American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property

The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) is an organization of Catholic inspiration, and adheres to the traditional teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Founded in 1973, it is one of many "Tradition, Family, Property" groups (TFPs) worldwide, all of which are inspired by the work of the Brazilian Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira.

TFP's worldview is based on Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira's 1959 study "Revolution and Counter-Revolution". According to the aims laid out in this book, TFP acts to oppose the anti-Christian process that has undermined Christian civilization since the 14th century, the "Revolution" of the study's title. TFP promotes the values of Christianity, and opposes liberal and egalitarian ideas, policies, and trends in both society as a whole and in the Catholic Church.

In addition to supporting all official Catholic teaching, the group also argues for the need for authentic elites in society that raise, above all, the moral tone of general society, as witnessed by one of Corrêa de Oliveira's most available works, "Nobility & Analogous Traditional Elites in the Allocutions of Pius XII". In this book, Corrêa de Oliveira seeks to balance the notion of "preferential option for the poor" idea in some modern liberal Catholic social thinking, with support for the natural elite that exists in all societies, according to the teaching of Pius XII, that they may become the obligated class working for the good of society "(Noblesse Oblige)". "If the Revolution is disorder, the Counter-Revolution is the restoration of order. And by order we understand the peace of Christ in the reign of Christ. That is, Christian civilization, austere and hierarchical, fundamentally sacral, anti-egalitarian and anti-liberal." Ardently anti-Communist, in line with the Church's social doctrine, the group's Catholic identity caused it to voice its opposition to the policy of Vatican rapprochement with Communism (Corrêa de Oliveira, "The Church and the Communist State: The Impossible Coexistence").

In Corrêa de Oliveira's "Revolution and Counter-Revolution", three phases of "the gnostic and egalitarian Revolution", which progressively undermines the Church and social order, have taken place: 1) the renaissance up to and including the "Protestant pseudo-reformation"; 2) the "Enlightenment" & French Revolution which ushered in modern political liberalism; 3) the Communist revolution. The final phases that follow (now taking place) seek to eradicate the Church and Christian civilization while applying more radical egalitarianism and implementing neo-paganism.

TFP is staffed by approximately 135 members and employees. It claims to have, with its affiliated campaign, "America Needs Fatima", over 120,000 supporting members nationwide who donate or promote TFP ideas.

It is an action group, promoting its views through newspaper advertisements, direct mail, leafletting, public meetings, and 'caravans', groups of volunteers that spread TFP's message to the public at large.

TFP's campaigns cover a wide range of issues, including the sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church, Islam and 9/11, just war, abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

The group also protests against films and plays that it views as blasphemous, including Goddard's 1985 film "Hail Mary", Scorsese's 1988 film "The Last Temptation of Christ", McNally's 1998 play "Corpus Christi", the 1999 movie "Dogma", and Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code". In October 1999, TFP local coordinators carried out 300 protests at movie theaters against "Dogma", and have mobilized 17,000 volunteers to hand out over 5 million protest flyers. In 2006 it organised over 2000 protests across the U.S.A. against "The Da Vinci Code".

The group's public actions and participations in protests have won it some publicity, and they are immediately identifiable in even the largest crowds by the huge standards (medieval/crusader-style banners) they carry and the red "capes" members wear at group appearances. The group's activities, notably its pro-life marches, have won it the admiration of many conservative Catholics, though it is quite controversial in liberal Catholic circles.

TFP provides the staff to run St. Louis de Montfort Academy, a boys' boarding school in rural Herndon, Pennsylvania, that provides students with a traditional Catholic education. It also operates "Call to Chivalry" summer camps for Catholic youth.

The organization's headquarters are in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania.

ee also

* Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
* America Needs Fatima

External links

* [http://www.tfp.org/ The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property]
* [http://www.montfortacademy.edu/ Saint Louis de Montfort Academy]
* [http://www.revolucao-contrarevolucao.com/ Revolução e Contra-Revolucão ONLINE]
* [http://www.pliniocorreadeoliveira.info/ Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira]