by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer rose through his many genuine talents to the prominent position he holds in the Brazilian clergy. With a doctorate from the Gregorian University in Rome, he held key roles in São Paulo: professor at the Ipiranga Seminary, ecclesiastical assistant to Legionário, canon, and vicar general for Catholic Action. Elected bishop of Campos, he distinguished himself through his successful and exemplary orthodox apostolic work, founding an excellent seminary and the well-known monthly cultural magazine Catolicismo. As one of the co-authors of Agrarian Reform, a Matter of Conscience, he also authored important pastoral letters. This literary background earned him international recognition, further amplified by his participation in the Second Vatican Council.
I was delighted to receive the following letter from this prelate:
Campos, October 30, 1968. Dear Dr. Plinio:
I regretfully learned from a statement issued by the press service of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil about the matters discussed at its Central Committee meeting this month. It includes a judgment that does not accurately reflect the reality regarding the nature and activities of the Brazilian Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property, of which you are the worthy and capable president of its National Council. The communiqué claims that the TFP is part of the “integrist” movement from the last century. It also states that interfering in the life of the dioceses is among the most serious aspects of its activities. Without diminishing the respect owed to the distinguished members of CNBB’s Central Committee, I must respectfully disagree with this judgment in conscience.
While it is true that their statement pertains to the Central Committee meeting of which I am not a member, in the current circumstances, my silence could be interpreted as tacit approval of the action taken by CNBB’s board. Therefore, I feel a moral obligation to express to my dear friend my regret and disagreement with the CNBB Central Committee’s judgment on the nature and activities of the TFP. “Non dicas malum bonum aut bonum malum,” warns the Pontifical to the bishop when he is consecrated. It is this warning that prompted this letter.
Indeed, I know the TFP has no genuine or ideological connection to the so-called “integralism,” a term so obscure that a French author titled one of his books L’integrisme, cet inconnu [Integralism, This Unknown]. The TFP has opposed socialist and confiscatory land reforms, fought against including divorce in the new Civil Code, and stirred in the people a dislike for communist infiltration into Catholic circles. Calling opposition to such reforms “integralism” ignores core principles of Catholic doctrine. The right to property and the indissolubility of marriage are clear points of natural law, which is TFP’s focus. For this reason, the Church has always taught and defended them through an unbroken tradition: property against invasive socialism, and family against the attacks of sensuality. Similarly, since its founding, the Church has considered communism inherently evil, as Pius XII explicitly stated in his Encyclical Divini Redemptoris. To leave no doubt about the doctrinal scope of this papal document, Pius XII declared that the social system of communism must be rejected based on Christian doctrine (Christmas Allocution of 1955).
To infer from TFP campaigns that the association is fundamentalist is to draw too broad a conclusion. It’s an unlikely hypothesis unless, like certain circles in France, they want to label as “fundamentalists” all those who oppose communism and the loosening of morals among the faithful.
Nor do I see how anyone could criticize the TFP for exercising its right, guaranteed by the country’s Constitution, to peacefully express its ideas and conduct its public campaigns, as it has always done. I say peacefully because one cannot attribute to the TFP the aggressions it has endured. That would be rude.
Let no one accuse this letter of “divisionism.” Unity cannot be forced through false judgment. Incidentally, it would be illicit, especially when they tolerate differences over something as significant as a papal document such as the Encyclical Humanae Vitae, published precisely to unite Catholics around the doctrine and practice relating to the delicate issue of birth control.
I still need to congratulate you and the entire TFP on the brilliant successes of your campaigns against socialist and confiscatory agrarian reform, divorce, and the notorious communist infiltration in Catholic circles.
May Our Lady continue to protect the TFP, as she has up until now; that is my most heartfelt wish.