The TFP I liked

by Alfonso

I think I owe all the readers of this blog some positive words about the TFP. I can see that most of my posts attack this, criticize that, employ sarcasm (and I hope a bit of wit!) to call people's attention to all the bad things I saw in the TFP and believe that, even after Plinio Correa de Oliveira's death, are still alive and kicking in some of the entities that sprung out of the fratricidal struggle that followed the death of the Founder.

The TFP I liked (and I believe I did see and belong to for a few years) was a group of dedicated Catholic gentlemen who felt called to fight in the realm of ideas for the three ideals of Christian Civilization: Tradition, Family and Property.

En las calles de Buenos Aires

This call was felt at a time of great turmoil, at the beginning of the second half of the XXth Century. A time when profound changes (some new, some brewing for decades) became apparent. A time when many felt, on both sides of the ideological divide, a sense of urgency, a sense of personal responsibility. A call to arms (some took it figuratively, others took it literally) to fight for what they believed.

These gentlemen responded to this call. Many if not most of them came from families with rich traditions in their own countries. Many if not most of them left behind material wealth, a life of comfort, and the safety of being average, in order to fight "the good fight".

Concerned with progressivism and what they perceived as an all too rapid abandonment of Catholic Traditions, they chose the format of a lay society. Profoundly Catholic in its beliefs and doctrine, but outside of the authority of the local hierarchy. Aware of the apparently unstoppable advance of Communism in a continent that so far had been spared this scourge; they took to the streets to alert public opinion about pertinent aspects of the social and political debates of the day.

In PCO they say a leader seasoned by many years of fighting progressivism in Brazil, and a clear voice about so many aspects of this fight that quickly became global. There was a whole Revolution to defeat! PCO, like themselves, a learned man with a cultured and refined family background, was a charismatic leader, a pious and learned man. A man with extensive knowledge of history, and a good judge of character. A man with a pen that became an effective sword, either through full fledge books or in weekly newspaper articles, in the fight to preserve and three values they were committed to defend.

This ideological fight against a humanly superior Revolution was taken to the streets of most large cities in South America, and then to the dusty roads and villages of many countries. Now and then the fight became physical, when their enemies resorted to the violence that seemed to be the only way to stop these modern-day crusaders.

The sufferings of the Chilean TFP in the last days before the communist take over are legendary. In Brazil, the never-ending battle against Agrarian Reform was conducted, literally, for decades, against all sorts of enemies. In Argentina, a long list of public action, even in the face of popular sentiment like the alert made about the real dangers of the Falkland’s War. Bombs and bullets were used against them, but they did not stop.

These modern day crusaders indeed saw themselves as members of a new Order of Chivalry, and lived pious lives to match. These gentlemen considered themselves the elite force of the Counter Revolution, and had an “elán”, a “panache” to match. 

This is the TFP I like. This is the TFP I believe I was a part of, at least for a while. This is the TFP I believe no longer exists.