should not be deluded in this regard (see pp.
ion of ^viet Socialist Republics, in Aryeh L. Unger,
management, profit-and-loss accounting, and the
Constitutional Development in the USSR [New York: Pica Press, 1982], p. 233). In his book Perestroika: New Thinking for Our Country and the World(New York: Harper & Row, 1987), Gorbachev calls attention to the present So viet system's shortcomings:
linking of public and personal interests, failed to be applied and develop properly" (pp. 47-48). As Gorbachev amply explains in his book,peres troika is merely a continuation of Lenin's ideas.
36 ff.). About this topic, see the Message of the TFPs "What Does Self-Managing Socialism Mean for Communism: A Barrier? Or a Bridgehead?" by Plinio CorrSa de Oliveira (The Washington Post, 12/9/81; TheNew York Times, 12/13/81; The Los Angeles Times, 12/13/81; Dallas Morning News,
Therefore, the plan for economic reform present
12/13/81),
ed during the June 1987 Plenary Meeting of the
Moreover, press reports clearly show how deluded
"Little room was left for Lenin's idea of the
Communist Party's Central Committee "provides
working people's self-management. Public property
for the creation of new organizational structures of
the optimists really are regarding Russia's supposed march toward the restoration of the right of pri
was gradually fenced off from its true owner—the working man... . This was the major cause of what happened: at the new stage the old system of eco
management, for the all-round development of the
vate property.
democratic foundations of management, and for the broad introduction of the self-management prin
vestia that "economic difficulties are causing
nomic management began to turn from a factor of development into a brake that retarded socialism's
ciples" (p. 84). Perestroika is no retreat from communism, as
the reforms" (Jornal da Tarde, SSo Paulo,
oped"(Constitution(Fundamental Law)of the Un
Deputy Prime Minister Leonid Abalkin told Iz-
deepening social tension and a lack of interest in
advance."
some may think, but rather a step toward the reali
"An educated and talented people committed to socialism could not make full use of the potentiali
zation of the final goal of the Marxist-Leninist Uto
10/2/89). As a remedy, he foresees the privatiza tion of the bankrupt state-owned companies, put
pia. Gorbachev misses no opportunity to state
ting them under the control of worker cooperatives TFP Newsletter
COMMENTARY
course of events. Given this support,
however, these individuals are able to transmit their wishful thinking to the
not-so-negligible portion of men in the street who habitually have some trust in the media.
This legion of optimists take their Uto
pian dreams as "prophetic" intuition and interpret reality today as if selfmanagement will usher in an era of per fect concord and eternal peace for a world finally liberated from the great structures. To this end, many Utopians
aspire to the fusion of all nations, all philosophical and religious schools of thought, and all ideologies, no matter how mutually conflicting they might be. This would be the fruit of the "fall of
ideological barriers," ushering in an era A mere photograph In a newspaper or maga zine sparks the rashest acts of confidence by
of universal consensus free from polem ics and dissension. Thus, total disarma ment would no longer appear reckless
the optimists.
and instead become alluring. This would For brevity's sake, I will elaborate on the matter through successive state
be the ecumenical era of dialogue where
in everything is resolved harmoniously. By becoming self-managing, communism would wane as a danger to the West, and
ments. First the optimists' proposition is presented and then the TFP's unmask ing rebuttal.
the West would no longer be a danger to the communist world. All humanity
Freed from his nightmares, the bour
would sing, at long last, the hymn of
geois Westerner would then be able to in
total convergence.
dulge in the delights of the dawn of an absolute, frivolous, and fickle relativism
With the Death of Communism
and Antlcommunism, a World Freed from the Nuclear Threat
Would Emerge
which would be his heaven on earth.
However, men are frequently ashamed
optimists!—the death ofanticommunism.
• tive observer, Gorbachev's and
their dreams clear even to themselves. To
Raisa's personalities suggest that they are "good people," friends of their people, wishing to afford them as much abun dance as possible, eliminating police despotism and suppressing the specter of
know them, it is necessary to sound out opinions are frequently found in the daily conversations of the optimistic man in the street. By analyzing such commen
With the sickness gone, the doctors who specialize in treating it become useless. These are the sentiments of many men
taries, the course of their Utopias can be
in the street (the optimists) who obses sively dream of global plenty in a world rid of the foreboding specter of a nuclear
with the optimistic men in the street, I
holocaust.
(see Jornal da Tarde, 9/25/89). This is a far cry from the restoration of the right of private property. Thus, when Prime Minister Nikolai Rizhkov in
troduced a bill in the Soviet Parliament proposing a new commercial law, he made it very clear that there are plans only to "denationalize the econo my by creating new types of socialist property"(Jor nal da Tarde, Sao Paulo, 10/3/89). The bill calls for a system of cooperatives and industries con trolled by groups of citizens but excludes the pos
sibility of sole proprietorships (see Jornal da Tarde,
1 Optimists: To the lucid and intui-
of dreaming and, therefore, do not make
their opinions on current events. These In turn, the death of communism would bring about—Oh! delight of all
Trust Cannot Be Based Only' on Personal Impressions
determined.
nuclear war.
TFP: This is the typical way the op
timist thinks. A mere personal impres
will now consider several aspects of their
sion or some strong sympathy he feels toward another buys his confidence and allows for delightful dreams.
dreams, allowing me to expose their var ious aspirations.
newspaper or magazine or a fleeti
Since this article is written to dialogue
erty (see Jornal da Tarde, 10/4/89). It is clear that this leasing of rural land is not to be confused with private property. Similarly, all other bills proposed by the govern ment are based on the absence of private property (ibid.). The old communist concepts have not mellowed
All it takes is a mere photograph in a sessment of a person flashing acro^ television screen to spark the rashest acts of confidence by the optimists—be they
individuals, groups, or multitudes. Evaluating and analyzing the person's background, writings, or deeds, all of this matters little. It is enough to see his
with time:"We [Russians] have a suspicion of the
picture or hear his voice in order to judge
very word 'rich,'"Soviet author A. Vasinsky wrote recently in Izvestia. "It's a kind of allergy, culti vated since our student days" (Newsweek,[inter
him.
10/3/89). In a statement equally opposed to the idea of the right of private property. Prime Minister Rizhkov
national edition] 10/9/89, p. 18). Symptomatically, unhappy deputies stopped Dep uty Prime Minister Abalkin short as he was prais
Good Intentions Without Knowing
commented: "Presently, there are few private properties belonging to only one person. Most of
ing the private cooperatives in the Soviet Parliament;
His Background
them belong to corporations. How can we return
to the past?"(O Globo, Rio de Janeiro, 10/3/89).
verely restricted or simply closed. Even Gorbachev, who had authorized them, complained of their high
As for rural property, Rizhkov noted that land leased by the state to family units can be inherited,
the mood of the people"(Newsweek,(international
but never sold. The land remains collective prop-
edition] 10/9/89, p. 18).
VOL. V, No. 7, 1989
It Is Rash to Trust Someone's
instead, they requested that the cooperatives be se
prices and warned:"We have to take into account
2 Optimists: Because of their pop• ularity, Gorbachev and Raisa are
omnipotent and can do as they please. 5
PLINIO CORRfiA DE OLIVEIRA
COMMENTARY
known as the paladin of abundance and champion of liberty. A man who holds
the irresistible tide of public opinion in his hands cannot be overthrown.
TFP: "Enragedpeople"? Misery and oppression do not always cause outrage; rather, they can sometimes weaken a people. Only impending events will tell if the Russian masses are really emaged or lamentably weakened. The revolt in
China aptly illustrates how a dispirited majority actually submitted to the op
pression (at least thus far) that was reinstituted with the victory of the hard-line "conservative" communists. "He cannot be overthrown." Since
this prediction is based on the emptiness of an unproven premise, it is as worth
less as the premise itself.
n Multitudes in the '30s, raved over a mere wail painter, Adoif Hitler, whom they had seen and heard and Immediately "felt good about."
They want what we want. That is, they desire unlimited prosperity for all peo ples of the world. There is no cause for worry.
TFP: Once again, the optimists' same weak point can be seen. Knowing noth ing of a person's background, they nonetheless find it easy to attribute the
most generous and disinterested of inten tions to those they "feel good about."
misery. However, it is also plausible that
a people treated thus could instead feel
â&#x20AC;˘ are viable and will prevail. AJl his
the dismal life of slavery. Why should one suppose that Soviet
promises are sincere and will be fulfilled.
Russia's immense population has a unanimous attitude toward their misery?
serve our absolute trust. It would'be ab
West(governments, politicians, capital
ists, intellectuals, and the media)to pain stakingly support Gorbachev (and rightly so). In this way, they provide immense support to his prestige and power in
enraged, while those along the Black and
are all enraged. From this he draws con
Whether Nazi, fascist, communist, or whatever, demagogues and demagoguery have an easy victory when the number
clusions which are themselves optimistic. Among these: communism is no more. Does this frivolous manner of thinking
of optimists is great.
deserve further refutation? We think
not.2
Only Time Will Tell if the Russian
Masses Are Really Enraged â&#x20AC;˘ Gorbachev be firmly entrenched in
power since it is absurd to think people do not avidly yearn to be rich after 70 years of misery. TFP: Such could actually be the atti
tude of a people subjected to prolonged
surd to believe otherwise. This leads the
pressed peoples along the Baltic Sea are
about."
3 Optimists: It is quite natural that
All his assurances of disarmament de
For example, it could well be that the op
Caspian Seas lazily yawn their confor mity. Consistent with his propensity to optimism and without further evidence, the man in the street affirms that they
Long Oppression May Accustom a People to Their Slavery
3 Optimists: All Gorbachev's plans
crushed, discouraged and accustomed to
'30s, inside and outside Germany, raved over a mere wall painter they had seen and heard and immediately "felt good
In this way, entire multitudes in the
The Frenzy of Helping Gorbachev Suggests He May Fall Without the Support of the West
4 0ptiinists: The police state supâ&#x20AC;˘ pressed the hungry and enraged people's possibility to revolt. Gorbachev freed the beast and no one can stop it now. Misery's aggressiveness is invinci
ble and has justly made Gorbachev
Russia.
TFP:The West's easy-going optimism really does help Gorbachev stay in pow er. Alarmingly large public and private loans; blindly confident disarmament agreements without serious verification clauses; all sorts of international business
deals enhancing Gorbachev's prestige; international trips that are no less pres tigious and propagandistic; all these are furnished by a West "drugged" with op
timism and help Gorbachev effect resist internal opposition. This frenzy of surrendering and re treating before Soviet power and favor
ing Gorbachev in every possible way does not augur well. The Western frenzy seems motivated largely by the fear that Gorbachev may fall if not given these
torrential handouts and gigantic perks. 2. Bernard Lecomte's article "Gorbachev in Dan
ger" in L'Express(7/7/89), demonstrates that three dangers hover over the Soviet leader's head. One of these is "the conservatism ... of a population which has been stunned, annihilated and terrorized
by means of a prolonged fight between an old sys tem of values and the criminal Utopia of the 'new man.' Seventy years of communism have made these
people apathetic and irresponsible. Behind an in tellectual elite . . . there are 286 million Soviets who do not believe in the reforms. How will Gorbachev
make this society, which is becoming the most con-
servative society in the world, evolve?" (p. 30).
"A beggar is suspicious when the alms
It is well to b^ in mind that this "conservatism"
are too great." Are not such abundant
is the fruit of accommodation and apathy in face of an antinatural and despotic regime.
suspicion? Yes, a suspicion that behind
In this same issue of L'Express(p. 38), Vladimir
alms to Gorbachev sufficient grotmds for
Berelovitch underscores the same idea by describ
the abundant aid to Gorbachev is the
ing "the inhabitants of Russia's hinterlands" as
panic of his defeat in Russia's hinter lands, together with the frivolous opti
"submissive, terrorized, and irresponsible humans who have been molded by despotism for decades. Do we expect this population to have initiative and to approve the reforms? ... General apathy charac terizes this population."
mism of his benefactors. A minor
outburst denouncing his weakness could
then be enough to make it no longer TFP Newsletter
PLINIO CORRfiA DE OLIVEIRA
COMMENTARY
economically and politically expedient to
Unleashing Liberty Does Not
support him. With this, both handouts
Necessariiy Produce Order
Gorbachev's Prestige is Also Shaken by the Separatist Movements
and perks would avariciously disappear. And then woe to Gorbachev! Alter ru rears, it is more LiKeiy
Than Not That Communist Slavery Will Continue
7 Optimists: It is not, however, that in Russia. Just liberalize everything, Then, order and abundance, irrigated by
Optimists: The separatist move ments do not really threaten Gorbachev. The Soviet empire is so immense that it can stand to lose the greater part
liberty, will sprout everywhere.
of its non-Russian territories and still re-
• difficult to normalize the situation
TFP: Liberty is a great good, as the
main vast. As for the communist repub-
6 Optimists: The present state of Holy Catholic Church has always taught, lies that are not part of the USSR, several
• misery in Russia is essentially unstable in the eyes of the bourgeoisie and of the masses of the West. These consider tragedy improbable or, should it
Regarding this matter, Leo XIII may be of them could also leave the Soviet bloc especially cited for his encyclical Libertas and the latter's size would still be conPraestantissimum. However—and the siderabl^ ■ teaches this—liberty is only ' TFP:The optimists are looking at the Church also
, only "fleeting. Thus, Gorbachev good in the measure that it is limited by problem from the wrong angle. To ob-
occur,
will naturally maintain the reins of pow-
the principles of Christian morality and
er. Should his hard-line enemies obtain
the natural order. Observing these prin-
serve more and more sections of this Moloch uncontrollably falling like de-
some victory, it will be short-lived. This
ciples; finding the perfect measure of hu-
caying flesh from a leper can only create an extremely disturbing and profoundly
victory will backfire, resulting in a catasing for the victims. Stalinist "conser-
1 embarrassing impression in those aci customed to seeing the Soviet empire in
vatism" is destined to catastrophe, and
3 its present vast dimensions. The dev-
perestroika and glasnost to triumph.
^ astating effect of this process also shakes
trophe for the culprits and a happy end-
These are the inevitable results of histor-
ical destiny. Admitting the contrary would render unbearable the life of the philanthropic Western optimist. Therefore, Stalinist forms of oppression will have to disappear once and for all. TFP: It is astonishing that someone
would uphold as indisputable the op-
timists' premise that the state of misery and oppression in Russia is ephemeral. Czarism fell in 1917. Since then, the socalled Union of Soviet Socialist Repub-
^i^
■ Q Optimst : Com unism is dead.
I Gorbachev's prestige to the degree that
I ^J
s these pieces of'' flesh'' fall from the area ^ he rules. It is Rash to Trust Yesterday's
Enemy Without Guarantees
^ • Whence arises an even greater joy:
anticommunism, the repugnant prophet of misfortune, the disagreeable preach
lies, which includes the vast Russian state, has languished in blackest misery.
er of austerity, reflection, coherence, and seriousness, will vanish from the
It is a misery bound to doleful slavery and which was rightly called "this shame
earth.
of our time" in a document of the Con-
states, whom God wishes to condemn.
gregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, presided over by Joseph Cardinal Rat-
He first makes mad: "Quos Deus perdere vult, prius dementat." The delirious Western optimists pre cipitately savor the Russian leader's
TFP: Truly, as a classical proverb
zinger {Instruction on Certain Aspects of
the "Theology of Liberation," of August 6, 1984).
A smiling Gorbachev greets Ronald Reagan,
victory even before the fact. Nothing
Is Gorbachev just paying lip service?
guarantees that Gorbachev is not i'lst
sider the politically motivated death sentences, the hellish Lubyanka, the unending prison terms in Siberia, the awesomely dreadful psychiatric hospi-
man behavior in the concrete application of each of these principles; endowing the proper authority with the necessary power to fulfill its mission without excess; de-
paying us lip service and that he is making plans he knows could only be realized in a Utopia. In the West, the diehard optimist trusts yesterday's enemy, who presumably is still his enemy today
tals, the incessant and ubiquitous police
lineating the limitations of authority,
and will be so tomorrow,
oppression, how can this nightmare of horrors from which Russia has been unable to extricate itself for over seven decades be qualified as ephemeral? This is nothing more than a blatant denial of the
and, to this end, establishing a complex and judicious system of intermediary groups between the state and the individual; and, finally, balancing the relations between these intermediary groups and individual liberties; this herculean
On the contrary, he wishes at the same time to distance himself from the anticommunists, the dedicated and unflinching paladins of Western and Christian civilization. If Western magnates maintain this mentality, one thing is certain: Regardless of who triumphs, com-
Slavery is undoubtedly the other face of the Soviet empire's misery. If we con
most evident historical facts.
Why waste time on this argument? Let
task would be impossible to undertake
it suffice to disdainfully look upon it and
without the inestimable and precious
munists or anticommunists, these op-
continue on. "Non ragioniam di lor, ma guarda e passa" {The Divine Comedy, Inferno, Canto III, v. 51). Thus did Vir-
help of God's grace. To abstract from all this and imagine we need only unleash liberty for every-
timists will fall. They are always the real losers of history. And new elites raised by Divine Providence will deservedly re-
gil counsel Dante. As Dante followed
thing to spontaneously fall into place is
place them to direct, with uprightness,
that counsel, let us do likewise.
to imagine a primitive Utopia.
the affairs of this world.
Vol. V, No. 7, 1989
□ 7
AMBIENCES, CUS'
Being Modem:Apostasy or Sacred Obligation? IN this article we discuss four pictures, two works of art from the fifteenth
century, and two others from our times. The two paintings—the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint
Dominic in prayer—are the work of the famous fifteenth century artist Giovanni da Fiesole, better known as Era Angelico.
The work in metal—also representing the Annunciation—was done in our
times by the artist H. Breucker. The
sculpture was done by A. Wider, another contemporary artist, who has attempted to portray Saint Benedict, patriarch of Western monasticism.
UCH striking (if not shocking) dif ferences in the rendition of the same
and similar subjects, i.e., the Virgin Mary and saints of the Catholic Church, demand some commentaries.
The famous scene of the apparition of the Archangel Saint Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin constituted a moment of grace for mankind. Heaven, which the
The artist's task, challenged by such a theme, consists in expressing the mor
al values of that incomparable event in
guilt of Adam had closed, opened and
his rendition of the faces, attitudes, gestures, and setting as well as in his
a spirit of light and purity came down
choice of colors and shapes.
in angelic form, bearing a message of
If this were printed in color, our
reconciliation and peace. This message was addressed to the most beautiful, most noble, most innocent, and most
readers could better gauge Giovanni da Fiesole's success in this objective. The nobility befitting the angelic nature,
over all of nature with a splendor ol pure, peaceful, and virginal happiness One almost feels the most pleasant tern perature, the very light and fragran:
breeze, the joy that permeates the whol< atmosphere.
How could a moment of grace be bet ter painted? With a profound sense oi
the whole. Era Angelico knew how tc create the lines and colors needed to ex
benevolent creature ever to be born of
his light and totally spiritual fortitude,
press all the theological and moral con
the race of Adam. The Gospels recount the elevated and ineffable simplicity of
his intelligence and purity—all are ad mirably mirrored in this figure so highly
tent of this Gospel episode famous t
the dialogue between the two.
expressive of Saint Gabriel.
The Blessed Virgin is less ethereal, less
light. One could almost say less intangi ble. This effect is reasonable since she is
is more than just a painted scene. It i:
comparable to a sermon because i forms, elevates, and stimulates one whc
a human creature. Nevertheless, some
contemplates it toward the good. A garish opposite is Breucker's mod
thing angelic is perceived in the whole
ern Annunciation. If a feeble mindec
composure of the Queen of Angels. Her facial features surpass those of the heavenly emissary himself in spirituality,
fever were to ramble about ti
nobility and innocence.
H
thousand times over. Indeed, his picturt
person or someone delirious with a higl nun
elation, he might have conceiveu some
thing like this. See how extremely ex
Something else is to be noted here: the
travagant the work is. It lacks the mos
attitude of one toward the other: By na ture, the angel is superior to Our Lady. The Virgin, however, is superior to the
elementary values and is devoid of anj
angel by her sanctity and by her incom
parable vocation as Mother of God. This
expression that would denote not onl) that which is elevated and supernatura but anything balanced or healthy as well In short, everything works together tc
accounts for the elevated dignity found
make this modern work a brutal anc
in the rendition of both the Virgin and
shocking antithesis of the picture frorr
the angel and the reciprocal veneration
the fifteenth century. One is a marvel ol
with which they address each other.
spirituality and faith; the other, a prod uct of a mentality that only knows hov
There is, yet, a more profound reason for this attitude. Although unseen, God still manifests His Presence by a super natural light that seems to radiate from
both personages—a light that washes
to see what is material—a psychologj closed to the supernatural, a tempera ment that finds pleasure solely in hori zons without beauty, nobility or any
ND CIVILIZATIONS
thing which provides light, oxygen,life,
and hope of eternity for the soul. In his allocution on May 24, 1953, the
Holy Father Pius XII defined the socalled modern spirit as "materialistic thought transposed into actions." In like manner, the example of art depicted here can be classified as materialistic thought transposed into art.
of materialism, sensuality, and delirious extravagance.
=
The style animated by this
:/
spirit masterminds the con- ^ J
struction and reconstruc- | . • m tion of entire cities; it marks
the external design and in-
\
terior decoration of the
majority of new buildings
of great, medium, or even
/
small importance, in all parts of the world. It ex-
IN Dominic. Elements of the spiritual
hibits its works in universal
shine admirably forth in it. It is more
art expositions, and so on.
a portrait of the soul than of the body. The effort of thought, the exertion re quired for reading, the serene but strong strain of intellectual work, a counte nance befitting one who understands and takes pleasure in understanding—all, ul
timately, are expressed here with unequaled discretion, intensity and veracity. And still other aspects of the soul ap
>.
The man in the street in
stinctively reacts against it . .. but only slightly.
Thus, this spirit already is—or is on the way to becoming—the style of our century, which distinguishes
-
,
-k
k A -mk KM
it from the past, and God willing, from the days to
pear: the liveliness and exuberance of a young man, the equilibrium, innocence, piety, and temperance of a perfect re ligious.
In comparison to this second master piece from the fifteenth century, consider
If it is this and only this
that one calls modern, if to
MWESy
be modern is to accept the mark or stigma of materialism—not only
productions of the twentieth century,
of radical materialism but also of"mod
would judge everything preconceivedly
the statue from the twentieth century. Certainly there are considerable factors
erate" materialism with all its hues and
and indiscriminately bad—both the
misrepresentations—then it is undeniable
bearing on such a comparison: a) the
that we are anti-modern because we are Catholic.
works engendered by the children of light and the works influenced by the neopa-
materials of a painting and those of a sculpture are not the same; b)the talents
gan spirit, that is, the spirit of darkness.
However, if one takes into account
and temperaments of the artists are also different; c) finally, the spirit of the two subjects, Saint Dominic and Saint
that alongside this offensive current of
Benedict also differ.
modern that everything contemporary
true? It is a problem of semantics.
Is there a shock, a violent contrast? By no means. Does Wider's sculpture
is modern—whatever be its inspiration,
merit the censures that we made of the
then we cannot be anti-modern because we are not idiots. There is no other name
However, one thing is certain: if the materialistic style should not be called "modern," then another name should be
work by Breucker? No. On the contrary,
for anyone who,in the ocean of cultural
devised for it, which has not happened
our century there are still artists animated by another spirit, and if one means by
CONSIDERING these two defini tions of modern, which is the more
Wider's statue expresses—with much
yet. And this name ought to take into ac
propriety, precision and strength—the idea that one may have of the patriarch
count that the modern torrent contains
of Western monasticism, who was a
are talking about, but also gnostic and Satanic elements (which are the subjpi^t
model of gravity, austerity, manly tranquility, profound recollection and great wisdom.
No one can deny that this sculpture corresponds satisfactorily to the require ments of an authentic artwork marked
by orthodox and well-balanced piety.
ARB we against the modern? By this word one understands that which
not only pertains to but is typical of our times—something a) inherent to it b) different from the past, and c) distinct
from the future.
More and more—not only in the field
not only the materialistic ingredients we
matter for another article). To give a name to this current is an in teresting assignment on which we invite our readers to test their wits. However, naming this phenomenon is not the most
urgent thing. The twentieth-century man in the street still does not accept the "modern" in the depths of his soul. Let us preserve him from this disgrace. Let us be "modern" in the sense that we be
have in accordance with the problems and dangers of our century. This is what we are trying to do in these articles, amidst the clamor of much
applause and to the muffled and furi
of art but in other areas as well—a clev
ous snarls of hatred of some—certain
er, pertinacious, and all encompassing propaganda is inculcating a certain spirit
though, whatever the case, of fulfilling a sacred obligation.
□
Reverse Discrimination I Proliferating Self-Help
Perestroika Blues
has prompted the foundation of the National Research
While schools are free to teach the tattered and un
scientific theory of evolution, scientific creationists are not entitled to similar freedom.
California officials recently
Self-help groups patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous now deal with problems symp
outside Russia than inside.
March the center began
A recent opinion poll released
At a single New York City
in Moscow found that only 12
publishing a monthly news letter reporting on such
Catholic Church,for example,
percent thought perestroika
abuse.
would bring significant
Institute for Creation Re
search, a Christian school
pulsive debtors and gamblers;
whose science curriculum is
nelp for those with habits of compulsive lying, selfsabotage, or sado-masochistic
taught from a creationist
context, but of which only
Center on the Ritual and Oc cult Abuse of Children. Last
tomatic of our troubled times.
one may find help for adult offspring of alcoholics, com
threatened the status of the
It appears that Gorbachev's peresfroika is more popular
changes. Five percent believed change would be insignificant, while 16 percent said life would not change at all. Almost 19 percent thought
that Third World birth con
life is likely to get worse. The poll by Moscow's Na
financed by the West have
The Birth Control Harvesters
The /ndian Post reports
trol programs in Bangladesh
five percent directly involves
behavior;for those who suffer
creationist theory. School
from nervous problems, com
administrator Dr. John Mor ris termed the threat "the death of academic freedom."
compulsive sexual behovior, and emotional addictions to
tional Center for the Analysis of Public Opinion also found that 52 percent said their
Meanwhile, University of
fantasy, intrigue and isolation.
standard of living was no
Program employees are given monthly quotas to fill
better now than it was two
and often use food aid,
Who's Joining the Cults
or three years ago.
pulsive acts of self-mutilation,
California researchers at
Berkeley have recently re leased their findings tnat all humans alive today are
often employed deceit and pressure.
meant for free distribution
Eskimos Homeland
among the poor, to lure poor women into steriliza
They call it Nunavut, or
"harvesting" sterilization
descended from a woman
During the 1960s and '70s, many young people joined
dubbed Eve, or "the mother
religious movements as an
of us all."
expression of their disillusion
"Our Land," in the Inuit lan
candidates is often- carried
ment with the consumer society. Distraught parents often hired "deprogrammers" to
guage of the Arctic Eskimos. According to agreements be
out before harvesting time,
Soviet Bread and American Butter
After years of massive grain imports, Russia Is exporting
some grain in the form of
tion clinics. This tactic of
tween the Inuits and the Ca
when food is most scarce and the women can be more
rescue their children from the
nadian government, 136,000
easily coerced. Such efforts,
so-called cults. Now it ap
square miles of Arctic land
supposedly done to stem
pears the trend has changed. A growing number of middle-aged parents, feeling
will be consigned to the
poverty, often perpetuate it, since sterile couples are left without means to support
mere 19,000 inhabitants of
loaves. Shoppers at New York's Bloomingdale's can now
spiritually unf^ulfilled, are
the region, who will also re ceive limited rights for an
buy "peace bread" baked in
leaving house and home to fol
additional 1.5 million square
Moscow for a hefty $6 a loof. In exchange, businesssavvy Russians apparently
low New Age gurus who are
miles and $1.5 billion in set
There Used to Be a
predicting impending disaster. Many of these pilgrims are
tlement claims. By 1991, the
Village Here...
over 40 percent of Canada's land mass, will be self-gov
temization," calling for the
erning. Thus, with the stroke of a pen, the management of a vast strategic region
an villages, continues without significant Western protest.
know on which side to butter
divorced or suffer from other
their bread. The Soviets
traumatic experiences so
hove "agreed" to buy more than 110 million pounds of
common in modern life.
surplus U.S. butter for
Suicide Solution
ble 74 cents per pound.
vast Arctic region, comprising
will fall into uncertain hands.
$80.9 million, or on envia
themselves later in life.
A pathologist In Royal Oaks, Mich., claims to hove
Satanismâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;A Growing
Birds of a Feather
invented a device that allows
Problem
The moderate image of
patients to kill themselves. Installed by a doctor, the apparatus allows the patient
Rumania's policy of "syselimination of 13,000 Rumani
Visiting reporters test' thot open spaces are ali remain where flourishing
communities, the very soul of the nation and its culture,
Police and civic officials
to control the injection of a lethal drug that provokes
long circulated in police
should, but will probably
departments, of increased
hours notice.
not be tarnished by the fact
death within four minutes.
Satanic crime and activity.
An elderly peasant wom an cried to a reporter from
ator Nelson Mandela
are now confirming reports,
once stood. Militiamen have
forced villagers to leave their homes with only 24
jailed South African conspir
Chicago's Hartgrove
that he has been chosen to
Developed by Dr. Jack
receive the 1989 Moammar
Gadhafi Award, so-named
Kevorkian, the invention sup posedly mokes the always
Hospital, for example, has opened the Center for the
for the deranged radical
immoral suicide "humane and
Treatment of Ritualistic Devi
Libyan dictator who has supported terrorism world wide. The award Is reported
painless." Some (although not all) authorities soy making such
ance to wean teenagers
made us live in new blocks.
from Satanism.
Everything's wretched and
a device available could
to be worth $250,000.
result In criminal charges.
In Boca Raton, Florida, the rash of Satanic crime
Britain's Independent Televi
sion News: "My house was knocked to the ground. They miserable. What can be done?"
INTERNATIONAL
Bishop Jaramillo Monsalve: Martyred for the Faith, Victim of Communism ^ 2^
T7 OR years Co-
\
the scene of violence,
I /A \
^
^>
\
\
lombia has been
Marxist guerrilla war-
Jaramillo was slain with six bullets, in
first Catholic priest in modern times to
cluding two in the head, and despoiled
die as a combatant in a leftist guerrilla movement. Instead of being censured,
other evident signs of torture.
Fr. Torres has since been idolized by
ings in the region that
perpetrators were not atheistic enemies
the public has been almost numbed by
of the Catholic religion. The unit that
However, in our
munism, even the most complacent ob-
server could not help
but be alarmed at a recent
member Fr. Camilo Torres became the
of all his belongings. The body bore
ror of this selective sacrilegious act. Its
times of smiling com-
^^
ble notoriety when, in 1967, NLA
ings. In fact, so numerous are reports of bombings and kill-
the sheer volume.
LW
were broken by strong blows and sev eral of his fingernails extracted. Bishop
Yet another factor adds to the hor
kidnapped the clerics was reportedly led by one Alfredo de la Fuente, a Spanish priest-turned-terrorist. The NLA itself is headed by another apos tate Spanish priest, Manuel Perez, who well understands the gravity of the as sassination.
While he was no friend of the guer
killing where the true face of
rilla cause. Bishop Jaramillo's long
Marxism shows through with
standing record as a pastor could hardly
rare clarity.
some elements of the radical "Catho
lic left" as a revolutionary hero. Now, this armed struggle "for the people" has been taken to the point of the brutal and premeditated killing of a defenseless Catholic bishop. It should be hoped from the obvious nature of
his death that Bishop Jaramillo will find just cause and that he might be declared a martyr of the Faith by the Church and elevated to the honor of the altar.
Upon hearing of the death, the Colombian TFP sent telegrams of con
cause him to be labelled an "enemy of
dolences to His Holiness John Paul II
The victim was not a judge or
the people." Local authorities say the
and Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo,
high public official. This time, Marxist terrorists reached new
bishop was instrumental in establish ing health and educational programs.
Conference. In protest against the act
limits by killing a successor to
As the dedicated spiritual leader of the
and in mourning, the Colombian TFP
the apostles, a bishop of the Holy Catholic Church. On October 2, Bishop Jesus Emilio Jaramillo Monsalve was kidnapped, tortured and killed by terrorists from
Arauca region for nearly 20 years, he
and all the South American TFPs
5' '
the National Liberation Army(NLA) in a rural area near the Venezuelan border.
The body of the 73-year-old bishop of Arauca was found nearly 24 hours after he and several other persons were stopped and abducted on a country
road. His companions, three priests, a seminarian and the diocesan secretary, were spared a similar fate and were freed by the captors.
Upon apprehension, the bishop fore saw the possibility of his coming death and confessed to one of his priest com panions. The bones of his right hand
president of the Colombian Bishops'
saw the area elevated from an apostolic
draped their standards with a black
vicarale to a diocese in 1984.
sash.
â&#x2013;Ą
In sending his condolences, John
Paul II called him one who had "given his life to evangelization work and helping the most needy." It appears the bishop's only crime
was his failure to identify with the "people's struggle" through a "new" church organized along liberationist
lines. A victim of radical hatred, he
was killed with the apparent approval of a priest-commander. Founded in 1964, the so-called Na
tional Liberation Army has long sup ported armed struggle to effect social change. It is especially known for its dependence on Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. The group gained a dishonora
It should be hoped from the obvious nature of his death that
Bishop Jaramillo will find just cause and that he might be declared a martyr of the Faith by the Church and elevated to the honor of the altar.
INSIDE AMERICA
The MACC Acts. But "liberation
"Liberation Theology"
theology" needed activists who could publicize it and pastoral agents who could teach it in the BCCs; a training
Invades the United States Near the center of Texas lies the
facility was needed. The year 1971 saw the first national meeting of PADRES (Priests Asso ciated for Religious, Educational
ish origin, as its name suggests, San
and Social Rights), an association of Chicano priests who were support ers of "liberation theology." Among
Antonio is noted for Saint Ferdi
them
nand's Cathedral, the oldest basilica
Patrick Flores, presently the Most
city of San Antonio. Of Span
were Fr. Elizondo and Fr.
in America, its rustic Franciscan mis
Reverend Patrick Flores, archbishop
sion churches and its austere colonial
of San Antonio. Also participating at
mansions.
the meeting was the Most Reverend Juan Arzube, auxiliary bishop of
Since 1970, however, San Antonio
Los Angeles. The main subject of the meeting was how to introduce
has distinguished itself for quite an other reason: The city has become the
"liberation theology" into the United States. Among the various ideas pres ented was that of founding
headquarters of "liberation theology" in the United States. It is the home of the Mexican-American Cultural Cen
ter (MACC), a curious "university" where pastoral agents of the Basic
a training institute, the
HHv
Christian Communities (BCCs) and
grassroots activists are trained; dedi cated laymen give courses on "liber ation theology" and priests and nuns from all over the country gather and
Fr. Virgilio Elizondo, president
funds from the Texas Bish-
of the MACC until 1987. To the
ops' Conference and the
right one of his books.
QM' blessings of Bishop Francis
Furey, successor of Archbishop Lucey, who had died in
assimilate the doctrine and tactics of
the Latin American "People's Church!'
The MACC opened its doors in June 1972 with
in Medellin, Colom-
The MACC organizes Mexican and
bia. In attendance was
Central American excursions for American students that enable them
the whole clique of left-
ist Catholic theologians, some
to live and participate in the activities
as "experts" and others simply as
of the BCCs.
campus, belonging to the archdiocese of San Antonio. With living space for
observers. They developed the basic framework of what two years later would be styled "liberation theology." Making up part of this clique was a young Chicano priest, Fr. Virgilio
seminator of "liberation theology" in
more than 100 residents and class
Elizondo, secretary of the then arch
the United States.
rooms for almost 200 people, the MACC offers courses on "liberation
bishop of San Antonio, Robert Lucey. In one of this group's conciliabules,
In addition to courses offered by the MACC,which vary in length from two-
theology," BCCs, conscientization
Fr. Elizondo was approached by Fr.
week intensive seminars to courses last
(Paulo Freire method), political tac tics, and the like. It also offers practi cal training in political involvement.
Jacques Audinet, a French theologian
ing almost one year, the center has itinerant teams that travel throughout
The MACC operates in a building, which its directors pretentiously call a
from the Catholic Institute of Paris,
the interim. The statutes of the
^
MACC state that it seeks "to help Chicanos to discover and implement effective programs of
liberation." Since its opening, more than 12,000 students, including seven bishops, have attended its classes. The MACC is undoubtedly the main dis
who made an unusual suggestion:
the country to hold "leadership train
ing sessions," formative cours
well-known figures of "liberation the
Since the United States has its "op pressed," the Chicanos, especially
ology" such as Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez,
numerous in Texas, Arizona, New
thus managed to establish a vast net
Jon Sobrino, Casiano Floristdn. Fri ar Leonardo Boff, Fr. Jose Marins, and several other Brazilians, together with the inseparable "team" of two young nuns who often accompany Fr. Marins, give classes on BCCs. Another
Mexico and California, and its "op pressors," the American capitalists,
Southwest.
United States? The doctrinal founda
turer, is .considered one of the main proponents of the BCCs in the United
tion need only be copied from its Latin
States. Fr. Virgilio Elizondo, president
part-time teacher is Fr. Joseph Com-
American counterpart.
of the MACC until 1987, is a wellknown figure in "liberation theology" circles, and was present in Sao Paulo,
Professors at the MACC include
why didn't he, Fr. Elizondo, formulate
a "theology" of liberation for the
militants of the BCCs. The MACt.
work of BCCs, especially in the Fr. Jos6 Marins, an unflagging lec
blin, a Belgian expelled from Brazil
Thus was born the so-called Chicano
years ago for his subversive preaching.
theology or the "theology of the mestizaje" a "theology" of liberation
Chicano Theology. The foundation
that encourages revolution among the
of the Association of Third World
Brazil during the ecumenical meeting
of the MACC in the United States
Chicanos of the United States and
Theologians, during the "Sandinista
received its impetus during the 1968 plenary assembly of the Latin Ameri
guides them in a "liberating" struggle against the American capitalist "op
Night" (see Crusade for a Christian Civilization, July-Sept. 1980, pp.
can Bishops' Conference (CELAM),
pressors."
11-12).
â&#x2013;Ą
TFP NEWS
Petition Drive Receives Ground Swell of
Support for Amendment to Protect the Flag "The TFP expresses its profound sorrow, since the law still does not protect the honor of our flag"
New Orleans, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chattanooga, Kansas City, Rich mond—petitions and signatures seemed to come from everywhere testifying to the outpouring of support for the amendment to prevent the desecration of
American TFP representatives delivered
Americans are asking to be heard as they petition Congress for an amendment."
copies of the nearly 125,000 signatures then at hand. On October 17 copies
Congressional efforts to ban flag burning have centered on a federal statute
of these petitions were presented to
forbidding flag defacing, a measure that was easily passed. In face of the Supreme
As the Senate amendment vote neared,
the President through the highly recep
the flag. Whether collected from those met by the American TFP caravan traveling across the country or from those who
tive White House Chief of Staff John
Court decision, however, few believe
Sununu.
that it could withstand a court test such
responded via the stacks of mail that ar rived daily, the signatures send the clear
Minority leader Robert Dole (R-Kans.) and House Minority leader Robert H.
message that Americans want to defend
Michel (R-Ill.). The TFP petitions were
Following a 51-48 Senate vote that
the flag at all costs. And if an amend
failed to win the required two-thirds
Copies stacked over one yard high were also personally presented to Senate
ment to the Constitution—a measure so
among those brought to the Senate floor by Senator Dole, who has been a major
feared by liberal congressmen—is neces
leader in the flag fight and who wel
sary, then they are prepared to ask for
comed the TFP effort in its defense.
Unlike mass mailing campaigns that
this measure.
Since the Supreme Court's June 25 de
reach only a select public, the petition ef
cision labeling flag burning a First Amendment right, national sentiment
fort has centered on reaching a cross sec tion of Americans. Carrying large Amer
has favored a constitutional amendment
ican flags and accompanied by a brass band playing patriotic songs, TFP mem
protecting the flag, a measure originally
proposed by President Bush. The popular proposal, however, ran
into stiff opposition from those who mis takenly claim that it would be dangerous to tamper with the First Amendment, even for such a high ideal. "We are among those who believe the nation's stability rests less upon the un changing nature of its laws," replies the TFP's statement, "than upon the re
bers have taken the issue directly to the
as the Gregory Johnson case that sparked the whole controversy. An amendment remains the only real guarantee for the
proper protection of the flag.
majority, the TFP continued its street campaigns by protesting the lack of pro tection afforded the nation's highest symbol.
"Although the flag be left unprotected, we shall love it even more!" was the slo
gan that echoed in the streets of Chicago. "The TFP expresses its profound sor row, since the law still does not protect the honor of our flag," read a TFP ban
streets of over 30 major cities, including
ner. The issue is far from dead. Immedi
New York, Boston, Washington, Miami, Atlanta, Louisville, Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis, San Antonio, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles and San Francisco. "These signatures represent the real
ately upon taking effect, the federal statute was challenged. Veteran groups and Gregory Johnson himself publicly burned the flag in open defiance of the statute.
America," said TFP president Raymond
Court cases to come may soon put the
E. Drake, who officially presented the
much-vaunted federal statute to the test
petitions to Chief of Staff Sununu. "They are from people from all walks
and undoubtedly reignite the debate.
spect, love and enthusiasm with which her children honor her."
of life everywhere. The voices of 125,000
If this happens, the voices of over 125,000 Americans may yet be heeded. □
a?
Chief of Staff Sununu^"! know the President appreciates your efforts." Vol. V, No. 7, 1989
Senator Dole taking grassroots support to the Senate floor
TFP NEWS
An American TFP Odyssey to Defend the Flag October 29, 2 a.m.—The flags and standards are up; the band
forms ranks as straight as they ever were at more earthly hours. The whole con
tingent movesforward as the volunteers of the TFP caravan set off on their last parade, which under the arching trees of the Estate ofOur Lady of Good Success, becomes a procession to thefeet of their Mother and Queen. As the volunteers lay their instruments and banners before her enshrined pic ture, theyfeel confident she is maternally watching over them,just as she did dur ing their Just-completed 14,000-mile tour
to collect signatures in support ofa con stitutional amendment that would effec tively prohibit the desecration of the Stars and Stripes.
into a desert gas station (hardly an oa sis) at 6 a.m. for a pitstop en route to Salt Lake City.
Real oases were provided by a network of clergy, religious, members, support ers and friends, old and new, who helped the caravan reach excellent harbor most
every night after a day's trip or cam paign. Tents were pitched a few nights, but that was long before Denver, where balmy weather ended and only charac teristic hospitality made the freezing streets bearable.
By then, far was the first week of street campaigning under the 100-degree
sun of Miami, whose Cuban refugee population often displayed more love for the flag than some native-born Ameri
TFP campaign at the "Big Dig" In Memphis
cans. Far was the weekend of signaturecollecting in Memphis, where the num
Also not lacking were ecclesiastics who helped sustain the caravan's fervor with
obtain a bumpersticker saying "Save the
their blessings and administration of Confession and Holy Communion, oc casionally at very early or late hours. They and all those who aided the TFP's
honor of our flag. Amend the Consti
endeavor were remembered in a special
In defense of the flag, the caravan had
ber of clipboards proved inadequate for
left the Estate in Bedford, N.Y., two months before and campaigned in 20 states. It had crisscrossed the nation, from sea to shining sea, in a fleet of vans
the crowds at an evening entertainment who wanted to sign the TFP petition and
followed by a trailer-towing truck. Not infrequently, the line was lengthened
tution."
way during the caravan's recitation of
The caravan's roving, which took it to
the daily Rosary and its singing of the
cities as diverse as Atlanta, New Orleans
Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
and Sacramento, proved costly when car trouble began—or became a plague on
whose Gregorian tones resounded at the very edge of the Grand Canyon and at
stretches like San Antonio-Santa Fe.
the base of the giant Sequoias.
by vehicles of local TFP volunteers and supporters. Those who saw this fully loaded, close-ordered convoy speeding along the highways and backroads of America would easily understand why in TFP terminology it is called a caravan
But Our Lady of the Way never failed,
In the heart of America's major cities,
and when a car did, the needed help and
the caravan's canticles became the sound
—especially if they were to see it pull
parts(whether an alternator, tire or even
of slogans, drums and trumpets, whose
In Dallas where Gregory Johnson burned the flag 14
transmission) were always readily
patriotic message challenged those who
obtained.
have adopted the infamous motto of the
Miami workers overwhelmingly support the TFP's Initiative for an amendment TFP Newsletter
TFP NEWS
1968 student rebellion at the Sorbonne:
"It is forbidden to forbid." To the idea
embodied in this motto, thousands of
Americans retorted by stopping at one of the caravan's tables to sign the peti tion calling for the effective prohibition of flag desecration. In San Francisco, however, believers
i
—«iT
J
in absolute freedom of expression re
B
sponded by engaging in symbolic speech, breaking a window of the van that car
ried the flag and banner staffs. Similarly, in Cleveland, a shot fired from a distance
If/";
hit the side of this same van. The attack
er sped away on a motorcycle. The po lice filed a criminal damage report. On the whole, local authorities showed themselves helpful as the caravan, with flags and standards aloft, made the city center its field of action, whenever pos
sible between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., with a break for a late lunch. Some authori
ties were outright enthusiastic The mayor
of West Miami, for example, partici pated in the collection of signatures for
In Chicago's busy streets, the TFP campaign rallies support for the flag
several hours, and the mayor of Bakersfield, Calif., wrote a letter praising the caravan's activities.
Organizers of civic events, such as the "Big Dig" in Memphis and the Harvest Festival in Delano, were delighted to
have the caravan parade, gather signa tures and hand out its leaflet, "Our Flag, Our Honor: Is Desecrating It One of America's Freedoms?"
The media often covered the petition drive, at times very favorably. If some pressmen were surprised at the spectacle of a TFP campaign, they certainly were not as confused as the cameraman in Los
Angeles who asked,"Are you the group that's here to burn the flag?" His interest
in filming the event waned considerably
'
when he received the obvious negative
r
answer.
TH^ rnucTimiifiT j: il.
WDAF,Channel 4 of windswept Kan
1^
sas City, was a different story. On Oc tober 19, it included footage of the car avan's morning campaign when broad casting the Senate's rejection of the con
'■
10 iHf imm p-:-
The caravan at Owensboro, Kentucky, along the Ohio River
depicted Just as it is: convinced of its po sition and willing to fight for it until the
supporter's basement on the Plains, preparing three new banners for the next leg of the trip. These read: "Although
very last minute. Nearly 125,000 signa tures collected by the TFP had been shown by Kansas Senator Bob Dole on the Senate floor that morning as an in
the flag be left unprotected, we shall love it even more"; "The TFP expresses its profound sorrow, since the law still does not protect the honor of our flag"; and
dication of the popular support for the
"May God watch over our country and
tate of Our Lady of Good Success, the
amendment. But to little avail. Only 51 senators voted for the amendment, 16
our flag."
new federal statute "protecting" the flag
short of the two-thirds majority needed. Senator Dole had good reason to suggest
slogans were being proclaimed to the ac companiment of trumpets, and the leaf
ready been violated by flag-burning Viet
that the flag be flown at half-staff that day. The caravan did not linger with its flags at half-staff. Rather, it was in a
let "Our Flag, Our Honor" was being handed out with the following message
avaneer heard the news, he voiced the
stitutional amendment. The TFP was
Vol. V, No. 7, 1989
By the next stop, Minneapolis, these
phlet were distributed in 42 cities around the nation by the American TFP.'' Pro testing the Senate vote, the TFP car avan paraded through this city and the remaining cities on its list: St. Paul, Chicago and Cleveland. When the caravan arrived at the Es
had just gone into effect—and had al nam veterans in Seattle. When one car-
sentiment of many of his companions:
stamped on it: "For the honor of our
"Miami, here we come!" Indeed. And
flag, hundreds of thousands of this pam
it might be via Anchorage.
□ IS
HistORy's FiRSt Nativity Sc€N€ rHE beautiful tradition ofsetting up
lighted up like the day, and it delighted men and beasts. The people came and
and speaking the word Bethlehem his
nativity scenes to commemorate the birth of the Infant Jesus was given to
were filled with new joy over the new
sheep. His mouth was filled more with
voice was more like the bleating of a
us by St. Francis of Assisi. Thomas of
mystery. The woods rang with the voices
sweet affection than with words. . . .
Celano tells how St. Francis celebrated
of the crowd and the rocks made answer
The gifts of the Almighty were multiplied
Christmas in the year 1223:
to their jubilation. The brothers sang,
there, and a wonderful vision was seen by a certain virtuous man. For he saw a little child lying in the manger lifeless, and he saw the holy man of God go up
WHAT he [St. Francis] did on the birthday of our Lord Jesus Christ near the little town called Greccio in
paying their debt of praise to the Lord, and the whole night resounded with their rejoicing. The saint of God stood before the manger, uttering sighs, overcome
to it and rouse the child as from a deep
sleep. This vision was not unfitting, for
should especially be noted and recalled
with love, and filled with a wonderful happiness. The solemnities of the Mass
with reverent memory. In that place
were celebrated over the manger and the
the hearts of many; but, by the working
there was a certain man by the name
priest experienced a new consolation.
of his grace, he was brought to life
the third year before his glorious death
the Child Jesus had been forgotten in
again through his servant St. Francis and stamped upon their fervent memory. At length the solemn night
of John, of good reputation and an even better life, whom blessed Francis loved
with a special love, .. . Blessed Francis sent for this
celebration was brought to
man, as he often did, about
a close, and each one
fifteen days before the birth
returned to his home with
of the Lord, and he said to
holy joy.
him: Tf you want us to cel
ebrate the present feast of
HE hay that had been
our Lord at Greccio, go
V-- placed in the manger
with haste and diligently
was kept, so that the Lord might save the beasts of
prepare what I tell you. For I wish to do something that
burden and other animals
will recall to memory the lit
through it as he multiplied
tle Child who was born in Bethlehem and set before
his holy mercy. And in truth it so happened that many
our bodily eyes in some way
animals throughout the sur
the inconveniences of his in
rounding region that had
fant needs, how he lay in a manger, how, with an ox and an ass standing by, he
from their illnesses after
lay upon the hay where he
a large number of persons
various illnesses were freed
eating of this hay. . . . and
had been placed.' When the good and faithful man
of both sexes of that place, suffering from various ill nesses, obtained the health they sought. Later, the
heard these things, he ran
with haste and prepared in that place all the things the
place on which the manger
saint had told him.
had stood was made sacred
Butthe day ofjoy drew near, the time of great
by a temple of the ' • L "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up In swaddling clothes, and laid him In a manger"(Luke 2:7).
rejoicing came. The brothers
were called from their various places. Men and women of that neighborhood prepared with glad hearts, according to their means, candles and torches to light up that night that has lighted up all the days and years with its gleaning star. At
and an altar was bu u honor of the most blessed
father Francis over the HE saint of God was clothed with
manger and a church was built."(Taken
the vestments of the deacon, for he
from Thomas of Celano, St. Francis
was a deacon, and he sang the holy Gos
of Assisi [Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1963], pp. 42-44; reprinted with
length the saint of God came, and find
pel in a sonorous voice. And his voice was a strong voice, a sweet voice, a clear voice, a sonorous voice, inviting all to the highest rewards. Then he preached to
ing all things prepared, he saw it and was
the people standing about, and he spoke
glad. The manger was prepared, the hay had been brought, the ox and ass were
charming words concerning the nativity
Christmas may we imitate the devotion
of the poor King and the little town of
of St. Francis as expressed in this first
led in. There simplicity was honored, poverty was exalted, humility was com
Bethlehem. Frequently too, when he wished to call Christ Jesus, he would
nativity scene. Let us contemplate the In fant Jesus born of the Virgin Mary in
kind permission of the Franciscan Her ald Press.) Thus is the story of how the tradition
of setting up nativity scenes began. This
mended, and Greccio was made, as it
call him simply the Child ofBethlehem,
Bethlehem, and laid in a manger because
were, a new Bethlehem. The night was
aglow with overflowing love for him;
there was no room in the inn.
□
The American TFP Brings to Light
Courageous Statements by American Bishops Protecting Moraiity and Human Life Last year, responding to the blatant contradiction of the so-called pro-choice Catholics, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property(TFP)is sued its statement,"Abortion: A Real Slaughter of the Inno
cents Is Being Carried Out Every Day Throughout the World." The declaration, published as a half-page advertisement in the Washington Post, reasserted that a Catholic is by definition antiabortion and supported this affirmation with ten conclu
sive Papal texts from Pius XI to the present. It also circulated as a leaflet in last year's March for Life. Today, in light of the confusion surrounding Catholic moral obligations regarding abortion, the American TFP feels that antiabortionists will profit by having at hand some recent state
ments by Catholic bishops who have stood out in the fight
against abortion. By publishing these, we both satisfy this need and pay just homage to the valiant statements of these prelates.
Bishops' Statements: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops^ 1989 Abortion Statement "We who revere human life as created in the image and like
life, and preferential concern for the weak and defenseless.
abortion is of overriding concern because it negates two of
"No Catholic can responsibly take a *pro-choice' stand when the 'choice' in question involves the taking of innocent hu
the most fundamental moral imperatives: respect for iimocent
man life."
ness of God have all the more reason to take a stand. For us
Special Tribute to Jailed Bishop Bishop Austin Vaughan, Auxiliary Bishop of New York
fWm
Bishop Vaughan has long stood out for his active pro-life stance and his insistence that it is a Catholic duty to be pro-life. In fact, his most effective statements on abortion have not been only his words but also his antiabortion convictions transformed into heroic action.
Because of his participation in Operation Rescue missions in front of abor tion facilities, Bishop Vaughan has been arrested on several occasions and even imprisoned. This is the very reason he is not here with us in the 1990
March for Life: He is presently serving a fifteen-day jail sentence for his rescue activities.
"No Catholic can responsibly take a 'pro-choice' stand when the 'choice' in question involves the taking of innocent human iife."~HCCB statement THE American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property
COURAGEOUS STATEMENTS BY AMERICAN BISHOPS
The Nine Bishops of Ohio "We cannot judge the state of anyone's conscience before
In a December 15 statement on abortion and political life, the bishops responded to Ohio Attorney General Anthony
God. . . . But it is clear to us that, objectively speaking,
Celebrezze Jr.'s recent statement on abortion:
the tolerance of abortion in our society and the refusal to
"We Catholic bishops of Ohio are making this statement about abortion and political life in response to the ques tions and expectations which have been addressed to us in
allow religious and moral principles to influence public life are positions which are both morally and socially wrong." Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk of Cincinnati
the last few weeks.
Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland
"The willful destruction of innocent human life, born or unborn, is a social evil of the greatest magnitude. Any
Bishop James A. Griffin of Columbus Bishop Andrew Pataki of Ruthenian Byzantine diocese
society which finds it acceptable for a parent to destroy an unborn child or which provides for such destruction by pub lic funding has sown the seeds of its own destruction. If
Bishop Albert H. Ottenweller of Steubenville Bishop James R. Hoffman of Toledo
a defenseless unborn child is dependent for survival on the forbearance of another or on the ability to survive indepen dently from his or her mother, then human life has become cheap indeed and we are all vulnerable.
of Parma
Bishop James W. Malone of Youngstown Bishop Louis Puscas ofRomanians ofthe Byzantine Rite in the U.S.
Bishop Robert M. Moshal of St. Josaphat in Parma
Archbishop Anthony J, Bevilacqua of Philadelphia Following the signing into law of the Abortion Control Act of 1989 by Pennsylvania Governor Casey restricting access to abortion, Archbishop Bevilacqua released a statement on November 17.
"I firmly hope that the direction to increase protection for the pre-born, upheld by the Supreme Court, and now enacted into Pennsylvania law, will inspire other responsible legisla tures to choose the path to life."
Bernard Cardinal Law, Archbishop of Boston At the Assembly for Life in Boston, Cardinal Law affirmed:
taking of innocent human life do not find that with the passage
"It is clear that the pro-life movement is here to stay. There is no way in which the human spirit will long endure a moral evil like abortion. Those of us who recognize abortion as the
of time and millions of more deaths we are less committed.
Far from it. I find myself today more convinced than ever that
the killing must stop."
Bishop James McHugh of Camden, NJ, Prior to the November 7 election, Bishop McHugh issued a statement titled "Respect for Life and Political Responsibility." "A candidate should ultimately be judged on his or her per
sonal integrity, philosophy and performance. Anyone who at tempts to separate his or her personal moral convictions from
the shaping of public policy is unreliable and unworthy of trust."
Bishop Leo Maker of San Diego ISHOP Leo Maher made headlines in 1989 when he denied Lucy Killea, a California assembly woman, "the
B right to receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church" because of her "pro-choice stand." Part of his statement communicating this decision follows:
"I regret to inform you that by your media advertisements and statements advocating
the 'pro-choice' abortion position in the public forum you are placing yourself in com plete contradiction to the moral teaching of the Catholic Church, and consequently I have no other choice but to deny you the right to receive the eucharist in the Catholic Church. . . .
"The 'pro-choice' stand is a choice for abortion. This is against both the teaching of the Catholic Church and divine law. The harm you are doing by espousing the 'pro-choice' view will require great efforts to repair. Like those who have abortions, the guilt remains with them, and so will your guilt remain with you as an advocate of this heinous crime. SiSTUS re&p
"Since the 'pro-choice' stand involves the taking of innocent human life, it only proves how immoral abortion is. If you say abortion is a matter of choice, you are forgetting someone.'Pro-choice' is a phrase that is incomplete; it lacks an object. One must ask the natural follow-up: the choice to do what? In this case, it is the choice to take a child's life."
COURAGEOUS STATEMENTS BY AMERICAN BISHOPS
John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York CARDINAL O'Connor was named head of the Bishops' "Is abortion a question of religious belief? What reli Pro-Life Activities Committee at the recent bishops'
gious beliefâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that an unborn is a human being? In my view,
meeting in November. His opposition to abortion and sup port for Operation Rescue has made him a target of sacri
the terrifying reality is that there are Catholics and others who absolutely refuse even to look at the question of wheth
legious attacks by pro-abortion activists.
er the unborn is a human being. The 'right' of privacy has
According to an Associated Press report, abortion-rights and AIDS activists disrupted the December 10 Sunday Mass
been made an absolute, so that a woman is led to believe
at St. Patrick's Cathedral resulting in the arrest of 43 peo
that even if the unborn is a human being, she has the prior right to 'privacy' to kill her unborn."
ple. Thousands of others protested outside, criticizing the Cardinal and Church teaching. The archdiocesean paper.
year. Cardinal O'Connor repeatedly emphasized the impor
At a news conference in Albany on January 17 of this tance of forcing lawmakers to vote their consciences pub
Catholic New York, reported that the Blessed Sacrament was desecrated at least seven times during Communion. Answering media allegations that the Church "forced obedience to a religious political agenda" last November,
to get elected should leave office rather than betray their
Cardinal O'Connor answered:
beliefs.
licly on abortion saying those who personally oppose abortion but think they must take a pro-choice position
The Bishops of Montana On November 20, Montana's bishops issued a statement ad dressed to Catholic state officeholders. Bishops Elden Curtiss of Helena and Anthony Milone of Great Falls-Billings re
sponded to Catholic state officials who supported a pro-choice position on November 19 at a pro-choice rally in Helena.
lic morality that is urged as a compromise by some people in the abortion debate. For anyone to state publicly that they are personally opposed to abortion but support the right of women to choose abortion is inconsistent. This double standard of
"We have not violated the principle of the separation of
morality would be disastrous for our society if it were followed to its logical conclusion: e.g., someone saying that 'I am per
church and state by our public action. The First Amendment prohibits government from establishing a church or favoring
sonally opposed to grand larceny and drug trafficking and murder and rape, but I support the right of our citizens to en
one religion over others. The Church has the right in our democratic society to enter into public debate over moral is
gage in these activities if they so choose.'
sues which concern the dignity of human life and the quality of human life. We seek no favors as we enter this public are
sion that in the pluralistic society women must be given the option of choosing abortion in order to guarantee their civil
na, and we hope there will be no discrimination directed against the Church because we have been compelled to raise our voices
rights, then we have the obligation to remind them that preborn babies have no option but death in these decisions. The Church must defend the most defenseless in our society, which
in response to the voices of others. "We do not accept the dichotomy between private and pub
"If some Catholic officeholders have come to the conclu
in this issue means babies before and after birth."
Bishop Albert Ottenweller of Steubenville, Ohio Bishop Ottenweller has joined those who have participated
in Operation Rescue missions, resulting in his July 15 arrest. "This is a question of civil rights, we've got to be willing to take a stand in order to protest the killing of the unborn. We need to make people think about 22 million unborn chil
dren, the weakest in society, whose lives are being snuffed out.
Something must be done to make people look soberl>
e
issue. To show how deeply 1 feel about abortion and the ...gnity of human life, I am willing to go to jail along with the other members of our group."
Auxiliary Bishop Patrick V, Ahern, Vicar of Staten Island in New York City Bishop Ahern is chairman of the New York Bishops' Pro-
"So we must preach on it if we wish the consciences of our
Life Committee. He has emerged as a leader in the antiabor-
people to be not only informed but sensitized, if we wish abor
tion movement, preaching against what he calls an alarming
tion to be for them a matter of life and death in the sense they would never under any circumstances go near it, and also to
erosion in the conscience of Catholics regarding abortions. "If we stop preaching on abortion, are we not quietly al
stir up in them the courage to give witness to others of their
lowing the issue to be lost?
conviction."
"We do not accept the dichotomy between private and public morality that is urged as a compromise by some people in the abortion debate."~Bishops of Montana
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property Founded in New York in 1975, the American TFP is part of a vast network of autonomous and sister organi zations called the Societies for the Defense of Tradition, Fa mily and Property (TFP). This network presently extends to 24 countries on 6 continents. Though civic in nature, the TFPs
base their work on the traditional teachings of the Supreme
Magisterium of the Catholic Church. The propelling force be hind the founding of each TFP was the desire to fight the atheistic and relativistic trends that were gradually taking hold over all the West, inspired by the worldwide revolution emanat
a positive action. Thus, the TFP's action preserves and reinvigorates these principles in today's society. Ever changing according to its needs, the communistic world
wide revolution, from Stalin to the perestroika phase, can only succeed in its goal of ideological and political imperialism by weakening the faith and morals in the West. Thus, the TFPs
have an opposite goal which is at least as far-reaching if not more so. Our field of action lies wherever there is something to be done within the scope of our elevated purposes. From this comes the variety of the American TFP's campaigns.
ing from Moscow since World War II.
Whether on the streets, in conference halls, or in our vari
Since these trends undermined the principles of Christian civilization, fighting against them was and is, more than ever.
ous books and studies prepared and produced in our printing facilities, the TFP is addressing the issues of the day.
Examples of the American TFP in Action The Last Temptation. At the launching
Save the Flag. Following the 1989 Su preme Court decision declaring flag burn ing to be a First Amendment right, the
of the film The Last Temptation of Christ in 1988, the American TFP joined the reac tion with an open letter to Universal Pic
American TFP launched a two-month
tures titled "On the Verge of a Public
campaign in defense of the honor of our
Blasphemy!" The letter was distributed by
flag. Over I36,0(K) signatures were col
the lens of thousands in street campaigns
lected on the streets of thirty major U.S.
in major cities and also published as a full-
cities and delivered to the President and
page ad in the Aew York Times
Congress.
TFP Protests the Slaughter of Innocents.
"Has Communism Died? And What
The American TFP's annual participation in the March for Life is complemented by
about Anticommunism?" The American
TFP published a full-page statement on
timely statements on the pro-life issue. Cit
perestroika and glasnost by Prof. Plinio
ing ten Papal texts from Pius XI to John Paul II, the TFP's 1989 declaration com mented on the glaring contradictions of
Correa de Oliveira in the Wall Street Jour
nal (11/3/89). The renowned Catholic author focuses on the doubts and uncer
those who claim to be Catholics and also
tainties surrounding Gorbachev's policies
pro-abortion. The statement appeared as
and provides a wellspring of documented
a half-page advertisement in the Washing ton Post.
The TFP in the streets of New York
and easily understood arguments to justify caution and vigilance.
Clip and mail to: Tlic Americaii TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pleasantville, N.Y, 10570 ® (914) 241-7015 • FAX (914) 241-7146
□ Please send me more copies of "Courageous Statements by American Bishops" I have enclosed □ $3 for 15 copies;
□ $14 for 100 copies;
□ $59 for 500 copies
□ Enclosed is a donation for your inspiring work: □ $5 □ $10 □ $15 □ $20 □ Other $ □ Please send me free information about the American TFP.
□ Please send me your publications list. Name
Telephone
Address
City^—
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Zip
7.
Today's GhUdren 'j^i,".v/
.'» 1 '-1*
Without Consciences
*ri s
(Se# pages 4-6.) •^-
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Saving the Children When speaking of poor suffering children, we tend to conjure up images of orphans in tattered cloth ing living in some far-away Third World country.
FOLLOW-UP ON THE NEWS
A Telltale Telegram
Rarely do we really consider it an American prob
Nobody seems to want to talk about South Africa's
lem. However, poverty among children is an Ameri can problem. It is not so much the poverty of star
Nelson Mandela's leftist leanings. While he gives clenched fist salutes and delivers speeches with communist
vation that we face, but a spiritual poverty worse
flags draped near the podium, his scandalous leftist as
than any material want. This is the subject of our
sociations and policies are left untouched. In a similar way, his counterpart in Namibia, Sam Nujoma, future presi
feature article "America's New Poor Children"(pp.
4-6). Today's poor little rich kids are finding it hard to cope with modern life. Amid broken families and deformed educations, a growing number are becom ing what experts call children without consciences. How much better it was when saints formed and educated children!
But these children are not the only ones endan
gered. Even before leaving the womb, the child is threatened. Our story, "Antiabortion Efforts Are Now More Necessary Than Ever," deals with the
American TFP's participation in this year's massive March for Life in Washington, D.C. We also repro duce our statement issued on the occasion where we
cite many of the courageous declarations of Ameri
can bishops who have recently spoken out against abortion (see pp. 10-12).
In Commentary, Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira writes of the contradiction of those of the left and the extreme left who remain silent in face of the most
dent of that newly-independent country, has escaped the scrutiny of reporters. There are times, however, when the evidence of the facts
makes it painfully clear into whose hands the destiny of a nation is being entrusted. The following text is taken from a telegram by Sam Nujoma to a "dear comrade"— the late Nicolae Ceausescu, dictator of Romania. It was translated from an article in the December 6,1989, edition of Neuer Weg of Bucharest. "On the happy occasion of your unanimous reelection to the high office of the General Secretary of the Roma nian Communist Party by the 14th Party Congress I have the great pleasure and the great honor to convey to you,
in the name of SWAPO's Central Committee and the fight ing and victorious people of Namibia our most heartfelt congratulations together with wishes for new success and happiness. "Your unanimous reelection during the party congress proves the faith and the firm confidence you and your proven and long standing dynamic leadership enjoy among the broad masses of the people of Romania. Your ef
ficient leadership has resulted in general progress for
radical statements of hard-liners like Fidel Castro.
Romania.
These same antiradical radicals subject the state ments of anticommunist groups to the most intense scrutiny (see p. 3).
connected by a long-standing friendship founded in mutual
In a country where concrete action is the measure of all achievement, modern progressivist Catholics have sought to replace devotions like the Forty
Romanian Communist Party 1 am convinced that our
Hours devotion to the Blessed Sacrament with "so cial action." Our Catholic America section tells the
"Romania and Namibia are friends and our people are respect.
"While you will continue to secure the leadership of the cooperation will intensify for the well-being of the states and the people of Namibia and Romania"{UCA NEWS, Menlo Park, South Africa, 2/90).
story of Saint John Neumann, fourth bishop of Philadelphia (see pp. 13-15), who not only developed an enormous social apostolate but an intense spiri
tual growth for the young Church in America. In our Essay section, we present a consideration of ecological currents in America whose back-tonature ideal is being proposed as an alternative for those who want to escape from the torments of mod ern industrial society (see p. 8). Finally in Ambiences, Customs and Civilizations,
we present some timely reflections for Lent with an analysis of Giotto's famous depictions of the mock ing of Our Lord and the betrayal by Judas.
□
55^ The American TFP's book The Whole Truth About SWAPO
completely un masks SWAPO and one of its
head comrades, Sam Nujoma
John Horvat II
TFP NEWSLETTER is a publication of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). John Horvat II, Editor. Subscription complimentary in the United States. Rates for foreign subscriptions and list of other TFP publications available upon request. Direct all subscription requests and inquiries to: The American TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570. Telephone: (914) 241-7015. Copyright © 1990. Permission is granted to reproduce in whole or in part any article of this newsletter with credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER. TFP Newsletter
Grilling the Left and the Extreme Left COMMENTARY
PLINIO CORREA DE OLIVEIRA
For brevity's sake, I will quote only
radicals. But, as far as the TFPs are
guerrilla movement, which has now ex
a few excerpts from a speech by the Cuban dictator published in O Es-
concerned . . . I now ask these radicals of anti-
tended itself to El Salvador. However,
tado de S. Paulo (Brazil) under the title "Fidel Says He Is the Last Com
"radicalism" a question: If evil lies ex clusively in radicality, would consisten
munist."
cy not oblige you to unleash against
In this article published on October
Castro the same media uproars you
31, 1989, Fidel, the Cuban Stalin and
unleash against us? The Cuban dicta
the object of much strong praise from
tor's declarations are not less radical
Friar Betto and Friar L. Boff, severely criticizes Gorbachev and his program.
than those attributed to us. I demand, then, that you clarify your attitude re
Declaring himself ready to continue
garding the dictator's present positions.
defending communist orthodoxy even
Fidel Castro's recent outburst—so
this influence is not limited to these alone. For when Carlos Andres Perez
took office as president of Venezuela in February 1989, the Cuban dictator was literally escorted by many of the so-called moderate heads of state pres ent for the occasion. This was a repe tition of what had recently taken place at the inaugurations of Presidents
Rodrigo Borja in Ecuador and Salinas de Gortari in Mexico.
Thus, Fidel Castro's recent anti-
though "nobody else in the world does
closely related to people, ideological
so," he avows, "We shall never re
currents and internal situations in
Gorbachevian outburst has evident re
nounce the honorable title of commu
our country—provides occasion for
percussions upon the whole continent.
nist." Later he exclaims, "Long live
broadening our horizons beyond our
In this sense, the South American
rigidity, not flexibility, in the defense of revolutionary principles!'' Still not
borders. As we scan these horizons, we
public will inevitably be curious as to
content, he further affirms, "Now they say there are two types of com munists: the good and the bad. I want to say that we are among the badbad because we are incorrigible, . . . we will never regress to pre-history." Finally, he says in closing, "We must remain . . . firm and entrenched in the
ideas of Marxism-Leninism, in the ideas of communism and of socialism!'
In other words, although confronted
the attitude the extreme left and the moderates will take in face of Fidel
You fence sitters, middle-of-the-roaders, and the like, fanatics of anti-*fanaticism," come
right out and say what you think of Fidel's bold radicalism.
Castro's rupture with Gorbachev. And this is also what really rouses the curi
osity of the Brazilian TFP. I have every reason to believe that this same
curiosity stirs the TFPs of our sister if not also neighboring countries. Not speaking in their name, but on
my own as part of this large family of souls of the TFP, let me note that the aforementioned article in O Estado
with Gorbachev's very questionable
is dated October 31. Yet, November
openness, the dictator, who has gov has placed himself at the most extreme
immediately see our sister nations of
has come and gone without anything having been said, whether from the extreme-left or from the center-left,
point of communist radicalism. It is
South America. Communist currents
about this new and garish outburst of
difficult to ascertain whether anything distinguishes him from the Chinese
agitate them all. Generally speaking, these currents are few in number but,
Castro-ian radicality. In view of this silence, it is time to question the adherents of each current. To the unvarnished communist, the
erned the island-prison for 30 years,
hard-liners, responsible for the recent
nonetheless, important for the support
massacres in Beijing in a square named (what cruel irony!)"Heavenly Peace."
they receive (oh sorrow!) from the
Now, the TFPs have always been unceasingly attacked, on behalf of South America's ideological centerleft, by persons habitually indignant over our indefatigable anticommunist
archy, as well as from macrocapital-
terms of this inquiry are simple: Wh\ are you silent? What holds you back?
ism in general, but more particularly
How long will you remain quiet?
position. Well do they sense the pos sibility of being unmasked as commu nists were they to affirm the real basis of their antipathy toward us, so their
higher ranks of the ecclesiastical hier
from media macrocapitalism, and, fi nally, from a considerable number of
the intelligentsia and jet set. As for Colombia, the communist and drug guerrillas are draining the coun try's lifeblood as a result of their mutu al fighting. Similarly, the Shining Path
But I address the finer and more in
cisive questions to the complex adher ents of the center-left. Thus, you fence sitters, middle-of-the-roaders, and
the like, inveterate toads or hopeless "useful innocents," fanatics of anti-
"fanaticism," come right out and say
has been devastating Peru for years.
what you think of Fidel's bold radical
ism. I expect one of your eloquent
We are "radicals of the right," as
These movement's are obviously supported, for the most part, by aid from Cuba, which, in turn, receives it from Russia. It is certain, moreover,
loathsome and as harmful(so they say)
that Fidel Castro exercises great in
as the "radicals of the left."
fluence over all these leftist extre-
are now in ix)wer in China, the purport ed piUars of the shaggy Cuban dictator.
deeper thoughts are hidden behind a tenuous veil. They attack us, therefore, not properly for our anticommunist
positions, but for our "radicalism."
Yet they never attack these leftist Vol. V, No. 8, 1990
misms, not to mention the Nicaraguan
leaders to accept our invitation.
I make yet another: With all frank ness, tell us what you think of those who
I am ail ears.
□
INSIDE
AMERICA
America's New Poor Children Anew class of poor children is sur facing in America today. It is not confined to any particular region, nor does it fit the common stereotype of "inner-city" youth in "crime-ridden" neighborhoods. Not infrequently, these poor children
may have parents who drive Porsches or BMWs. They may even wear designer clothes and attend private schools. Com ing from America's middle and upper
classes, today's poor children suffer no material want.
What they do suffer is a much more terrible yet nearly invisible poverty and an alarming form of child abuse. A
spiritual poverty of immense proportions has struck almost imperceptibly, bringing
consequences that may be irremediable.
A day care centerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;children miss the necessary warmth of the home at an early age
A Lost Generation. For some time, so ciologists and psychologists have appre
households increase, the parents' irre placeable role is increasingly being rele gated to proxies, including professionals
hensively watched the new generation
and subsequent attachment between a child and (usually) a mother, distrust and a deep-seated rage can develop. "Unless you have a very good reason,
born of the sixties. Defying traditional behavioral standards, these pampered children of the me-generation have re vealed shattered personalities. The media were not slow in affixing labels to this problem-laden generation,
in "mass production" child care facilities. Child care experts are finding accu mulating evidence that proxy parenting can have enduring adverse effects. What
break in the parent-child bonding proc
The First Three Years of Life. "Babies
often characterizing them as "runaways"
ess. As child specialist Michael Lamb
form their first human attachment only
"throwaways" or "discarded children."
notes, "The most dramatic and signifi
Others describe them as "children with
cant event occurring during the first year
once." Even the trendy Dr. Benjamin Spock has insisted on family-based in
out consciences," subject to what has
of life is the formation of social attach
dividualized child care until age three.
been called "soul murder."
ments" {The Development of Attach
Most experts point to the broken fa mily as the principal culprit for deform ing these children. Never before have
ment and Affiliative Systems, Plenum Press, New York, 1982, p. 185).
children faced such uncertain and unsta
as much as half of one's adult character
ble living conditions. With divorce and illegitimacy now
first two years alone mark a child for life
is often most harmful is the resulting
Current research further indicates that
may be formed by the age of four. The
I urge you not to delegate the primary child-rearing task to anyone else during your child's first three years of life," writes expert Burton White in his book
Despite warnings, this new breed of
poor children is receiving less parental at tention and the time for formative bond
ing of early years is being lost forever.
rampant, nearly one-fourth of all minors live with just one parent, and an esti
since a complex set of events occur in in
"The Age of Innocence Is Gone." Ag gravating the stress of divorce and im proper infant bonding is a condition
fancy that can assure a future of love and
specialists call the "hurried child syn
mated 60 percent of all youngsters born
trust. However, without proper bonding
today will spend time in a single-parent
drome." Hurried children are L
lo
adopt the physical, psychological so cial marks of adulthood before they are
home. Moreover, at least 40 percent of American children will see the breakup of their parents' marriage, and 20 per cent will live through two divorces before
prepared to properly deal with them. "We dress our children in miniature
adult costume, often with designer labels. We expose them to gratuitous sex and
reaching age 18. Some pediatricians have found the fear of divorce so prevalent
violence, and we expect them lo cope with divorce, single parenthood, homo
that children worry about it even when their parents' marriage appears stable.
sexuality," complains David Elkind,
Broken Bonds/Broken Children. Also
professor of Child Study at Tufts Uni versity ("Dad Drives a Porsche," Fair-
at fault, according to many experts, is
field County Advocate, 5/9/88).
the advent and wide expansion of mod ern child care, which has ushered in the gradual surrender of parental responsibil
the pressure to achieve and to act as
In fact, children are constantly feeling adults at ever-earlier ages. Specialized summer camps, schools and organized
ities to non-relatives and state-regulated
sports leagues have sprung up nation
institutions. As mothers leave the home
for the business world and single parent 4
A typical modern toyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;fostering virtue or vice?
wide to cater to the market. TFP Newsletter
INSIDE
AMERICA
As early as age four, many children embark on a frenetic search for the right clothes with the right brand name to im
press classmates. Fashion-conscious chil dren are committing crimes, including murder, to obtain designer clothes worn by fellow students. Three such murders
in Baltimore prompted the adopting of districlwide dress codes ("What Is Be hind Students Sometimes Fatal Obses
sion with Fashion," Kansas City Times, 10/23/89). Thrust into the adult world, today's
child is losing his chance to be a child. Normal childhood activities such as fan
tasy games and fairy tales are being replaced with premature exposure to life's hard realities. "Now we talk to
kids about everything," claims Richard Lavoie, project director of a youth out reach program in Greenwich, Conn.
Children at a video arcadeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;wasting time and minds
dealing with 7, 8 or 9-year-old children
"We are giving kids information they are
disorders often develop during broken
not ready to have. We do it because we
childhoods and result in uncontrollable
who express no remorse over serious
have no one else to talk to. The age of
crimes. Authorities record cases like that
innocence is gone" {Fairfield County
personalities that can be arrogant, shame less, immoral, impulsive, superficial,
Advocate, 5/9/88).
charming, callous, irresponsible, irrever
ent, cunning and self-assured. Should "Trashing" a Generation. No longer buttressed by traditional family struc
tures, today's child is often caught in a crossfire without the emotional or psy
chological means to defend himself
against the stressful modern world. The
current child development trends persist, they claim a large number of children run a high risk of developing similar psy chopathic traits. Police departments around the coun
try are already facing the quandary of
of an 11-year-old California boy who shot and killed a playmate; a five-yearold boy in Florida who threw a threeyear-old companion off a fifth floor stairwell; and even the extreme case of an 18-month-old in San Francisco who
killed a playmate with a toy truck. In addition, authorities say they are
baffled by the increase of gangs among
tragic results litter the daily headlines.
Suicide, for example, now ranks as the second leading cause of death among
young persons age 15-24. An estimated 7.5 million children suffer from some
type of mental or emotional disorder. Alcohol and drug use is increasing and beginning at ever-lower age levels.
Nearly 500,000 American children live in detention centers, hospitals, foster homes and mental health facilities, and the number could surge to 840,000 by
1995. Judges, probation officers and
The Hidden Danger < < T was aware of being totally
JL without conscience. Though I have pointed to numerous circum stances in my life that may have turned my head in the wrong direc
tion, I can't put a finger on when 1 became devoid of caring emotion."
whelmed by the flood of these "discarded
Such is the testimony of the nation's most infamous sociopath, Charles
children." Another even more bitter fruit of this
Manson (Nuel Emmons, Manson in His Own Words, 1986, p. 202).
social services workers are being over
ruin of the lives of countless American
According to Dr. Charles Ford, a
children is the emergence of a category
psychologist at the University of Ar kansas, "Sociopaths are narcissistic
of self-centered, rootless children whose
callous disregard for right or wrong has qualified them as children without con-
people without any conscience. They are so completely wrapped up in
Manson: "totally without conscience"
themselves and insensitive to the
needs and wishes of others that they will commit crimesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;even take anoth
surface many narcissists appear welladjusted and normal: "They are so
landmark book. High Risk, Dr. Ken Magid and Carole M. McKelvey claim
er person's lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;because they can't understand how that person would
good at appearing innocent that they often appear more innocent than the
that hundreds of thousands, if not mil
feel" {The News-Times, Danbury,
innocent man." He also claims that
lions, of Americans are filled with ha
Conn., 1/18/90). James Fox, criminologist at North western University, claims that on the
there may be hundreds of thousands
High Risk Children. In their 1987
tred. They are adults (and children) with out consciences; psychopaths that hurt and sometimes kill without remorse.
They document that such antisocial VOL. V, NO. 8, 1990
of potentially homicidal narcissists in society today (ibid.).
INSIDE
AMERICA
middle-class white children who have
broken backgrounds and who manifest narcissistic behavior. "Nothing tradi
tionally held sacred is recognized; their
morality and sensitivity" (cited in High Risk, p. 338). Others even predict that
that has rejected its Christian past and promoted instead an amoral, relativistic
psychopaths will threaten the safety, serenity and security of American life.
and rootless society. According to author
behavior is violent—they enjoy shock
value, they have little parental authority
Christopher Lasch, a culture of narcis sism has been created that embodies the
Where Did We Go Wrong? Efforts to
despair of a society that cannot face the
and believe in anarchy; and their goal is to destroy, not protect," reads a 1985 governor's task force report from Cali fornia. It further reports: "These groups' activities include drawing graffiti, using
a home has been transformed into a
illegal drugs, abusing children and as saulting parents. Grave robbing and
uncontrollable behavior of such chil
ruptcy," writes Lasch. "The prevailing attitude, so cheerful and forward-looking
desecration of animal and human re
dren. A growing number are simply
on the surface, derives from a narcissis
mains are some of the more bizarre ac
placed in private mental hospitals by
tivities associated with these groups." The implications of the trend are om inous. In her book Crimewarps, criminologist Georgette Bennett claims that "unwanted, antisocial, abused children
frustrated parents who are either unable
tic impoverishment of the psyche and also from an inability to ground our
deal with such children are often frus
trating since the parents and others are frequently fooled by acts of charm and affection used to gain their trust. Many
veritable hell by the unpredictable and
or unwilling to cope with problems that have traditionally been handled at home or by mental heath professionals in their
future. "Our culture's indifference to the
past—which easily shades over into ac tive hostility and rejection—furnishes the most telling proof of that culture's bank
will become our most fearsome crimi
Parents asking "Where did we go
needs in the experience of satisfaction and contentment"(The Culture ofNar cissism, W.W. Norton, 1979, p. xviii). Above all, the trend represents a re jection of Catholic morality and Chris
nals"(1987, p. 11). Sociologist Jose San chez believes that "increased psycho
wrong?" will not find an easy answer.
tian civilization. To paraphrase Saint
pathy among the more prosperous classes of American society will most likely cre ate a social world in which expediency, impersonality, narcissistic manipulation
and corruption will continue to replace
offices.
It would be simplistic to blame only par
Augustine, men once loved God to the
ents and the children or to claim any lack
point of forgetting themselves. Today's
of the federal programs or therapy ses
narcissistic men have loved themselves to
sions so idolized by liberal do-gooders. More realistic would be to also point to the underlying problem of a culture
the point of forgetting God, and the resultant pampered "poor" children are now paying the consequences. □
Why Families Need Tradition
■3 cooking les on. The daugh-
Traditions have a
i ter perceives that this recipe i is something special that
profound impact on families that cannot be dis-
regarded.
Psychologists
1 makes her family different,
discovered that all
Children are naturally drawn to all types of ritual
1= to each other," says Evan
and tradition since they
e studies at the Albert Lm-
have
families engage in ritualized or patterned behaviors that add depth and meaning to family life, and remain stamped in the memory long after childhood.
T
^
^
heritage.
"Rituals connect us to P^st, present and fu-
ture. They have the capacto define our relation-
ships and tell us who we are
> Imber Black, Ph.D., direc-
2 tor of family and g
i stein College of Medicine ; in New York. "An individual may feel Among the most necessary proud, happy or griefof childhood rituals are stricken about a personthose that reinforce a child's Even simi simple family traditions are important for a child's development 'Biopment al event or a significant feeling of security and sta change, but it becomes ever bility, as, for example, the time before prayers, singing songs or reading sto so much more meaningful when it going to bed. According to family ex ries is extremely important to a child is shared," explains Janine Roberts, pert Nancy Rubin, a young child faces as a demonstration of his parents' love Ed. D., an assistant psychology profes separation from his parents and the and commitment." sor at the University of Massachusetts. have a constant need for safe outlets for their often
highly charged feelings. |B|||a
unknown darkness of sleep at night; thus, parents instinctively try to make the bedtime hour a comforting time for
Other family traditions are also important, as, for example, when a mother teaches her daughter an old
gether and define who we are as a fa mily" ("Rituals of Love," Sacramento
him. "The familiar pattern of hearing
family recipe. This is more than just a
Bee, 12/30/89).
"Rituals give us a way to come to
FORGOTTEN
TRUTHS
THE PEDAGOGY OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
When Saints Formed Children Traditionally a Catholic edu
Moral Education. "All, or nearly all, educators see the development of the in tellect as their principal responsibility to the child. However, this displays a lack
cation has meant instilling in the child the practice of virtue. It aimed at forming the child's whole personality to know, love and serve God in this world
of prudence since they do not understand —or else they easily lose sight of—human nature and the reciprocal dependency of
and be happy with Him in the next. It thus resulted in children with consciences
our faculties. They direct all their efforts to the development of the cognitive fac ulties and sentiments that they errone ously and tragically confound with the faculty of love. Doing this, they com pletely disregard the sovereign faculty, the will, which is the only source of true and pure love, and of which the sensibi lity is but a type of outward appearance.
completely opposite the new category of today's problem children. Let us look, then, to a time when saints formed children and guided them along the path of virtue. We reproduce passages, so applicable to our days, from
guidelines given by Saint John Bosco last century as forgotten truths.
Regarding Music. "Any educational
"What is the obligation of the Chris tian teacher? According to the spirit of Jesus Christ and the practice of His
center without music is a body without a soul. Music educates, soothes and ele vates; it is a most efficacious means for
instilling discipline and contributing to
moral law, the teacher, be it mother or father, must avoid giving a vitiated edu
morality."
cation to the children Providence has en
Regarding the Love of Beauty. "The
teacher must also help his charges per fect their sentiments for beauty. This sentiment is natural, but it must be de
veloped and perfected. All children have the capacity to appreciate the beauties of nature, art and religion. "I recall that when I was a boy my mother taught me to look up and gaze at the sky and to observe the marvels of
the countryside. During the serene and
Saint John Bosco maintained a permanent at*
mosphere of ioy so that youth would be sur rounded by the warmth and iight they needed.
Regarding Intellectual Education."To
trusted to him; his immediate end must be to direct the child along the path of sanctity, whose guides are renunciation and generosity. To communicate the spirit of sacrifice, the teacher must direct
cultivate only the intellect, abandoning
his charge, above all, to cultivate his rea son and his will without neglecting any
all the other human faculties, is to de
of the other faculties."
form the man.
"Intellectual education encompasses a series of norms, of practical measures
Social Education. "Games are also so
cial factors that should not be belittled.
For this reason, we give them much im
showed me the heavens and said to us:
and appropriate resources to provide the juvenile intelligences with the knowledge of letters and sciences indispensable and
Tt is God Who created the world and put
helpful for life.
his companions; develop social sensibil
so many beautiful stars above. If the fir
"But the school cannot pretend to take the place of the family, and much less
ity; increase habits of courtesy, affabil
the Church. School must teach in func tion of life."
of justice and loyalty, indispensable con
starlit nights, she took me outside and
mament is so beautiful, how will para dise be?' And when spring would arrive with its wealth of flowers throughout the countryside, she would exclaim:
portance. Games teach the child to con
trol himself and not to injure or bother
ity and manners; stimulate the exercise
ditions not only for games but for
forms of social activity."
'How many beautiful things the fvTTv Lord has made for us!' And
when the clouds gathered, and
Religious Education."Educa
I
tion must develop in youth a pas
der roared: 'How powerful the
the skies darkened and the thun- ^4.^ Lord is! Who can resist Him? ajS
sion for good and a hatred of evil. It is the duty of the teacher that this be understood as an effect
Therefore, let us not commit E£v
of correspondence to or the lack
sins.' And in winter, when all was covered with snow and ice, and, even in our poverty, we would gather together around
of conformity to the will of God. "One of the defects or vices
of modern pedagogy is to reduce religion to pure sentiment. For this reason, it does not want to
the fire, she would say: 'How
grateful we should be to the Lord Who has provided us with all that is necessary! God is truly our Father: Our Father, Who art
saint Saint JJ ohn Bosco with the musicians from his Oratory. "Any
{Biografi'a y Escritos de San Juan
in heaven . . .'"
educati educational center without music is a body without a soul."
Bosco, B.A.C., Madrid, 1955).□
VOL. V, No. 8, 1990
speak to children about nor even name the eternal truths: death,
judgment, and much less hell"
7
ESSAY
The book and movie The Emerald
ble and the invisible. . . . We must
deeper understanding of reality over the last four or five decades is the degree to which it confirms and reinforces so many
romanticize the world. Perhaps we might even say that we must return to the savage state, to the primitive condition"
of the older moral insights of man. The philosophers told us we are one, a part of a greater unity which transcends our
(Univ. of Texas Press, 1975, pp. 179-89). This is the world advocated by Sig-
local drives and needs. They told us that
manifesto or catechism for a new world
order—one that has long fermented
mund Freud who argued that life is gov
beneath the confusion of the Industrial
erned by instinctual drives, many of
Revolution.
which are subconscious or unconscious.
They told us that aggression and vio lence, blindly breaking down the deli
These are basically divided into life in stincts (Eros) or death instincts (Thanatos). The demands of man's instinctual
to destruction and death. These were, if you like, intuitions drawn in the main
behavior conflict with those of society, culture and civilization. Indeed, the very
from the study of human societies and behavior. What we now learn is that they
possibility of civilization lies in man's
are factual descriptions of the way the universe actually works" (p. 85). As the West is becoming increasingly
Forest present the noble savage ideal in a rich and succulent way. Indeed, the movie version, set deep in the tropical rain forests of South America, provides a dazzling display of nature as a back
drop for what might be considered a
The plot is apparently based on histor ical fact. Author John Doorman tells the
story of a seven-year-old son who disap peared while his father, a construction engineer, worked on a dam in the Amazon basin. After ten years of search ing, the father finds a boy who knows
aside the barriers between the conscious
and the subconscious, between the visi
ability—voluntarily or otherwise—to
all living things are held together in a most intricate web of interdependence.
cate relationships of existence, could lead
only one "father," the chief of a primi
more conventional behavior. This ex
tive Indian tribe called the "invisible peo
plains man's natural aggressiveness
disillusioned with materialism and frus
ple." The boy considers his real father
toward society so that "every individual is virtually an enemy of culture" (Philip P. Weiner, ed., Dictionary of the His tory of Ideas, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1973, vol. 2, p. 4).
trated by unfulfilled dreams, people
a "termite man," an image alluding to
Western men who live in high stone huts like ants and eat the "grandfather" trees
venerated by the tribe. The focus of this spectacularly pres
Implicit in Freud's view of ideology is
are looking for a better way of life, an attainable dreamlife in nature. Modern films like The Emerald Forest direct the dream instinct of modern man mward
the possibilities of an alternative '. Simply stated, it is a universe luiaiiy
ented film is a conflict of cultures that
the notion that modern culture in both
questions the very validity of civilization and that presents an appeal for a return to primitivism. Examples promoting this recurrent
its positive and negative aspects is some
outside the true order of the universe.
how a substitute for an older and per haps more authentic culture that would
The "invisible people" are self-managing
somehow be more in tune with man's in
in the sense that their Forest is self-
managing, owing obedience to no other being than itself. The Forest takes the
modern theme abound. In The Magic Land of Peyote, a book about Indians in northern Mexico, Fernando Benitez
stinctual and primitive energies. The ef
writes: "All troubles . . . are the result
stinct in order to manage society. This
place of God for the "invisible people" who, mystically united with the forest, become a part of the divine being.
of conscious thought, too sure of its own
effort implies that the modern world's internal logic is inexorably disintegrating.
society finds a growing sympathy in the
power; it denies us access to all those un tapped forces that are revealed to us only in dreams. It may be that our recourse
to hallucinogenic drugs, the rebellion of
fort man makes to sustain modern cul
ture is an artifice superimposed upon in
Freud's world is also the Green world
West. What is important is to understand
of the ecologist. In a report for the UN Conference on the Environment, Barbara Ward and Rene Dubos suggest this note
the focus and the driving forces that are leading mankind to a new kind of society
of awe in our relationship with nature
archical, self-managing society reflecting the mythical primitivism found in the
millions of young people, and the crea tion of a new mythos are all doomed to failure; for we have forgotten how to use
and a need to return to "older cultures."
the hidden powers of the mind to sweep
"The astonishing thing about our
8
This invitation to dismantle modern
in the near future—a godless, antihier-
counterculture of the sixties.
□
TFP Newsletter
TFP NEWS
thousands, the leaflet highlighted sever
al timely statements of American Cath olic bishops, publicly recognizing their antiabortion efforts.
The American TFP paid special trib ute to Bishop Austin Vaughan of New
'^wsL ktki'Sii^i'iji^::':!^''- ■'
m&MIM^mi^Bmmm
York, whose actions speak louder than his words. His notable absence from the
march was due to a 15-day jail sentence
he was then serving for his participation in an Operation Rescue mission at an abortion facility near Albany. Also noteworthy was the courageous ac
tion of San Diego's Bishop Leo Maher, who denied state assemblywoman
Lucy Killea the right to receive Holy Communion because of her public The 1990 March for Life in Washington, D.C., was undoubtedly the largest ever. The American TFP lent Its full support.
Antiabortion Efforts Are Now
More Necessary Than Ever
pro-choice stand. John Cardinal O'Connor, archbishop of New York,
a target of sacrilegious attacks by proabortion activists, was also quoted. An element that added special fervor to the march was the Webster ruling of
last June by which the Supreme Court returned to the states certain decisions that would restrict abortion access. The
ruling opened many opportunities—as well as risks—for the pro-life movement
The struggle has never been easy for
local events staged this January 22, the
and stirred up the pro-abortion opposi tion. At the present crossroads, it is clearly urgent for antiabortion activists
the antiabortion movement. At every turn in the road, it has met unexpected
17th anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision allowing abortion. Such
adversities. Legislative efforts have faced
events serve to underscore the massive-
obstacles. Judicial decisions have struck
even if generally unpublicized—grass roots opposition to abortion. By far the most impressive event was the 1990 March for Life in Washington.
can TFP's illustrated 40-foot banner that
An estimated 150,000 Americans from all over the country crowded the Ellipse
pro-abortion sentiment is up all over the
down hard-earned gains. Election prom ises have gone unfulfilled. Voices that should have spoken have remained silent. The biased media have employed silence, misrepresentation, and other means to discourage the movement and have even
proclaimed its premature death.
behind the White House and marched on
the Capitol, where they packed congres sional offices to lobby for an end to
to redouble their efforts.
Echoing this opinion was the Ameri depicted a pro-abortion advocate an nouncing; "Because of the Webster decision,
country. The 1989 election results sug gest that a majority of the people do not
want to go back to the days before Roe
movement has survived, learned new les
abortion. The crowds so overwhelmed
sons, developed ingenious new tactics
the Washington subway system that
V. Wade. It's no use trying to resist the pro-abortion wave." To this false claim, a TFP member
and attracted devoted new members.
thousands arrived only for the latter part
represented on the banner responds:
While embracing different approaches,
of the march.
the movement is united in the belief that
Undoubtedly the largest march ever, the event served to dispel the atmosphere created by pro-abortion propaganda. Under the leadership of march organizer
And yet, through thick and thin, the
it must stop what John Paul II charac terized as "a real slaughter of the inno cents" that is "being carried out every
"The abortion mentality is profoundly inhuman and irrational. Even if it were
true that a majority favors abort i demand, should we give up trying to
i
vince our mistaken fellow Americans?
Our efforts to persuade them are now more necessary than ever."
day throughout the world." The media's overblown appraisal of
Nellie Gray, large groups came from all
recent pro-abortion electoral gains and its ignoring of significant pro-life gains
rifice—to reaffirm their commitment to
As the antiabortion movement faces
its most recent obstacle, events like the
have created the entirely false impression
defend the unborn. Among the speakers on the program were senators, congress
that Americans favor abortion. In face
men and Catholic bishops. President
parts of the nation—often at great sac
of this, and adding to the confusion,
Bush also telephoned a warm (although
even
not fervent) message of support. As in years past, a large contingent of TFP members and supporters carrying
some
"conservatives"
have at
tempted to downplay the issue, contend
ing that abortion is a matter that allows for compromise and no longer defines a
March for Life have served to consoli date its members to hold firm and assert
that the right to innocent life is an abso lute right that allows no compromise be
tween those who hold different opinions on it.
banners and standards participated in the
Moreover, statements like those of the
conservative.
march. On the eve of the march, the
American Catholic bishops reaffirm the
With these developments dominating the headlines, the real sentiments of
American TFP issued its commentary ti
impossible position of Catholics who claim to be "pro-choice" or those who
many Americans are obscured. Receiv
tled "Courageous Statements by Ameri can Bishops Protecting Morality and
ing scant mention were the hundreds of
Human Life." Distributed by the tens of
Vol. v. no. 8, 1990
hold the inconsistent claim that private and public morality can be separated. □ 9
The American TFP Brings to Light
Courageous Statements by American Bishops Protecting Moraiity and Human Life Last year, responding to the blatant contradiction of the so-called pro-choice Catholics, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property(TFP)is sued its statement, "Abortion: A Real Slaughter of the Inno cents Is Being Carried Out Every Day Throughout the World." The declaration, published as a half-page advertisement in the Washington Post, reasserted that a Catholic is by definition antiabortion and supported this affirmation with ten conclu
sive Papal texts from Pius XI to the present. It also circulated as a leaflet in last year's March for Life. Today, in light of the confusion surrounding Catholic moral
obligations regarding abortion, the American TFP feels that antiabortionists will profit by having at hand some recent state ments by Catholic bishops who have stood out in the fight against abortion. By publishing these, we both satisfy this need and pay just homage to the valiant statements of these prelates.
Bishops' Statements: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops^ 1989 Abortion Statement "We who revere human life as created in the image and like
life, and preferential concern for the weak and defenseless.
abortion is of overriding concern because it negates two of
"No Catholic can responsibly take a 'pro-choice' stand when the 'choice' in question involves the taking of innocent hu
the most fundamental moral imperatives: respect for innocent
man life."
ness of God have all the more reason to take a stand. For us
Special Tribute to Jailed Bishop Bishop Austin Vaughan, Auxiliary Bishop of New York
Bishop Vaughan has long stood out for his active pro-life stance and his insistence that it is a Catholic duty to be pro-life. In fact, his most effective statements on abortion have not been only his words but also his antiabortion convictions transformed into heroic action.
Because of his participation in Operation Rescue missions in front of abor
tion facilities, Bishop Vaughan has been arrested on several occasions and even imprisoned. This is the very reason he is not here with us in the 1990
March for Life: He is presently serving a fifteen-day jail sentence for his rescue activities.
"No Catholic can responsibly take a 'pro-choice' stand when the 'choice' in question involves the taking of innocent human life."â&#x20AC;&#x201D;UCCB statement 10
TFP Newsletter
COURAGEOUS STATEMENTS BY AMERICAN BISHOPS
The Nine Bishops of Ohio In a December 15 statement on abortion and political life,
lic funding has sown the seeds of Its own destruction. If a defenseless unborn child Is dependent for survival on the forbearance of another or on the ability to survive indepen
"We cannot judge the state of anyone's conscience before God.... But It Is clear to us that, objectively speaking, the tolerance of abortion In our society and the refusal to allow religious and moral principles to Influence public life are positions which are both morally and socially wrong." Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk of Cincinnati Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland Bishop James A. Griffin of Columbus Bishop Andrew Pataki of Ruthenian Byzantine diocese of Parma Bishop Albert H. Ottenweller of Steubenville Bishop James R. Hoffman of Toledo Bishop James W. Malone of Youngstown Bishop Louis Puscas ofRomanians ofthe Byzantine Rite
dently from his or her mother, then human life has become cheap Indeed and we are all vulnerable.
Bishop Robert M. Moshal of St. Josaphat in Parma
the bishops responded to Ohio Attorney General Anthony Celebrezze Jr.'s recent statement on abortion:
"We Catholic bishops of Ohio are making this statement about abortion and political life In response to the ques tions and expectations which have been addressed to us In the last few weeks.
"The willful destruction of Innocent human life, born
or unborn, Is a social evil of the greatest magnitude. Any society which finds It acceptable for a parent to destroy an
unborn child or which provides for such destruction by pub
in the U.S.
Archbishop Anthony J, Bevilacqua of Philadelphia Following the signing Into law of the Abortion Control Act of 1989 by Pennsylvania Governor Casey restricting access to abortion. Archbishop Bevilacqua released a statement on
Into Pennsylvania law, will inspire other responsible legisla
November 17.
tures to choose the path to life."
"1 firmly hope that the direction to Increase protection for the pre-born, upheld by the Supreme Court, and now enacted
Bernard Cardinal Law, Archbishop of Boston At the Assembly for Life In Boston, Cardinal Law affirmed:
taking of Innocent human life do not find that with the passage
"It Is clear that the pro-life movement is here to stay. There Is no way In which the human spirit will long endure a moral evil like abortion. Those of us who recognize abortion as the
of time and millions of more deaths we are less committed.
Far from It. 1 find myself today more convinced than ever that the killing must stop."
Bishop James McHugh of Camden, N,J, Prior to the November 7 election. Bishop McHugh Issued a
statement titled "Respect for Life and Political Responsibility." "A candidate should ultimately be judged on his or her per
sonal Integrity, philosophy and performance. Anyone who at tempts to separate his or her personal moral convictions from
the shaping of public policy Is unreliable and unworthy of trust."
Bishop Leo Maher of San Diego ISHOP Leo Maher made headlines In 1989 when he denied Lucy Klllea, a California assembly woman, "the
B right to receive the Eucharist In the Catholic Church" because of her "pro-choice stand." Part of his statement communicating this decision follows:
"1 regret to Inform you that by your media advertisements and statements advocating the 'pro-choice' abortion position in the public forum you are placing yourself In com
plete contradiction to the moral teaching of the Catholic Church, and consequently 1 have no other choice but to deny you the right to receive the eucharlst In the Catholic Church. ...
"The 'pro-choice' stand Is a choice for abortion. This Is against both the teaching of the Catholic Church and divine law. The harm you are doing by espousing the 'pro-choice' view will require great efforts to repair. Like those who have abortions, the guilt remains with them, and so will your guilt remain with you as an advocate of this heinous crime.
"Since the 'pro-choice' stand Involves the taking of Innocent human life. It only proves how Immoral abortion Is. If you say abortion Is a matter of choice, you are forgetting someone.'Pro-choice' Is a phrase that Is Incomplete; It lacks an object. One must ask the natural follow-up: the choice to do what? In this case. It Is the choice to take a child's life."
VOL. VÂť No. 8, 1990
II
COURAGEOUS STATEMENTS BY AMERICAN BISHOPS
John Cardinal O'Connor, Archbishop of New York
CARDINAL O'Connor was named head of the Bishops' Pro-Life Activities Committee at the recent bishops'
meeting in November. His opposition to abortion and sup port for Operation Rescue has made him a target of sacri legious attacks by pro-abortion activists. According to an Associated Press report, abortion-rights and AIDS activists disrupted the December 10 Sunday Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral resulting in the arrest of 43 peo
ple. Thousands of others protested outside, criticizing the Cardinal and Church teaching. The archdiocesean paper. Catholic New York, reported that the Blessed Sacrament was desecrated at least seven times during Communion. Answering media allegations that the Church "forced obedience to a religious political agenda" last November, Cardinal O'Connor answered:
"Is abortion a question of religious belief? What reli gious beliefâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that an unborn is a human being? In my view, the terrifying reality is that there are Catholics and others who absolutely refuse even to look at the question of wheth er the unborn is a human being. The 'right' of privacy has been made an absolute, so that a woman is led to believe that even if the unborn is a human being, she has the prior
right to 'privacy' to kill her unborn." At a news conference in Albany on January 17 of this year. Cardinal O'Connor repeatedly emphasized the impor tance of forcing lawmakers to vote their consciences pub licly on abortion saying those who personally oppose abortion but think they must take a pro-choice position to get elected should leave office rather than betray their beliefs.
The Bishops of Montana On November 20, Montana's bishops issued a statement ad dressed to Catholic state officeholders. Bishops Elden Curtiss of Helena and Anthony Milone of Great Falls-Billings re
lic morality that is urged as a compromise by some people in
sponded to Catholic state officials who supported a pro-choice position on November 19 at a pro-choice rally in Helena.
to choose abortion is inconsistent. This double standard of
"We have not violated the principle of the separation of church and state by our public action. The First Amendment
to its logical conclusion: e.g., someone saying that 'I am per sonally opposed to grand larceny and drug trafficking and murder and rape, but I support the right of our citizens to en gage in these activities if they so choose.'
prohibits government from establishing a church or favoring one religion over others. The Church has the right in our democratic society to enter into public debate over moral is sues which concern the dignity of human life and the quality of human life. We seek no favors as we enter this public are
na, and we hope there will be no discrimination directed against the Church because we have been compelled to raise our voices in response to the voices of others. "We do not accept the dichotomy between private and pub
the abortion debate. For anyone to state publicly that they are
personally opposed to abortion but support the right of women morality would be disastrous for our society if it were followed
"If some Catholic officeholders have come to the conclu
sion that in the pluralistic society women must be given the option of choosing abortion in order to guarantee their civil rights, then we have the obligation to remind them that preborn babies have no option but death in these decisions. The Church must defend the most defenseless in our society, which in this issue means babies before and after birth."
Bishop Albert Ottenweller of Steubenville, Ohio Bishop Ottenweller has joined those who have participated in Operation Rescue missions, resulting in his July 15 arrest. "This is a question of civil rights, we've got to be willing
dren, the weakest in society, whose lives are being snuffed out. Something must be done to make people look soberlv at the
to take a stand in order to protest the killing of the unborn.
issue. To show how deeply I feel about abortion an dig nity of human life, I am willing to go to jail along vsnti the
We need to make people think about 22 million unborn chil
other members of our group."
Auxiliary Bishop Patrick VÂť A hern, Vicar of Staten Island in New York City Bishop Ahern is chairman of the New York Bishops' ProLife Committee. He has emerged as a leader in the antiabortion movement, preaching against what he calls an alarming erosion in the conscience of Catholics regarding abortions. "If we stop preaching on abortion, are we not quietly al lowing the issue to be lost?
"So we must preach on it if we wish the consciences of our
people to be not only informed but sensitized, if we wish abor tion to be for them a matter of life and death in the sense they
would never under any circumstances go near it, and also to stir up in them the courage to give witness to others of their conviction."
"Vie do not accept the dichotomy between private and public morality that Is urged as a compromise by some people In the abortion debate."â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Bishops of Montana 12
IFF Newsletter
CATHOLIC
AMERICA
The Heroic Virtues
of Americans Canonized Bishop The gift of enormous suffering
Frontier Missions. For the next four
that Saint John Neumann offered
years Father Neumann labored in a
to God began even before his ordina
frontier farm area east of Buffalo un
tion. As a graduate seminarian, he was
der circumstances that would tax even
informed there would be no ordina
the most dedicated missionaries. The
tions that year in his diocese of Bud-
immigrant pioneers in the area had ar
weis due to the bishop's illness and an
rived only two or three years before Neumann. Forced to cut away the un derbrush before any planting could be done, they suffered from lack of food and money.
ample supply of priests. When Neu mann informed the bishop of his desire to become a missionary in the United States, the cautious bishop even re fused him his transfer papers, which were canonically required for any relo
As is often the case with zealous
missionaries, Neumann's own personal comforts fared even worseâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in fact, did not even exist. He lived mainly on small amounts of corn and potatoes.
cation, until he had been accepted by an American ordinary. Because of these sad circumstances,
His quarters consisted of a two-room log cabin with four chairs and two bat tered trunks. In the early months, he
Neumann left his home without even
saying goodbye to his parents, hoping to reduce their grief, but certainly
increasing his. As Neumann's stage
was compelled to walk miles every day
coach passed between 15-feet-high
to the outlying missions carrying a
snow banks in the Bohemian Forest on
heavy backpack filled with vestments
his way into western Austria, the only tangible hope he could rely on was a vague report that the bishop of Phila delphia needed two German priests;
and sacred vessels. Later, to cope with increasing responsibilities, he traveled on horseback. In addition to admin
istering the sacraments, he found time to teach grammar school four to five hours a day, for he gave great impor
very slim possibilities indeed for a young man without sufficient money, wearing shabby clothes and owning Saint John Neumann,fourth bishop of Philadelphia only one pair of shoes. Nevertheless, he relied confidently on the assistance of der in France. The money reserved for Our Lord Jesus Christ in whose cause he him to continue his trip had been given was taking such an enormous risk. to other missionaries. Neumann now re Even that small hope was dashed when solved to forgo many meals in order to
tance to Catholic education.
Despite all this external activity, Neu mann never neglected his own spiritual life. Rather, he recognized that effica
he arrived at Munich in south central
preserve what little money he had left.
cious action can only be the overflowing of an interior life. He rose early to spend time in prayer and meditation before
Germany. There he met an American
missionary priest, Father John Henni
The last leg of the trip, from Paris to Le Havre, was most trying. Neumann
Divine Office along with other devo
(the future archbishop of Milwaukee),
missed the departure of his coach by five
tions. Although Saint Francis de Sales
who informed him that the request for German priests in Philadelphia had been
of Saint Teresa of Avila inflamed his
withdrawn and suggested that he inves
minutes, thereby forfeiting the fare he had already paid. Through another mis hap, he spent a night trudging in the rain.
sire for a more perfect love of God.
tigate the possibilities in three other dioceses, including New York. When
He finally arrived in Le Havre on April 7, 1836, and booked passage for New York.
In 1840 his long strenuous hours and harsh austerities brought about a com
Mass, and during the day he recited the
was his guide in these matters, the works
Neumann's full circumstances were made
Arriving in New York on June 2, he
plete physical collapse which left him
known, however, the frontier missionary
spent his first day searching, in the rain, for a Catholic church. The next day, with
unable to attend his duties for three
advised him to stay in Europe. With fatigue setting in and so much adversity to face, Neumann went to a church and poured out his heart. "Jesus,
Son of David, have mercy on me!" he
cried. Adding to his affliction, the aspir ing seminarian was passing through a phase of spiritual dryness and melan choly, a purgation which many holy per sons experience that prepares the soul for a higher union with God.
More bad news greeted him when he arrived in Strasbourg just across the borVOL. V, No. 8, 1990
months.
but one dollar left, he went to the cathe
dral to see the bishop, John Dubois, and
Redemptorist Priest. After his illness
to request a loan so he could travel to Michigan or Canada to work among the
in order to lead a more regulated life Neumann joined the order of priests
Indians. The bishop smiled and said he
founded by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, the Redemptorists. Recently-arrived the
would give him money to travel as far as Buffalo for there he was to work as
a New York diocesan priest. Dubois, an ticipating his arrival, had already made the arrangements concerning his accep
German-speaking priests from Europe labored among the German immigrants who had heretofore been neglected. As with most newcomers, the Ger
tance. He was ordained on June 25, three
mans had arrived in America without
weeks after he had landed in New York.
money or goods and had to work long 13
CATHOLIC
AMERICA
hours for little pay in order to eke out
only among the women religious but
a miserable existence. In their isolation
among other penitents, including the new archbishop of Baltimore, Francis
and poverty, they gave little thought to religion or priests and wound up in a
Patrick Kenrick. His visits to the holy
state of indifferentism or, worse, in
priest's confessional gave the arch
some heretical sect. The result was es
bishop an awareness of his confessor's outstanding virtue and ability, an
pecially devastating to the young who, although baptized, reached their late teens without religious instruction and
awareness that was to change the direc tion of Neumann's life once again. Kenrick, who had served 21 years in
the sacraments.
Philadelphia, was, as archbishop of Bal
Requests for the services of the Redemptorists far outran their availabili ty. So great was the demand that Father Neumann, who had hoped to spend his novitiate years in study and meditation,
timore, chief among those who recom
mended Neumann for appointment to
the see of Philadelphia. Bishop of Philadelphia. At mid-
was immediately pressed into service. That year, instead of concentrating on
century, during the rush of the Indus
the interior life, he changed residences
eight times and traveled thousands of
trial Revolution, the United States was undergoing a turbulent expansion. Eu
miles by horseback, stagecoach, train,
ropean immigrants, chiefly Irish and
steamer and canal boat, all in the com
German, and mostly Catholic, were
pany of noisy immigrants. A painting of the schooiboy from Bohemia who
swelling the urban population. This in flux of poor, largely unskilled workers placed an enormous burden on the es
would become Bishop John Neumann.
tablished dioceses, already short of
However, Neumann's love and con
cern for the spiritually deprived drove him beyond his own endurance to great levels of exertion, first as a parish priest in Baltimore, then as a rector of the
Redemptorist foundation in Pittsburgh. The dedicated priest perfected the meth ods that brought hundreds of Catholics back to the Church. He promoted de
vout participation in Church ceremonies, frequent reception of the sacraments and the practice of daily prayer. The results were so gratifying that the Redemptorists were compelled to build large churches in both cities. Meanwhile Neumann and
his fellow priests continued their aposto-
late in the surrounding districts, prepar ing the way for 15 future parishes. While at his home parish, Saint Philomena's in Pittsburgh, Father Neumann followed a routine that indicated a total,
indefatigable dedication to the service of God in which he extracted nothing for himself. He spent hours in the confes sional and took more than his share of
a physician and began to cough continu ally and spit up blood, his superior was forced to step in and order him to see a doctor. When the doctor insisted upon rest, the superior commanded Father
Neumann to relinquish his responsibili
priests and financial resources. Rather than postpone the necessary building and lose the immigrants and their future generations, the bishops embarked on a building program with borrowed money in a dangerous economy. The choice of the bishop for the dio
of God find little rest on earth. A few
cese of Philadelphia was of paramount importance, for it was one of the largest and most important in the country. Af
days after his arrival, he was made su
ter the candidates were reviewed, Father
perior of all Redemptorists in the United States. The problems he faced were enor mous. Lacking an imposing presenceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;
Neumann received the most favorable recommendation. When this news reached
ties and report to Baltimore for a rest. However, those interested in the glory
he was only five feet three and soft-
spokenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the superior's difficulties in handling almost insoluble problems caused many of his priests to complain to the governor-general in Europe about
his supposed lack of administrative tal ent. When the harried superior made
Neumann, he was horrified and mounted a strong campaign to prevent his nomi nation.
However, the great Pope Pius IX would accept none of his objections and on February 1, 1852, named him bishop of the vacant see under obedience and
without appeal. Bishop-elect Neumann,
no effort to defend himself, he was re
when informed of his elevation, immedi
baptisms and weddings. Most urgent sick
moved from the top post and appointed
calls he took himself, telling his assistants
rector of the newly-built Saint Alphonsus Church in Baltimore, a position that most of the backbiters agreed was more
ately fell to his knees and remainec all night. His fellow Redemptorist pncsts
to go back to sleep because they needed the rest.
One of Neumann's assistants, Fr. Francis Seelos, whose process for can onization has begun, observed Neumann
praying far into the night. Still, the saint would be the first to arise in the morning
in line with his temperament. Thorough ly pleased with the turn of events, the always-resigned Father Neumann, now 38 years old, looked forward to the life
found him in the same position the fol lowing morning. Accomplishments. Although most
bishops and clerics recognized John Neu mann's potential as a bishop, many
would have preferred to have seen him in
and, with his usual thoughtfulness, start a fire so that upon rising the others in
of a parish priest with time to write some theological and historical works. Like many other canonized pastors,
the community would find the rooms warm. Other priests, since they noticed
for the confessional. Drawing on his
vicar-general. Father Sourin, would say
that he was always awake when they re tired and up when they arose, wondered
deep knowledge of monastic discipline and ascetic theology, he undertook the
if he slept at all. Not surprisingly, Father Neumann's health suffered under this regime. When
direction of several orders of nuns in Bal
that many wanted "a man more accord ing to the judgment of the world." How ever Neumann proved their skepticism
timore. His enthusiasm for the honor of
without merit on both accounts.
the zealous pastor was reluctant to visit
dent desire for religious perfection, not
14
Neumann exhibited an enormous talent
God inflamed many hearts with an ar
a less significant diocese because of his unassuming nature and somewhat doubt ful reputation as an administrator. His
One story illustrates the quickness and forcefulness of his response when it was TFP Newsletter
CATHOLIC
required. Despite having spent most of his pastoral life administering to the needs of and building churches for the
Germans, some felt it was not enough. Some Germans, upset when the new bishop built a church for English-speak ing Catholics in an area where they thought they had priority, bitterly com
plained to him that he had deserted their cause. Whereupon he promptly rebuked them: "Thank God I am not a German; I am a Bohemian." Further incensed by this response, they attempted to wreck
a train the bishop was planning to take. Fortunately an alert trainman spotted the derailing device. Then the unruly Ger mans marched on his residence to hurl
insults at him. After listening in silence for a while, the bishop came out and firmly pronounced the sad words,"I ex communicate you!" That ended the dem
onstration. Those involved later repented and were received back into the Church.
An appreciation of the totality of Neu mann's greatness requires a word about his material accomplishments. In a dy namic building program during the eight years of his episcopacy, he increased the number of churches from 100 to 180, a monumental achievement in financing,
especially when most of the new parishes serviced the more recently arrived and thus the poorest of his flock.
Saint John Neumann's greatest fame,
that it would benefit the Church to re
move a young candidate "from the nox ious influences of the world and to
shelter and foster him in the salutary at mosphere of her secluded sanctuary till his character has developed and he has grown up in the wisdom of God"(John Berger, Life ofRight Rev. John N. Neu mann, D.D., Benziger Brothers, New York, 1884, pp. 351-357). Forty Hours Devotion. Although fre quently caught up in a whirlwind of ac
tivities, Saint John Neumann never let his spirit stray from the Presence of God. Whenever he entered a religious house or hospital, he immediately visited the chapel and knelt before the tabernacle where his soul became absorbed in God.
The bishop wanted to bring that com
AMERICA
without self-love, the arduous schedule over the years was taking its toll on the bishop's iron constitution. At lunch on January 5, 1860, members of his house
hold noticed symptoms of unusual suf fering. Bishop Neumann himself admit ted something was wrong but thought some fresh air would do him some good. After walking a few blocks, he suddenly staggered, collapsed, and, at age 49, gave up his soul some moments later. His early death left all in desolation; this was a man who deserved to live much longer.
One of the largest funeral processions ever seen in Philadelphia carried his body with great difficulty through an enor mous throng of people that lined the
streets, a tribute to the bishop whose sanctity was recognized by these people and solemnly proclaimed by the Holy
munication of love and devotion that comes from adoration before the ex
Church on June 19, 1977.
posed Blessed Sacrament to all the peo ple in his diocese. For that reason, he
Epilogue. Pope Pius IX provided the Bishop of Philadelphia with a special in
introduced the Forty Hours, which had been held on an individual basis prior to
dogma of the Immaculate Conception on
this time but never before on an or
ganized diocesan schedule. Some priests, and even other bishops, advised against the plan because they
vitation to attend the definition of the
December 8, 1854. Along with 53 cardi nals, 140 bishops and 50,000 priests and other religious. Saint John Neumann ho
nored the incomparable purity of the
feared that the strong anti-Catholic cli
Blessed Virgin Mary. The great pontiff,
mate in the city might result in some blasphemous incident. In the preceding
himself a candidate for canonization, gave the American bishop the honor of
decade two Catholic churches had been
holding the text as he read the proclama
however, rests on his monumental con
burned down and another saved only
tion. Neumann's love of Our Lady and
tribution to Catholic education. Because
with recourse to arms. However, one night the bishop fell asleep at his desk.
parish schools were virtually nonexistent, Catholic parents were enrolling their
Awakening he noticed that the candle had burned down, charring but not ig
hatred for the oncoming and suffocat
ing evil which he perceived over 140 years ago were eloquently expressed in a pas
children in the newly expanding public school system which ignored the soul and its eternal destiny. Realizing that the pur
niting his papers. Saint John seemed to hear the voice of God saying, "as the
deserves attention, he complained about
pose of education was not just to obtain knowledge but also to inculcate virtue
flames are burning without consuming the writing, so I shall pour out my grace
and love of God, Neumann protested un equivocally that a secular education led
in the Blessed Sacrament. Hesitate no
the ungodliness, excessive pleasures, adultery and never-ceasing sin of those who "have been following wandering
longer . .." Accordingly the plan was
stars to whom the storm of darkness is
to the spiritual ruin of Catholic children.
adopted, and eventually spread over the
reserved forever." Then in all this tribu
Preaching tirelessly and acting energeti
entire nation.
lation, he pleaded, "to whom can wp
cally, he made history by establishing the nation's first diocesan board of educa
tion. In his first two and a half years as
toral delivered just before his departure to Rome. In brilliant language that
turn with more confidence than to h Death of Ihe Saint. Amidst these con
tinual accomplishments of a life lived
Divine Mother, whom the Church has never invoked in vain?"
â&#x2013;Ą
bishop, he increased student enrollment
from 500 to 9,000 and eventually built at least 35 new schools.
The saintly bishop was able to com bine his zeal for education with his love
for the innocence of the youth in another innovative project, the development of a minor seminary. He realized that the
youth, susceptible of both good and bad, too often admired the worst in their com
panions and thus stained the purity of
% -â&#x20AC;˘"/ 4
their souls. Hoping to avoid the usual worldly temptations that interfered with
priestly vocations, he established a spe cial high school called a minor seminary. In a six-page pastoral letter he explained Vol. V, No. 8, 1990
The body of Saint John Neumann rests in the Church of Saint Peter the Apoetle In Philadelphia
AMBIENCES, CUSTOMS AND CIVILIZATIONS
LOVE AND FEAR IN CHRISTIAN PIETY A CCORDING to Church leaching, love and fear of God are virtues.
exaggeration and delirium. In reaction, saints, theo
Since neither antagonism nor contradic tion can exist among the virtues, love does not excludefear and fear does not
logians and preachers per tinaciously stressed the role
exclude love.
treasures of grace, of the
Furthermore, both of these virtues are
of love. As a result, many ological and pastoral wis
wise we cannot envision a saint without
dom, and ofartistic beauty blossomed in the Holy Church because of Her
fear. One could affirm that love is the
most characteristic and best elements which we
higher virtue and that these virtues in fluence each soul in different degrees, according to its individuality and the
need not mention.
essentialfor salvation. If we cannot en vision a saint without love of God, like
In this way, a wise and strategic maxim was ap
economies of grace. But, disregarding
plied: whenever one side of
one virtue under the pretext ofstimulat ing another—that is, maintaining silence regarding fear to develop love, or vice versa—usually inflicts irremediable dam age on souls.
something is exaggerated,
Now, there was a time when the pro
foundly balanced piety of the faithful held love andfear in proper perspective,
whence both virtues were proportionately reflected in sermons, art, and religious literature. Later, however, Jansenism
stressed the role offear to the point of
i
\
one must accentuate the other side.
Let us bring this princi ple into focus and see how to apply it today. Which one is being exaggerated? Love orfear? It seems modern man sins neither by excessive love norfear. Much to the contrary, having forgotten God and having been impregnated with sec
sacrilegious hands pull His hair and beard; a crown ofthorns, a derisive sy/n-
ularism, naturalism and indifferentism, he takes no account of God, neither loving Him nor fearing
but rather feels a fathomless sadness.
Him.
bol of His royalty, is set upon His ven erable forehead. But Jesus, with eyes lowered,seems neither to see His enemies nor to feel the enormity of the outrage, This is truly the gentle Savior Who
suffers everything for our redemption with a meek and humble Heart.
Consequently, the solu tion to this complete lack
of love and fear is to call men to God by attracting them to one and the other
virtue. Forfear also brings
men to God:thefear ofthe Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
( ( T UDAS, dost thou betray the Son
7:ofMan with a kiss?"Bothfaces
were close to each other at the memora
ble moment of this infamous kiss and terrifying question. Giotto depicts this scene in another painting in // ne
chapel. With his low forehead, ji<.iuby
/N this regard, religious art can be of much help. It is a marvelous means of demonstrating how Our Lord Jesus Christ should
be loved and feared. In the famous Arena Chapel at Padua, the im
flesh, grim look, vulgar nose, loath somely soft and drooping lips, Judas reveals an inexpressible infamy in his whole being. Jesus—noble, infinitely su
perior, and possessing an ineffable moral loftiness—looks upon him with a gaze wherein a sparkle oflove, rebuke, sever ity, and total repulsion can be found. Poor, miserable Judas, who did not want
to open his soul to the love orfear which
mortal brush of Giotto left us this mocked Christ, an
this gaze elicited and to which this dole
the patience of the Divine
invitation to love and to fear, it sank
ful and pungent question invited him. admirable representation of And, because his soul resisted every Master. His adorable face from theft to deicide and from deicide is barbarously wounded; to despair. . . □ 16
TFP NEWSLETTER
TFP Spring 1990
The TFP Presents an Analysis ofthe State of World Affairs IN LIGHT ofrecent developments behind the Iron Curtain, the Canadian Societyfor the Defence of Tradition, Family and Property(TFP)feels compelled once again to address the Canadian public by presenting an analysis of world affairs written by the illustrious Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira, president ofthe Brazilian TFP - one ofour sisters organizations. This work was recently f published in The Wall Street Journal,February 27,1990,pp. AlO-All, and in 51 other newspapers throughout the World. Having been originally published in Brazil, it is natural that one or another part ofthis analysis be exemplified by circumstances in Brazil
that do not necessarily occur in other countries. Such is the case ofthe examples given on land reform and the media uproars against the
Brazilian TFP in Section V. However,this does not in any way diminish the international scope ofthis analysis. The Canadian TFP believes that Prof. Oliveira's article is an effective means to counteract the naive view of Glasnost and Perestroika which has been conveyed to all nations by the revolutionary psychological warfare ofinternational communism. ^ The Canadian TFP endorses this document and i makes it its own. We earnestly recommend it-
readings well, including those who do not agree with us, so that they reconsider their positions or reply to the questions they are being asked.
i
Canadian Societyfor the Defence of Tradition, Family and Property
The TFP Presents an Analysis of the State of World Affairs
Communism and Anticommunism on the threshold of the Millennium's Last Decade by Plinio Correa de Oliveira
1 Discontent: a Conflagration Sweeping the Soviet World The reforms of peresu oika in the Soviet Union and the centrifugal political movements which recent-
being restricted. In the schools the teaching of materialism, of atheism, in short, of communist irreligion is mandatory. These evils are even more pitiful when considered as a whole than when considered individually. In other words, if complaints have been made against this or that aspect of Soviet reality, recent evidently attest to the existence of an outburst of real furore against the whole. And, because this furore is directed against the whole, it affects the regime and inflames all
ly almost plunged Azerbaijan and Armenia into civil war, also agitate Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on the Baltic, as well as (further
south) Poland, East Germany, Czechoslova- H|^ kia,Hungary,Romania,Bulgaria,and Yugos- |Hr
the human capacities of indignation. Thus, it becomes an all-encompassing discontent
against the communist regime, state capital-
lavia. Heightened by the spectacular dismantling of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain. these upheavals, as a whole, constitute a co-
B ism, despotic atheism, and, finally, against everything which is a product of Marxist ideology and its application to all the countries
lossal movement of a magnitude unheard of
since the two world wars or perhaps since the
^
Napoleonic wars. All of thi activity within the European
, ... ^ jr;>'
IhkL
scene reflects varied circumstances and has k
different meanings,depending upon the place. K
other meanings with a single impulse;Discon-
total discontent of all time.
^H|
Nevertheless, hovering above is a common ^ J
meaning, encompassing and permeating the ||J
now in turmoil.
It is. then, truly the case to speak of Discontent. It is probably the most encompassing and
j^b|||||H
Hr
1 • Moscow's Frightful and M
Grudging Concessions The frightful and grudging concessions Moscow has been making here and there
clearly aim to avert a widespread transforma tion of this discontent into revolutions and civil wars.
We use a capital"D"because this discon-
However,the facts also reveal the dubious
tent is one toward which all regional and national, economic and cultural discontent con-
scope of these concessions. For if they seem to appease tempers a bit, they nonetheless
verge. Having accumulated in the Soviet
awaken among the Discontented the con sciousness of their own strength, and of the
world for many decades, this discontent is I
represented in ,the indolent and tragic apathy y °
.holds , Prof. u Plinio ^Correa de Oliveira, who a chair in the Pontifical Catholic Univer
but is physically restrained from speaking out, moving freely, protesting, in short, from ex-
ciety of Tradition, Family ctety for for the the Defense Defe
temalizing an effective disagreement. This
and (TFP),is the author of the world and Property Property(TFF
of someone who disagrees with everything
has been the total disconient-albeit mute and paralytic—of each individual in his house, hut or hovel, where many times the family no
longer exists, marriage having been frequent-
ly replaced by concubinage. This has been the
gjjy of Sao Paulo, Pgjjlo |Brazil and Is the president sity of the the National National Co of Council of the Brazilian So renowned Message of the TFPs:" What Does self^anagi^g^Soc Self-Managing Socialism Mean for Commun
weakness of their Muscovite adversary who only yesterday had appeared omnipotent. Whence,the Discontented may well be taking advantage of appeasements to rall\ iiig numbers of followers and to prepare iiicin for enormous manifestations-to be held perhaps
ism:A A Barrier? Barrier? On ism: Ora Bridgehead?'The Mess
sooner than expected-which will be even
age age was was published publishec in 1981 and 1982 by 47 newspapers in the United States and the newspapers in th other Americas, and in Europe. Australia.
more demanding than the previous ones. In this way, the typical process whereby
^51^300 Afdca. Asia, and Africa.
insurgent movements advance toward suc
discontent of someone whose children were
cess may develop step by step as the obsolete
taken more than once from the "home" and
and putrid establishments decline.
coercively given to the State which took charge of their entire education. This has been the discontent in the workplace, where
laziness, inaction and boredom prevail most of the time and where
• History*s Greatest Outcry ofIndignation
paltry wages barely suffice to buy the scant and shoddy goods and merchandise-which are the typical products of state-owned in dustry in a regime of state capitalism. Comments on the total lack of quality and quantity of everything are whispered all along the
If events in the Soviet world thus develop, without encounter ing significant obstacles, the political observer need not be too
lines of people formed outside the shops, where nearly empty shelves shamelessly reveal the misery. There has been discontent, above all, because everywhere there are cases of religious worship being forbidden, churches being closed, and religious instruction
astute to perceive the final result: the overthrow of Soviet domi
nation of its immense empire, until recently surrounded by the Iron Curtain; and the roar of a single, immense and thunderous outcry of indignation from the enslaved and oppressed peoples from beneath its ruins.
â&#x2013; ft'j /wM! <ÂŤv
2 Questioning Those Directly
Those responsible have been preponderantly the higher eche lons of the Soviet Communist Party, which have always exercised
Responsible for Such Immense Misfortune: the Supreme Leaders
the highest authority in the Soviet hierarchy, superseding even that of the communist government. The heads of the communist parties
of the Soviet Union and
responsible.
the Captive Nations
This outcry win be voiced above all against those directly responsible for so much pain accumulated for such a long time, over such immense expanses, and upon such an impressive number of victims.
Unless logic has totally deserted human events (a tragic deser tion which history has witnessed repeatedly in epochs of total decadence like this end of century and millennium), the victims
of so many calamities will unite their clamours to demand (hat the world bring those responsible to justice.
and governments of the captive nations have been analogously These leaders could not have ignored the untold disgrace and misery inflicted upon the masses by the communist doctrine and
regime. Despite this, they did not hesitate to spread this doctrine and to impose this system.
3 Questioning the Naive, the Soft,
and the Collaborationists (Whether
Willing or Not) in the West
H OWEVER. we should consider--aIways within the bounds of logic-that it is not only against the aforementioned that
-I , . .. 'nK'-.
r Rally in Baku. Azerbaijan's capital.. Discontent In Eastern Europe: a colossal movement of a magnitude unheard of since the two world wars.
so many men. families, ethnic groups and nations clamour for justice.
• Optimistic and Shallow Historians Deadened the Reaction ofthe Free World
Against the Plots ofInternational Communism
A second round of questioning will be directed to the many Western historians who, during this long period of Soviet domi
nation. wrote optimistically and superficially about what was happening in the communist world. They will be asked why they
*aahob
t
were content to say so little about such immense misery in
synopses read and acclaimed by certain media around the world. This effected the deadening of the Free World's just and necessary reaction to the infiltration and plots of international communism.
• Public Figures in the West Did Little to Free the Victims ofSoviet Slavery Finally, the Discontented will turn to the public figures of the rich countries of the West and ask them why they did so little to Soviet ship loading at an American port.
free countless victims from the dark and endless night of Soviet slavery.
When this happens, we know well what these ever-smiling, well-rested, well-groomed, and well-fed public figures will jovially respond: "Come now! You blame us? We are precisely the ones who sent so much money to your governments,extended
•
Western Aid Prolonged the State ofMisery Viewed objectively and concretely, reality is not that simple,
them so much credit, and bought the shoddy goods produced by
nor is it as easily understood and described as they seem to think.
your inferior industries. We did alt this to lessen the pangs of your hunger, and here you are with this foolish reproach!" They will yet add: "Go to the UN. to UNESCO, and to so many other
agine millions upon millions of individtials being tortured in
institutions that champion human rights, and see how many gran diloquent and polished proclamations we have issued throughout the West to protest your plight. Was this not enough?" If these amiable Western potentates think they thus stifle the
Fuelled by Discontent, the masses will necessarily reply: "Im chambers as vast as countries. This was the state of affairs behind
the Iron Curtain. Most Western aid was given to the torturers who controlled these torture chambers of national dimensions, not
directly to the poor victims. In other words, aid went to govern ments which, under the iron hand of Moscow, kept 'sovereign'
objections that will be inevitably directed to them, they are mis
and 'allied" nations in submission behind the Iron Curtain—like
taken.
Poland. East Germany,Czechoslovakia, Hungary and others—not to mention the Soviet Socialist Republics 'united' to Moscow and
more clearly and officially dependent upon the despots of the Kremlin. More often than not. it was these tyrannical governments who received the Western handouts."
i;]K
At this point of the argument, doubts will ensue . the Discontented will certainly bring up. It will not be easy to answer them.
Undeniably, some of these resources, received by the puppet governments behind the Iron Curtain, did in fact go to their
respective victims, and, thus, .somewhat alleviated their misfor tune or maybe even prevented some of them from dying of
starvation. Nevertheless, even in this regard,embarrassing objec tions have arisen from the ranks of the Discontented even before
the present upheaval.
Thus, the most tormented and indignant among them have pondered that in so far as the West gave the torturers resources which attenuated the victims' needs, it afforded them the means
to placate the public's indignation. In this way, the West pro longed the domination of these tyrants. In this case, would it not have been tnore useful to the sub
Line to buy food supplies in Wroclaw, Poland
jugated peoples if the West had not sent these resources? Then, the outburst of Discontent would have occurred sooner, bringing with it the final and total liberation of these miserable subjects.
â&#x20AC;˘
The Crusade That Never Was
We do not know if these captive nations will one day really be free before the punitive and therapeutic catastrophes predicted by Our Lady in the apparitions at Fatima supervene (see Antonio A. Borelli, Our Lady at Fatima: Prophecies ofTragedy or Hopefor America and the World? Pleasantville, N.Y.: American TFP,
1985, pp. 51-52). What we do know is that, when these nations are free, the Discontented will demand strict accounts for all this from the
''benefactors."To save their reputation,these''benefactors" will be obliged to dig deep into many an archive and blow the dust off many a document-or perhaps they will opt to keep them under
lock and key so silence may once again descend upon such questions.
In truth,the flowery proclamations of UNs,UNESCOs and the
like have made them indifferent, just as victims being tortured would be indifferent to smiles, polished with greetings and soli darity,from people watching their torments with crossed arms.
"We needed a crusade to free us," they will exclaim, "and you merely sent us some bread to help us endure indefinitely our captivity. Perchance, were you ignorant that the best solution for captivity is not merely bread, but freedom?"
There may be valid arguments to counter these-complaints of the captives, but we think they may be difficult to find.
â&#x20AC;˘ A Victory ofthe Hard-liners Would Only Aggravate the Exasperation and the Western aid prolonged the state of misery.
â&#x20AC;˘ Suicidal Accomplices in the Spread ofCommunism We of the TFP must confess that, for us. this question is perplexing. This is especially so since we have never heard that the Western benefactors had ever made these grants contingent on
strict guarantees that these resources not be used for the acquisi tion or manufacture of weapons and ammunition to keep these people captive. Nor was it stipulated that they not be utilized against the donor-nations in case of a war against the West. Let us get to the bottom of the matter. Since Moscow has the wherewithal to undermine all the nations of the world through its network of propagandists and conspirators,can we be sure that the prodigious amounts used had not included considerable portions of the money furnished for various purposes by the West?
Complaints All the Western media have made it a point to note that the victory of this gigantic Discontent still hangs in balance. No one can guarantee that the crushing of rebellions, accomplished with
such success and promptness in the Square of Heavenly Peace (!) in Peking, and recently repeated with at least apparent success in Baku, will not reoccur in several other focal points of Discontent. Admittedly, these successive suppressions are able to impose a caricatural mask of peace upon this Discontent-the cai peace of those no longer living.
ais
Such an outcome would certainly produce multiple global effects, the greater part of which are not as yet predictable. Nevertheless,from the point of view of the Discontented,it would
only aggravate their exasperation and complaints, principally against the West. From deep within their dungeons, the Discon
tented would add yet more imprecations to the already extensive list against the West.
They will necessarily allege against the West: "Until 1989In this case, besides being a benefactor of the victims of
1990, we had not yet filled the world with our cries. But we had
communism, would the West not also be an involuntary (let us
this opportunity in 1989-90. Since then, not even the sheerest veil
concede this) accomplice of the hangmen? Furthermore, could they not also be considered suicidal collaborators in an attack
separates us from you. You have seen and heard everything, and in spite of this you have added little to what you were already
against the West, as well as partners in spreading the communist
inadequately doing in our favour."
error among the nations?
Once again we would be at a loss and embarrassed to reply.
• Did They See Nothing? For many a decade,communist leaders of the different coun tries maintained constant and varied contacts with Moscow,where
they were received naturally as partners and friends on numerous occasions.
•
Did They Tell Nothing? Upon their return they would immediately contact their re
spective communist parlies where everyone would avidly ask them what they had seen and heard in Moscow, the veritable mecca of international communism.
• Did They Ask Nothing? Judging from what has filtered out to the general public regarding their reports, one would say that these leaders never
attempted to seek first-hand knowledge of the living conditions of the Russians and other subjugated peoples. They did not see the
endless lines forming in the pre-dawn cold in front of the butcher shops, bakeries and pharmacies in expectation of poor and scarce merchandise whose acquisition is fought over as if it were alms. They did not observe the poor in rags. They did not notice the complete lack of freedom afflicting every citizen. They were not impressed with the dejection and general silence of a population afraid even to speak through fear of police -brutality against suspects.
Did these communist supporters in the various nations of the
4 Questioning the Leaders Of the
Free World ever question the Soviet leadership about the reason behind so much police supervision if the regime was really so popular? And if this was not the case, did they ask why the regime was so unpopular, since it .spent such enormous amounts on propaganda to persuade Westerners that the Russians had finally found a system of perfect social justice in a bountiful paradise
Communist Parties Throughout
capable of satisfying everyone?
the World
• If They Knew about Communism^s Tragic
NEVERTHELESS,we should not fool ourselves into thinking that, as regards reproaches and calling to accounts, the only polemic is the one between the victims crying out through the increasingly generalized cracks of the immense Soviet dungeon and their torturers. We should also not think it to be only the one between these same victims and their smiling and parsimonious benefactors in the West, who occasionally may be favourable to
their cause throughout the future stages of servitude. Who knows when this will end, since it depends on what an enigmatic future will bring. Yet another polemic needs to be considered plausible, one
between the populations of the countries of the West and the leaders of their respective communist parties. The latter have been widely and comfortably established in all the non-communist
Failure, Why Did They Want Itfor Their Own Countries? If the communist leaders of the Free World knew :
'its of
communism to be those that everyone now sees, wh} ..al they conspire to extend this regime of misery, slavery and shame to their own countries? Why were neither money nor efforts spared to attract the elites from all levels of society to the arduous work of implanting communism? Why did they go to the trouble to seduce the spiritual elite: the clergy; the social elites: the upper and middle bourgeoisie; the cultural elites within the universities
and the media; the elites of public life, whether civil or military;
the unions and all types of professional organizations; university and high .school students, and even grade school children? Were
the persuasive power of money and the efficacy of communist
they blinded by ideological passion to the point of not perceiving that the doctrine and regime being preached to their countries could only produce identical fruits: the misery and disgrace brought to the immense Soviet world extending from the margins
propaganda tactics.
of the Spree in Berlin to Vladivostok?
nations of the world due to the prestige of communism's claim to ideological and technological modernity,and,occasionally due to
•
When a Prominent Voice Spoke the
Cardinal Ratzinger:"The shame of our time cannot be ignored:
Truth—Astonishment
nations In conditions of servitude which are unworthy of mankind.
while claiming to bring them freedom, these regimes keep whole
Wesiem public opinion had only a vague idea of the black misfortune in which the captive nations found and still find themselves. This was so much so that when, in 1984, a man of
remarkable apostolic intrepidity had the courage to issue a strong ly worded overview of the situation, the West reacted as if the explosion of a bomb had been heard throughout the whole world.
Who was this man? A world renowned theologian, a prominent
figure in the life of the Church, he is Jo.scph Cardinal Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. And what did he say? "Millions of our own contemporaries legitimately yearn to recover those basic freedoms of which they were deprived by totalitarian and atheistic regimes which came to power by violent and revolutionary means, precisely in the name of the liberation of the people. This shame of our time cannot be ignored: while claiming to bring them freedom, these regimes keep whole nations in conditions of servitude which are unworthy of mankind" {Instruction on Certain Aspects ofthe "Theology of
Liberation"Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, August 6, 1984, no. XI, 10).
He .said all that, and only that—and public opinion in the West trembled. Now, years later, the gigantic crisis that embroils the Soviet world proves not only that the cardinal was right, but also that his valiant words had only been a concise description of the horrible reality.
The Great Interrogation to Come For the moment, what is happening in the Soviet world so absorbs everyone's attention that there is not enough space here
for more profound reflections, analyses and interrogations. But the opportune moment will come. Then, public opinion
will grill the communist party leaders of the West as to why they remained communist in spite of knowing that communism had dragged the nations under Moscow's yoke into such misery.
For this reason, several of them now tend to label themselves
Because these leaders knew of the miserable situation in Russia
as socialists, a change not merely of labels, so they claim, but also
and the captive nations, the public will demand that they explain why they consented to lead a political party whose only goal was to throw their own nations into this extreme poverty, slavery and
disgrace. Finally, the public will ask why they so assiduously desired such a sombre objective that they did not think twice about hiding from their own henchmen the truth, which might have made at least some of them desert the Red ranks in horror.
In conjunction with Moscow, the communist leaders of the
various free nations plotted to bring misfortune upon their respec tive countries. Future generations will consider this attitude as one of the great enigmas of history. This enigma is already beginning to arouse the curiosity of those keen enough to perceive the problem and to eye it questioningly.
one of content.
Such changes immediately suggest some thoughts: 1. What the communist parties do in the future cannot,in itself,
justify what they have or have not done until now. For example, changing their label in no way explains why they have supported everything done in the Soviet world to the present date. Nor does it explain the silence of the communist parties of the Free World regarding the terrible misery in the Soviet Union and the captive nations, With this in mind, the questions raised above conn ■ ^ be compelling. 2. The present changes can only be taken seriously if the communist parties clearly state:
a) What has changed in their doctrines, philosophically, socioeconomically, and so on;
• The Hasty Whitewashing ofthe Communist
b) Why they changed them and how these changes relate to perestroika.
Parties' Facade Does Not Guarantee a Real
Change ofDoctrines The leaders of the various communist parties spread throughout the world did not want to see or could not .see this seven-decade-old situation, cruelly laid bare by the dramatic events now shaking the Soviet world. This situation has begun to make the communist parties in the different countries visibly uneasy. The very label''communist party," once borne so proud ly, already seems to be psychologically clumsy and tactically vexatious.
3.Furthermore,the communist parties must concretely clarify: a) What their present position is regarding the freedom of the Catholic Church and. mutatis mutandis, of the other religions; b) How they now envision the freedom of political parties, as well as of different philosophical, political, cultural, and other currents, in accordance with the rights guaranteed to man by the Decalogue;
c) Whether they have changed their doctrines and legislative goals as regards the institutions of the family, private property and free enterprise; and if so, how;
d) Finally, if they consider their new look to be a reasonably stable order of things, or merely a phase in an evolving process toward other positions;
"v?l
8 Clipping from
Canadian Communists
breaking with ix)litical past TORONTO — The Communist Par
ty of Canada has decided it would rather be dead than red
Goodbye Marx.So longLenia Welcome to the "SOs. TTie wall is
The Spectator^ Hamilton, April 12,1990. The
country. Typical useful innocents have been the conservative-
looking clergyman,the unflappable and easy-going bourgeois,the politician who seems completely absorbed by the unideological political flimflam and hodgepodge,and the like.They did noteven see what little the media did show of blights of the communist
events now
regimes. Nor did they see the advance of the Red offensive in the
shaking the Sovi
daily life of the nation.They did not fear a future communist coup, much less a communist victoiy. Exuding insouciance, they lived
et world have
begun to make the communist
parties in the
tranquilly. Their action created a climate of prejudice and disdain around anticommunism that was symmetrically opposed to the climate of
different
sympathy and trust that their innocence,so rarely sincere,effected
countries very uneasy... The hasty
for the benefit of communism.
whitewashing of
down, left is moving right and 1,400 Canadian comrades are searching for a new ideology, a new identity
their facade does
and a new name
doctrines.
not guarantee a
real change of
"People would say, Tou're a nice e)If the latter be the case, what are these positions? Without these clarifications, the hasty covering of the com munist parties'facade with socialist whitewash does not guarantee in the least that the communists have really changed doctrines.
Why Did They Implacably Fight the Anticommunists, Who Created Obstacles to the Penetration of the
Soviet Ignominy in Their Countries? .L HERE IS something even worse. Why did these same commiunist leaders compound their deceitful silence about the Soviet "paradise" with a seven-decade-long systematic and in defatigable detraction against all individuals, groups and currents earnestly dedicated to preserving their countries from the Soviet misifortune through public awareness of this danger?
Communism has also continually availed itself of the colla boration of fools, of whom Scripture says; ''Infinitus est numerus'' (Eccles. 1:15), and of whom ''parvus est numerus'' in the Red ranks.
We note that useful innocents would generally not take the initiative of speaking against anticommunist figures or groups; rather they preferred to systematically ignore them. However,if someone in a certain circle, raised a discreditable
fact and attributed it to some anticommunist person or group, the useful innocent was the first to believe it, the most indignant in reacting to it, and the most likely to add a detail(whether plausible or not) to "confirm" it.
On the contrary, if someone in the same circle mentioned
something that discredited a communist person or group, the useful innocent,armed with the systematic doubts of a benevolent method of analysis, would immediately begin jjleading attenuat ing circumstances on behalf of the accused, lamenting the possi bility that unwarranted police investigations could disturb his family, and so forth. There is possibly a certain dose of fairness
and common sense in all this; but there is, above all, a cunning and veiled partiality toward the communists. This becomes evi dent when considering that the useful innocent has recourse to
these niceties only for persons and groups of the left, never for those of the right. In his conduct the clever useful innocent would never utter a
word in favour of communism. This was indispensable to his action, for if he were to praise communism, he would raise
suspicions,cease to appear innocent and,consequently,no longer be useful.
• Networks Within the West,in the Service of the Muscovite Adversary For this torrential and continual defamation, the communist
parties skilfully set up networks of auxiliaries within sectors of society unsuspected of favouring communism. These included a
considerable number of "useful innocents" (not necessarily idiots), and also deft practitioners of the tactic of giving up something so as not to lose everything, and others. This is all conceived and decided according to the particulars of local cir cumstances in each country.
• UsefulInnocents: Clergy, Bourgeoisie and Politicians Who Did Not Attack Communism but Sustained an Incessant
• The Task ofOther UsefulInnocents Other useful innocents developed distinctive tactics. These others were likewise not supposed to praise co'^munism openly. Their essential task was to fan the leftist sympai of all those who were not yet communists, consequently leading them to collaborate, even if only in part, with the Communist party of their country. In Latin America,for example, among a group of ranchers who only weakly opposed land reform,this type of useful innocent would merely bemoan the low productivity of some latifundium, leading those who agree with him to actively oppose its existence. In other words, he engages them in pro-land reform activities that at least partially implement the plan of total land reform envisioned by communism. Thus, the communists and useful innocents would begin for ming a united front for a moderate land reform.
Barrage ofDefamations Against Anticommunist Organizations Useful innocents are masters at eliminating the notion of how noxious communism is and of how imminent a danger it is to every
But this was only the first stage. In this "moderate" group, the same useful innocent would stimulate some to favour a confiscatory division of medium-size
properties, not just those of the latifundia. This was an implicit invitation-once the desired result was achieved~for all the leftists
to advance with him in a united front to the next stage: the
confiscaiory reform of all rural land holdings, whether large or small.
In this way, communism's final agrarian goal would be attained.
•
Other Collaborationists of Communism The same things could be said of those
who use the tactic of giving up something so as not to lose everything, and the others, but this would needlessly extend the present work. One must at least consider the above to
form a general picture of communism's ad vance in a given country. The sinister nature of such a picture is. undoubtedly and principally, a consequence of the sinister nature of the fate reserved for
f..
l\
any country under communism.
• Attempting to Demolish
Through Calumny: the Inanity ofthe Media Uproars Against the TFP
Carrillo and Marchais, leaders of the
Spanish and the French communist
parties. It the communist leaders in the West knew the fruits of
communism, why did they conspire to extend this regime of slavery to their own countries?
The sinister nature of such a picture can also be seen in the refined injustice with
which,to serve the enemy's advance,attempts are made to slander anticommunists through anonymous whispering campaigns. Those who commit the "unforgivable sin" of defending their
country against those who want to impose the same terrible fate under which a growing number of captive nations and ethnic groups writhe, wail and revolt are dragged through the dirty waters
Meanwhile, the era of Gorbachev arrived, leading to what we all see. The truth about the Soviet Union and the immense bloc of
captive nations is now patent. The TFPs have the right to publicly record these reflections
and to question especially their most direct opponents, the com munist leaders of the West.
of defamation.
At times these attacks of the enemy-inspired and supported
by communism when not directly or indirectly started by it—have not been limited to whispering, but have grown to the point of becoming full-blown media uproars lashing out against one or the other of the TFPs spread throughout six continents. For example, in the last twenty-four years the Brazilian TFP-the oldest and
largest-has undergone twelve such uproars, each like an over whelming hurricane taxing the TFP's ability to resi.sl. Each uproar is supported, right from the start, by cliques of useful innocents spread throughout the country and by diverse and
6 The Great Cross: Fighting with Brothers in the Faith
However,while these rcnections may be lengthy due to the complexity of the subject, they cannot omit a key point. We are speaking of the longstanding disagreement—painful on so many accounts-wiih a large number of brothers in the Faith.
•
From Pius IX to John Paul II
untiring teams of detractors so adept at working within families, sacristies, clubs and professional groups.
Typically, while everything whispers, churns, and howls, the TFP calmly prepares its reply. Upon release, the ever serene, courteous, but implacably logical reasoning of the organization begins to silence the adversary, who rarely rejoins but gradually withdraws to his lair. And his supporters of all stripes do likewise.
Already in the painful and glorious days of the pontificate of
Pius IX (1H46-1878). the collections of pontifical documents showed a radical and irremediable opposition between the tradi tional doctrine of the Church on one hand and the sentimental
daydreams of Utopian communism and the rancorous and pedantic assault of .scientific communism, or Marxism, on the other.
Gradually,everything is "forgotten." The enemy retreats and the
This incompatibility became all the more pronounced during
TFP emerges, in most cases without having lost a single member,
subsequent pontificates, as retlecied, for example, in the polished
volunteer, supporter, donor, friend or sympathizer. Though these uproars try their utmost to spread to the various countries of the world, they have not impeded the growth of the
and precise affirmation of Pius XI in the encyclical Quadmgesimo Anno of I9JI: "Socialism (. . .) is founded upon a doctrine of human society peculiarly its own, which is opposed to true Chris tianity.'Religious Socialism,' 'Christian Socialism,' are express ions implying a contradiction in terms. No one can be at the same time a sincere Catholic antl a true Socialist" (Acta Apostolicae Sedis. vol. 2."^, p. 216). Yet more notable is the famous decree of
TFP family of autonomous sister organizations-presently the world's largest network of manifestly anticommunist societies inspired by the traditional magisterium of the Church-existing on six continents
1949 forbidding Catholics to collaborate with communism, cer tain forms of collaboration falling under pain of excommunica-
only great, but literally incalculable.
■yi
In 1949, by order of Pope Pius XII, I
the Sacred Congregation of the | 1965) an example.
Doctrine of the Faith issued a decree ■
• because of the atmosphere
prohibiting Catholics, I of the nascent Vatican Ostpolitik, the under pain of excommunication, to I representatives of the Russian "Ortho-
collaborate with communism.
| dox" Church were invited to attend the Council sessions as official observers.
How did the Holy Church benefit from that? To date, the benefits have been
meagre. As for disadvantages, we
t Catholic ause would be discus ed. mention only one.
Presided over by John XXIII and later by Paul VI, the Vatican Ecumenical
Council II was the largest in the history of the Church. It was agreed that all the major topics of the day related to the
That the attitude of the Church toward
Her greatest adversary at that time be
among these topics was essential-absolutely essential! In Her nearly twothousand-year history. the Church had never encountered such a powerful,
brutal and cunning adversary, so com pletely opposed to Her doctrine. A dis lion. Issued by the Sacred Congregaiion of the Holy Office, the decree was promulgated by order of Pius XII.
Such pontifical acts intended to prevent Catholics from joining communist ranks, as well as to stop communists from infiltrating Catholic circles under the pretext that certain socioeconomic problems called for mutual collaboration.
The latter was particularly important, since, by extending their hand to Catholics ("the policy of the extended hand") in this fallacious collaboration, avowed communists and especially use ful innocents of all stripes entered into familial and assiduous
conviviality with Catholics. This created a propitious climate for enticing considerable numbers of the faithful to Marxist philos ophy and action.
•
The Era of Vatican Ostpolitik From the Kremlin to the communist cell of the remotest
village, the immense propaganda machine of international com
munism started showing signs of partial relaxation in its opposi tion both to the free nations of the West and to the different
churches, notably the Holy Catholic Church. These reciprocated a new attitude toward the world behind the Iron Curtain. This
change, however, had already become manifest during the ponti ficate of Pius XII's successor. Pope John XXIII (1958-1963). This
tendency toward relaxation continues to our day, having culmi nated with Gorbachev's recent visit to Pope John Paul II. In 1969, with the beginning of the Ostpolitik of Chancellor
Willy Brandt, this German word entered into common usage.
cussion of contemporary problems facing religion that fails to deal with communism would be as
flawed as a world medical conference convened to study today's major diseases that omits any reference to AIDS. This is what Vatican Ostpolitik accepted from the Kremlin. The latter declared that if the subject of communism were debated during the Council sessions, the ecclesiastical observers of the
Russian "Orthodox" Church would leave that great a.ssembly definitively. The possibility of a tumultuous break in relations
caused many sensitive souls to shudder with compassion for fear it might rekindle barbaric religious persecutions behind the Iron
Curtain. In view of this possible rupture, the Council did not discuss the communist AIDS!
The extended hand was covered with a beautiful glove, the velvety glove of cordiality. But there was an iron hand inside the glove. While the highest Church authorities sen.sed this, it did not
stop them from pursuing the Ostpolitik. thus leading a growing number of Catholics to adopt an attitude toward communism
which amounted to a veritable "dismantling of ideological bar
riers." And. in the realm of action, these Catholics ii ingly joined the left in attacking private capitalism while au . .mating state capitalism. They thought the former was opposed to the "preferential option for the poor," while the latter could at least
be likened (or more than just likened) to this option so extolled by the present Pontiff. Oh. what a cruel surprise state capitalism had in store for them!
The TFP amid the Storm
Thus, it was also applied to the Vatican's policy of relaxation, even though the latter chronologically preceded that of Bonn.
This whole sequence of truly dramatic facts could not fail to
Evidently, from Pius XII to John Paul II, there has been an
deeply astonish-or. save for confidence in the Bles.sed Virgin
enormous shift in the Vatican's diplomatic approach to the com munist world. Undoubtedly, the matter has doctrinal implications
For this reason, right from the grey and sombre "dawn" of this
which are of the competency of the Roman Pontiff's Supreme Magisterium. However, the matter is essentially diplomatic and, in its strictly diplomatic aspects, can be the object of divers evaluations on the part of the faithful.
Thus, we do not hesitate to affirm that the advantages the communist cause obtained with the Vatican Ostpolitik were not
Mary, even "excruciatingly distress"-the members of theTFPs. crisis, as early as 1943, a handful of Catholics who would later give rise to the Brazilian TFP sounded the alarm in a work that
received a letter of praise written on behalf of Pope Pius XII by the Substitute Secretary of State G. B. Montini, later Pope Paul VI (Plinio Correa de Oliveira, Em Defesa da Acao Catolica, foreword
by Benedetto Cardinal Aloisi Masella, then Apostolic Nuncio to
11 Brazil). A storm of counterattacks broke out immediately and
the TFPs and TFP Bureaus now in twenty-two countries—is sum
numerous Catholic circles closed themselves to our action in
consequence. These circles were hotbeds for future communists who participated in the upheavals of 1963-64. Ecumenical in relation to everything and everyone,especially the left, the Cath
marized in this passage from that declaration:''In this filial act we say to the Pastor of Pastors: Our soul is yours, our life is yours. Order us to do whatever you wish. Only do not order us to stay idle in face of the assailing Red wolf. To this our conscience is
olics ofthe left were already showing themselves to be inquisitor
opposed."
ial toward us!
Thus began the most painful period of our fight. Previously, this fight had been undertaken against the Red wolf; our very fidelity to the Church now compelled us to wage the fight against sheep of the same flock,and~oh sorrow of sorrows-even against one or another shepherd of the blessed flock of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
This protracted struggle, steeped in the tears,sweat and blood of disappointment, is narrated by the TFP in two books, one of them quite recent{Um Homem,uma Obra,uma Gesta, 1989; and Tradition,Family,Property:Haifa Century ofEpicAnticommunism, 1980).
Suffice it to say that, with the support ofthe then existing TFPs, the document'The Vatican Policy of Detente Toward the Com munist Governments—For the TFP:To Withdraw? Or to Resist?",
addressed to Pope Paul VI, was published in 1974 in Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, the United
States, Uruguay and Venezuela. Those TFPs all declared them selves to be in a state of respectful resistance to the Vatican's Ostpolitik. The spirit behind this resistance—and which inspires
• Interrogation? No,Rather a Brotherly Appeal, To you, beloved brothers in the Faith, whose vigilance was circumvented or is being circumvented by the communist fallacy,
we address no interrogation. To you,from our ever-serene heart, there issues forth an appeal overflowing with ardent affection in Christo Domino: Confronted with the terrible picture of our days, admit, at long last, that you were deceived. Bum what you were aiding and abetting. And fight alongside those whom even to this day you are helping to "bum." Sincerely,categorically, without biased ambiguity, but rather with the enormously respectable frankness inherent to humble contrition, tum your back on those who have deceived you so cruelly. And direct toward us a serene and fratemal gaze of brothers in the Faith.
This is our appeal to you today. It expresses our timeless dispositions, those of yesterday as well as tomorrow.
EQUADOR: LIST OF COUNTRIES AND NEWSPAPERS THAT HAVE PUBLISHED THIS ARTICLE
BOLIVIA: EJMundo (Santa Cruz),3/04/90 EIDeber(&nta Cruz),3/04/W Diario (La Paz),3/10 90 Zor7>:»ff/x»'(Cochabainba), 3/25/90 EJCJno(Potosi),4/01/90
Gazeta (Sucre),4A)2/90 BRAZIL: Folha deSao Paulo (Sao Paulo),2/14/90
EJComervio(Quito),3/14/90 E/Telegrafo ZC7a»;aquil),3/14/90 Z/tfcvTW ^bahoyo), 3/18/90 GERMANY: Die »4-//'(Haroburg),5/12/90
ITALY: CorreirvdeJlaSera(Nationwide),3/07/90 IJ Tempo(Rome),3/08/90 Lepaato(Rome),Jan.Feb./90 Cn'stiaaila (Piacenza), MarTOO
NICARAGUA: La Prensa (Managua), 5/08/90
A Cidade(Campos),2/22/90 A Gazeta (Vitoria),2/!23W
OEstado deMinas(B.Horiz.),3/08/90 ODian'o(Maringa),3/11/90 Catoliciswo(Sao Paulo),3/09/9O
Dian'oPopular 3/10/90 Zero Hoia(Porto Alegre),3/14/90 Djan'oPopu/ar{?e\o\as,),3/14/90 Poiha deLondiina (Londrina),3/14/90 Dian'odoNoroeste(Paranavai), 3/14/90 Dian'o doNordeste(Fortaleza),'iPQISQ Tribuna do Parana (Apucarana),3/27/90
PERU: Esptvsty (Lima),4/16/90
PORTUGAL: ODia (Lisbon),3/10/90 OSemaaario(Nationwide),3/10/90 (Rio Maior),3/30/90
SOUTH AFRICA: DieStar(Johannesburg),4/05/90
ANoticia (Joinville),3/29/90
CANADA: Speak Up (Toronto), Mar./90
CHILE: Z7J^/rfl/7r>(Santiago), 3/02/90
COLOMBIA: EJTiewpo(Bogota),3/28/90
SPAIN: Ya (Madrid),3/18/90 E/Pr/ar(Zir3goza), 3A9/90 LasProviadas(Valencia),3/19/90
Covadonga Informa (Madrid),Mar./90 MundoPinandero (Madrid),Apr./90
UNITED STATES: The (Nationwide),2/27/90 DarioLasAmericas(Miami),4/01/M
EJDetvcbo(Pasto),3^1/90 DiariodelHuHa(Neiva),3/31/90 E!Informador(Santa Marta), 3/31/90
COSTA RICA: La Nacion (San Jose), 3/25/90 Eco Catolico(San Jose), 4/01/9O
URUGUAY: EiPais (Montevideo),4/01/90 VENEZUELA: EJUaiversai(Caracas),3/13/90 EiNadonai(Caracas),3/21/90
12 As we conclude this document,our voice is taken by emotion, and veneration hinders our words. Our filial and reverent gaze is now raised to you,O venerable shepherds who disagreed with us. Where can we find the befitting terms of affection and respect to
Gorbachev,Glasnost and Perestroika Interesting Quote
be placed in your hands~in your hearts~at a moment like this? Mutatis mutandis, we can find none better than those which we
addressed to Pope Paul VI in 1974. We utter them on our knees, while requesting your blessings and prayers.
"Today, of course, we are not strong enough to attack.... To win we shall need the element of surprise. The bourgeoisie will have to be put to sleep. So we wiU begin by launching the most spectacular peace
The TFP assumes the responsibility and risks for the questions asked in sections II through V and for the appeal to the Catholics of the left in section VI of this document. All were made on the TFP's own account.
movement on record. There will be electri
Obviously, those questioned and those to whom the appeal is addressed have the right to respond. Indeed,because they are in the very countries in which we live,
fying overtures and unheard of conces sions. The capitalist countries,stupid and decadent, will rejoice to cooperate in their own destruction. They will jump at an other chance to befriends. As soon as their guard is down, we shall smash them with our clenched fist." Dimitry S. Manuilsky, lecture at the Lenin School of Political Warfare,
the communist leaders of the West and the Catholic left have not
only a right to respond but a duty to do so. To them, therefore, we address our final question: Will you remain*silent or will you speak? You have the floor.
Sao Paulo, 11 February 1990.
Moscow,1930
The Canadian TFP
CLIP AND MAIL
The Canadian Society for the Defence of Tradition, Family and Property(TFP),founded in 1984,is a civic, educational and cultural organization. Comprised of militant Catholics shocked at the advance
Help promote the statement "Commun ism and the Anti-communism on the Thre shold of the Millennium's Last Decade" and
of the Catholic left, the TFP works to alert the Canadian
public and our leaders about the increasing^ and nox
support the TFP's great effort to make this clamour for justice against communism
ious influence of socialist and communist principles in intellectual life. The Canadian TFP sustains the inviol
ability of the innocent human being's right to life from the moment of conception until natural death. Therefore, the TFP opposes induced abortion, infanticide and eutha nasia.The TFP,however,is not a negative movement that is simply anticommunist, antisocialist, and the like. From
available to others.
□
□ Please send me
its very founding, the TFP has presented its fight in a positive manner,dedicating itself to promoting tradition, family and private property with its twofold function: individual and social. These three values are especially
reprints i
'S
statement.
□ Please send me free information about the Canadian TFP.
targeted by the destructive action of the left and the TFP
believes that they should be particularly emphasized and
Name: Address: City:^
understood by the general public. Sound Canadian tradi tions and the institutions of the family and private property are pillars of Christian civilization in our country.
According to Canon Law, the Canadian TFP can be
classified as an association of Catholic inspiration,com prised of laymen acting in the temporal sphere under their own responsibility {Code of Canon Lmw, canon 227). Nevertheless,the TFP has the traditional teaching ofthe Supreme Magisterium of the Church as its guiding HghC
Enclosed is my donation of $
Prov: Tel.(
P.Code:
)
Canadian TFP - P.O. Box 973, Station "A" Toronto, Ont. M5WIG5 - Tel. (416) 221-8537
L
TFP Newsletter' April/May/June 1990 * Quarterly publication of the
Canadian Society for the Defence of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) Second class mall, Reg. No. 6910 * Date of publication: May 1990 * P.O. Box 973, Station A, Toronto, Ontario M5W 1G5
J
„
PC: Politically Correct or Programmed Convergence? An Orwellian-like Virus Attacking the Values of Western Civilization "KJEWSPEAK was the official lan1\ guage of Oceania and had been de
The aegis under which PC moves is
Under the loosely-knit ground rules of "PC"—the nomenclature for politi
hardly contestable. No one of sound
cally correct thinking—it would not be sufficient for students to refrain from
moral thought defends racism. What is frightening is that intolerance at univer
proper to the devotees ofIngsoc, but to
making disparaging written or verbal comments about minority groups or those engaged in deviant lifestyles. They would also be expected to affirm the
sities is not only being taught but is be ing imposed upon students and "reac tionary" faculty alike. To the phraseolo gy of Newspeak,"War is peace, Freedom
make all other modes ofthought impos
presence of these groups on campus
is slavery, Ignorance is strength" can be
vised to meet the ideological needs of Ingsoc, or English Socialism. . . . The purpose of Newspeak was not only to provide a medium ofexpression for the world-view and mental habits
sible. It was intended that
added "intolerance will not
when Newspeak had been adopted once and for all and Oldspeak forgotten, a
a totalitarian philosophy.
heretical thought—that is, a
tolerance have bordered on
thought divergingfrom the principles of Ingsoc—
dark comedy. The Chicago
should be literally unthinkable, at least so far as thought is dependent on
Smith College orientation
be tolerated!' PC is, in fact, Some incidents of PC in
Tribune reported that a hand-out announced restric-
tions against "ageism: op-
words" (George Orwell,
-
"g;
J984, Harcourt, Brace and
•*
j
World, 1949, app., p. 303).
4 m
w I T—\
pression of the young and old"; "classism: oppression
1 ■
of the working class and non-propertied by the upper
H|||b ^ and middle classes"; and
Winston Smith, the tragic ^^9 main figure in Orwell's clas-
even "lookism; the belief
sic novel 1984 on the estab-
TmBKr
lishment of a totalitarian re-
U,
gim^ would undoubtedly experience a shocking sense of
that appearance is an inc
BHpB cator of a person's value.
^
^
_
The University of Connecticut issued a statement
d6j& vu if he lived in 1991.
• -
Mini "Ministries of
prohibiting "inappropriately directed laughter" and
Truth'' varying in name and
C_
"conspicuous exclusion of
form but united in a single purpose, to change the con
p "Thought police" are believed to be prowling about our campuses puses
students from conversa tions." Another Orwellian
sciousness of an entire generation of stu
and study their literature along with
category is "ableism: oppression of the
dents, are springing up like noxious weeds on campuses all across the coun
the more traditional works of classic
differently abled by the temporarily abled." While handicapped persons lack something other persons possess, what
try and threatening to choke out the
flowers of freedom of expression. The stated goal of these organizations is far sweeping: to eliminate all forms of "prejudice"—from the lowest form found on graffiti-scarred walls to the in tellectual tradition that Western Europe played the central rule in the develop ment of the history of civilization.
authors.
Is there something of the radicalism of the sixties involved here? More than a lit
sense does it make to attack logic and
tle! The generation of campus radicals
language to pretend otherwise?
who have disappeared from street
Apparently, the search for euphe
demonstrations have ensconced them
misms has become the new intellectual
selves in professors' chairs at institutions of higher learning. Agitation on the streets has been replaced by infiltration
pursuit on college campuses: No one is called "old." That person becomes a
and coercion in the universities.
"non-traditional age student." NonCaucasians are "people of color."
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP)
NATIONAL
Gregorian comments, "Yes, [but he excluded] blacks, women and
In Winston Smith's nightmare world of George Orwell, "the 'B'
/ rA.v^_
vocabulary consisted of words which had been deliberately con structed for political purposes.
all kinds of other people. And I want world civilization."
o,
Words, that is to say, which not
./ ^ O W}^NS 'c/
only had in every case a political implication, but were intended to
The PC view supports this perspective that the canon perpetuates the power of "dead white males" over women and blacks from be
yond the grave. In agreement is
impose a desirable mental attitude upon the person using them. . . . No word in the 'B' vocabulary was
Molefi Assante, head of African
American studies at Temple University. Assante sweepingly states, "either you support mul-
ideologically neutral. A great many were euphemisms" (ibid.,
pp. 306 and 309).
ticulturalism in American educa
tion, or
One of the most controversial
you
support
the
PC initiatives, as reported in News-
maintenance of white supremacy."
week, occurred at the University of Texas Austin campus, where the English faculty chose a new text for
What Assante is proposing is a change in values—not just in read ing lists. Is the concept of liberty a universal value? Apparently not to him, for he points out that African com
dergraduates. Previously, teachers had
Politically,PC is Marxist in its origin, at least in the broad sense of "class strug
a wide range of essays to choose from
gle" and in its attempts to redistribute
munities have "communities" as their
for students to read and discuss. Now,
power from the white class to the
ideal.
all reading will be taken from an anthol
minorities.
required study by about half of new un
ogy called, "Racism and Sexism: An
Following the collapse of communist
Integrated Study," by Paula S. Rothen-
domination in Eastern Europe and the widespread publicity of the utter failure of the Soviet Union's economic policies
berg. In her study Rothenberg explains that
the sine qua non of racism is subordina tion (read: hierarchical structure) which in Western society is exercised only by whites over blacks and men over women.
Rothenberg's position was objected to by Prof. Allen Gibben, who voiced the minority opinion. He derided the course
thought at our universities? There are
some who recognize the dictatorship that PC threatens to impose. Knowingly or
cians still sounds unceasingly throughout
unknowingly, they ignore the real dan
the halls of higher learning. Says David
ger to individual liberties posed by such a movement. Hoping that this will be a transitional phase—a momentary purg
Little John of Berkeley's Graduate School of Literature: "An overwhelm
Philosophically, PC's orientation pro motes the concept that the right to free speech must be subordinated to the guar
antee of equal protection under the law. This has given rise in Washington, to proposed legislation to counter campus
Is Big Brother (or as PC devotees would demand, "Big Person") already manipulating important currents of
rent generation of idealistic youth. The siren call of the left-wing politi
as "Oppression Studies." He charged
about the course."
nigh impossible.
to provide even the basic necessities for its own people, Marxists have found PC to be the perfect tactic to attract the cur
that by dictating the content of the read ings, the department "presumes that the
content is the most important thing
In George Orwell's Newspeak, the ex pression of unorthodox opinions— except for a very low level—was well
ing proportion of our courses are taught by people who really hate the system" {Newsweek, 12/24/90). This rejection of hierarchy is the un derpinning for another PC canon, "mul-
ing of defects in the system—they wrap
themselves in the false promise that a better world will eventually emerge from this confrontation.
Those who recall the promise of
ticulturalism." This is an assault against the primacy of the great Western tradi
place the proletarian dictatorship—know
tion found in the "great books" hand
better.
Marxism—a better world that was to re
ed down over the centuries.
"thought police." In an unusual political alliance, conservative-minded Rep. Henry Hyde
An article in Rolling Stone(3/21/91) alludes to this attack. Brown University president Vartan Gregorian, referring to
Forty years it had taken him to n what kind ofsmile >v<75 hidden beneath
(R-IL) has won the endorsement of the American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU) for his proposed Collegiate Speech Pro
the canons, stated in an interview: "Let
the dark mustache. O cruel, needless mis
me talk about the canon debate.. . . Are
understanding! O stubborn, self-willed
we talking about American civilization?
exile from the loving breast! Two ginscented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle wasfinished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother"{Qeorge Orwell, op.
Western civilization? Or world civiliza
tection Act.
The measure would broaden a right that students at state-supported schools
already enjoy to include their classmates at private institutions, a right to sue for relief when charged with violations of campus rules against offensive speech.
"He gazed up at the enormou
tion? Everybody confuses them. "Is America the guardian of Western civilization? If it is, there is a certain in
tellectual imperialism implied there." In commenting on Mortimer Adler's
recent update of the Great Books canon,
cit., p. 300). by Philip Moran, Sr.
TFP NEWSLETTER Is a publication of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). John Horvat ii, Editor. Subscription complimentary In the United States. Rates for foreign subscriptions and list of other TFP publications available upon request. Direct ail subscription requests and inquiries to: The American TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pieasantviiie, N.Y. 10570. Telephone:(914)241-7015. Copyright © 1991. Permission is
granted to reproduce in whole or in part any article of this newsletter with credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER.
AMBIENCES, CUSTOMS AND CIVILIZATIONS
Aging Gracefully or Shamefully IN today's society, at least as it per tains to the natural aging process,
"young" is "in"—"old" is "out." Everyone wants to appear young.
There is a strange anomaly here. While it is fashionable to collect antiques and
even vintage automobiles, a deep-rooted sentiment of displeasure exists among those for whom old-age is still far dis tant. For women and men alike, even the
appearance of "looking older" is to be avoided at all costs.
Do you doubt it? Look around you and perhaps at yourself. Nowhere is this "ageless" phenome
by the sporty look, bright colors and bold lines. This look is most evi dent at the beaches or tourist havens where one
can find serious profes
sors, well-known politi cians, shrewd bankers
and business people dressed exactly like their grandchildren: barefoot with shirts and shorts more suited for toddlers than for those so close to
the age of tottering. Their
non more evident than in the field of
hairy arms and bony legs
women's cosmetics. Not only is the in tent to reduce the appearance of age as much as the implacable march of time
belie the wry smiles on their aged faces and the
artificial brightness forci
will permit but to halt this process some
bly maintained in their
where around the adolescent years. With men, hair coloring becomes the elixir of
tired eyes. In every aspect
a youthful appearance. This need to be "young" spills over
dous effort necessary to
into clothing styles and colors, attitudes, gestures, language, topics of conver
ciously attests itself, af firms itself, proclaims
sations—everything is explored and ex
itself throughout all their
ploited to maintain this impression of
pores.
eternal youth. More and more, the typical clothing
WHY is this so? Above all, because
for the mature age—conservative styles
the pagan men of our time live for
and discreet colors—have been replaced
pleasure—and the age for pleasure par
of the closeness of death, but in compen
excellence is youth. This is
sation his soul would emit sparks of im mortality.
one can see the tremen
hide an age that pertina
^
true at least for those who do not understand that youth, as a certain author wrote, was not made for
His physique might suggest a reminder
A memorable example of all this in our century was Winston Churchill
' pleasure but for heroism.
to whose intelligence shining with lucid
There is more, yet. While old age can repre-
ity, to whose iron will a great people en
|j sent the fullness of the soul, it most certainly shows the decadence of
the body. Now, modern man
a materi-
alist shutting his eyes to
^
be the true beauty of his latter years.
everything spiritual, the course of aging naturally
causes him horror.
In reality, however, if a man knew during his lifetime how to grow not
only in experience but in penetration of spirit, in
trusted the most arduous of tasks—to
restore a decadent empire.
The first picture shows him at a, He is indisputably a very handsome, telligent man on his way up. However, not even his gaze has the profundity, nor his bearing the assurance, nor his coun tenance the Herculean strength of the
photograph of Churchill in his old age shown in the second picture. His youth is undoubtedly gone and el
egance along with it. His soul, though, grew while time implacably marked his body. This soul, by itself, was the col umn upon which an entire empire rested.
common sense, in strength of soul and in wisdom, his mind would acquire in old age a splendor and a
How much fuller and more decisive these commentaries would be if we were
nobility that would shine
to consider the supernatural aspects of
in his face and would
the matter.
In the mere natural order, this is the
glory and beauty of old age.
□
TFP
NEWS
A Campus Campaign for Lithuania puses. And discussion did ensue. "We have to give Gorbachev a chance!" was the broken-record
comment of campus liberals every
msmETO(xuFMioHOFiJWumk ^
where.
"The problem with communism is just that it was badly applied," was yet another objection. "What about freedom in Ameri
ca?" was the way many tried to
Concerned students at Ohio State stop to sign the TFP's petition and discuss various issues.
UNIVERSITIES have always been
avoid speaking about the obvious human rights violations in Lith
Theofillus Matuiionis In his youth: a striking gaze of watchfulness, purity and firmness.
uania.
I am wasting my time," brusquely
Avoiding the issue did not always work, however, as many students re called the January 13 crackdown in
man of the Council of Commissars of
which Soviet tanks crushed defense
the Socialist Republic of Lithuania, to
declared Mecislovas Gedvilas, chair
the Most Reverend Theofilius Matuiionis,
ing a wide range of causes. However,
less people after more Soviet troops en tered Lithuania to arrest youths who re fused to enlist in the Red Army. "I don't know what is happening to
this popular vision of a university as a
Gorbachev," remarked one student
Russia, the clergy helps the government
forum or even marketplace for ideas is suffering modification. It seems that some ideas are more "politically cor
from Ohio's Kent State. "I don't blame Lithuania for want
defeat its internal enemies."
ing to be free from Russia," said a stu
[priests
rect" than others.
dent from the University of Kentucky.
church]," the prelate answered with dig nity, knowing, nevertheless, by his ex perience with "socialist justice" that he
beehives of activity where one can find the most diverse groups promot
And so, when the American TFP
returned to campuses this spring with a follow-up campaign in support of diplomatic recognition for Lithuania, it was bound to be controversial. Like
so many other anticommunist causes, Lithuania was left off the PC agenda. "It's good to see an organization like
yours on American campuses support ing a just cause. I'm so tired of all these left wing looneys," remarked one stu
dent for the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
"Finally something worthwhile is be ing done. I'm fed up with all these pe titions for El Salvador," exclaimed another student.
Students were asked to sign a peti
"Never let our government forget that there are people who care or they will forget about Lithuania," com mented a student from Ohio.
At times, the discussions strayed from the topic of Lithuania and touched controversial issues like abor
tion, the existence of God, the Church's
position on moral issues, and the need for tradition, family and property in our time. Debates often followed, with
students taking sides. "Politically cor rect" students frequently responded not with arguments but with harassment and name-calling, which made it diffi
at that time bishop of Kaisiadorys, Lithuania. "I see that you really do not want to collaborate. You know that in
"We are not your orthodox popes of the
Russian
schismatic
would never be forgiven.
His courageous answer reflects well the bold and unwavering attitude of a confessor of the Faith in face of com
munist tyranny. This position trans formed him into a living symbol of the anti-Soviet Catholic resistance of the
Lithuanian people. Since this June marked the fiftieth an
niversary of the beginning of the mass deportations carried out by the Soviets in Lithuania, it is opportune to nresent
some highlights of the life of this
or
cult to collect signatures for Lithuania.
dinary clergyman who died in 196^: in the
Despite such incidents, demonstra tions of support were not lacking.
odor of sanctity after having suffered all manner of persecutions by the Reds.
tion to Secretary of State James Baker urging the U.S. to support full diplo
"PC, PC, PC everywhere! and not a
matic relations with Lithuania and to
senior in Tennessee, referring to the
pressure the Kremlin to withdraw all its troops from that Baltic nation which was forcibly annexed to the Soviet Un ion in 1939. So far, thousands of sig
liberal atmosphere on campus. "Keep alive the freedom for our
natures have been collected in the drive.
"I am proud of . . . all the pains
was ordained a priest in 1900. He served
that these young gentlemen are going through to enable Lithuanians to have the rights that we Americans have to day," commented a Tennessean.
two parishes in Latvia. In one of these
One of those rights might well be to speak about topics like an anticom
trary to the czarist laws, he was sen tenced by a civil tribunal and transferred to a monastery in Saint Petersburg where Catholic priests served their sentences.
The campaign aims not only at col
lecting signatures but at prompting dis cussion on campus. "The American TFP invites the students of this univer
sity to briefly discuss the brutal Soviet occupation of Lithuania," read the placard above the table set up on cam
drop of truth!" wrote one exasperated
In the Soviet Prisons. Theofilius was born in 1873 in the Lithuanian town of Zibieciai. He studied at the Catholic
seminary in Saint Petersburg, then the
Catholic faith and heritage," remarked
capital of imperial Russia, to which the
a Catholic student.
Baltic countries had been annexed, and
munist Lithuania on campus.
â&#x2013;Ą
parishes he baptized, in articulo mortis, the newborn son of a Catholic father
and a schismatic mother. This being con
TFP Newsletter
RELIGIOUS HISTORY
Bishop Theofllius Matulionis â&#x20AC;&#x201D;The Lithuanian 'iy/iindszenty' This was located next to the beautiful
Church of Saint Catherine, where Father Matulionis was allowed to work as the
assistant until being named pastor of the church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, on
the outskirts of the city, which was fre
quented by Lithuanians and Poles. Although the Russian Revolution broke out in 1917, the priest was not dis turbed until 1922, when he was con
demned to prison for three years for "subversive activities."
Isecrationpublic.Dretlyaferhis
1945, when the Soviets reoccupied the
country, he sent a letter to the pastors alerting them to the danger of the com
munist organizations for youths. At the beginning of 1946, the Lithua nian bishops published a joint pastoral letter that the government considered
Matulionis said he preferred to stay in
subversive and anti-Soviet and that pro
Russia since "the Catholics want to have
voked the imprisonment of several bish ops. Bishop Matulionis was condemned to seven years, a light sentence by the
their priests near them, even if they are
in prison. They then feel themselves in spiritual contact with them and not 'or phans.'"Evidently, he could not reveal that he was a consecrated bishop. Includ ed against his will on the exchange list by the Lithuanian ambassador, he re turned to Lithuania in 1933, where he
was received as a confessor of the faith.
Only then did he make his episcopal conreturn to Lithuania, he said: "I am
usual communist standards. At the end
of this period he was transferred to an
asylum in Mordovia. Only in 1956, when he was 82 years old, was he allowed to return to Lithuania, but, not, however, to his diocese. Leading his flock in exile, within Lithuania itself. Bishop Matulio nis wrote a pastoral letter, his last, in De cember 1957, on the devastation that alcoholism and the affliction of abortion
thankful to God that I could suf
were causing the nation. He also secretly
fer for Christ. And if I could suf
consecrated a bishop to succeed him.
fer more for Him, I would do so with pleasure." Bishop Matulionis then fulfilled
The communist government, always with its eye on him, exiled him to Seduva and put him under house arrest. There
his great desire to see the Pope and
he died in 1962 at the age of 89. Before
receive his blessing. In a private audience, Pius XI called him a "martyr" and knelt to ask him for
his death, the Holy See honored him with the title of "Auxiliary Bishop of the Pontifical Throne" and, shortly after
his blessing.
ward, with the title of archbishop.
While awaiting the opportunity to return to his diocese in Russia,
the prelate settled in Kaunas and worked there for ten years as a chaplain to the armed forces and the Benedictine convent. There he
which he visited in 1935. This confessor
instituted perpetual adoration of
of the Faith stands as a bold example of
the Blessed Sacrament to attract
courage for all those who continue the
blessings on the country and to cel ebrate the 550th anniversary of the
in face of the sinuous but irreducible
rise of Catholicism and the 20th
Gorbachev, to preserve the independence
anniversary of Lithuanian inde pendence.
proclaimed by its parliament and over whelmingly confirmed by the recent referendum in the "Land of Mary."n
While still in this city, Bishop Bishop Matulionis,a man who completely gave him ilm-
Matulionis participated in the Eu-
self to God with a resolution of never turning back. >ck.
charistic Congress in 1934, when Lithuania was consecrated to the
At this time, Pius XI charged Bishop Michael D'Herbigny as his representative to choose five priests there and secretly consecrate them bishops in order to pre serve the ecclesiastical hierarchy in the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, having "from this day on," as the prelate would later say, "the right to bear the name of 'People
country. Father Matulionis was released in 1925
of Lithuanians to Russia, Bishop
and later, in 1929, was consecrated aux
iliary bishop of Leningrad with rights to succession. Shortly afterward he was once again taken prisoner and con
of the Heart of Jesus.'"
In 1941, after the great deportations Matulionis wrote to the Pope asking, "if it is considered necessary and useful," to permit him to return to Russia to take
demned to ten years of forced labor on
up his apostolate anew. The Pope granted him authorization, but the Nazi govern ment in Berlin, which then occupied
the Solovki Islands in the White Sea.
Lithuania, denied him an exit visa.
Considered a Martyr by Pius XI. Dur-
Bold Attitudes. In 1943, Bishop Matu-
ing an exchange of prisoners between the
lionis was appointed bishop of Kaisia-
Soviet government and Lithuania, which gained its freedom in 1918, Bishop
a 155-mile long border with Poland. In
VOL. 5, NO. 9, 1991
Bishop Matulionis's fame of sanctity
quickly spread throughout Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and the United States,
dorys, a Lithuania diocese then sharing
heroic fight in Lithuania as it struggles,
The elderly Bishop Matulionis: After suf and persecution, his resolution Is unchant.
TFP
NEWS
Ecuadorian TFP Denounces
The Fallacy of
Revolution of Indian Tribalism
Restitution of Land to the Indians
Ecuadorian President Garcia
Given that many of the questions be ing raised in regard to the Indians in
Moreno received Holy Communion for the last time at Saint Dominic's
Church, in Quito, on August 6, 1875, the day he was martyred. Last year, this same church, which contains true jewels of
K L/m
ACDNRIE
ECUHCRUNRP^
<TCnDRDiNRDnRR PQPULRR
colonial art, was occupied by a group of
Ecuador are cropping up here and there in the United States, it seems of interest to our readers to reproduce a
part of the Ecuadorian TFP's analy sis subtitled "Some Difficult Ques
Indians who remained there for eleven
tions to Answer." The questions
days, cooking and living amid the church's pews and altars. This act was highly sym bolic, because it showed that not even the sacred nature of the church, nor the august presence of the Blessed Sacrament detained
provide food for thought on a varie ty of aspects too often ignored in this
the occupants in the quest for their goals. This invasion, unprecedented in the
receive benefits? Do they still exist?
country's history, had the ostensible sup
mit a right to own private land with
controversy.
If one declares that the land belongs to the Indians, who among them will And if they are very few, will they ad
port of the Most Reverend Victor Corr^, bishop of Riobamba, as well as the sup port of the superior of the Dominicans of Quito and other priests who promoted the
celebration of what was call^ a "Mass of
out any social function and not subjected to the common good of the nation? And what about the mixed ADVERTENOA. REPORTAJE V ANAUStS DE TRAOICION, PAULIA Y PROPIEOAO (TFP)
Triumph" as an act of solidarity with the Indians. One of the goals of the movement is to carry out a radical socialist land re
Cover of the Ecuadorian TFP's magazine
form, synthesized by the phrase: "1992,
In demonstrating the error of the goal,
showing the "fVlass of Triumph" In Quito.
races? How will the quantity of land that corresponds to them be decided? What rights will the mestizos who are so abundant have?
Furthermore, there were some es
pecially violent Indian peoples who
the Ecuadorian TFP emphasizes the book
decimated others and took their ter
Regarding this symptomatic event, the
Revolution and Counterrevolution by
ritories. There were other tribes who
Ecuadorian Society for the Defense of
Tradition, Family and Property recently
Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira, which in its third part focuses on tribalism as be
were inclined to coexist on good terms with one another, whereby to day one can dispute which of them would have rights over certain areas.
no more farms in Ecuador."
published Beyond the Indian Invasions, a
ing the goal of the universal Revolution
New and Surprising World Is Announced, an analysis of dociunentation found in
at the end of the twentieth century. Supporting true social harmony, in
books and magazines wherein progressivist clergymen express their doctrines and so cial goals.
which the classes and ethnic groups live to
In these cases, will the violent action
Catholic principles, the Ecuadorian TFP's study—which is being amply spread in
of the first be used now to recognize a right conquered in a bloody way? Will the pacifism of the second group, who do not have any recog
more significant excerpts of this documen tation, the TFP report shows the ultimate
street campaigns in the country's major
nized rights be useful?
goal desired by these clergymen: the im plantation of a tribal and socialist regime
tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the In
By transcribing and commenting on the
in contraposition to the system based on
private property and modeled by the
gether tmder the beneficent influence of
cities—highlights the manifested predilec dian peoples upon appearing in Mexico to the Indian Juan Diego in the sbcteenth cen tury. This apparition was followed by the
Church throughout the ages.
conversion of millions of Indians to the
In the true mlesionary spirit, Friar Jodoeo RIeke administers the first baptism In Ecuador.
Catholic Faith. As is well known, dur ing this apparition the image of the Blessed Virgin was indelibly and mirac ulously imprinted on the tunic of Juan
'■'i.fr-
Diego. Some years ago, a photographic enlargement of one of the image's eyes revealed the Indian's face in it.
The Ecuadorian TFP prays that the Blessed Virgin, who manifested her kindness to the inhabitants of the
Americas, protect the American na tions as the third millennium ap
If this right of conquest is affirmed, on what principle is this peculiar fo of practicing justice based, whereby one rewards a people for the violence
they committed and punish another people who committed no violence?
Or, in case the answer to this question is negative, do the socialists—who in sist so much that there was invasion
and plunder and that amends must be made for this—intend to establish a
type of tribunal for historic justice to settle past conflicts, before and after
the discovery of America, among the various ethnic groups, including some who are almost nonexistent today? Who gave them the power to do so?
What will be the elements of proof,
proaches, so that it may be an era of
and who wiU be the judges and the
special glory for God and the Church and the good of souls. □
witnesses? TFP NEfVSLETTER
PROPHETS, MARTYRS, SAINTS AND HEROES
Saint Gabriel Possenti Proposed As Patron of Handgun Owners The author of the article on Saint
When Francis was sixteen, a serious
a remote mountain monastery. But a
Gabriel Possenti in Butler's Lives
throat infection almost took his life. At
profound love of Our Lady had taken
(1956 ed.) complained about Saint
the height of the infection he promised to become a religious, but upon recov
relented only to the point of acquies
Gabriel's devotion to the holy routine
possession of Francis's soul. His father
that "there was not much to chronicle
ery quickly forgot the promise. At seven
cence. Once his son entered the monas
in such an existence." With all due re
teen, in his final year at a Jesuit high
tic life, the elder Possenti never saw his
spect to the learned gentleman, he failed significantly to appreciate the richness of
school, he applied and was accepted into
son again, not even in death.
that order. But again he refused to fol low through and gave himself over to an other round of parties. Fortunately, through all this he refused to enter into a life of impurity.
saint, who at his clothing ceremony took the name Gabriel of Our Lady of Sor rows, was his extraordinary devotion to the Mother of God. Father Norbert, his
Saint Gabriel's life.
Admittedly, the daily routine of a
monk observed superficially could be painted in bland colors. Taken seriously, the spiritual struggles of anyone should be seen in their proper proportions since
The most significant feature of the
spiritual adviser, claimed, "It is impos sible for me to describe how sincere, ten der and ardent was his love for Mary,the Sorrowful Mother." He went on to say
in their success or failure lies the reward
of salvation or the penalty of damnation.
that he had never witnessed anything like
But the great forces that are brought into play in the struggles of a saint should ex cite even greater admiration. In any case, our saint was involved in
it nor read anything comparable to it. In 1859, roving bands of revolution aries, spurred on by the leaders of the se
an amazing rescue that should provoke the interest of any competent storyteller.
cret societies, who intended to steal the lands of the Catholic Church, roamed
Movie catalogues list dozens of movies
throughout the countryside, murdering, raping and pillaging. When a maraud ing band of cutthroats entered the town
where an idealistic handful of men save
a small town from a gang of drunken soldiers or rapacious thieves. None, how
of Isola where Gabriel's monastery was
ever, could compare with the heroic ac tion of one determined monk, and for
located, the rector locked himself in his room and ordered the monks into the
this reason Saint Gabriel's courage and facility with weapons has attracted the attention of John Snyder of Arlington,
chapel to pray. Gabriel, reminding us of bygone centuries of the crusading spirit against the disruptive forces of disorder,
Va., who is proposing the saint as the pa tron of handgun owners. An Italian, born in Spoleto in 1838,
front the revolutionaries. To risk one's
Francis Possenti (Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows was his professed name) was blessed by an abundance of social graces
sought and received permission to con
personal safety was far more preferable to hiding behind locked doors. He strode into town, overcame a raid Saint Gabriel Possenti (1836-1862)
and a keen intelligence. As he grew old
er his natural charm and outgoing per
sonality made him exceptionally popular. Active and athletic, he enjoyed horseback riding and developed into a fine hunter and expert marksman. Some
thing of a comedian who kept his friends in fits of laughter, young Francis also ex celled on the dance floor, so much so that he acquired the nickname "II Ballerino"â&#x20AC;&#x201D;"the dancer."
Our Lady's persistence and Francis's
deep-rooted love finally combined to tear him away from worldly amusements. During the summer after his graduation
their weapons. When the leader sarcasti
contrast to the latter, the former was a poor, austere contemplative order. Its se
Mother. And so the struggle began be
vere rule appeared to propose a problem, for Gabriel's physical condition was be
ginning to show signs of frailty. His father was horrified! Although a
tween the attachments to the frivolities
pious Catholic with two other sons al ready ordained. Same Possenti had en
of this world and the gentle but compel
visioned a brilliant career in the world
ling call of Our Lady.
for Francis, rather than the harsh life in
VOL. 5, NO. 9, 1991
ned
monk snatched up. The leadei the band of degenerates arrived on the scene
are not meant for the world. Hasten to
enter religion." The devoted follower of Our Lady chose the Fassionists over the Jesuits. In
and a strong devotion to Our Blessed
his weapon, which the now wc
only to look down the barrel of one of
Clearly by using his enormous gifts,
Nevertheless, he was greatly tormented, for underneath the fa?ade of irresponsi ble gaiety there lay concealed a deep faith
Gabriel forced a second man to abandon
at a procession in honor of Our Lady, she spoke to the depth of his soul, "Francis, what are you doing here? You
the popular young man was immersing
himself into the pleasures of the world.
er who was molesting a young girl and grabbed his pistol. Holding him at bay,
Gabriel's weapons. The heroic monk or
dered him and his filthy crew to drop cally hesitated, Gabriel shot a passing liz ard through the head. The swiftness and accuracy of the Passionist's shooting eas ily convinced the cowards to drop their weapons and leave town.
What better choice could John Snyder, public affairs director of the Citizens
Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, have made? Saint Gabriel magnificently combined deep piety and a selfless, heroic defense of the order
God placed in the universe that is so rarely evident today. â&#x2013;Ą 7
I America Salutes Her Brave Combatants ON June 8, the A merican Societyfor the Defense President Bush: "We are sure they will be festively of Tradition, Family and Property joined hun dreds of thousands of Americans in Washington to salute the troops who victoriously risked their lives in the Persian Gulf War. This celebration was one of hundreds nationwide in recent months in honor ofthe
troops. The TFP was pleased to see the realization of a certainty expressed earlier in an open letter to
received by a population overflowing with Joy, a welldeserved rewardfor their patriotism." The TFP,put ting into action a desire also expressed in the letter, that the victory celebrations be an occasionfor honor ing Old Glory, proudly waved the Stars and Stripes alongside its traditional red and gold standards to greet our glorious combatants.
TFP Newsletter
Vol. 5, No. 10, 1991
God's Image Carved in Ebony IT was early summer 1853. New York
ing the important news of the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;news
the fact that a seemingly everyday occur
City was already suffering under a
that would concern, amuse or bemuse the
sun that promised yet another sultry day.
heterogeneous society of that burgeon ing mid-nineteenth century metropolis.
rence (such as death is) would take such prominence in a story reported by the city's papers? It read (in part):
The early morning editions of the town's
two newspapers were on the streets carry
How many New Yorkers took note of
"Pierre Toussaint, whose funeral will
take place this morning, at ten o'clock, from St. Peter's Church, Barclay Street, was born in the servitude of St. Domin
go, and, in devoted attendance upon his mistress in her flight from that island, ar rived in this city in 1787. Here the form er dependent became the support of the unfortunate lady, and her most disin terested friend until her death. â&#x2013;
"The occupation of ladies' hairdresser gave him admission to houses of influen tial families of that day and his good manners, unusual discrimination of
character and high sense of propriety in sured him the countenance, confidence and esteem of all to whom he was admit
ted, and the confidence and friendship of many to whom the excellence of his life and character was more intimately known"(Hannah Sawyer Lee, Memoir ofPierre Toussaint, Born a Slave in St. Domingo, Boston, Crosby, Nichols, and Company, 1854, pp. 117-118).
An article by Henry J. Tuckerman, a popular novelist of the era whose work was serialized in the newspapers, said: "Died on June 30th at his residence
this city, Pierre Toussaint, in the eight, seventh year of his age. "We cannot allow this brief announce ment to form the sole record of one
whose example is a higher vindication of
his race, or rather a nobler testimony to the beauty and force of character, than all the works of fiction that studious in vention ever conceived. Pierre Toussaint
for more than sixty years had been the most respected and beloved Negro in
New York" (ibid., pp. 120-121). To some extent everyone's life has
something of mystery about it. What a man, woman, or child does with one's
life is in part known only to God. This element of mystery was not lacking in the life of Pierre Toussaint.
Whence his forefathers came or when Pierre Toueealnt(1766'1853), slave and freeman,could become the first black American saint.
the heavy burden of slavery was laid
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP)
CATHOLIC AMERICA
upon them is unknown. Transported from Africa, they found themselves on
object was to serve her and in this he
the sandy shores of the Caribbean is
struck her, causing her to become an invalid, he often read to her. One of
was perfectly content. When illness
lands and there would toil under the
Madame Berard's closest friends, Mrs. Philip J. Schuyler, of a prominent New
hot sun harvesting the plantation own ers' crops of coffee and sugar.
York family, notes: "Perhaps this scene, so touching to his feelings and elevating to his heart, in contemplating a being honored and beloved, gradually wasting away, may
Pierre was born on the island of
Saint Domingue Oater known as Haiti), in the town of Saint Marc, on a plan tation owned by Monsieur John Berard
du Pithon. Toussaint's grandmother, Zenobe Julien, was a slave in the house hold and was selected as a wet nurse for
have been the foundation of that piety which sustained him through life, and
the B^rard's first son, Jean. So close was the relationship between Zenobe
is a Catholic, full of the faith of his
became deeply seated in his breast. He
and the Berard family that she was
Church . . ." (ibid., p. 24). Pierre sought not only to protect his mistress from despondency but to sup
selected to accompany the young Ber ard to Paris to provide the tenderness of a mother during his formative and educative years there. Pierre was the son of Zenobe's
ply her as much as possible with those A drawing of Pierre Toussaint in his youth:"Full of spirit and animation, and most entertaining."
daughter, Ursula. At the time of his birth, 1766, and for
several years thereafter, the island of Saint Domingue was in a prosperous state due to the investment of time, mon ey and energy of the French. Roads and
loved remembrances of her homeland.
In this consistent desire, there was
something that went far beyond the de gue in an attempt to salvage some of his
votion of an af- | ,
fortune, Monsieur Berard died of pleu
fectionate slave.
risy. Shortly thereafter, another calamity befell the Berard family. The considera
have a knowl-
/
edge of the human mind, an
• ^
intuitive percep-
'
ble amount of money Monsieur B6rard
bridges had been built; hospitals con
had left in investments failed and his
structed and staffed; harbors dredged. Soon, however, the revolutionary fervor sweeping France found its way
young widow was left almost penniless. Providentially, before leaving on his fateful trip. Monsieur Berard had ap prenticed Pierre to the family hairdress
He seemed to
of
the
er, Mr. Merchant. Pierre learned the
his own finely
trade quickly and extremely well, and he
organized natur&
bestowing this on the free-born blacks of
was soon put in charge of cutting the hair
herited his father's plantation, saw the trouble coming two years before the revolutionary storm broke over the is land country. He took his wife, Marie,
her two sisters and five slaves and set up residence in New York City near the
present site of City Hall. While on a return trip to Saint Domin-
which arose from
•
On her death
of the children of Mr. Merchant's cus
bed, Madame
tomers. His hairdressing skills developed
Berard
so well that soon the parents were re
Pierre to her side
questing his services to arrange the fancy hair styles that were so much in vogue in those days. One day, Pierre's mistress asked him to pawn her jewels so that she might be able to pay for the family's living ex
to thank him for
penses. Pierre was shocked to learn of
*5
soul,
"liberty" but they had no intention of
Monsieur Jean Berard, who had in
' '
tion of the wants
to the peaceful Caribbean island. The wealthy land owners joined in the cry for
the island.
" •' . ,
called
all he had done
Juliette Toussaint
and asked him if
there was anything he wished. Pierre re
plied that there was nothing. She, how ever, called for her lawyer to arrange his freedom before her death. Even though
the widow's precarious financial condi
he never sought his own freedom, from
tion. Privately, he resolved to do all in
time to time he had used his earni'-
his power to help her.
purchase the freedom of other slave eluding his sister, Rosalie, and Juliette
Rather than selling the jewels, he gave her the money she needed to cover her bills. The widow was surprised to learn
Noel, whom he married in 1811.
that Pierre had saved almost all the mon
an elegant hairdresser. He was the fash
ey he had earned from his hairstyling
ion hairdresser of his time in the city, receiving the patronage of all the French
clients over the years.
Pierre enjoyed a soaring reputation as
For the next twenty years, Pierre se cretly supported the household. He con
families in New York, and his situation
sidered his earnings as belonging to Ma
ant house and had enough wealth not
Saint Marc, Haiti, Toussaint's birthplace, later
dame Berard, save for a small amount
rocked by the winds of the French Revolution.
he kept for his personal needs. His great
only for his family's own enjoyment but also to help others in need. He and his
was now prosperous. He lived in a pleas
TFP NEWSLETTER Is a publication of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). David Mattlngly, Editor. Subscription complimentary In the United States. Rates for foreign subscriptions and list of other TFP publications available upon request. Direct all subscription requests and Inquiries to: The American TFP,P.O. Box 121, Pleasantvllie, N.Y. 10570. Telephone:(914)241-7015. Copyright © 1991. Permission is granted to reproduce In whole or In part any article of this newsletter with credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER.
CATHOLIC AMERICA
sensed the value of his knowledge and experience.
wife were conscientious Catholics for
whom charity was not only a duty but
Pierre never felt degraded at being a
a spontaneous reaction of the heart. The way they silently dispensed their charity is found in this example:
black man, or even a slave. He was a Ne
gro, as God had made him, and never strove to be anything else. He considered
An affluent French gentleman of Toussaint's acquaintance had become
himself as much the object of Divine
protection as any other human being,
impoverished. In his sickness and suffer ing he had a great craving for fine foods
and he sought to ennoble his brothers by
he could no longer obtain. For months, Juliette and Pierre prepared his dinner and sent it to him in such a way that he
bility as blacks—not mimicking the cus
making them feel their moral responsi toms of whites.
could not know where it was coming
Pierre Toussaint died on June 30,
from. When Pierre would call upon him to inquire about his health, he would say,
1853. Eliza Schuyler describes the funeral services held at Old Saint Peter's Church:
"I went to town on Saturday to attend Toussaint's funeral. High Mass, incense,
"Oh, I am well known! I have good friends; every day someone sends me a nice dinner, cooked by a French cook."
candles, rich robes, sad and solemn mu sic were there. The Church gave all it
Pierre and Juliette delighted in recount ing the story. For some thirty years, New York City
could to a prince or a noble. The priest, his friend. Father Quinn, did not allude to his color and scarcely to his station;
suffered periodically from some form of
plague—yellow fever or cholera. People
it seemed as if his virtues as a man and a Christian had absorbed all their
were terrified as residents died by the
hundreds. Many fled the city to the
Old St. Peter's Church In New York City, Pierre
heights of Greenwich Village. Pierre
faithfully attended Mass here for many years.
knew that there were not enough medi cal professionals or clergy to handle the
this that Pierre was a grave, solemn in
situation, but he did his part, spending
dividual. Not so. He was lively and ani
countless sleepless nights crossing barri
mated, always entertaining in his stories
cades indicating the contaminated area to help nurse the sick and the dying.
and behavior.
Sometimes his kindnesses were re
His Catholic sense was not only ob served and felt by his clients but extended
cessful in finding employment for two of
to people of his own status at the time as well. Not only did the heads of house holds receive him with joy and respect, but he was equally welcome among the domestics, whom he made it a point to
the young sons, but as they prospered they had nothing more to do with their
greet. Clients and domestics often asked his counsel. They respected him and
sponded to with ingratitude. In one in stance, he underwent many difficulties and faced discouragement trying to help a particular French family. He was suc
thoughts. A stranger would not have sus pected that a black man, of his humble calling lay in the midst of us. He said, 'Though no relative was left to mourn him, yet many present would feel they had lost one who always had wise coun sel for the rich, words of encouragement for the poor, and all would have been
grateful for having known him'"(ibid., pp. 113-114). Thus lived and died Pierre Toussaint, slave and freeman, but above all. Cath olic. How appropriate the quaint words
of Englishman Thomas Fuller that can be applied to him,"God's image carved in ebony." □
benefactor. "I am glad they are so well off; they want nothing more from me," said Toussaint.
FORQCrXIEN "CRUrHS
Over the years, his charity benefited
many. He organized fund-raising cam paigns for orphanages, often soliciting
the money from the clients who enjoyed his hairstyling services. He helped priests and seminarians. He gave the first one hundred dollars for the new Saint Vin cent de Paul Church in New York. He
helped old ex-slaves both in New York
and in his homeland. Saint Domingue. It was a striking trait in his character that everything he undertook was thor
oughly done. There was a completeness in his plans and in their execution. He was faithful to all the observances of the Catholic Church. Her books of in
struction were his daily sustenance. He
always carried a prayer book with him and often times the maxims of Thomas
k Kempis were interspersed in his daily conversations. His simple method of ex
pressing his convictions was striking, and often instructive. One might draw from Vol. s, no. 10, 1991
To a Great Extent, the Destiny
of the States Is Fostered in Family Life
The family may be regarded as the cradle of civil society, and it is in great
measure within the circle of family life that the destiny of the States is fostered. Whence it is that they who would break away from Christian discipline are working to corrupt family life, and to destroy it utterly, root and branch.. . . "It is, then, incumbent on parents to strain every nerve to ward off such an outrage, and to strive manfully to have and to hold exclusive authority to direct the education of their offspring, as is fitting, in a Christian manner, and first and foremost to keep them away from schools where there is risk of their drinking in the poison of impiety. . . . "All should be intimately persuaded that the minds of children are most in
fluenced by the training they receive at home. If in their early years they find within the walls of their homes the rule of an upright life and the discipline of Christian virtues, the future welfare of society will in great measure be guaran teed" (Pope Leo XIH, Encyclical Sapientiae Chnstianae,]zn\i&ry 10, 1890, in The Papal Encyclicals 1878-1903, McGrath Publishing Company, Wilmington, N.C., 1981, pp. 221-222).
TFP NEWS
No to Fidel Castro at the Meeting of Heads of State in Mexico rHE President of Mexico, Carlos Salinas de Gortari,
thefirst step toward the creation of
hosted a summit meeting in Guadalajara on July 18th and
a new pan-American organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;
19th, bringing together the President of Portugal, the King
one parallel to the Organization of
of Spain and the presidents of the Latin American nations,
American States? Will this new or-
in order to encourage cooperation. The Cuban dictator, Fidel
ganization replace it? Will this be an
Castro, was also invited to attend.
OAS without the United States and
It is well known that the old Cuban caudillo represents be
fore the entire world that which is most unacceptable in com munism. He has shown himself to be tenaciously faithful to the pre-Gorbachevian communist ideological line.
For this reason, his invitation to Guadalajara raised pro found displeasure in the Societiesfor the Defense of Tradi tion, Family and Property (TFP) established on the Iberian Peninsula and in Latin America. This led them to send Presi
dent Salinas a letter of vehement protest in which they did not forget to mention the many injustices and atrocities of the Cuban communist regime.
Besides agreeing with our sister TFP organizations regard ing the vehement exclusion ofFidel Castro, the American TFP, of its own accord, would like to ponder the following: As world opinion turns its attention toward next year's com
memorations of the 500th anniversary of the discovery and evangelization of the New World, we are somewhat uneasy that a meeting clearly pan-American in nature was held on our
continent without the participation ofits English, Dutch and French speaking countries. Could it be that this summit meeting of Guadalajara was
Sao Paulo, July 8, 1991 His Excellency Don Carlos Salinas de Gortari President of Mexico Presidential Palace
Canada, but with the participation of Fidel Castro?
VH
This is an old dream of Latin
American leftists.
H
Recent declarations of the Cuban
JlB
tyrant seem to support these suspi-
dons. The EFE Agency informs us that Fidel Castro proposed that these meetings be held yearly, following
Pllnio CorrSa de Oliveira: An emphatic no to Castro.
the example ofthe European and African nations. "We never considered these summit meetings before," said the Carib bean dictator. "The United States prohibited them, and Washington needed only to raise its finger for the world to go running to the capital of the empire," he affirmed. With these considerations in mind, we present the text of the important letter sent to the President of Mexico by the TFPs ofthe Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries ofEu rope and America, through their appointed representative Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira,founder and president ofthe Brazilian TFP, the oldest TFP. Each TFP also sent a copy to their respective Head of State.
With heartfelt sentiments, the atten
There is presently no dissonant note
tion of the whole world turns toward the commemorations of the 500th an
in inter-Hispanic or Hispano-American
niversary of the discovery and evangeli
introduce, into our political-diplomatic
relations. The unexpected element will
zation of America. Innumerable nations
panorama, a cause for a discord over
flowing with resentment, apprehension
Mexico City, Mexico
the world over are likewise preparing manifestations of solidarity and joy to ward the countries comprising the great
Mr. President;
family of Iberian and Latin American
far from us.
countries.
Greeting Your Excellency, I request permission to call your attention to the following important subject.
Undoubtedly Your Excellency has
The Conference of Guadalajara, Your Excellency's lofty and opportune initia tive, will be attended by the heads of
and just and inevitable repugnance whose final and real cause has its roots As Head of State of one of the
st
Latin American nations. Your Excellen cy well knows the fears and alarms that the Soviet presence has caused around the world, from the advent of the com munist regime in Russia in 1917 to the fall of the Iron Curtain and the first
heard of the fifteen Societies for the De
state of the two explorer-nations who brought about the colonization and evan
fense of Tradition, Family and Property
gelization of the vastitudes governed
(TFP), the largest network of anticom-
by the Portuguese and Spanish crowns. Obviously, it is most convenient that this conference take place in an atmosphere
of glasnost and perestroika.
where a harmony of longings and inter ests prevails. However, Mr. President, innumerable Spaniards, Portuguese, and
Your Excellency is, of course, well aware of the uncertainties and apprehen sions that, despite everything, continue
pointed spokesman for the ten TFPs of
Latin Americans would not have expect
to torment the world following the So
the following countries: Portugal and Spain on the Iberian Peninsula; Argen tina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador,
cially against valiant and industrious
Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela in South
ed a strongly incongruous element to appear in the panorama, which could provoke irreparable fissures and could threaten to pollute the emerging cordial
America.
atmosphere.
have well in mind the concerns, on a
munist associations of Catholic inspira tion in the world, firmly established on
five continents. I address you in the name of the Brazilian TFP,as president
of its national council, and as the ap
4
hopes aborning in people around the world with the Gorbachevian promises
viet assault on the Baltic nations, espe Lithuania.
Furthermore, Your Excellency must TFP Newsletter
TFP NEWS
I tyrant in the specific current sense as
worldwide scale, regarding Gorba chev's dubious policy during the war in the Persian Gulf. And you also con
5 the "Shiites" of international com-
I munism are classified—has already I started to have repercussions in the
tinue to witness the apprehensions, not to say alarm, of all men in face of the dangerous uncertainties of the Soviet Union's internal politics. These are un certainties that may at any moment de teriorate into a civil war that, in turn,
I three Americas and will have repercus1 sions in the whole world. What is not /-V
2 surprising is that Fidel Castro has
! proudly proclaimed himself the cham-
^ pion of all the forms of despotism
s and cruelty that have sustained the
could easily lead to a world war. Yes, Mr. President, the whole world
" communist regime there for so many
is experiencing perplexing and distress ing days in face of the perspectives presented by today's world scenario. It is impossible to deny that the night
decades!
A question comes to the mind of every impartial observer. All contem porary Hispanic leaders, whether Por tuguese or Spanish, pride themselves on being democratic. Why,then, have they not conducted a referendum in
mares of innumerable contemporaries, whether by day or by night, result
from a present scenario that is even more threatening than that of the fi
their countries asking their people if they do or do not want to see the sin ister Fidel seated among the heads of
nal days of the pre-Gorbachev era. To wit:
1. Before Gorbachev,it was general knowledge (with the exception of the
With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the sinister reality of the communist world was laid bare to the world.
local communists in the West!) that the
state who presently govern the Iberi an peninsula and the world discovered by Columbus?
Soviet world lived in profound misery.
existence, on an international scale, of
This situation, Mr. President, leads to
However, with the fall of the Iron Curtain and the destruction of the Berlin Wall,
such obstinately blind fanaticism raises problems and perspectives no less impor
the blatant reality was more sinister than public opinion could have imagined.
tant, in their own right, than that of the
an alternative imposed by logic: Since Fidel Castro has already accepted the en ticing invitation, to cancel it would be
2. In the years just before Gorbachev took office, the dangers of an interna tional nuclear war seemed considerably
In face of this aggravated picture, the communist presence is even more dis
celebrated nuclear danger.
sonant than it was before Gorbachev.
brutal. But to see him participate in the conference of Guadalajara is to be bru tal toward innumerable citizens of Spain, Portugal, and Latin America.
attenuated. Once the Gorbachevian re
Mr. President, according to news di
forms had been launched, the danger of
vulged by the media in general, the head
tive, we ask Your Excellency, as host to
revolutions and civil wars increased con
—the hangman—of the Caribbean islandprison has been invited to the illustrious
speakably easier to be brutal toward a ty
siderably in the Soviet Union when con sidering that Gorbachev does not know how, does not want or is unable to main tain, in the vastitudes of the USSR, the
conference of Guadalajara. The strident dissonance created by the
somber peace of the sepulcher that the
tyrant in Guadalajara—a "conservative"
perspective of the presence of this bloody
former Russian dictators imposed with
crime as well as for the war they waged in almost ail the nations—suffered from a clear electoral failure on the five con
tinents. This fact eased Western public opinion. Today, the failure of the Soviet ad ministration in the USSR itself has
demoralized communist ideological im perialism in face of world public opin ion, and the communist parties are so discredited that one would say they are finished. However, like ghosts with nei ther brain, nor heart, nor entrails, the communist parties obstinately survive
everywhere. Now,this elicits a frightened
cry from innumerable contemporaries: "What fanatical ideological germ is this that so confronts unvarnished reality and endeavors to make shameless propagan da of an ideology that today is the op probrium of men?" The mere organized VOL. 5, NO. 10, 1991
rant than toward so many free nations. Our frankness, Mr. President, is im posed by the unfortunate circumstances
that constitute contemporary reality. If civilization lead me—and the presidents
Summit Aftermath
munist parties—well-financed, well-indoctrinated and well-trained for political
this great meeting, to choose it. It is un
love of our countries and of Christian
their characteristic brutality. 3. In the pre-Gorbachev era, the com
No matter how hard the first alterna
of the aforementioned TFPs—to be so
frank, it is with pain in our hearts. It is The Ibero-American summit has
come and gone. Fidel Castro, that im
placable Stalinist, was received with courtesy by the Latin American lead ers. He took advantage of the occa sion to spill out familiar denunci
with this same sentiment that each one
of us will deliver a copy of this letter to our respective Head of State.
We all love, respect and admire I. ble Mexican nation. We all have well in
mind that the exalted patroness of Lat
ations of the United States and its
in America, Our Lady of Guadalupe, es
policies toward the Third World and to request financial aid for Cuba's
tablished her throne in Mexico. And we
economic woes.
Yes, Castro still reigns over the island-prison, perpetuating his regime of misery. The summit shamefully provided a new boost for Castro's im
age. Like another great enigma, Sad
dam Hussein, history will certainly ask why world leaders did not oust him from his tyrannical post. It is to be hoped that the day will not be long in coming when such tyrants will be brought to justice.
all desire that your noble country, Mr. President, attain as soon as possible the plenitude of Christian grandeur to which it was called by God Himself.
Imbued with these sentiments, we pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe for the val
iant Mexican nation and also present Your Excellency with the testimony of
our high esteem and distinguished con sideration.
Plinio Correa de Oliveira
President of the National Council of the Brazilian TFP
ECOLOGY
Environmentalism and
Self-managing Socialism Heads and Tails of the Same Revolution
rHEconsequences ofan improvi the outset promised a paradise on
actions aimed merely at media sensa tionalism; all have been carried out under the label of ecology.
earth—generated numerous threats to the physical and mental health of man
In truth, the Utopian aura that sur rounds ecology has permitted indefi-
dent industrialization—which at
and to the general conditions of life
nition
on earth. This process of industriali zation was an importantfactor in the
interesting or simply common ideas
confusion,
where
blend with lyrical seduction and un fathomable abysses of the type into which the Utopias of history have in variably plunged.
aggravation ofthe problems resulting from the intense urbanization of our times.
This is the undeniable reality. Torrents of writings on the subject have been released, and the media
The Ideology Behind Ecology. Ecology has a history and a philoso phy unknown to most people, who see only its attractive sides.
has become an avid loudspeaker of those who clamor against these evils,
which are frequently labelled as cat-
and
*And God said:"Fill the earth and subdue It"(Gen. 1: )
astrophic. These alarming perspectives—often
spectable as well as by the most suspect
Launched in 1869 by the Ger-
man zoologist and philosopher Ernst Haeckel, ecology took on its
exaggerated or biased—gave rise to a
institutions. Endorsements for ecol
present characteristics at the end of
reaction in the name of ecology. Since then, the term "ecology" is everywhere: in classrooms and boardrooms, on recyclable grocery bags and government
ogy have come from Washington and
the 1960s, being deeply influenced
Moscow,from the courts of Europe and
by the Sorbonne Revolution, the
the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia. Laud
Berkeley upheavals, and the com munes of hippies and drug addicts
able as well as absurd initiatives; serious
tirades of anarcho-tribalists against
as well as demagogic measures; scientific activities as well as political activism in spired by strange philosophies; worth
Western civilization.
while educational productions as well as
reports, in public notices and political
propaganda, and in the all-encompassing
It must be pointed out, however, that ecology (by this we mean the exaggera
Ecology supposedly studies all the relationships of man with his environment, and the relationships of the surrounding elements among themselves. This is a vast task, because it ends up encompassing
tion of ecology from a science to an ideology)and tribalism will not solve the problems caused by thoughtless industri alization and urban sprawl.
The Greens: A Strange Coalition. In Europe, the ecological parties—the so-
in California.
'^andun ft
'sT
t: ,
the relationships between people, and thus touches on many other sciences like sociology, politics and economics.
Ecology is, then, a conception —with a doctrinal basis—that em
called Greens—have been garnering
braces all things and man consid
growing numbers of votes. In the United
ered in his totality. This includes
States, according to Congressman William
his conduct, of course. Hence the
Dannemeyer of California, the twelve
notions of ecological behavior and
largest environmental organizations have a combined donor base of nearly 13
ecological morality. Some of the
million persons, some 10 million more
as to consider ecology a religion:
more fervent ecologists go so far
than the Republican and Democratic
the religion of nature, abstracted
parties combined {Imprimis, July 1991,
from God Creator of all things and
p. 2). The European ecological parties are an heteroclite and even contradictory amal
ion charged with revolutionary
gam of people who feel suffocated by the
versive core has attracted innumer
omnipresent industrialization, together with rockers, pacifists, drug addicts, left
able extremists committed to the
ist extremists, anarchists and tribalists.
civilization.
The initiatives coming from such a confusing combination are welcomed and encouraged both by the most re-
Since ecology considers only the relationships, it treats man as just
6
transformed into a pantheist relig power. This pantheistic and sub
destruction of urban-industrial
A German Green preaches the new gospel
one more link akin to all others in IFF Newsletter
ECOLOGY
the immense web of relationships bind ing everything on the face of the earth.
Ecologists call this web the "ecological chain" or the "web of life." But to af
firm that man is merely a link in this chain—as is a cow, a blade of grass, a stone, or, according to ecology, a heap of dung—constitutes an aberrant egal itarian exaggeration.
Man possesses an immortal spiritual soul, which places him above all other
material beings. He has a monarchical place in the order of the material crea tion, "for man was made to the image of God"(Gen. 9:6), and God commanded him to "fill the earth and subdue it"
(Gen. 1:28). God, therefore, gave man power over all the rest of the creatures of the earth,
so he could make use of them according
to his good pleasure, in accordance with
the divine and natural law. Consequent
ly, man can appropriate and use things, whether animals, plants or minerals, for his welfare and that of his family.
Thus, man began to raise animals, cul tivate fields, found cities, open roads, in short, to transform the earth and create civilizations. To do this, man had to fight and even exterminate beasts and harmful insects; he had to cut down forests to obtain wood and to plant cereals, fruit trees and whatever else was
necessary for his sustenance. Ecology decries all of this. It deems the affirmation of man's supremacy in Creation an act of egoism, an act of ar rogance on the part of one species that, deep down, is no more than the others. According to the ecological doctrine, this "egoism" makes man "the greatest predator on earth" and the worst threat
to the planet, while the commandment The magnificent Califomia sequoias are best used by being marveled at.
of God "fill the earth and subdue it" is
the cause of all present evils. The Spanish ecologist Mario Gaviria,
Ecologists present false solutions to the evils
brought by the Industrial Revolution.
who lectures in both European and American universities, writes: "The
multiply, and replenish the earth and
results of capitalism can only be ex
subdue it.'"
plained in part by the conception of man
on the planet or in the cosmos proceed ing from the Judeo-Christian concep tion: man is considered the king of
creation, that is, something outside the cosmos, something superior to the other species. From Old Testament times man . . . has subjected animals. .. . It is
necessary to reconsider man" {Ecologismo y ordanacion del territorio en Es-
pana. Editorial Cuadernos para el Diilogo, Madrid, 1976). Starting from a similar anti-Christian perspective, the Spanish Socialist Work ers' Party (SSWP) labeled the Bible as
"the dogmatic-ideological bastion on
perspective but also its economic view point.
Despite the complete failure of com
munism and socialism as economic sys tems, ecologists celebrate the "achieve ments" of various communist regimes. In so doing, they turn a blind eye to an other failure of these regimes: their un believable disregard for the environment. Mario Gaviria finds reason to eulogize the Chinese cultural revolution and the conduct of the Cambodian Khmer
which man based his claim to be 'lord
Rouge (which resulted in terrifying geno
and master' of Nature" {Ecologia, Me
cide) because both promoted the aban donment of civilized city life. He writes:
dia Ambiente y Socialismo, SSWP, Madrid, 1980). This anti-God and anti-monotheistic
presupposition, along with the presenta tion of an "innocent" paganism and the accusation that Christianity is the source of the evils of the ecological crisis, is repeated lightly by the media: Time magazine, in its issue dedicated
"Perhaps in the Chinese experimt t the time of Mao we see an agriculiuial way that is quite ecological. By princi ple, the Chinese—and now [1975] Cam bodians, Vietnamese and Laotians—
reject large cities.. . . The first measure
of the revolutionary armies on coming to power in these Far Eastern countries
to the "Planet of the Year" (1/2/89),
was the removal of people from the cit
states: "In many pagan societies, the earth was seen as a mother, a fertile
ies to the countryside"(op. cit., p. 268).
giver of life. Nature—the soil, forest, sea —was endowed with divinity, and mor tals were subordinate to it. The Judeo-
Christian tradition introduced a radically different concept. The earth was the cre
ation of a monotheistic God, who after shaping it, ordered its inhabitants, in the words of Genesis: 'Be fruitful and Vol. 5, No. 10, 1991
The Logical Results of Revolutionary Revolt. The foregoing quotations help to understand not only ecology's religious
In the light of the ecological doctrine, the incredible slaughters in Cambodia have a gravity that is only relative. It is
in the coherence of ecology that man, having no rightful claim to superiority, can be treated like a mere animal, whose death is a moment like any other in the general evolution of the earth. Some
ecologists go further, actually longing 7
ECOLOGY
for a new ice age or "the right virus" to cleanse the earth of "excess human
population," or viewing AIDS "not as
a problem but a necessary solution" (cf. The Freeman, November 1990, p. 414).
Gaviria also praises the land reform of Cuba and the "total recycling not only
fills the ecological aspirations of mankind" {Ecologia, Medio Ambiente y Socialismo, p. 20). Gaviria ratifies this harmony of
ecology and socialism; "Ecological struggles are a variant of class struggle"(op. cit., p. 9). This time,
of animal excrement but also human ex
it is not the struggle of an inferior
crement" in Communist China, where
social class against a higher one, as
the population—and especially intellec
in the Bolshevik Revolution, when
tuals, university students and anyone
the proletariat attacked the bour
who has any status—is compelled to par ticipate in the recycling and mixing of this nauseating waste. Such is the extrem
the animal, the inferior, the uglier
ism of the Marxist egalitarian doctrine. It must be emphasized that ecology does not oppose socialism; in fact, it will
geoisie. Rather, it is a revolution of and the decomposed against man himself.
In fact, socialism and ecology
converge in the self-managing Uto
complement socialism in the process of
pia, which is also the final goal of
overthrowing civilization and lead to the
the Soviet regime. In the alreadycited document of the Spanish So cialist Workers' Party, one reads:
Utopia of tribal-like self-managed com munes, as we shall see.
China has 4,000 cars belonging to individuals. One
car per 283,000 inhabitants—an average inferior to Ethiopia's. Is this what ecologists want for the West?
"Ecology . . . reinforces the principles
toric pauperism. Indeed, one of the slo
Self-management and Environmental-
of global planning and self-management"
gans of the eco-saboteur group Earth
ism Go Hand in Hand. Alfonso Guerra,
{Ecologia, Medio Ambientey Socialismo, p. 372). "Only a self-managing and eco
Freeman, November 1990, p. 413).
Deputy Prime Minister of the Spanish Socialist government, which is striving to carry out an "astonishing cultural revo lution," confirms the
logical presentation of socialism can pre vent .. . mechanized techno-capitalist barbarism"(ibid., p. 398).
agreement between ecolo-
In the same socialist
First! is "Back to the Pleistocene" {The
The Spanish ecological exponent we have cited proposes the setting up of so cialist self-managing communes in the fabulous castles close to Paris. He envi
gists and socialists: "Ecol
work on ecology there is
sions transferring youngsters from the
ogy and socialism .. . are two sides of the same coin;
praise for "experiments
French capital to "repopulate this mag
the front and back of the
same page. They are abso
like that of Copenhagen,
nificent fertile earth with people and not
where children spend long periods in huts, using only
just cows. There would be large and joy ful agro-industrial communes.. .. Ecol
pre-historic tools and
ogists should demand land reform in the
development of life with
utensils they themselves made" (ibid., p. 223).
Paris basin . . ., spread a neo-rural so ciety . . ., occupy the great palaces and
out an ecological concep
This is the world that self-
castles with Rabelaisian communes.. . .
tion that is socialist, just as it is impossible to real
managing socialism pre
It is in these lands that the ecologist par
pares for children: an en-
tisans of the counterculture should estab
vironmentalism
lish themselves" (op. cit., p. 114).
lutely inseparable. It is im possible to think of the
ize socialism without a
conception of life that ful-
Alfonso Guerra, of the SSWP
that al
ready verges on prehisEgalitarianism and Sensuality. In these communes, man, besides equating him
Perestroika in Spain:
A Model for World Conquest?
P*r€9trctka In Sptlni A
for
Werltf C«nqu«fttT
In 1988 the Spanish TFP-Covadonga launched a study on the radical but silent revolution that is taking place In Spain. Two of the most Important chapters of that study are now available In English. CHAPTER 1: "Clarity and Obscurity Surrounding the Principle of Contradic tion." An analysis of the doctrinal foundations of this revolution. CHAPTER 6: "Disintegrating the State and Society on Both Sides of
the Iron Curtain: the Goal of Present-Day Ideological Currents?" Studies the tactics of communism from the bloody Bolshevik Revolu tion to Gorbachev's perestroika and glasnost. Also deals with the worldwide cultural revolution which began to achieve shocking suc
cess In the 1960s, giving rise to the deviant life-styles of today. Published In magazine format. Only $3.75 each, postpaid!
Order from: The Foundation for a Christian Civilization, Inc. P.O. Box 249, Mount Kisco, N.Y. 10549
self with the soil or with manure, would surrender himself to sensuality. Gaviria states; "To abandon hyper-indnstrializa-
tion is to adopt an ethic of p.
e, of
sensuality. .. . a great moral luicrance, a creation of sensuous and spontaneous
events. .. . It is to give priority to land reform and the neo-rural population.
. . . living in the greatest pleasure and with the least work"(op. cit., pass., pp. 114-118).
Yet this sensuality is not the gratifica tion of lust in the style of the most degraded nightclubs of New York or Las
Vegas. For radical ecology, the latter are characteristic of a superseded "hedon
ism and super-consumerism." Sensuali
ty, ecologically speaking, is the sensual spontaneity of a pig in its sty: an animal activity labeled as "sexual normality" in perfect consonance with the most radi cal Freudian theories.
□
TFP Newsletter
HISTORY
Cambodia: A Violent Not-to-Be-Forgotten Experiment in Self-Management The Khmer Rouge,
place the figure at three million.(The total popu
supported militarily by China, defeated the Cambodian government troops on November 17,
lation was less than eight million.)
1975. They immediately
invasion in 1978, the Cam
ordered the evacuation of
bodian experiment was
the capital, Phnom Penh.
partially suspended (cf. Francois Ponchaud, Cambodge annie ziro\ Jean
After the Vietnamese
Thousands of men and
women, old and young, died along the roads dur ing the Dantesque exodus. The population was re
Lacouture, Survive le peuple cambodgien!; Jacques Ellul, Changer de revolu
shuffled into rural com
tion: L'ineluctable prole
munes. Thus, this city of
tariat, pp. 190-196; Michel Legris, "Le Monde" tel
almost three million in
qu'il est, pp. 132-141). Mikhail Bakunin (1814-
habitants was reduced to
20,000 persons. Industry disappeared, the hospitals
Cambodians flee the "paradise" of self-management.
and universities were aban
doned, money was eliminated, contact with the exterior was prohibited. All this was carried out with the object of
1876), the famous anar chist theoretician and
spective parents, since all the adults
leader of the nineteenth century, whose
were for them, indiscriminately, mother
writings came back into vogue,with the Paris student rebellion of 1968,
creating a society that would have
and father. In turn, parents could not give their own children preferential
nothing in common with industrial
treatment. Last names were suppressed.
civilization.
To maintain this situation, the Ang ka created a veritable army of spies,
In order to save ammunition, the
Khmer Rouge used clubs, bayonets and pikes to murder all suspects, that is to say, those who could have offered any resistance to the regime. The first
to die were those who belonged to the ruling classes: military officers,
an intolerable residue of European colonialism—children over age ten were eliminated without pity.
As a consequence of the closing of hospitals, the persecution of doctors, the scarcity of medicines—all despised
power—there will be neither order nor
each unit of production. Thus, police terror was the means used to protect this emancipated and egalitarian com
public authority. What, then, will re
munal "paradise."
To save ammunition, the Khmer Rouge used clubs, bayonets and pikes to murder all suspects.
as fruit of Western culture—and the
terrifying way. For example, 80 percent
be the action of a collective, inv' dictatorship invested with no po yet all the more efficient and power ful. ... I see no salvation except in revolutionary anarchy, directed in ev ery way by an invisible collective
the people and impose the self-man aging communal life revealed itself anew. If the iron control of the Ang
communes, was carried out by a mys
ka were eased, everything would re
terious, sinister and invisible organ,
sume its normal course.
All worked equally in the com munes. They planted rice, dug canals
relations, will be eliminated. . . . And
to save the revolution, to guide it to success amidst this anarchy, there will
force—the only dictatorship that I ad mit, because it is the only one compat ible with . . . the full energy of the
to forcibly change the mentality of
the Angka.
geois society, along with all juridical
However, after untold violence and
The state practically disappeared.
rather a conglomerate of miserable
collective action of an invisible organi
horror, the glaring communist failure
The political-administrative direction
of what was no longer a nation, but
place them so the revolutionary anar chy does not end in a reaction? The zation operating throughout the coun try. . . . And when the hour of the revolution sounds, the state and bour
lack of food, sickness increased in a
of the peasants contracted malaria.
"No single individual will hold
and made one agent responsible for
government officials, intellectuals, professionals and also students. For
simply knowing French—considered
describes the anarchical government of the world in a way that brings to mind the Cambodian Angka:
The figures concerning the number
of persons sacrificed in the experiment of integral self-management in Cam
revolutionary movement. . . . We must produce anarchy, and like invisi
ble pilots amidst the popular storm, we must guide it. . . . This dictatorship will be all the more sound and power ful in as much as it is not invested with
and built dikes without the use of
bodia between 1975 and 1978 are
any official power and has no ostensi ble character"{De la guerre a la Com
modern technics or machines. The children could not live with their re-
imprecise. Many estimates calculate that more than two million died; others
460, 465, 469, 471, 472).
VOL. 5, No. 10, 1991
mune, Anthropos, Paris, 1972, pp. □
TFP NEWS
TFP Joins Campaign Against Condom Distribution in New York City Pubiic Schoois IN recent months, the American TFP joined its voice to that of a coalition of more than 75 other groups to testify in defense of the innocence and purity of children in the New York City Public School system.
New York City Schools Chancellor Joseph A. Fernandez's program to dis tribute condoms to junior and senior high school students drew the wrath of hundreds of concerned parents and many local organizations and church groups, including numerous priests and officials of the New York and Brooklyn dioceses.
Plan proponents hoped to avoid the inevitable controversy surrounding the
ents and representatives of many other
himself over to studies based on vain and
organizations. One Hispanic mother is sued an impassioned plea in defense of
false digressions, and does this exclusive
the innocent children to be exposed to
the infamous propaganda. Raising her
violate the finality of study, and will be considered, and rightly so, a vagabond.
voice, she shouted that "if one of these little ones stumbles because of you,
act is reproduction. If something is used
ly because he finds pleasure in it, he will
"Now then, the finality of the sexual
Chancellor Fernandez, you are going to
to deviate this act from its natural end,
burn in hell for all eternity!" The room
something is done that is contrary to the
roared with simultaneous applause and
natural order of things, and it is this
catcalls.
Prior to the meeting, reports had cir
which makes this act essentially condemnable.
culated that at least one member of the Board of Education considered that it
"So when you cast your vote, please remember that in voting against the pro
was not in the business of giving a "val
posal to distribute condoms to the inno cent children in our schools you will be
ue education."
issue, and it was only after the repeated
protests and insistence of many in^viduals that the topic was officially placed on
the public agenda of the New York City School Board. The American TFP testified last De
cember 5 at the board's monthly public meeting, even before the matter was on
the agenda, expressing its profound con cern and heartfelt affliction at the threat
this measure poses to children's morals.
In his presentation to the seven-mem ber board, TFP representative Preston Noell said,"To distribute condoms is to encourage immorality. In the case at hand, it is to encourage impurity among innocent children, where more than al most anywhere else, one should hope to
find purity. This is an abomination."
Focusing on the grave moral obliga tion to vote against the proposal, he reminded the board that "when Our Lord Jesus Christ said that 'whosoever
Mr. Preston Noell addresses the New York City School Board In defense of childhood Innocence
shall scandalize one of these little ones
that believe in me, it were better for him
that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea,' He
was speaking not only for His contem
The TFP, testifying once again, re sponded to that viewpoint: "Every human action should be consis
making an invaluable contribui
> an
education that is in accordance wuii nat
ural law. To do otherwise is to encourage the breakdown of human order."
poraries, but for all men of all times. He was speaking for you as well."
tent with its natural finality or end. This is the root principle of all morality. So
that, if one denies this principle, human
made at that meeting, but would be
Those who stood to testify against the
order would become simply impossible.
plan were greeted with insults, booing, hissing and catcalling by members of a
"Thus the foundation of the illicitness
of lying is that speech has been given to
number of pro-homosexual organiza
man to express what he thinks. If he
tions that were present. Some two months later, the Board of Education held another meeting, this time with the condom distribution pro
posal on the agenda. More than 200 speakers were scheduled to testify. At that meeting, in a tense and emo tion-laden atmosphere, the opposition counted on an increased number of parit?
makes use of his faculty of speech in a
sense that is contrary to its finality, he will lie. And lying is condemnable pre cisely because it is at the extreme oppo site of the finality of speech. "In like manner, the finality of study ing is the knowledge of the truth. If someone, rather than studying those things that lead to this knowledge, gives
The vote on the proposal was not
made at the next public meeting of the board, held about two weeks later.
In the meantime, the local news me dia wasted no time in its promotion of the proposal, saying it would probably
help reduce the incidence of AIDS. Outside in the freezing cold. Bishop Thomas V. Daily of the Brooklyn dio cese led about 75 people in the recitation of the Rosary, praying for the defeat of the proposal. For this meeting, the board had tak
en steps to blunt protests by making it TFP Newsletter
RELIGION
TFP NEWS
very difficult for anyone to address the
board. On most proposals up for a vote, anyone can raise their hand to ask for
Hell Seen and Described
by a Saint
permission to speak, but at this meeting only those who had written to the board in advance were able to have the floor.
Having done this, the TFP was able to testify: "The proposal you will vote on has been the subject of much emotional and at times illogical debate. "Let us hope that logic and right rea
Remember thy last ends, and thou shalt never sin" (Ecclus. 7:40), Holy Scripture coun sels us. The last ends of man are
sophisms. This is your task, and you will
the last things that will happen to him, that is, death, private judg ment, heaven, hell, purgatory, the
be held accountable to God and to man
end of the world, the resurrection
for the fruits your vote will bring. You will be abundantly rewarded if you vote
ment.
son will prevail in the midst of so many
of the dead and the final judg
posal, as it now stands, to make con
Today this counsel seems to fall on deaf ears. Nevertheless, through the ages Divine Providence has deigned to make revelations of these last ends. It is worthwhile,
doms available for distribution to the in
then, to consider a great woman
nocent children in our New York City
whose life was marked by extraor dinary visions of heaven, purgato
in favor of morality. "The sophism I would like to analyze concerns parental consent. Perhaps some of you think that the Chancellor's pro
public schools is unacceptable, but that
just a little amendment to allow for par
ry, hell, and the action of angels
ents to opt out of the plan may sanitize it.
and demons in the world. This
"If you think that you thus may pla cate your conscience by having done the minimum, by choosing a so-called mod
mystic is Saint Frances of Rome.
erate solution, I suggest you reconsider.
"If you think that by allowing a par ent to prohibit his or her child from ob taining a condom at school, that we will
She was born in 1384, of the no ble Busso family. When she was only 12 years old, she already led an extraordinary life. She did not
intend to marry, but her confessor
Fresco of the Blessed Virgin with the Infant Jesus
counseled her not to resist the in
and Saint Frances of Rome with her guardian angel.
be pleased, you are wrong. Dead wrong.
sistence of her parents. So she mar
Because the ambience created in a class
ried Lorenzo de Ponziani.
room and in a school degraded by the ap plication of this abominable proposal will reek of immorality, permissiveness and perversity. It will be a cancer attack ing the whole school. It will be a disease infecting our innocent children. It will be a plague whose evil effects will be felt everywhere.
"The children who grow up in such an environment will not be immunized from
Immediately after her marriage, she
Christian piety and virtue. She formed an organization of ladies which in 1431
became gravely ill and was miraculously
received its own rule, giving rise to the
cured by an apparition of Saint Alexis, a Roman martyr. After her recovery, Frances dedicated herself greatly to works of charity. Together with her sister-inlaw Vannossa, she sought alms from
ter her husband's death, she joined her spiritual daughters, leading them to hos
door to door to give to the poor in pub lic places in areas where she was not known. In her home, her style of life was
this cancer, this disease, this plague. Their peers will pressure them. Those who don't go along with the crowd will be mocked. And all the while, discipline and
strict and admirable.
human order will continue to deteriorate'
death was one of the joys of her life. "I
The plan was voted on and passed,
see," he said before passing away, "Saint Anthony and Saint Onuphrius
four to three. Both of Mayor David Dinkin's appointees voted in favor of the
plan, even though both had previously
God blessed her marriage, giving her
Oblates of Saint Frances of Rome. Af
pitals and to houses for the poor. Often, lacking medicine or sufficient resources, Saint Frances brought an instantaneous and miraculous cure to the needy. God consoled her with revelations and
mystical communications about the of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Bleb
six children. Her son John died a won
Virgin Mary. She became famous for her
derful death while yet a boy, and this
miracles and gifts of curing. She restored sight to the blind, speech to the mute, health to the sick, and freed many pos
who are coming to get me to take me to heaven."
sessed people from the devil.
Saint Frances had a presentiment of her death and she foretold her friends.
Several momentous events influenced
She besought God to take her from this life, since she did not want to see the new
a parental-consent clause. The New York State Board of Regents has since ruled that the plan may stand.
her life, as for example, the seizure of Rome by the king of Naples, which un
leashed a series of catastrophes on her family and the exile of Pope Eugene IV,
She fell sick and died in 1440.
So, it is a sad day for the youngsters in New York City public schools, where
in virtue of the war between the Floren tines and the Milanese.
publicly stated their opposition to the plan as it stood without provisions for
their right to be educated in an environ
ment free of corruption and perversity has been eroded even more. May God help them. Vol. s, No. 10, mi
â&#x2013;Ą
While her husband was still living she gathered around her many ladies of the best Roman society, with the goal of animating themselves in the practice of
crises which began to attack the Church. The visions of this Italian mystic oc cupy an outstanding place in her life. Some of the more well-known visions
of hell were made to Saint John Bosco, Saint Teresa of Avila, and the Fatima seers. The Curd of Ars, Saint Jean Baptiste Vianney, had several visions of the 11
RELIGION
devil. Regarding what Saint Frances of Rome saw in hell, the famous French Catholic writer Ernest Hello presents a
succinct but suggestive summary in his book Studies in Saintship(Methuen and Co., London, 1903, pp. 148-152), which we present below. "Innumerable torments, as varied as the crimes they punished, were revealed
in the air act physically on atmospher ic and telluric disturbances, distribut
ing their evil powers on every side, poisoning the air physically and morally. Their special work is to weaken the soul. When the demons in
charge of the earth see a soul debili
to her both in the mass and in detail. She
tated by the influence of the airdemons, they attack it in its moment of weakness in order to vanquish it
saw melted gold and silver thrust by de
the more easily. They attack it at the
mons down the throats of the avaricious.
moment when it mistrusts Provi
She saw numberless scenes full of ex
dence, and this doubt, which the de
traordinary and detailed horror. She saw
mons of the air are specially fitted to inspire, prepares the soul for the fall
the hierarchies of demons, their func tions, their tortures, and the various
crimes over which they preside. She saw Lucifer, consecrated to pride, the general-in-chief of all the proud, king of all the demons and all the damned. And this
king is infinitely more miserable than his subjects. Hell is divided into three parts —the upper, middle and lower hell. Lu
which the demons of the earth are
about to encompass. First, when the soul is already enfeebled to doubt,
they inspire it with pride, and the more debilitated it is the more easily it falls into sin. When pride has in creased its weakness, it is the turn of the demons of the flesh, who infuse A fallen angel atop Notre Dame In Paris, gargoyles have reminded the faithful for ages about demons.
and under him as the supreme chief are
into it their spirit; when they have weakened it yet more it becomes the
three subordinate chiefs, who obey him,
turn of demons intrusted with crimes
but are set in authority over all the others. Asmodeus, who presides over the
for money; and when these have dimin ished yet further the powers of resistance
sins of the flesh, was one of the cheru
they give place to the demons of idola
or into that of a man, and in such cases it represents itself to be the soul of some
bim. Mammon, who presides over the
try, who accomplish and complete what
dead person. . . .
sins of avarice, was a throne—it is in teresting to see that money alone supplies
the others have begun. "All are in league in the interest of
of a soul he becomes, after its condem
cifer is at the very bottom of the latter,
subsequently into the body of an animal
"When a demon has effected the loss
one of the three great categories; while
evil, and the following is the law of the
nation, the tempter of some other per
Beelzebub presides over the sins of idol
fall:
son, but he is now more skilled than
atry. All crimes connected with the prac
"Every sin that is unrepented of in
before. He profits by the experiences of
tice of magic, spiritualism, etc., come
volves man in further sin. TTius idolatry, magic, spiritualism await in the bottom less pit those who have slipped down
victory; he has become more clever and
wards from precipice to precipice. "All things in the celestial hierarchy have been parodied in the infernal hier
mortal sin. Saint Frances sees a demon on his back; when mortal sin has been
archy. No demon can tempt a soul with out the permission of Lucifer. The
upon him but beside him. After a sincere
under the dominion of Beelzebub. He is
in a special sense the prince of darkness. He is tortured by the darkness, and it is
through the darkness that he tortures his victims. A certain number of the demons
remain in hell; others float in the air, and
others again live in the midst of men, seeking whom they may devour. Those who remain in hell issue their orders and
send out their deputies; those who live
demons who occupy fixed positions in hell suffer the pains of fire. The demons
wiped out, she sees the demon no longer confession the power of the demon is weakened; its temptations have no longer the same compelling force. When the
who fly through the air or who are on
holy name of Jesus is pronounced with reverence, Saint Frances sees all
fire, but they undergo other horrible tor
mons on earth, in the air, and .
tures, and more especially the sight of all the good wrought by saints. Every man
bowing before it in horrible contortions,
de 11
and these are the more horrible the more
who acts rightly inflicts terrible torment
reverently the name has been uttered. If
on the demons. When Saint Frances of
the name of God be pronounced blas phemously, the demons are still com
tell, from the nature and the violence of
pelled to bow before it, but a certain
the temptation, from what height the tempter had fallen and to what hierar
pleasure is mingled with the sorrow caused them by the homage they are
chy he had belonged. "When a soul falls into hell, the
the name of God, the angels in heaven
demon who successfully tempted it is thanked and congratulated by a throng of other demons. But when a soul is
saved its attendant demon is mocked by its companions and brought before Lu cifer, who inflicts some special punish
12
"When a man is living in a state of
earth do not suffer the actual pains of
Rome suffered temptation, she could
A detail of Blessed Fra Angefleo's Last Judgm»ni depicting hell for the avaricious.
more powerful in encompassing ruin.
ment upon it distinct from its other tor
ments. Such a demon sometimes passes
forced to render. When man blasphemes bow down equally. They testify to their immense respect. Thus human lips, which move so easily and pronounce so lightly the terrible name, produce throughout the universe the most ex traordinary results and awaken echoes of
which man here below suspects neither the vastness nor the intensity." □ TFP Newsletter
TFP June 1991
The Free World Supports Lithuania A Report on History's Largest Petition Drive Vytautas Landsbergis in the name of the American TFP and similar
TFP organizations and bureaus in 20 countries.
The joint telegram warned that So
viet pressure might result in the use of "the tactic of 'conceding a little so as to not lose all'—a tactic that in
the concrete case only harms the cause
of Lithuania and all free peoples, be cause concession leads not to survival but to defeat." The TFPs further
pledged to "concentrate all the means at their disposal to awaken, in favor of the Lithuanian cause, the just
solidarity of so many Western nations and, more especially, of those ample and prestigious segments of Catholic
opinion that flourish around the world." The TFP telegram appeared in its entirety in major newspapers worldwide. In the United States the
Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis with Inter-TFP commission that travelled to Vilnius to deliver the 5,218,520 signatures collected by the TFPs In support of Lithuania's Independence.
WHEN Lithuania threw off the yoke of communism by proclaim ing its independence on March 11, 1990,
"TFPs on Five Continents Protest in
Favor of Lithuanian Independence" Instead of coming to the aid of the be leaguered Baltic nation, most world lead
in the Wall Street Journal (6/1/90).
ers reacted with silence, indifference or
... AND A PETITION
few people expected the many obstacles
timidity. Lithuania was being sacrificed
that small Baltic country was to encoun
on the altar of concession by those fear
ter. In light of the events in Eastern Eu
ful of the ire of the Red bear.
rope, it was supposed by not a few that
telegram was published with the title
In view of this, the TFPs and TFP Bu
One week later, the worldwide TFP petition drive began—an effort that amassed, in less than five months, a to
the Soviets would allow Lithuania, his torically known as the "Land of Mary,"
reaus in 20 countries decided to launch
tal of 5,218,520 signatures—a world rec
a worldwide petition drive in support of
ord. Also addressed to President Lands
to join the family of free nations.
Lithuania. The message the public would
bergis, the TFP petition protested "any political arrangement" that would delay Lithuanian independence. The signers shared the hope that
On March 15, 1990, the Soviet Parlia ment declared the act of independence illegal. One week later, Soviet troops oc
be asked to sign was addressed to Presi dent Vytautas Landsbergis of Lithuania. Expressing indignation at Lithuania's plight, it
cupied key public buildings in Vilnius,
would provide crucial
Far from it.
the Lithuanian capital, and tanks rum
encouragement at a crit
bled (and still rumble) down the city's streets. Shortly afterwards, Nobel Peace
ical time.
Prize winner Mikhail Gorbachev im
A TELEGRAM ...
Around the world,
the cry "Freedom for
posed a harsh economic embargo, cut ting off food, fuel and medical supplies to the small nation in hopes of forcing Lithuania to declare a two- to three-year "freeze" on its just title to independence.
Lithuania would recov
er its independence after fifty years of captivity.
On May 25, 1990, the
Lithuania!" resounded
in a dozen languages. From as far away as In
TFP Rome bureau sent
dia and the Philippines,
a telegram of support to
the petition received widespread support.
Lithuanian president
^31
..,v
•' a'*. ,*
-•
..
f
* '
. .s*.. •
^
V
I
" "si%<
'^iipiii
I
\
Left. New York City, with Its visitors from around the world, was often the scene of the campaign.The campaign even stopped by Chinatown. Abo^o. Washingtonlans support the TFP petition. Right. Students sign the petition at the University of Texas at Austin, one of 108 campuses visited.
TFP also distributed copies of the state
reoccur in several other focal points of Discontent."
"Sign here! A Message of Support for
ment "Communism and Anticommunism on the Threshold of the Millennium's
a Free and Independent Lithuania" read the banners above the American TFP pe
Last Decade." Published as a two-page
WITH THE MAN IN THE STREET
advertisement in the Wall Street Journal
THE AMERICAN SCENE
tition tables, at which concerned anticommunists, incorrigible leftists or
(national edition, 2/27/90), this com mentary on the world situation, written
merely curious passersby gathered to sign
by Plinio Correa de Oliveira, inspirer of
or to discuss. One by one, the American TFP collected its 833,575 signatures.
the TFPs, was a timely complement to the petition message.
(About a fourth of these were obtained
This statement contained many points pertinent to Lithuania's plight. While
on campuses.) Similar scenes occurred across the na
tion as the TFP campaign for Lithuania's freedom became a familiar sight on city streets, at fairs and festivals, and at universities. From north to south, from east to west, TFP members and volun teers crisscrossed the nation, reaching even Puerto Rico, to obtain signatures.
During the campaign, the American
many proclaimed the end of the cold war, one point seemed to presage the January 1991 massacre of Lithuanian citizens: "No one can guarantee that the crushing of rebellions, accomplished with such success and promptness in the Square of Heavenly Peace (!) in Peking,
and recently repeated with at least appar ent success in Baku,[Azerbaijan] will not
The Message of the
what exactly did all these people sign? The text of the message follows.
Record-Breaking
A Message to President Vytautas
ence, the TFPs collected 5,218,520 signatures—making this the largest sin
gle petition in history. The previous record was set with a petition bearing 3,107,000 signatures, according to the Guinness Book of Records(London, 1989, p. 194). Thus, this message of moral support for Lithuania's freedom and independ ence was signed by one out of every 1,000 inhabitants of the earth. But
street. People who knew little about Lithuania soon became informed. Many were happy to do their part to help their fellowmen in their bid for freedom.
"You mean to say that the Soviets
aren't giving them their freedom? That's horrible!" exclaimed a young street vender in Chattanooga as he signed the petition. "I'm for freedom in Lithuania," said one burly construction worker in Pitts burgh. "The situation there shouldn't have ever happened in the first place. Here, let me sign that."
hopes, we wholeheartedly participate
in your anguish. We raise a cry indignation and protest—of protc against any political arrangement that
Landsbergis of Lithuania
would delay putting into effect the
We,the undersigned, have been fol lowing with lively interest the drama
glorious declaration proclaiming Lith uania a free and independent country proudly assuming its place in the fa
taking place in your noble country. We recognize Lithuania as one of the
mily of nations. In this regard, Mr. President, Lithu
Petition Drive
IN support of Lithuania's independ
Rapport developed between untold Americans and the TFP campaigners in personal contact with the man in the
innocent victims of the sinister Ribben-
ania will always have the support, re
trop-Molotov pact of August 23, 1939,
spect and admiration of the under
which unjustly and violently robbed
signed, who express their dispositions
your country of its independence. We shared in the burgeoning hope
that swept Lithuania when recent events made the recovery of independence pos sible after fifty years of cruel captivity. As the uncertainty of the interna tional scene threatens your reborn
to you precisely when your cause for
independence seems to be at a critical juncture.
We beseech that God help and guide you in your valorous effort to obtain
the immediate recognition of your in dependence by all free nations.
il
111
Left. Southerners wholeheartedly Joined in the call for Lithuanian freedom. Here, an Interested student at North Carolina State University at
Raieigh signs. Above. Tourists sign at magnify cent NIegara Falls. Right. Businessmen sign In
"the Loop," In Chicago, one of 181 cities visited.
"I think it's disgraceful how we have
demanded. "You're in the wrong place."
done nothing for them," said one indig nant mother as she signed in front of a supermarket in Greensboro, North
Another Berkeley student exclaimed with relief. "It's good to see something worthwhile on this campus for a change."
At yet another liberal bastion was
Carolina.
heard, "What! TFP here at Yale!"
Others responded negatively. "Lithuania is better off under com
"At Harvard Square!" exclaimed one
munism," yelled an elderly businessman
liberal Bostonian. "I don't believe it!
in downtown Manhattan.
How dare you?"
HAS COMMUNISM DIED?
Many of those who signed had serious doubts about the changes in the com munist world.
"Gorbachev is like all the rest," said one Chicago businessman."He just has a nicer mask."
"I'll sign. I'm afraid of the Soviets," declared a lady from Ken-
"I'm not affected by
what happens over there, Why should I be con cerned?" claimed a young truckdriver in Boise. UNLIKELY REACTIONS
1
i
42 Congressmen Sign Petition Senators and con cock (R-MO), Joel Hefley
tucky. "We're being op timistic. They still have ten tanks to every one of ours." "Gorbachev is doing something odd," claimed a
man from
Milwaukee.
TFP members collecting
gressmen were among
(R-CO), Wally Herger jer (R-
"First he starts opening ^P' won't give
signatures encountered the
the signers of the American
CA), John Hiler (D-IN), b-IN),
Lithuania its freedom."
most unlikely reactions.
TFP petition for a free and independent Lithuania. Sena tors signing were: Bill Arm
l-LA), Clyde Holloway (R-LA),
sign anything against
Henry Hyde (R-IL), James â&#x2013; Cyl (R(RInhofe(R-OK), Jon Kyi AZ), Robert Lagomarsino larsino
communism" said a Cuban-
ton (R(R(R-CA), Bob Livingston
At the University of Delaware, near the end of campaign, one liberal insisted, "Communism
"How ironic!" exclaimed a feminist in downtown
Kansas City, Missouri. "I'm a communist but I cannot
strong (R-CO), Dan Coats (R-IN), Alfonse D'Amato
American in Miami. "Gorbachev is a big phony."
(R-NY), Connie Mack (RFL), Steve Symms(R-ID)and
nn (R(RLA), Bill McCollum FL), Bob McEwen (R-OH), l-OH),
from Chicago. "I'm a liber
Malcolm Wallop (R-WY). From the House, the fol
Don Ritter (R-PA), Dana
al but I also can't believe
lowing congressmen signed:
11Rohrabacher (D-CA), II-
changed. Gorbachev has won the Nobel Peace
how our country is going downhill. They can even burn the flag now." "I may not be for every
Richard Armey (R-TX), Tom Bliley Jr.(R-VA), Dan Burton (R-IN), Tom Camp bell (R-CA), Jim Courier (R-NJ), Christopher Cox (R-CA), Larry Craig (R-
R-FL), eana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL),
Prize."
help but sign." "I can't believe I'm sign ing this," exclaimed a man
thing you stand for," ex claimed a young student sporting an orange Mohawk haircut at the University of
ID), Philip Crane (R-IL), William Dannemeyer (R-
Minnesota at Minneapolis,
CA), Michael De Wine (R-
"but everyone has to be for
OH), Robert Dornan (R-
freedom."
CA), John Duncan(R-TN), Benjamin Oilman (R-NY),
UNLIKELY PLACES
"What are you doing here in Berkeley?" one student TFP ON Lithuania
Newt Gingrich (R-GA), Bill Grant(D-FL), Melton Han
Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), D-NJ),
Toby Roth (R-WI), Gerald
"Lithuania will get its
Cliff Solomon (R-NY), Cliff
freedom sooner or later.
Steams(R-FL), Guy Vander Vander Jagt (R-MI) and Barbara arbara
Why worry about it now?
Vucanovich (R-NV).
Gorbachev," was a com-
Besides, we have to support
The TFP expresses special soecial gratitude to Congressman
liberal objection.
Christopher Cox, who had a report on the TFP cam
"ALREADY SIGNED"
paign entered into the Con gressional Record(Washing ton, D.C., March 13, 1991, 102d Congress, 1st sess.)
As the campaign prog ressed, the number of passersby already familiar with it became surprisingly large. "I didn't sign in Madrid because I didn't understand
Spanish," said one
mission members in the
American tourist, "but
streets. Some wept with joy. Others presented
now that I understand, I'll sign."
the members with flow
"Signed at Niagara
ers as a sign of recogni tion for what had been done for them. Their
Falls."
"I signed at the Thste of Chicago Festival in July." "You got me at the Summerfest in
gratitude is exemplified in a statement on De
cember 10 by the Saju-
Mil
dis
"You know, I signed this in Washington, D.C. Do you want me to sign again?" One
Movement: "We
wish to express our deep gratitude for your tire less efforts in collecting 5,218,520 signatures in support of Lithuanian
waukee."
independence.
student from
Texas A & M had done
"You have demon strated that there is
more than sign: "I got up in front of my math class and asked them
worldwide support for the rights of Lithu
all to sign up."
anians."
ATTRACTED BY
this great gift that you have given to the peo ple of Lithuania will always be appreciated
"Please know that CAMPAIGN
"That's funny," commented one Tennes-
The special Inter-TFP commission In front of Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.
ville upon seeing the TFP's New York address. "We in the South are supposed to be the ones who defend tradition, fa mily and property, and here you are up North!"
Several Brigham Young University stu
and remembered, as
a marvelous group of young men from
will the memory of those [two TFP volunteers] whose lives
so many continents. . . . I understand you are representing many countries and
were lost in this great effort." Afterwards, the commission returned
many continents, and one can even say that you are representing the Western
to Moscow. At the Kremlin it delivered a letter addressed to Gorbachev which
world. . . . All of Lithuania will now
told him of the petition drive and asked him to grant Lithuania its freedom.
sean student in Knox-
dents signed after hearing a professor
know of your action for us. Five million
comment in an American heritage class:
"What makes a person or a group of peo
people who support us, more than the Lithuanian population. I hope that your
ple practice selflessness in a selfish age? For example, these young men collecting signatures in front of the Student Union
message reaches the consciences of peo ple in the whole world." Upon hearing of the 5 million signa
HEROIC LITHUANIAN RESISTANCE
continue even in the rain. What makes
tures, Lithuanian government officials
ers invaded Lithuania. The people resist
them or people like them do things like
and people from all walks of life unani
ed. Moved by their Catholic Faith and
this? It's the fact that what they are do
mously said: Finally, the moral support
displaying unflinching courage, 80,000
ing is true and good."
we so desperately need is arriving.
men, women and children surrounded
the Parliament building to keep ib" Reds
SIGNATURES DELIVERED
The Lithuanians were very expressive of their gratitude. People embraced com-
NEW SOVIET AGGRESSION AND
Days later Soviet tanks and paratroop
from overthrowing their govern At the government television sta tion, Soviet tanks drove ahead and
On December 2, 1990, a commis sion representing the 20 TFPs and
crushed some of Lithuania's heroes.
But far from crushing the Lithuani ans' spirit, the atrocity redoubled
TFP Bureaus left Brussels for Mos
cow, later continuing on to Vilnius. Its purpose was to present President Landsbergis the 5,218,520 signatures (a figure exceeding Lithuania's popu lation) collected in over 20 countries. The delivery to the head of state took place with solemnity
their will to resist.
On January 9, Antanas Racas,
member of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Supreme Coun cil of the Republic of Lithuania, sent the following message to the Ameri
on December 4 in the Lithuanian
can TFP: "Military vehicles can be seen in the streets of Vilnius and in
Parliament.
During the meeting in the Parlia ment President Landsbergis delivered a speech welcoming the com mission and expressing his gratitude. We quote a few excerpts: "I did not expect to see here such 4
front of the Parliament. Mass fascist-
soviet provocations are frequently repeated. Lithuania is in danger; the In the Lithuanian Parliament, President Landsbergis
help of the world is needed."
presents American TFP VIce-Presldent Steven Schmleder a pin of the Lithuanian knight, the symbol of Lithuania.
dered.
But Lithuania has not surren
â&#x2013;Ą TFP ON LlTHVANIA
TFPs Undertake Victorious
Crusade in Favor of Free Lithuania Pl.INIO CORREA DE OLIVEIRA
COMMENTARY
IN March of last year, when grow
But why did the Lithuanian case rouse
Lithuania attained its political apex
ing tension between the Soviet Un
so much more attention than other
during the reign of Grand Duke Vytau-
ion and Lithuania had reached a point
analogous cases? Because it happened
tas(1392-1430). He extended the bord
clearly conducive to conflict, one might have asked what was the impor
at a moment when the clamor of Lith
ers of his nation from the Baltic Sea
uania was added to another clamor—
tance of the Soviet aggression which
so weak it seemed dead, yet living on in the memory of all—the lamentation of the nations previously crushed by
to the Black Sea and held in check the Tartar hordes that threatened to
occurred at that time. The answer:
None. This, because there had already been serious conflicts in other regions of the USSR, such as Georgia and
the Soviets.
Has another nation been crushed?
invade Europe. At the Council of Con stance (1415), Vytautas the Great was elected commander of all the Chris
tian armies against the Turkish in
Azerbaijan, that the Kremlin had bru
And now another? And now three
vasion.
tally suppressed.
more? Nations to which we are linked
Thus Catholicism, although late in reaching Lithuania, was consolidated. The long period of peace during the
These are small nations which, like
by the common embrace of Western
all peoples, have the natural right to
civilization, which recognizes the right
their own independence. They longed to escape from the colonization and fauces of a regime imposed on them by foreigners without any link to their na tional thought, history, or traditions, a regime that, furthermore, afflicted all of them with frightful misery. Therefore, nothing could be more agreeable than the independence of
of each people to live its own life? How is not possible to become indignant
reign of Casimir IV, Grand Duke of
upon seeing such nations slaughtered by brutal Soviet aggression? Seeing all this gave rise to a desire to say "enough!" to Moscow, a desire that deservingly grew much in force of impact when the admirable Lithuanian
this. His son Casimir (died in Vilnius
Lithuania (1440-1492), is attributed to in 1484) is inscribed by the Church in the list of saints as patron of Lith uania.
The petition of the TFPs is a warn
and bravery that astonished today's
ing to the Soviets and Gorbachev: "Don't think you are going to fool us any longer with your machinations
nessed the Soviet intervention in all
vile and utilitarian world. The result
exhibiting false moderate tendencies
of these regions with displeasure, but,
of this desire was the monumental pe tition drive promoted by the TFPs that gathered 5.2 million signatures in 26
Azerbaijan and Georgia, and as three more are now beginning to bleed and
these small nations. The world wit
nevertheless, the repression was com
pleted and to this day the Soviet boot continues to subject these nations to humiliating oppression.
resistance demonstrated acts of faith
countries.
Everyone sensed that a message was
when nations have been crushed like
die in your hands. Enough! We are dis gusted! Gorbachev, Soviets! We want
When Soviet intervention occurred
being sent to the Kremlin: "This time
you to know that the voice of the TFPs
in Lithuania, one might have expected
we want you to know that there are
the same events that happened in other regions, given the similarity of circum
Stop, because we no longer want to
is an echo of the universal disgust that cries out: That's enough.'" This cry is also meant for the gov
people in the West who cry out: Stop! watch with our arms crossed!" This
ernments whose foreign ministries
explains the solidarity with Lithuania
have so often ignored the wishes of
ametrically opposite happened; The whole world became deeply interested
of all the signatories.
public opinion regarding internation'^l
in the situation created in that Baltic
the petition drive was held, this solidar ity was accentuated by the fact that
stances.
However, this time something di
country despite the fact that the news media made no special effort to excite public opinion against the Soviet gov ernment.
In Brazil and other nations where
Lithuania is a Catholic nation. Lithuania was first constituted as a
Christian kingdom in the remote year
politics. These governments know il among the motives of their popularit> or unpopularity will be what they do in face of the Lithuanian case. And the
TFPs propose to follow this case and notify people in the countries where the
petition drive was promoted (and,
indignation that had not been artifi
of 1250 when King Mindaugas em braced the Faith and received the royal crown from Pope Innocent IV. In 1322, King Oediminas strongly sup ported the Franciscan missionaries
cially roused by the media nor anyone
among his people. Grand Duke Jagi-
that if Lithuania—and Latvia and Es
else.
ello was betrothed to the heiress of the
tonia as well—reach the point of effec
The TFPs caught this so strongly that they ventured an enormous step:
tively losing their independence, there
the promotion of a petition drive that,
throne of Catholic Poland in 1386, and, in the following year, he became the king of a political union of these
if its results were meager, would be
two nations, a union that further fa
harmful to Lithuania itself.
vored the Christianization of Lith uania.
But the TFPs and TFP Bureaus,
in 20 countries, knew how to sense the spontaneous, natural, and authen tic indignation of world opinion, an
The drive brought colossal results. TFP ON LITHUANIA
eventually, in other countries as well)
about the developments of Soviet ag gression. This will be done in such a manner
will be even greater universal clamor that will inflict a greater loss on com
munism than the relative profit that Gorbachev hopes to obtain by sacrific ing these three innocent victims.
□
An Appeal for
Lithuania, Land of Mary
Heroic Lithuania
PRINCIPAL DATA Area: 25,175 sq. mi. Boundaries: Russia to the east, the Baltic Sea to the west, Latvia to the north, Poland to the south.
Population: 3,420,000.
Religion: 80% Catholic. Capital: Vilnius. Language: Lithuanian.
ECENTL Y Prof. Plinio Correa de
world, Gorbachev disclaimed the attack.
£\.OHveira, president of the Brazilian
The Kremlin attributed the responsibility
TFP, sent an appeal to all the heads of state of the Free World asking them to establish diplomatic relations with Lithu
for the aggression to the commander
paratroopers which it had sent against
Bush follows.
Lithuania.
But, and there is a "but" in all this, Sao Paulo, March 7, 1991
soon afterwards, the Soviet Interior Min ister, Col. Boris Pugo, named as a prime
instigator of the savage deeds of the Rus
knight and galloping horse on a green background, with the words
The Honorable George Bush
"Terra Mariae."
President of the United States The White House
National holidays: September 8, day
nia and ordered a partial recall of the
ania. The letter as addressed to President
National flag: Horizontal yellow, green and red bars. State emblem: The "Vytis," white
of the Soviet forces stationed in Lithua
sian troops in Lithuania, was promoted to general. Scarcely had the measures dis avowing the recent Soviet brutalities in
of the kingdom of Lithuania. Febru
Washington, D.C. 20500
Vilnius been divulged, with evident prop
ary 16, day of the first restoration
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
aganda advantage to Gorbachev in the
Dear Mr. President
ed with promotion to General. Thus, the
1 write this letter moved by the cry of a people and in defense of a right.
ealed and duplicity added to aggression! 3) In this milieu, however inauspi cious, Lithuania's head of state, President Vytautas Landsbergis, courageously and forthrightly convoked a plebiscite to
West,then the "guilty party" was award
of independence.
hypocrisy of the so-called censure was rev
CHRONOLOGY
1250: King Mindaugas embraces the Catholic Faith and receives the roy al crown from Pope Innocence IV.
1) For half a century, captive Lithua nia suffered hunger, misery and perse
1387: Definitive conversion of the
cution under the Soviet boot of the
Lithuanian Kingdom.
Communist regime, the irreducible ad
grant every Lithuanian citizen the right
1484: On March 4, Prince Saint
versary of religion, family and private
to freely state whether he desired to con
Casimir, the patron of Lithuania,
property. At long last, it saw, if just for
tinue under the communist domination
dies. Devotion to this saint has been
of the Kremlin or to continue, at what
a considerable factor for the preser
a moment, the sun of independence dawn, revealing before it the path to the
vation of Catholicism in the country.
civilization and prosperity of the past, so
1518: Saint Casimir miraculously ap pears on a horse over the Lithuanian army and guides the army to victo
long and mercilessly denied it by the Communist regime. At once, Lithuania reaffirmed its independence, established
ry over the Moscovite schismatics.
its own government and began recon
in a most calm and orderly manner. Its results, verified in an equally exemplary
1569-1795: Establishment of the
structing the country. Frustrating the vain hopes of the West,
before the Present in which the Lithua
Polish-Lithuanian Union.
1795-1915: Lithuania is subjected to Russian domination until the First World War.
1918: On February 17, Lithuanian independence is restored. 1939: The infamous Soviet-Nazi pact (Ribbentrop-Molotov) delivers the three Baltic countries to the USSR. 1940: On June 15 Soviets invade
born from his policy of perestroika, Gor bachev violated the sovereignty of the
independence—obviously, absolute,
serve in the Soviet army, seen as a for
and immediate independence;
eign force, he ordered the Lithuanian re sistance crushed.
2) Mr. President, Communist tanks
ing hymns of Faith and patriotism, rose
guerrilla war against the communists begins as well as mass deportation of
To the shock of the Kremlin-ordered ag
The disarmed Lithuanian people, sing as live barriers before the Soviet tanks.
Lithuanians by the Soviets. More
gressors and the wonder of the world,
than 20% of the population—
even when the first victims were bar
600,000 men, women and children
barously butchered, they did not aban
—are deported to Siberia.
don the field of honor nor retreat.
1990: On March 11, Lithuania de-
-]
dares its independence.
i—
nians find themselves, and the Future
newly reborn nation. Using the pretext
1941: Nazi occupation. 1944: New Soviet occupation. A
In August, Lithuania is forcibly an
way, demonstrated before God and man,
that Lithuania's sons had refused to
nexed to the USSR.
Lithuania. In July the first 35,000
As you and the world well know, Mr. President, this plebiscite was conducted
that awaits them, that: a) 90.47% of the voters supported
then advanced against a defenseless pop ulace heartened only by their spiritual weapons of the Catholic Faith and by their indomitable will to secure independence.
Lithuanians are deported to Siberia.
ever risks, to pursue the glorious path to national independence.
How would Moscow respond? Realiz ing that the bloodbath would evoke the
just indignation of the free peoples of the
b)6.56% of the votes were cast against independence; c) 84.52% of the electorate voted.
4) This having been stated, better yet, proclaimed, either the world's free na
tions solicitous of Lithuanian independ ence will rush to its aid, entering into immediate diplomatic relations, estab lishing embassies in Vilnius and allow ing Lithuania to establish embassies in their capitals, or, on the other hand, they
will hedge and hesitate. Perhaps, only a few nations will be spirited enough to dare to defend this small nation, adorned in glory, against what the media insist on portraying as the Soviet "Colossus!' Those nations that vacillate admit im
plicitly that they do not have clear and TFP ON Lithuania
certain right to their own liberty, for by wavering in recognizing the indisputable
rights of the weak today, they call into question the identical rights they may
Our Lady, Gate of Dawn,
have to defend against the same, stronger
aggressor tomorrow. Those who deny the unambiguous and irrefutable rights of others simply because their unjust dispu
Patroness of Lithuania
tant is powerful reveal that they have
nothing to claim in their defense when
LTHOUGH
this same contender unleashes its fury on their own nations which witnessed the
had already been
prior aggression with crossed arms and
introduced
sealed lips. Most assuredly, Mr. President, you shall not consent that your noble and il lustrious country should ever find itself
Lithuania in the
Christianity into
thirteenth century, the true Faith be-
came deeply root-
in such an ignoble position. Accordingly, representing, as President of its National Council, the Brazilian So
ed in this Baltic
ciety for the Defense of Tradition, Family
sovereign. Grand
and Property(TFP), and on behalf of the
Duke Jagiello, was
nation in 1386,
the year when its
14 autonomous sister TFPs, in Argenti
baptized in the
na, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Peru, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the United States, Uru guay and Venezuela, I entreat you, Mr.
city of Cracow. In Baptism he re-
President, to enter into urgent contact
Days later, he
ceived
the
j
5^^
new
name Wladislaw.
with the Lithuanian government in Vil
married the heir-
nius in order to normalize diplomatic re lations with this heroic nation, and to initiate talks to open embassies in your respective capitals.
ess to the throne
I am sending this same request to all
, l.
of Poland, Prin-
cess Hedwig and thus became the
monarch
of
a
the heads of state of the Free World.
5) Mr. President, all that I have assert ed in certainly evident. Accordingly, my request, that you make your own the cause pleaded in my message and that
As a result of this umon between Lithuania and
you see it for what it truly is—an appeal in defense of the Lithuanian cause, which
Poland, a mighty Christian king
is identical to the cause of all free nations
dom rose in Eastern Europe, and the
and to the very cause of Christian civili zation itself—is surely in harmony with the fundamental principles that resound
Catholic religion quickly spread
within your conscience. The lessons of History foretell that a dreadful identity crisis could strike your
country should its citizenry realize that the authorities of your illustrious nation, destined by Providence to exercise an ir
replaceable influence in the world newly opening before us with the advent of the third millennium, failed to run swiftly to the aid of little yet heroic Lithuania, through peaceful, diplomatic means. Mr. President, I extend to you in ad
Xt
because I know that thou canst help me to fight and resist that which is
throughout Lithuania. This was strengthened in particular by the vir
evil,"
tue and miracles of a great Saint,
teenth century, approximately •in
Prince Casimir, heir to the Polish-
years after the death of Saint Casim high walls and fortifications were built around the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. A picture of the Mother of God (shown on this page) was placed
Lithuanian throne and grandson of King Wladislaw. Prince Casimir nourished a tender
devotion to the Blessed Virgin and prayed daily one of the most beauti ful medieval songs dedicated to the Mother of God: the hymn "Omni die die Mariae"(Each day my soul will sing a song unto Mary).
In the second decade of the six
on the southeast gate of the city, called the Gate of Dawn, with the fol lowing invocation: "Mother of Mer cy, we seek thy protection." From this time on, Vilnius placed
vance my compliments for all that, in the
A copy of this hymn was found in the coffin of the holy prince next to
aforementioned perspective, your country
his head, having been put there at his
tional patroness, the Mother of Mer cy of the Gate of Dawn. And it also
will owe your patriotism and your vision. With this, I present you my highest ap preciation and consideration.
request. In the first book of sacred
continued to invoke the intercession
hymns in Lithuania, the "Omni die die Mariae"is entitled' 'The Song of
of Saint Casimir, whose remains re
Respectfully,
Saint Casimir." This canticle includes
Plinio Correa de Oliveira
a magnificent series of invocations to
moved later to the Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the Lithuani
President of the National Council
Our Lady, such as "I cry out to thee,
an capital.
of the Brazilian TFP TFP ON Lithuania
itself under the protection of its na
posed first in the Cathedral, being
□
#
In Memoriam ON September 3,1990, Divine Prov idence called two volunteers who
had participated in the campaign for a free and independent Lithuania, the "Land of Mary." It was with great sorrow that TFP
members and supporters learned of the deaths of Mr. Fred Porfilio and Mr.
Darryl Huang in an accident in Ten nessee.
Mr. Fred Porfilio. A member of the
American TFP since 1974, Mr. Fred Porfilio, 50, labored on behalf of the TFP in many capacities, travelling exten sively throughout the country. A native of the Bronx, he will be sorely missed by all who knew him for his cheerful de
meanor and his charity toward others.
solve them. Not mere words, this senti
Pictured here at the 1988 March for Life, Mr.
He will be remembered above all for the
ment was the natural consequence of his
concern for noble causes.
unshakable confidence in Our Lady that he urged on everyone. He was evidently a man of diverse in
own devotion to Our Lady. In his love for the Mother of God, he had conse
crated himself to the Blessed Virgin ac
quently commented after his return on how profoundly impressed he was by the
terests and abilities. During his busy life
cording to the method of Saint Louis de
miraculous image.
in the TFP he participated in such activi ties as defending the honor of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary
Montfort, the great apostle of Marian devotion. A picture of the Saint hung on the wall of whatever room he happened
against blasphemies, the unborn against
to occupy during almost all his years in
abortion, or the honor of the American
the TFP.
flag against insult. He also made fre
In relation to this devotion, just a few
Lady of Fatima and did all in his power
months prior to his death he had made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady
to help the apostolate as far away as
of Good Counsel of Genazzano in Italy.
India.
His travelling companions found his fer vor and piety during the trip remarka ble. He remained praying in front of the
quent audiovisual presentations on Our
He always maintained a special in terest in helping the youth in today's tur bulent world, whether by promoting
meetings on the evils of rock music, help ing on a cultural outing for a group of teenage boys, or playing Saint Nicholas
Fred Porfilio will be remembered for his great
Mr. Darryl Huang. Also a victim was Darryl Huang, 19. Born in the Fiji Is
lands of Chinese parents, Darryl lived with his family in several places, includ ing Taiwan and Ecuador. It was in the latter country that he first met the TFP. The young Chinese came to serve Our Lady in the United States in September 1989. In addition to his first language, Chinese, he learned Spanish while in Ec
uador and then had to tackle English
miraculous image for several hours,
upon coming to the United States. This
foregoing sightseeing and even lunch in that picturesque medieval town. He fre-
seemed a simple obstacle, for he was quickly proficient enough to be able to help the American TFP in its endeavors. Darryl had also consecrated himself to Our Lady according to the methf^d of
at Christmastime for a group of wideyed
children, all waiting in awe to talk with the charming giftbearer who also brought
Saint Louis de Montfort. Thost
lived closely with him, especially dui uig
gifts of admonishing and encouraging words.
his last months, remember his faithful
"Mr. Fred" is perhaps best charac terized as a person who simply could not say no to anyone who appealed to him for a good cause. If there was a task to be done or a favor to be asked, one could count on Mr. Fred, who would cheerful ly make someone else's problem his own. If someone was feeling down, Mr. Fred
ness to Our Lord and Our Lady, as could be seen in his increasing devotion to the Litany of the Sacred Heart and to the
Rosary. He frequently went off by him
self to pray and was often seen praying late at night.
Though he was only with the Ameri can TFP for a short time, his great dedi
could be counted on to be there with an
cation in TFP campaigns and programs
encouraging word to liven one's spirits.
will be greatly remembered. With profound emotion, the American
Yet his most impressive trait was a cer tain confidence that he exuded. He would
often say that, despite all our miseries, we should place all our cares in the hands of Our Lady, who would mercifully re-
TFP remembers both of these men who Mr. Darryl Huang,called by Divine Providence during the epic campaign for free Lithuania.
fought the good fight, prays for their souls and, at the same time, recommends them to the prayers of our readers. â&#x2013;Ą TFP ON Lithuania
The American TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pleasantville, NY 10570
Vol. 5, No. 11, 1991
Is Glory to God in the Highest a Secondary Aspect of Christmas? Thou dost repose, O Lord,
earth to men of goodwill? And
in Thy pitiful and august
is glory to God in the highest a
manger, under the eyes of the
collateral, distant, confused and
Virgin, Thy Mother, which shed
insipid aspect for men of the great event of Bethlehem.
the inalienable treasures of their
respect and affection over Thee.
Still, in other words, is peace
Never has a creature adored its
for men worth more than the
God with such deep and respect
glory of God? Is the earth worth
ful humility. Never has a moth erly heart loved its child more
more than heaven? Is man, then, worth more than God? And can
tenderly. Reciprocally, never has
peace on earth be obtained, con
God loved a mere creature so much. And never has a son
served and even increased with
loved his mother so fully, so en
the glory of God?
tirely and so superabundantly. The entire reality of this sublime dialogue of souls can be con
Finally, what is a man of goodwill? Is he a man who only
tained in those words that Thou
to the glory of God in heaven?
wouldst later, on a very differ ent occasion, utter from the
a careful analysis of the angelic
height of the Cross but which
canticle.
out having anything to do with
wants peace on earth, indifferent
All these questions invite us to
Admirable profundity of ev
here indicate an entire ocean of
ery inspired word! The canticle of the angels of Bethlehem is so
happiness: "Mother, behold thy son. Son, behold thy Mother"
simple that even a child can un
(cf. John 19:26-27). Considering the perfection of this reciprocal
derstand it, yet it encompasses the most profound truths.
love between Thee and Thy
How profitable it is, then, to
Mother we sense the angelic can ticle
which
arises from
nourish one's soul with these
the
words to duly participate feasts of Holy Christmas.
depths of every Christian soul: "Glory to God in the highest;
Help us. Blessed Mother, Seat
and on earth peace to men of goodwill" (Luke 2:14). "On earth peace to men of
of Wisdom, with thy prayers, so that enlightened by the bright ness that emanates from Jesus, we may understand the angelic
goodwill": the complicated but quick array of associations of images makes us immediately re
For the authentic man of goodwill, glory to God In the highest
canticle, which is the most per
call that on numerous occasions
is by far the most important aspect of Christmas.
fect and authoritative commen
of this ending year, we have heard talk of peace and men of goodwill.
regions, nations and the entire interna
Curiously, we realize that we heard less,
tional society fulfill His law. Why is
and even much less, about glory to God
in the highest. To tell the truth, we heard
there this silence? Why do so many men desire peace so much? Why do so many
almost nothing about it, not even im
men claim to have goodwill? And why
plicitly. One speaks implicitly of the
do so few concern themselves with the
glory of God when one affirms His sovereign rights over all of creation and,
glory of God, and pride themselves in
for love of Him, when individuals, fam
ilies, professional groups, social classes,
tary on Christmas. "Man of goodwill": What does this mean to the eyes of so many of our con temporaries?
To answer this, it suffices to inquire: goodwill with whom? The answer comes
In other words, is the essential fact of
impetuously and impatiently, as usually happens when a question has something superfluous about it, asking what is al most evident. "For goodness' sake,"
Thy holy Birth, Lord, only peace on
many people will say nowadays,"good-
working and fighting for it?
The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP)
CHRISTMAS
will toward your neighbor." One—an
heaven, and whose gaze is only con
God,loving his neighbor not out of mere
atheist or the follower of whatever relig ion, a supporter of private property, or
cerned with the earth.
love of his neighbor, but out of love of
Nevertheless, how far they stray from
God. Man is such that he cannot love his
of socialism or communism—who wants
the proper and natural meaning of the
all men to live happily in abundance,
angelic canticle!
neighbor for the mere fact that he is his neighbor. Either he loves him out of selflove, which is egoism, or he loves him
without sicknesses, without struggles,
Really, if Christmas gives glory to God
without risks, getting the most out of this
in the highest, and is simultaneously the source of peace on earth for men of goodwill—and this is what the angels
life, this is a man of goodwill. Seen in this perspective, the man of goodwill is an artificer of peace. As the saying goes: "in a house where bread is
lacking, everyone quarrels and no one is right." Therefore, where there is bread,
proclaimed in their canticle—one cannot separate the two things. Unless men give glory to God, there is no peace in the
for love of God and this is true love.
Consequently, agnostic "goodwill"
and earthly peace, which it strives to arouse, is neither authentic goodwill nor true peace.
And the false "man of goodwill" is in the final analysis a sower of wars and an
world. And war, in as much as it comes
there is agreement and peace. Where
artificer of ruin,
g
there is bread, shelter, medicine, secu rity, there is necessarily, with greater
But someone could say, how can
2 Jesus be the foundation of peace if no ? one has aroused as much hatred as He s has? The populace He showered with
reason, peace.
And what about glory to God? For the "man of goodwill" thus conceived, glory to God is a superfluous element regarding peace on earth, because or
1 all kinds of spiritual and material favors preferred Barrabas, a bandit, to Him. Is this not hatred? The emperors
der and, therefore, peace in the social
waged atrocious persecutions against
and political life is a result of the ade
Him. The Arians moved all the pow
quate ordering of the economy.
ers on earth against Him. Then came
"Superfluous" is to say little regard ing the glory of God in heaven, consid
the Moslems. And then came all the
great successive waves of history, un
ered in light of peace on earth. As some men believe in God and others do not,
other hand, someone will perhaps add,
til Nazism and communism. On the
and as among those who believe there
Simeon expressed this truth very well,
is a diversity in their way of under standing God, this latter can act as a
He would be a rock of scandal, a sign
dangerous factor of divisions, discus
of contradiction for the rise and fall of
prophesying that, throughout history.
many (cf. Luke 2:34). He Himself said
sions and polemics. God has been a lord too involved in polemics for thou
'in
sands of years to be speaking of Him at every moment. To have peace on
that He would bring the sword to the earth (Matt. 10:34).
However good all this may be, a man
earth, it is better not to speak always of "goodwill" could argue that true about God and His glory in heaven. peace, that is, the complete demobili 0 Blessed Mother,Seat of Wisdom, help us with Besides, heaven is so vague, so far- thy prayers to understand the angelic canticle. zation of souls, the total disappearance off, so uncertain! It is understandable not only of all wars, but of all polem that angels speak of it, because they live from a guilty aggressor, is incompatible ics, is not possible with Jesus Christ. there, but we men take care of the earth. with the glory of God. Peace is only authentic when it abstracts Thou, Lord Jesus, God made man, art from all controversies, even those that The uniting of heavenly glory with
earthly peace is, for the "man of good will," as erroneous, as superfluous and
the Prince of Peace among men. With out Thee, peace is a lie, and, in the end,
impregnated with factors of struggle as is, for example, the union of Church and
everything becomes war.
state. The Church free of the state and
this that they seek for peace in every way, but peace does not dwell among them. Who,then, is a man of goodwill, if he
the state free of the Church is a typical
aspiration of the "man of goodwill." Earthly peace free of religious implica tions, and God in His heaven and His glory with His arms crossed, and smil
ing at the peaceful earth, at such a dis tance away that not even Voyager II reaches there, this is the ideal of the "man of goodwill." These are considerations of the "man
of goodwill" whose heart is far from
It is because men fail to understand
Jesus Christ brings about—without any fault of His own,concedes the "man of
goodwill." A man of authentic goodwill, th-^t is. a man who loves God with his \
soul, would ask, is that so?
Is it in jest that the Scriptures call
is not a man who loves his neighbor? Is Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace (Isa. he perhaps someone who hates his i 9:6), and the Church, echoing the Bap
neighbor? Thou didst ask of the Pharisee who
! tist (John 1:29, 36), presents Him as a meek Lamb to whom men should ask the
called Thee good Master, "Why dost ; gift of peace: "Lamb of God, Who thou call me good? None is good but takest away the sins of the world, grant God alone" (Luke 18:19). us peace"?
If God alone is good, authentic good will is that which turns everything to
Or is it because true peace does not ex clude the fight of good against evil, the
TFP NEWSLETTER is a publication of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). David Mattingly, Editor. Subscription complimentary in the United States. Rates for foreign subscriptions and list of other TFP publications available upon request. Direct all subscription requests and Inquiries to: The American TFP, P.O. Box 121, Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570. Telephone:(914)241-7015. Copyright © 1991. Permission Is granted to reproduce in whole or in part any article of this newsletter with credit given to TFP NEWSLETTER.
CHRISTMAS
polemic between the light and the dark ness, the perpetual crushing of the ser
pent's head by the Immaculate Virgin, the hostility between the race of the Vir gin and the race of the Serpent? Peace is the order of Christ in the Reign of Christ. It has, therefore, the fight of the followers of Christ against the enemies
O Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of all graces, bowed in adoration over the In
ics, of the pretended "man of goodwill." Three great lessons, O Infant God, we take from Thy Holy Birth. We learn that there is no peace on earth without Thee;
fant God, obtain for us a complete con
that an authentic man of goodwill does
And permit that, in the perspectives that they reveal, we sing with thee and
not love a man for his sake; but rather
viction of all these truths.
for love of Thee; and finally, that Thy
with all the heavenly and earthly crea tures of which thou art the Queen:
of Christ as a condition. The peace of Christ is not identified in any way with
peace includes the disappearance of all fights, except Thy unending and glorious war against the devil and his allies, that
the false peace, without fights or polem
is, the world and the flesh.
"Glory to God in the highest; and on
earth peace to men of goodwill." Plinio Correa de Oliveira
Christmas in Prison For having drawn up and personally
musty warehouse. Spiderwebs clung to posts and beams. Rats scurried in the
delivered to the
corners. In these wretched conditions
Nazi
govern
ment of Buda
pest, a puppet
of the regime of Berlin, an open letter signed by
we celebrated Christmas Eve. The sem
inarians sang; I delivered the sermon.
Thus, those prisoners, united by the same suffering, offered prayers that "reached far beyond the walls of the
prison chapel, embracing Esztergom, Budapest, and the areas through which
I spoke of the universality of redemp
ran the front line between Germans
tion. . . .
and Russians, where the former
"After the service, two large pots of
pretended to be fighting to save us and
potatoes were brought in; this was in
the others claimed to be dying to liber
tended to be our supper. However, the
ate us. Weeping, we knelt and stood
requesting the suspension of German- wives of two of the guards appeared
before the altar on which the body and blood of Christ were present.
three fellow bishops Russian hostilities in Hungarian terri tory, the then bishop of Veszprem, Jozsef Mindszenty, was taken to a
and in the name of all the other police men's wives provided a festive Christ
Never again, and nowhere else, has a
mas meal for us. Thus we were their
Christmas Mass so moved me as did
military prison to await judgment.
guests that Christmas Eve. In spite of
His condemnation to death, however,
the barrenness of our surroundings and
this one. "After the Christmas Mass we went
had already been decided. Twenty-five
the general distress, that Christmas has
back to the unheated warehouse to
priests and seminarians, who tried to remained one of my loveliest memo impede the imprisonment of their pas ries. Those brave women selflessly
sleep. I had slept for about two hours
tor, also awaited the same fate.
The truly catacomb-like atmosphere of the prison did not hinder the prel ate from observing authentic religious life with his companions. There were
risked their husbands'jobs, their fam ilies' livelihoods, to give us some Christmas cheer. We ate with great joy, but also remembered the vigil fasts and our hungry fellow prisoners, to whom
times for prayer, study and theology
we sent potatoes and many of the
classes. He even ordained nine semi
delicacies that had been brought to us.
narians, on December 7, 1944.
"I held the Christmas Mass in the
when I awoke and heard two young seminarians whispering:'I'm freezing like a dog.' Softly, I called across to
them: 'My children, remember Saint Elizabeth's Christmas Eve, and her children in the stable of the inn at
Eisenach. And do not forget the sta ble at Bethlehem either'"(ibid., pp.
20-21).
â&#x2013;Ą
On December 23, under close guard, prison chapel. My priests
the prisoners were transferred to an and the young seminar other city, Kohida, and lodged in a ians assisted. The deep classroom next to an old sugar factory. gloom of those days hung The executions in this place were over the peacefulness of continual. They did not cease even on that holy night. Even as Sundays. The silence that surrounded we walked to the Mass we the celebrations of the Holy Sacrifice were reminded of the suf of the Mass was broken from time to fering and death of patri time by the commands and by the sal ots, for we passed the gal vos of execution squads. "At the Holy lows and the fresh graves!' The prelate remem Sacrifice I thought of the unfortunate victims," the Cardinal wrote in his bered on this occasion Memoirs(Macmillan Publishing Co., the Hungarian authori New York, 1974, p. 20). ties imprisoned there as
The prisoners spent only one night in this school. The prelate then nar
well as politicians, reli gious and "many other
rates the consolations and sufferings of this tragic Christmas; "Then we were assigned to an old.
unknown heroes [who]
VOL. 5, NO. II, 1991
were prisoners here as we were."
In 1959, 15 years after the Christmas in the Nazi prison. Jozsef Cardinal Mindszenty commemorated Christmas with his mother In Budapest.
INTERNATIONAL
''Barbarians" from the East and Moslems from the South
Converge on Western Europe A Glimpse of "Post-communist" Europe TT/'jE' are witnessing a strange proc-
sert section on "the new invasions": the
through the gutters of European cities.
VV ess thatI can only describe as be
migratory movements coming from
They squat on corners amidst open gar
ing one of becoming savages,"says one ofthe Russian authors quoted by Sovie tologist Frangoise Thom in her book The
Eastern Europe and the "poor South"
bage cans, ready to jump on a scrap of
to the so-called rich North.
Gorbachev Moment. The regressors in question are unfortunate victims ofcom
the end of 1990 three similar sections ti tled "The New World Disorder." Laur
munism's attempt to build the "new
ent Munich, of Liberation, explains the connection:"To the new political world
in their outlook by decades ofideological subjugation, these peoples are now be
order born from the fall of the Berlin
bread at any moment. They come from the East, from Africa, and from the Far East. According to reports, 41 million Soviets are ready to abandon the coun try when borders open January 1, 1993. The Romanians want to enter Austria; the Polish want to enter Germany, and
Wall must naturally correspond a new
so do the Turks. The countries of the
ing driven by the misery and turmoil in
economic and demographic order."
their own countries along the same paths taken by the barbarians of old. These
At present. Western Europe is the pri mary target of this upheaval, which Spanish writer Ramon Nieto relates to
Maghreb send their hordes to our shores. Den Xiaoping says that if things go badly
man"ofsocialism. Profoundly deformed
paths lead to Western Europe. As Alain Vivien, the French secretary ofstatefor
foreign affairs, has stated, the developed world is today in the same situation Rome wffi' in 300 years after Christ. Will the West go the way of the Ro man Empire? Or will it have the moral fiber to stand up to this onslaught, as
World Media had already published at
prior revolutions: "To the cry 'Down with tyranny!' the
people took the Bastille, beheaded kings
in China he will send 100 million Chinese
to Europe.
"These masses will enter sinuously into our lives, without cries, without
tion. To the cry 'Workers of the world, unite!' the followers of Marx rose up
flags, without fiery speeches. They will remain among us and in this way will ac complish their silent invasion to begin the great march of an unpredictable
against the bourgeoisie, who had fin
revolution" {Diario 16, 12/27/90).
and nobles. It was the French Revolu
well as to the danger posed by a new Moslem invasion of the continent? At a meeting of Moslem leaders at
ished with the nobles, who had finished
The American press reports on the
with the ecclesiastical authorities. To the
dangers of the immigrations: "The sharp
cry 'Imagination takes power!' the stu
influx of foreigners into several Europe
Tourcoing, on the French-Belgian bor
dents of May '68 rose up against the wor kers, who had finished with the bourgeoisie, who had decapitated the no bles, and so on. "The noisy revolutions are over. Now there will be no cries. Amidst the silence,
an countries has become one of the con
der, a Moroccan representative affirmed: "Our ancestors created in Spain, in the heart ofEurope, a model civilization un der the banner ofthe Koran. This lasted eight centuries. Others, the Ottomans, reached the walls of Vienna in 1683. We do not have to integrate our selves into Europe. Our duty
small beings, with candid eyes, slink
tinent's most serious, urgent problems of the post-communist era, endangering the prosperity of its rich social democracies
and draining poorer, newly free nations of workers desperately needed to rebuild
their shattered economies" {Philadelphia
is to integrate Europe into the vast Islamic community"
Inquirer, 11/1/91).
This invasion of Europe has two sources:(1) t!i nic world thrown into
(Lq Point, 5/27/91). Are we hearing the death toll of what remains of
'S
by Gorbachev, and (2) the Moslem world extending from the Atlantic to the
Christian civilization in Eu
heart of the USSR.
rope, the cradle of our own
While the full specter of the starving masses of the East is still taking shape, the Moslem invasion is already
civilization?
In June of this year, World Mediaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a chain of 19
far advanced.
newspapers and weeklies of Europe, America and Asia, headed by Liberation of
"The First World War of
Cultures." "Perhaps, you Frenchmen," affirms Hus
Paris, and including The Guardian of London, La
sein Moussawi, leader of the Islamic terrorist group Hez
Stampa of Turin, El Pais of Madrid, and La Nacion of
Ship loaded with Albanians heading to Italy. Eastern Europe alone has
Buenos Airesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;gave its four
40 inllllon potential emigrants according to Jean-Claude Chesnals of the
1991, "will not see the Is
million readers a special in-
Institute of Demographic Studies of Paris.
lamic Republic of France
4
bollah at the beginning of
TFP Newsletter
INTERNATIONAL
in your generation. But your children
the vast Islamic community." He con
and your grandchildren will know it... . In the French, German, and Belgian cit ies the soldiers of Allah hope that the time of revenge comes so that they can
cludes: "It is enough to know the num ber of conversions registered in Paris,
begin to take action in this Europe that for so long has humiliated us and sub mitted us to its yoke" {Le Point, 5/27/91). Hatred of Europe and of the West in
general is the leitmotif for the integralist libels spread abundantly with material means, comments Le Point in a dossier titled, "France-Europe: The Secret Plan of the Islamics," which reports on the semi-secret meeting of the fundamen talist leaders close to Tourcoing on the French-Belgian border. Salah Temimi, a student in the Sorbonne, said: "I am in France to know, from within, the Western system that op
London, Marseilles, Hamburg, Lyons, and Brussels to know that nothing will "A real Islamic international," says Le Point,' 'has defined the great outlines of an anti-Western crusade: re-Islamize
the Moslem communities in Europe, fight against the atheism and against the
'supposed values' of the West, raise up a barricade against integration, separate the Moslems from the temptations and the vices of the 'soulless capitalism of the West.'" "This is the first world war of cul
tures," declared, in turn, a Moroccan in tellectual (quoted in ABC, 2/15/91).
land, the nation, the religion and the
ter armed to fight it. . . ."
to dominate, to impose its law on all na tions and to extend its power through
sword. .. . It is in the nature of Islam
der the banner of the Koran. This lasted
out the whole world." The teaching of Hassan el-Banna, supreme guide of the "Moslem Brothers," is more valid than ever {Le Point, 5/27/91). The rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris, Cheik Ab bas, always clearly stated that the holy war is not only military: In the Koranic conception, it is all action destined to further the expansion of Islamism {La
eight centuries. Others, the Ottomans,
Croix, 8/7/87).
us, imposed on us its laws, its norms, its unworthy way of life, its empty system of thought, and its atheism." "Our ancestors," adds a Moroccan
representative, "created in Spain, in the heart of Europe, a model civilization un
with the invasions, "Europhorla" has evapo rated, as is seen in the faces of these Germans.
Another Moslem said: "Islam is the
doctrine, the divine worship, the father
presses us, to learn its knowledge, its technique, its tricks. Thus, I will be bet Le Point'. "Even by violence?" Salah Temimi: "Yes,even by violence. For one century Europe has tormented
k
hold back Islam."
ment. The phenomenon has been called "the scourge of Allah."
The USSR has the world's fifth-largest Islamic population. The 60 million Mos
lems, multiplying three times faster per year than the Slavs, will be the majority in less than a century.
There is a "proliferation of mosques and theological centers, thanks to the help of millionaires from Saudi Arabia, Libya and Egypt" {El Sol, 1/13/91). According to New York Times Maga
zine of September 15, "Europeans in creasingly feel they are under cultural and economic siege, unnerved by the
reached the walls of Vienna in 1683. We
estimated ten to twelve
do not have to integrate ourselves into Europe. "Our duty is to integrate Europe into
migrants already living among them and
Marc Hillel, in his book Lafievre europ^ene: vingt millions d'4migres, af firms that 20 million immigrants, most of them Moslems, have already established themselves in Europe. The director of the French Insti tute of International Relations
million im
the prospective onslaught of millions more. . . . Only a year ago. Western Eu rope was basking in the collapse of Com munism. . . . Today, however, the Europhoria has evaporated. "The hysteria reached a peak after the abortive Soviet coup. . . . While the
(IFRI), Thierry de Montbrial, pub
number of legal immigrants has fallen
lished a study according to which he
from 1.2 million in 1973 to an average of between 700,000 and 900,000 a ye--'-
expects the arrival of 50 million Mos lem immigrants by the year 2025 Rapport annuel sur le syst^me
now, the number of economic migrai.
entering under the guise of political asy
economique et les strategies, 1990). The director of investigations of
lum has grown, from 14,000 a year in
the Social Economic Department of the Institute of Demographic Studies of Paris, Jean-Claude Chesnais, verified the presence of 40 million potential emigrants in Eastern Europe.
ber is still rising."
1973 to 500,000 in 1990, and the num "The developed world finds itself to day in the same situation as the Roman
Empire in the third century after Jesus Christ," wrote the French secretary of state for foreign affairs, Alain Vivien.
"The fortified borders and the juridical rules will not be enough to bridle the
Mosques are becoming commonplace in Europe Vol. S, no. 11, 1991
In 1990, through the little city of Algeciras alone, 2,398,838 Arab im migrants went to all parts of Europe
migratory influx" {Le Monde, 7/7-8/91).
{El Pat's, 6/20/91). These include close to 600,000 North Africans who
and a half million immigrants, including children, profess the religion of Mo
France. In France, 43% of the seven
cross the Strait of Gibraltar each
hammed, having more than a thousand
year in a gigantic pendular move-
active "places of worship" (cf. Gilles 5
INTERNATIONAL
ntry. Fro-lslamic
1
, coming pnncipa
the pres-
frc
I from the Maghi
700,000 Moslems nish soil
.. lio
:re 720,000)"(C
'0 years the Mos-
siu
affirm
:..h
ne and a half n-
9). In 1989 alo] jerians, Morocca
14( lulation iDf Madrid Tom limmsMm "Catak3nia, with twi
.u'
d and today up
;he zones in Spain
ar
cted. id decided to bu Saint Peter's Ba:
vitality, ced onlj/ by An-
ica Rc
;t neighborhood r political reaso]
, where Islamism
thi
d down. The inf<
ncing ii1
a spec-
mt
way and has more lie resources"(La trdia, 1 1/29/89).
Ca
ultiplying, even ich open their dot
to
(Sabato. 3/17/9
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TFP NEWS
Small Christian Communities and Renew:
A Pastoral Catastrophe in the Making? After an in-depth, respectful and well-reasoned analysis, the Young
foundly analyzes the basic requirement of the Pastoral Plan, which calls for the
South Africans for a Christian Civili-
widespread implementation of the so-
zation-TFP have recently published a
called Basic Christian Communities.
thought-provoking study about religious and political implications of Small Chris
These latter were born out of the pro
gressive theological currents in Latin
The TFP's critique, a 60-page booklet,
tian Communities and Renew. The well-
America. Surprisingly enough, there has
is an overall assessment of the "small
documented critique analyzes a number
been an almost childish eagerness to im
communities" based on years of obser
of points which have dogged these con
itate these revolutionary groups, which
vation and study. Given the track record
troversial programs wherever they have
have drawn so much support and en couragement from the communist world.
of Renew and the Grassroots Com
Spiritual desolation and left-wing
they are deemed so indispensable and
sociopolitical involvement have been the disastrous legacy of this attempt at "put
why every effort is being made and ex
ting liberation theology into practice."
Catholic population.
been implemented, and it endeavors to answer the questions asked the TFP by
countless perplexed Catholics through out the country.
The TFP study carefully and pro
With certain modifications the same can
be said of the Renew process, which is essentially the First World's version of the Latin American Grassroots Com munities.
munities, it is difficult to understand why
pense incurred to force them on the
South African TFP Launches Nationwide Campaign IN light of plans to implement Small Christian Comnunilies and Renew in South Africa, the TFP study
has already provoked timely discussion on the political
Question and answer sessions at the end of each con ference, sparked lively discussions among the participants. The official launchings also provoked other repercussion.
and religious implications of the matter. To promote the work, a speaking tour sponsored by the Youth South
The conferences and the booklet have occasioned numerous
Africans for a Christian Civilization-TFP was conducted
tions for parish groups, families and friends. On the other
to officially launch the booklet throughout the country.
hand, several attacks by the program's promoters have ap
The launching consisted of a series of well-attended con ferences promoted in August by the Young South Africans
peared in the press, parish bulletins and other publications. As part of this effort, TFP members have held street cam paigns near churches in Johannesburg and Durban and pro moted a mass-mailing to key sectors of the nation's popu
for a Christian Civilization-TFP in Pretoria, Johannesburg,
Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. The guest speaker was Mr. Alejandro Ezcurra Nadn, South American analyst and head of the Southern African Desk at the International Studies Center of the Brazilian
TFP. The author of several works on Southern Africa, Mr.
requests for copies of the book and for similar presenta
lation. Noteworthy has been the support of Catholic priests who are justly concerned about the grave consequences that the application of the Pastoral Plan will have in the religious and political sphere.
Ezcurra has long followed the phenomenon of leftist subver sion of the Church, especially in the Americas and South Africa.
With amply documented examples, Mr. Ezcurra demon strated how the Grassroots Christian Communities of Latin America are instruments of Marxist subversion both in
theory and in practice. The listeners were particularly im pressed by the avowedly pro-communist ideology of religious leaders in Brazil such as Franciscan Friar Leonardo Boff, Dominican Friar Betto and the Carmelite Brother Carlos Mesters. The speaker cited numerous cases reported by the press of agitation and violence promoted by the Grassroots Church Communities.
After an audio-visual presentation on the work of the TFPs, Mr. Bernard Tuffin, president of the YSACC-TFP,
focused on the negative aspects of the Renew program and "Rerum Novarum and Negotiations," topics that have caused great concern among faithful Catholics. Mr. Tuffin also showed how in accordance with Catholic doctrine and
Canon Law it is legitimate and even necessary for the faith ful to respectfully disagree with ecclesiastical authorities when they depart from the Church's traditional teachings.
Vol. 5, No. 11, 1991
The South African TFP discussing the Issue with the faithful
â&#x2013;Ą
RELIGION
The Renew Programs A Subversion of the Church? rHEfollowing article is takenfrom
general absolutions in place of personal
the booklet about the religious and political implications ofSmall Christian Communities and Renew, by the Young
(cf. Fr. Paul Wickens, op. cit., p. 49). The very title (Renew)and symbol (a
South Africans for a Christian Civilization-TFP. Although certain parts per
of American Marxist Saul Alinsky) are
tain strictly to South Africa, we publish
ambiguous. In fact, they can apply to
this articlefor the interest ofour readers, many of whom willfind similarities in
any human aspiration, good or bad, and have nothing distinctly Christian in
the Renew programs in their dioceses.
themselves.
Renew and Small Christian Com
munities Are Essentially Identical. The "Renew program is, according to the de finition of the Pastoral Plan, "a special highly organized way of Small Christian
Communities"; and again in the diocese of Johannesburg's Renew Information Booklet \t is stressed that "RENEW is a
promising way of promoting small Chris tian communities."
confession all over the Newark diocese
tree, said to be inspired in the writings
It is difficult to give a detailed account of the program. A sardonic remark that
2)"A definite bias toward the com munity model of Church" which ex cludes "a clearer presentation of the dis tinctive character of the Catholic Church, not merely as a community of faith but as a structured, hierarchical, visible, sac
ramental community"; 3) An excessive emphasis on the exper imental aspects—"affective, emotional and personal"—of the Faith, to the detriment of the "cognitive, intellectual aspect," and particularly of the "objec
circulates in Brazil about the Basic Com
tive content of Revelation as the basis of
munities can also be applied to Renew: "They are like UFOs, everyone talks about them, but no one knows what they
our faith in Jesus Christ"; 4)The conception of the Eucharist as a
are."
In fact, very few publications about Renew are available. And the reading material distributed to the laity is very guarded and vague about the specific
"communal meal" in which "Jesus seems
to be present in the 'sharing' rather than His Real presence in the Eucharist!' This is further aggravated by para-liturgical confusions of Renew's "Small Group
gatherings!' such as the "symbolic sharing
In fact, Renew and the Small Christian Communities are essentially identical
content of the program. In this material one is told that Renew
ialization of the Eucharist in the minds"
organisms, their differences being only accidental. While the Small Christian
"is a spiritual process" of growth, aim ing at: a)encouraging people to read, to
Communities are designed to mobilize the poor of Latin America, Renew was
share and to pray on the Word of God in their own homes as part of their own
designed to attract people from the mid
parish; b) developing living faith com munities; and c) giving formation in jus
and to the "confusion between agape [a love feast or feast of charity among the early Christians] and the real Eucharist!' The Committee's critique supports its findings in abundant documentation. Particularly criticized is the "Option 3"
dle and upper classes of the United States and other Anglo-Saxon countries. It was started in 1978 in the arch
diocese of Newark, New Jersey, where
tice which will lead to action. This proc ess, which in its first stages has attracted
of bread and wine!' which lead to a "triv-
and "Option 4" of the publication Dis-
cipleship: Small Groups Sharing.
well-intentioned but unwary Catholics, runs through five sessions covering two and a half years.
Similarities Between Renew and the Initiation Methods of Secret Societies.
The Renew program has sparked heat ed controversy in the countries where it
Even though some of the participants in Renew do not perceive it at first sight,
Jersey Catholic News, no. 11, Summer
has been applied, of which little is known
1982; Fr. Paul Wickens, Christ Defend ed, The Newmann Press, p. 49; and Cor nelia R. Ferreira, RENEW: Rooted in
in South Africa.
the program resembles in many aspects the initiation methods used by secret
a think-tank modeled Renew after a na
tional plan called "Corporate Parish Renewal" connected to the "Call to Ac
tion" conference in Detroit (cf. The New
Modernism and the "New Age" Move
Renew has not elicited unanimous sup port, particularly in the United States, even from the bishops themselves.
ment).(This conference was dominated
societies. Renew is divided into "op tions" or degrees of initiation, t' • "-iie content of which is not known I
hand by the participants. "Option 1," attractive in presentation, apparently
by radical elements demanding that the Church turn herself in five years into a
Serious Charges from the American Bishops Against Renew. In 1987, 10
conservative, points toward an increase
democratic, classless Church, and that she accept women's ordination and mar ried priests, as well as artificial birth con trol, abortion and homosexuality.) Renew was prepared under the aus pices of Archbishop Peter Gerety—one
years after the introduction of Renew,
in individual piety. Yet the succeeding
of the organizers of the "Call to Action"
Doctrine of the
"options" lead to various deviations
American Bishops' National Conference published a critique called Review on the Renew Process. This study was judged
(doctrinal, liturgical, etc.), as well as to
by the Catholic newspaper The Wander
lics would expect.
er as "quite devastating."
the Committee on
other goals generally unknown to the
beginners, and opposed to what Catho
conference, and indeed quite a contro
Among the severe criticisms that the
Some Renew activities are simply childish or superficial, such as cutting up
versial figure of the American episco
Bishops' Committee on Doctrine pointed out about Renew, the following basic deficiencies were highlighted:
strips of colored paper at "family prayer lime," writing prayers on them and sticking them together into a chain. Or
pate. This prelate had given his imprima tur to the seriously flawed catechism Christ Among Us, a book that was even
tually condemned by Rome; had pro
1) The lack of "distinctly Catholic"
pasta parties, talent quests, discos, car
moted imprudent classroom sex education
elements in such formulations as "pray er," "scripture," "community build
American Catholic writer Carol Jackson
programs, and allowed and promoted
ing," "justice," etc.
Robinson characterized some of these
8
washing, aerobics and face painting. The
TFP Newsletter
RELIGION
new. The hidden goal is bringing people
Renew's call to develop "a deep sense of
together into warm, friendly surroun dings in order to reshape their minds: so that they will become indifferent to
community." The "Shakertown Pledge" is a con
Church doctrine and develop an am
book No More Plastic Jesus: Global Jus
biguous view of the Catholic faith. That is the real goal of the Renew promoters"
radical Quaker activist Adam Daniel
(Fr. Paul Wickens, op. cit., p. 48). As Father Duggan notes, Renew's
olic publishing house(Orbis Books, Mary-
starting point in the process of conver sion is not acceptance of the word of God brought to us by the Church, but our own experience. Hence the sugges
tion to parish priests to be "ordinary
crete, synoptical proposal based on the tice and Christian Lifestyle written by the Corson-Finnerty, and printed by a Cath knoll, N.Y., 1981, 5th ed). This book outlines a revolutionary plan to establish
on earth a kind of communist-ecological, self-managed, and neo-tribal dictatorship. The "Shakertown Pledge" goes back
members" rather than an "answer man"
to 1973. Its name comes from the
when they attend small group meetings.
"Shakerisin," a Quaker sect which wor
Because "Renew is not so much a mat
shiped an androgynous god. The sect is described by Webster's International
activities as "silliness—one kindergarten
ter of determining the right and wrong of a series of theological questions, as much as it is an experience of sharing the faith" {Guideline Thoughts: The Priest
dancing, which originally formed part of their worship. Originated in England in 1747, and came to the U.S. in 1774,
project after another." These "kinder
and Renew, pp. 1-8). Whence it follows
garten antics" include "hand-holding,
that, above all, no one must be cor
banjo-playing,'planned' prayer services of a lay worship committee, being forc
rected, no matter how wrong their state
ed to listen to the jejune, extempor aneous prayers of lay women" {The Mindszenty Report, St. Louis, vol. 27, no. 7, July 1981, p. 2). Other activities are really bizarre and
Mrs. Jackson Robinson also describes
the humiliation to which some priests
'Mother Ann' having been the incarna
tion of the female principle." This description prompted th.e follow ing comment from a Catholic bulletin:
authority and imposed dogma," very
much in the style of the "self-criticism" sessions staged by the "Red Guard . . . in China during the so-called Cultural
the Australian Renew program: "Im
Revolution."
agine a group of people in a circle in a
"There is more than a whiff here of
And
she
concludes:
darkened room, holding stones in their
Communist technique" (from The
hands, with a Simon and Garfunkel song
Mindszenty Report, p. 2).
ther' from 'Jonathan Livingstone Seagull.' Now someone reads, and at various points members of the group get
up and 'freeze' into postures illustrating guilt, fear, grief, isolation, confusion, anger. . . . Finally they all get up and
They hold that God is male and female,
submit by declaring and confessing to being "ashamed of having exercised
and practice. For instance, this "com
blaring on a record player. Then a recor ding of Neil Diamond singing 'Dear Fa
religious celibate and communistic sect, popularly named from movements in
under the leadership of Mother Ann Lee.
ments are.
favor deviations from Catholic doctrine
munal penitential service" proposed in
Dictionary (2d ed.) as "a dwindling
"Sorry, Webster. Shakerisin isn't dwindling. It's found a new home in the 'Renew' revolution, which has little to do with faith and very much to do with pol itics and radical activism" {The Mind szenty Report, p. 3).
Surprisingly enough, some defenders of Renew do not hide its communist in
Behind the "Shakertown Pledge" a
spiration, and are even proud of it. For
Self-managing, Tribal Commune. Even
instance, Fr. Peter Carek, former direc
though the most harmful aspect of Re new is to be found in its religious subver sion, the radical sociopolitical agenda of Option 7 gives us a clue as to what Re
tor of the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Of
new envisages as the latest model for the
fice of Religious Education, stated in his weekly bulletin letters to parishioners: "Opponents of Renew call it Commu nism. They are right! It is Communism
walk in procession to a bowl of water in
new Church that will emerge. It is thus
—Christian Communism and not atheist
which they 'bury' their stones, symboliz
communism. The Gospel is a messii^f^- of
ing their hard hearts. One might think
necessary to study the origin of this com mitment to the "Shakertown Pledge."
this is a group of amateur actors rehear sing some piece of modern psychological
While to some we may seem to be di gressing from the subject, we shall be
drama. But not. This is Renew in action"
able the better to illustrate what is behind
(from St. Thomas More Educational Foundation Newsletter, Milwaukee, 3/1/82). □
Communism. It is a social Go
(cf. With Renew into the Darkness,
Dymphna Publications, Australia). De spite the fact that there is no absolution in this weird ceremony, it is presented as "a way of making the Rite of Penance more meaningful!"
The atmosphere of small group meetings favors an ideological transship
Grassroots Church Communities (GRCCs): Perestroika in Latin America?
This newly published study shows the clearly subversive character of the Brazilian Grassroots Church Communities (GRCCs), which have acted in invasions of rural and urban property, agitation in factories, il
ment. As Fr. Paul Wickens notes: "On
legal strikes, etc. An aid to understanding these communities, which even
the whole it sounds like a good idea to encourage Catholic people to get togeth
today are still "unidentified objects" for most people, the study covers the origin, organization, doctrine and action of the GRCCs. Order from: Western Hemisphere Cultural Society
er in each other's homes. Why not? Is
it not laudable to discuss religion in or der that they may all grow stronger in the faith? But that is not the real goal of ReVOL. 5, NO. II, 1991
Only $14.95
p q. Box 146, Carmel NY, 10512
CATHOLIC
AMERICA
The Neglected Works of Wniiam Thomas Walsh This year we mark the hundredth anniversary of the man many con
sider the greatest American Catholic au thor, William Thomas Walsh. His fame rests largely on the enduring and ever-
increasing interest in his books, especial
ly his three great historical works on Isabella of Spain, Philip II and the In
quisition, and, as he turned to religious subjects in his last six years, biographies of Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint Peter, and finally his immensely popular Our Lady ofFatima. His one novel received
was that we were made for God's glory and our salvation and that He estab
lished the Holy Catholic Church to sanc tify us and teach us the necessary truths to lead us to that salvation. A corollary
to that principle of our existence, and one which often overshadows it, is that an enormous force has developed over the centuries to destroy that Church and the civilization it engendered. Early readers of our author's works probably considered him a talented so
William Thomas Walsh {1691-1949), Amer
ica's superior Catholic author and historian.
cial and moral critic since his first histor
severity of his sharp attacks. One such
glowing praise as the long-awaited great
ical biography did not appear until 1930
droll contribution was entitled "Brother
Catholic novel, but unfortunately in re cent years it has been collecting dust in
and the second, seven years later. The first article to appear in the Catholic
Juniper to Mrs. Murphy." A fictitious
the basements of college libraries. If a
World was a rather remarkable piece. Entitled "Utopia Lost," it narrates a
reader's exposure to Walsh ends with his
Mrs. Murphy wrote to an equally ficti tious Brother Juniper asking his advice on whether or not she should send her
books, he will be richly rewarded, but only partially so; for the brilliance, va
voyage from a civilization out of ancient
Catholic son to a secular prep school so
history to a distant planet. The reader
he could increase his chances of going to
riety and forcefulness of Walsh's genius
enters into this amusing fantasy with
and character, and the depth of his love
much delight until he realizes that he is experiencing a biting satire on the de structive elements of modern society.
Yale and getting on with the business of making his mark in the world. Under the
for the Church, can be more fully ex plored in his numerous and largely un
known magazine articles. Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Wil liam Walsh, as he originally styled him
self, enjoyed a background more in tune with a Connecticut Yankee than the son
of Irish immigrants. At sixteen, while still in high school, he worked as a news
paper reporter; he studied philosophy at Yale, and after an interval accepted an appointment as the Head of the Depart
With uncanny precision Walsh zeros in
guise of the humorous monk, Walsh has only a scorching rebuke for such a friv olous plan which would endanger the
on forced mediocrity, the desire to re duce all beings to complete equality, and
faith of any young man placed in simi
the modern penchant to remove all ef fort and suffering from our daily lives. His prevision of rock music can only
this article justice; it simply has to be
be described as extraordinary. In describ ing the sound, he said, "The accents fall like steady blows of a gigantic hammer. And there is something evil, something
lar circumstances. No summary could do read in its entirety. During these years our uncompromis ing author showed the warm and affec tionate side of his nature in a reminis
cence of a Christmas morning in an im poverished New England town. Reading
ment of English at a private school in
monstrously sensual and deformed and
about the warmth of this Catholic fami
Cheshire, Connecticut.
ly as it rises in the dark, goes into the ex
and America. These first essays, although
degraded in this so-called music." The listeners he described as persons whose "eyes roll sensually and vacuously and tongues . . . hang out of their mouths
critical, were written with an eye toward
like the tongues of dogs. Indeed, they
of progress, comfort and sei
entertainment. However, as the years went by and his attitude became more serious,
yell and bark and stamp their feet, while they perform barbaric motions and gy
something is drastically missing.
Walsh would make many Catholics and even more non-Catholics uncomfortable; for he was a vigorous, strong and force ful writer who clearly saw the world in
rations. ..."
faceted personality appeared in a two-
In several critical essays our author showed his disapproval of birth control, Prohibition, and usuryâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and in this last, he seemed to anticipate the enormous
part recollection of his friendship with the Pulitzer prize winning poet E. A.
William Thomas began writing articles in the mid-twenties for the Catholic World
terms of the absolutes of truth over er
ror and right over wrong. If defense of these principles brought him suffering and rejection, so be it! Recent decades have shown that while every deviant be havior and errant idea can find accep
^'ity
Another example of Walsh's multi-
Robinson. The account of the conversa
tions and correspondence reveal a sensi tivityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially for Robinson's conver sionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;heretofore hidden behind Walsh's
criticized the distortion of history to the
accustomed combative spirit. However,
detriment of truth. The truth above all
William Thomas, while trying to capital
was Walsh's goal and he was mightily
ize on the New England poet's Catholic spirit, never infringed upon his elevated
disturbed when someone abused it to
a militant defense of the principles upon
In opposition to this tragedy, the
take a slap at the Catholic Church or some aspect of history that involved it. In his early works, he used many
theme of all of Walsh's writings, whether
amusing literary devices like the already
explicitly stated or implied, or whether
mentioned satirical fantasy, probably to
deeply explored or lightly touched upon,
entertain his readers and to cushion the
10
ion, one realizes that in this godless time
debt load we are carrying today and its serious consequences. Yet other essays
tance, one thing alone is not permitted: which Catholic civilization was founded.
hilarating air at first light to attend Mass at dawn and to receive Holy Commun
reserve, truly an amazing friendship be tween two giants of American literature.
Thousands of massacres of priests and thousands of church burnings during the TFP Newsletter
CATHOLIC AMERICA
of the Marxist-Leninist socialism known
mind you, was written over 50 years ago. Little attention has been given thus far
Spanish Civil War; the brutal emergence
1943, 18 months before Yalta, he ex
pressed concern that the results of the
as communism; and the onset of the Sec
to Walsh's historical writing, which is
War, which he saw was caused by Marx
ond World War brought about a change
unpardonable; for he is considered pri
ists and other supporters of the socialistic
in William Thomas Walsh's work. He
marily an historian. Most readers, how ever, are familiar with his biographical
cause as a step toward world revolution, depended "upon how and where, rather
discarded all sense of levity. Serious, well-structured articles punctuated by magnificent, virile sentences flowed from his pen to take up the defense of the Catholic cause against what he termed
work in this area, especially the three books on fifteenth and sixteenth century
than when" the war ended. He expressly
Spanish history, that shows that today's godlessness, moral and intellectual con
was the violent spearhead of socialism
the "anti-Christian Revolution."
fusion, and the various strains of social
which was preparing to strangle the world, and the war was a "conflagration
Walsh charts the growth of the Revo lution from the beginning of the six
ism all had their source in the mammoth
that might fill the whole world with want,
conspiracies against the Catholic Church
despair, unrest, and hatred, the instru
teenth century to the communist explo
in those centuries.
sion during World War II. But, interest ingly enough, he saw the Revolution not just in terms of man's actions, but also
Three essays that appeared in Ameri ca used research material gathered for Isabella of Spain to refute several lies
ments by which the anti-Christian revo lution has been advancing step by step
in his tendencies.
that were enjoyed by non-Catholic his torians. In the same vein, William Tho
had Berlin in mind. To him communism
since the 16th century, as if in obedience to some sinister mind behind the scenes."
Columbia, Dr. Walsh analyzes the novel
mas corrects the erroneous treatment of
Three years earlier in "The Grain of Mustard Seed," Walsh saw with sadness that the source of all the problems in the
from its origin to modern times, giving us not some sterile, pedantic treatise one would expect from a college professor
the Crusades by another squad of cyni cal writers. In a superior essay he ex
"once started on its way, grows like a
(which he was) but a lively, full-blooded
Church, first from the Mohammedan
snowball." He went on to say that the same spiritual law also applies to good.
account of man's greatest aspirations. Our English professor shows that most early literature were sagas about "per
empire until its collapse from sensuali ty; then from the Protestant Revolution;
When Rome was in her most desperate plight. Our Lord stole quietly into the
and now from radical hatred generated by socialism and communism. In other
teenth century when the Church was be
In a two-part article that appeared in
sons who had performed noteworthy ex ploits because they had exceptional powers or virtues, such as skill, courage, endurance, fidelity and the likeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;in a word, heroes." This insistence on the he
plores the relentless hostility to the
words the Crusade goes on, for the
Church is always fighting a crusade.
world was a moral one. "Sin," he said,
world. In the dark moments of the six
ing battered by heretics and rapacious armies. Saint Ignatius Loyola and Saint
roic showed an awareness of spiritual
In "Sixteen Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne" Walsh tells the impressive story of a handful of nuns who went to
truth about man. Walsh indicated that
the guillotine for, as the Revolutionary
Over 40 years have elapsed since
early writers sensed this when they
Tribunal maliciously stated it, "their fanaticism, prayers and the foolish prac
William Thomas Walsh's death and the
showed that man still remembered the
Fall and looked forward to the Redemp tion. At the bottom of all heroism was
tices of their religion." As they mounted the scaffold to their death, they sang the
a sense of human imperfection that demanded expiation and atonement. During the Middle Ages literature came under the influence of Catholicism,
Salve Regina and the Veni Creator. They
which is a cult of the heroic whose saints
fifteen decapitated torsos, took her place
are people who possess heroic virtues,
under the knife of liberty and equality.
whose perfection demands nothing less than the imitation of God and among whom self-knowledge and self-conquest
are the beginning of true heroism. In the second part of the article, Walsh
continued to sing as their number was reduced one by one until the prioress, gazing upon her religious community of
Interspersed through this moving nar
have a right to speak; and when they do, they wield a mysterious power which Jeremias ^ells
the bloodbath was the destruction of the
lution with enthusiasm or at least a non
mirrors the collapse of mankind's great ness from the heroic days of medieval chivalry to the modern depth of bleak ness and despair; from the elevation of
chalant acceptance is a mystery. enslavement of nations continued, Walsh began to fear for the future of Western
man's spiritual nature to the filth of physical degeneracy. Going on, he ex
socialism an intrinsically evil movement
VOL. 5, No. II, 1991
in that essay seem more appropriate to day: "And when the Church finally tri umphs, as triumph she must, over all her enemies, 1 imagine that most of the credit will belong to men and women like Saint Teresa and Saint Ignatius. . . . These
does not reside in mere words alone."
sional and the Mass. The modern novel
passions will result in placing literature at the service of a socialistic state. This,
world is certainly in a much more wretched state. Yet his closing remarks
Revolution itself. In so doing Walsh shows that one of the principal aims of
doctrine that human effort was not only unnecessary but impossible brought on the twentieth century novel and led us backwards to gnosticism. Down went the guilds, free public hospitals, the confes
presses the fear that the novelists' exces sive preoccupation with man's lower
resurgence.
rative is a revealing summary of the
Catholic Church in France, a destruction that was completed in the very first six monthsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;three years before the execu tion of Louis XVI, the other main ob jective. How millions of Catholics in this country can look upon the French Revo
laments that Martin Luther's heretical
Teresa of Avila quietly began religious orders that inaugurated a true Catholic
As the horrors of communism and the
Civilization. He saw in communism and that was anti-Catholic in character and
that would control large tracts of terri tory at the end of Word War 11. In an article published in Columbia in October
Saint Teresa, germinating spirit of refonn
Defying the Law of Gravity ECOLLECTION, SILENCE and isolation have always
uncertainties of the seas toward a dis
which it gives flight to the horse and
tant destination. Likewise, we cannot
rider. There is in this bandana some
been distinctive characteristics of the Carthusian Order,
deny the beauty of this rider, who seems to navigate through the air un
thing of the imponderable palpitation
founded by Saint Bruno in the eleventh
der circumstances far superior to any
by the rider in his complete mastery of
century.
airplane pilot: he is not flying a ma
the situation.
chine, but rather a living being, whose
Similarly, there is a beauty in the horse's mane, flowing in the wind, that one would call picture-perfect. Al though like a sculpted flame, it is yet
R
A modern man would view the Car
thusians as antiquated souls, lacking impulse, vitality, or any other type of dynamism.
which the horse, so well guided,
manages to conquer the force of gravi
full of movement. The horse's gaze
ty and raise itself in the air.
seems to devour the danger; and its
false impression; They are the creators
Moreover, one perceives a type of psychological dominion that the rider
mouth consumes the peril. Neverthe less, advancing confidently under the
of the internationally renowned Char treuse liqueurs and of the splendid Car
exercises over the horse, in such a way
dominion of its guide, even its front
that his courage is reflected in it as in
thusian horses. The reader may
a mirror. It is only one courage, only
hooves suggest an elegant repose. It dis plays a spirited equilibrium, perfect
contemplate a magnificent example of this breed in the picture above. Under the Spanish sky of Andalu
one elan, only one flight! The manner in which the light il
Nevertheless, two splendid accom
plishments of these religious, strongly contrasting yet harmonious, belie that
sia, a horseman, in flight over a flat and open field on a beautiful sunny morning, and radiant with the spirit of
luminates the horse emphasizes the
flexibility and obedience.
We are in the presence, properly speaking, of a beautiful expression of
strength and muscularity of its body and transforms it into a type of living
authentic human heroism, which does
aircraft that cleaves the air. This is
destroying but in confronting danger.
not consist so much in the power of
victory and glory accomplishes one of
manifested in a way far superior to any
The pragmatic, security-minded, and
the most beautiful and expressive
artist's rendition.
often vile man of our time has almost
manifestations of human courage: the
The movement of the rider's ban
completely, if not entirely, lost this no
There is an undeniable beauty in
tion of the scene. The wind lifts the
tion of things. What a magnificent scene to serve as a lesson and example
contemplating a man who sails over the
bandana with an ease like that with
for us!
strength to dare and to advance.
12
vitality and volatility he governs with superiority. Admirable is the force with
of the victory and the glory, attained
dana adds a great deal to the perfec
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