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.





