IS THIS TRUE?

"AMERICA NEEDS FATIMA"

A CULT USING THE FATIMA NAME

And typical of all cults

The America Needs Fatima campaign is wholly operated by an organization called The Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP), founded in Brazil by Professor Plinio Corrêa De Oliveira in 1960.

Dr. Plinio claimed to have a "private, prophetic charism" enabling him to look at a young man's face or photo and discern that the young man had "tao" (sometimes "tau"). The "tao" is considered to be a mark on the boy's soul put there by the Virgin Mary to select him as one of her "warrior monks" or "militants." Boys and young men possessing "tao" are told that to refuse this "vocation" is tantamount to condemning their own soul to hell. They are required to make vows of celibacy and obedience to TFP, a "vocation" higher than the vocation to married life or to the priesthood. To make them afraid to leave the group, stories are circulated throughout TFP of the horribly-violent, sudden deaths of ex-TFPers. Those who leave are called "apostates", even if they remain faithful Catholics. This entire recruitment procedure is in violation of Canon Law 219 prohibiting any coercion in choosing or remaining in any state of life.

Before his death on Oct. 3, 1995, Dr. Plinio often prophesied that he would see the battle of Armageddon within his own lifetime. His followers were kept in a constant state of agitation, expecting this cataclysmic event at any moment. The warrior monks are supposed to be key participants in Armageddon and the subsequent "Reign of Mary". This false prophet was treated a "living saint"; his followers would bow in his presence, revere his personal belongings and compose hymns honoring him and his mother. Some militants chant a litany to Donna Lucilla, Dr. Plinio's deceased mother, or sub-stitute the name of Donna Lucilla for Mary and the name of Plinio for Jesus while reciting the Hail Mary

Nevertheless, TFP seemed so dedicated to spreading the Catholic faith (in particular devotion to Our Lady of Fatima) and also to fighting communism that many of the finest and most devout Catholic families in Brazil fell for the outward appearance of orthodoxy and enrolled their sons in schools and training centers run by TFP in Brazil. The result was so disastrous that on April,18 1985 the NCBB (National Council of Brazilian Bishops) condemned the group and ordered Catholics to have nothing to do with it. The response of the group has been to claim that its anti-Communist stance prompted the bishops' opposition, and that the condemnation was just an "unsigned note." On the contrary: the condem-nation was written on the letterhead of the NCBB and published in several of Brazil's largest newspapers. It is the mis-leading teachings of the group and the damage it has done to Catholic families that prompted the bishops' warning, which characterized the group as a "cult of personality " (meaning that they are giving excessive or worshipful devotion to their leader) and also accused the group of "abusing the name of Holy Mary." The official nature of the notice was subse-quently confirmed by the Under-Secretary General of the Brazilian Conference, Fr. Valentini Netto on Dec. 8, 1995.

Meanwhile this group has spread to 25 countries and the same damage to souls and vocations is now becoming apparent in the US. Many good Catholics in this country have been misled into supporting TFP through one of its front campaigns, such as America Needs Fatima, which is currently the chief fund-raiser for the group. All moneys collected from the "free-will" offerings at the "Pilgrim Virgin" meetings go to TFP.

TFP cleverly organizes events that draw faithful, even prominent, Catholics into innocent association with the group. Photographs or endorsement letters are then produced to persuade other Catholics to lend their support or to convince them that TFP is a faithful Catholic group. But Catholics who have merely lost time or money in unknowingly supporting this cult are the lucky ones. Some families have lost their sons. Boys and young men who are selected for membership in the group soon learn to have contempt for their parents while also plying them with requests for money to support the work of the group. By demanding celibacy of lay members, the group robs these parents of grandchildren and robs the Church of strong Catholic husbands and fathers and of the Catholic children they would have produced.

Sometimes TFP recruits married men. They are instructed that their "tao" or "vocation" is a higher calling than their family life. The group makes heavy demands on their time. Observers and former members report that it is not un-usual for a married man to spend every weekend working full-time for TFP. If his wife objects, she will be told that she "does not have the grace" to understand the TFP mission.

The "spiritual formation" that TFP gives to children unwittingly placed in its care fosters anti-clericalism and con-tempt for their fellow Catholics. They are urged to receive daily communion, but have scant regard for the Mass. TFP families and militants frequently wait outside reciting their trademark, rapid-fire Rosaries and come into Mass just in time to receive communion. They call Catholics who faithfully assist at Mass "white heretics".

TFP exists, not to build up the body of Christ, but to perpetuate itself and further the self-aggrandizement of its leaders. Catholic youths who join TFP with the noble vision of defending of tradition, family and property end up separated from Catholic tradition, do not start families of their own and after the finest years of their young manhood are used up, find they have acquired no substantial property of their own. When they finally leave, often despairing, they are without money, education or marketable job experience. There is no doubt that this group is a destructive and insidious cult.

Question: I met some of the young men with the America Needs Fatima campaign. They were wholesome and sincere. How can you accuse such nice Catholics of being members of a cult?

Answer: TFPers are drawn from the "cream of the crop" of young Catholic men, well-brought-up and serious about their faith. Their own good qualities make them targets of the group's recruitment and their own sincere desire to serve God makes them vulnerable to the lure of the group. In no way am I saying that there is anything evil or flawed about the char-acter of the TFP rank and file. But they are trapped, believing that to leave is an act of apostasy that will endanger their souls. If the activities and mission of the group had genuine appeal to spiritually-inclined youths, it would not be necessary to manipulate them into joining or coerce them to make them stay. There are other legitimate Catholic groups that see no contradiction between promoting devotion to Mary while supporting traditional vocations to the priesthood or family life.

Question: What could possibly be wrong with traveling with a statue of Mary and gathering people to pray the Rosary?

Answer: Nothing. It is not the statue, the Rosary, or devotion to the Blessed Virgin that is at issue. But gathering people to pray the Rosary as a fund-raiser for a cult that is robbing the Church of vocations and secretly promoting the idolatrous admiration of a false prophet is indefensible.

Question: If this group is bad, why do I see them at Catholic conferences and Right-to-Life marches?

Answer: Where do you expect to find a cult group that wants to prey upon the best Catholic youths? Wouldn't you expect to find them at places and events where they can impress Catholic parents with how good they are? They are wolves in sheep's clothing, presenting a squeaky-clean front while hiding their real beliefs and objectives. - Matthew 7: 15.

Question: I have given money to America Needs Fatima and I feel totally betrayed on finding out what is really behind it. What should I do about it?

Answer: You can request that your donations be returned, though it is unlikely they will be. If the amount is substantial, you might consider suing them for false representation. They may settle with some individuals to avoid bad publicity. You might wish to channel your righteous indignation into warning other Catholics about them. Remember, this damaging group is wholly supported by faithful Catholics. Drying up their funding should severely curtail their operations.

Question: Even if they are a cult, couldn't Mary be using them for some good purpose?

Answer: Mary and Jesus do not "use" people. They invite our free and willing service. They are never behind false prophecy, lies, manipulation, and coercion. (For the scriptural view of a false prophet, see Deuteronomy 18: 20-22) Rather, this cult is using the Blessed Virgin and exploiting the devotion that other Catholics have toward her for their own ends. We will exhibit true devotion to Mary by putting an end to this group's advance in this country.

Please provide a source for this article.

I got this from a website started by a guy who researches all the Catholic movements and Marian/Christ apparitions inorder to tell Catholics which movements and apparitions are true and which are not. He interviews alot of people in the movements.

Below is what a guy named "Antonia" wrote on a different website than the one I got the first article from.

As for listing the website that I got the first article from, before I do that, I have to write a warning article concerning something on that website that could fool even the educated Catholics. I am a bit busy right now, so I will do that as soon as I can.

Anyway, here is what some other guy had to say about the TFP. I don't know if any of the stuff I posted on the TFP is true. I have been supporting them financially a lot of times so I wanted to see what people thought of these assertions (so that if they are true, then I can stop my support)

I'm writing this post to offer some information about the TFP group. It is a Brazilian organization, and it is kind of secretive, or at least discreet. There is conflicting information even here in Brazil about their beliefs and purpose.

All I can say is that this group is regarded as a far-right group, and that there is more to TFP then simply being a "catholic" group They are more like a political organization.

Although they are not a political party, they are certainly a group with a defined political (and social) ideology. And because of the content of their beliefs, they are seen as far-right wingers. (some see them as fascists, but I have not enough intel to make that assessment).

It is true however, that being catholic is part of their identity as a group, and that part of their set of beliefs is of a religious/spiritual nature. I believe that the members must all be catholics, that they attend Mass, but I have serious doubts about their being in full communion with the Church.

Yes, their views on the Family, for instance, correspond to that of the Church, because they are not liberals. But, for example, their social views can hardly be reconciled with the Church's social teaching, so they turn a blind eye to it. They are conservative in Liturgical matters, but I am not sure if they are in rebellion regarding Vatican II.

Their voice is almost not heard in the media, but they have links to one of the (rival) branches of the (former) Imperial House of Brazil (deposed in 1889). The entire Imperial Family is Catholic, but one sub-family of "claimants" is TFP, while the other has strong ties with he Hierarchy here in Rio

In São Paulo city, they also have TFP "altars", but I am not sure if those "altars" are Church altars or something else

Just before writing this post, I visited their website and I learned that there has recently been a judicial dispute regarding an election to their Board of Directors. According to the new Directors' website, one of the former Directors (Prince Bertrand), blamed the victory of the other group on a "conspiracy plotted by left wing catholics" and even complained about the "lack of action" of the Pope and the Holy See in dealing with them. I don't know if this information is true, but you see that there are rival factions within the organization, and perhaps not all those factions are in communion with the Church. (although all claim to be catholic).

My opinion is that they use the Chuch and their identity as catholics as a means to advancing their political aims and to create a bond. It is possible that they use the notion of fidelity to Church doctrine as a means to include their own teaching in the package. About what they do as a group, I don't know. They are an obscure group and do not have (or avoid) press coverage. The Hierachy doesn't condemn them explicitly but keeps distance from them.

I would keep distance from them too. There are safer ways of being conservative and catholic

Welcome to CathInfo, Bernard, and thank you for the admonishment.  You make a good point.

From page 181 of The Mouth Of The Lion, by Dr David Allen White, about the Diocese of Campos, Brazil:

Bishop de Castro Mayer made public his disassociation from his former colleague and friend Plinio Correa de Oliveira in 1984. Distance had been increasing between the two men since the early 1980's, the gulf widening as more and more rumors reached Dom Antonio's ears of peculiar activities and odd practices within the TFP. These activities and practices, again according to rumor, were said to be fully sanctioned by Plinio himself. The struggle in the Church had now driven a wedge between two friends who had fought side by side for the faith for fifty-five years. The personal cost to Bishop de Castro Mayer must have been great, the burden of sorrow heavy. In the midst of a struggle with the authorities of the Church he had loved and served for a lifetime, he now found himself forced to make an open declaration against the dear friend who had occupied a central role in his life for over half a century. Four of his diocesan priests chose to break with him as a result. They remained loyal to the TFP. Bishop de Castro Mayer would not back down. He believed the TFP had become harmful to the Church. He felt he had been used by the organization for its own purposes.
...

And Bishop de Castro Mayer was no liberal!

Also, let us not forget the Litany to... Plinio Correa de Oliveira's mother:

Lady Lucilia, pray for us  
Mother of Mister Doctor Plinio, pray for us  
Mother of the Doctor of the Church, pray for us  
Mother of our Father, pray for us  
Mother of the Unspeakable, pray for us  
Mother of all of us, pray for us  
Mother of the coming centuries, pray for us  
Mother of the Axiological Principle, pray for us  
Mother of the Temperament of Synthesis, pray for us  
Mother of all purity, pray for us  
Mother of the Trans-sphere, pray for us  
Mother of Seriousness, pray for us  
Mother of the Counter-Revolution, pray for us  
Restorer of Temperaments, pray for us  
Source of Light, pray for us  
Procreator of Innocence, pray for us  
Preserver of Innocence, pray for us  
Consoler of Mister Doctor Plinio, pray for us  
Mediator of the Grand Retour, pray for us  
Mediator of all our graces, pray for us  
Dawn of the Kingdom of Mary, pray for us  
Lady Lucilia of the smile, pray for us  
Lady Lucilia of Flashes*, pray for us  
Most beautiful flower of all, pray for us  
Our refuge, pray for us  
Our consoler, pray for us  
Our help in the Bagarre, pray for us  
Reason of our perseverance, pray for us  
Vase of logic, pray for us  
Vase of metaphysics, pray for us  
Martyr of isolation, pray for us  
Queen of serene suffering, pray for us  
Queen of loveliness, pray for us  
Queen of serenity, pray for us  
Lady Lucilia, our Mother and Lady, help us  
Lady Lucilia, our greatest mediator before the Virgin, help us  

Clare, do you have a link to that litany or reference to where it came from? That is pretty weird and suspicious.  The wording is so odd.  Sounds more like a tie in to a New Age type thing .. and praying for the intercession of the professor's mother obviously it's just wrong.

I've been reading articles from TFP and TIA (Tradition in Action) for years now and notice that both include quite a bit of writing by Professor Correa de Oliveira.  It does sound like something's wrong with them according to the background information.  

I typically just like to read points of view encouraging modesty and more decorum in civilized society.  And both sites have plenty of those articles.  

I'd be interested in learning more.

If it's a cult, how safe are the works of Prof. Plinio on TIA?

Clare, do you have a link to that litany or reference to where it came from?

You can read more here.