Some think Western Culture is in its last days, not unlike the crises suffered by ancient Babylonia or Persia. The West is beset by wolves from without—notably China, Russia and Islam. More dangerous are the legions of internal termites undermining the institutions that should buttress the West. Even Holy Mother Church suffers from this undermining action.
Against this backdrop, nearly two hundred members and supporters of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property met at the TFP’s National Conference in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, on October 25-27, 2024. The theme was “The West Under Siege: The Counter-Revolution’s Fight for the Church and Christian Civilization is More Urgent than Ever.”
We Want God!
In this remarkable meeting, confidence and fellowship belied cynicism. The prevailing sentiment was confidence in “the coming reign of Our Lady.” In his opening remarks, Michael Drake reminded everyone, “The greater the odds, the more confident we are in Our Lady’s victory.”
Of course, the first task is to determine the dimensions of the problem. French TFP member Jose Ureta amply fulfilled this duty in a talk spotlighting The Breached Dam: The Fiducia Supplicans Surrender to the Homosexual Movement, which Mr. Ureta co-wrote with fellow TFP scholar Julio Loredo. He explained how members of the Vatican hierarchy undercut traditional doctrines of Holy Mother Church under the guise of concern for fallen humanity. He especially Pope Francis’s references to “closeness, compassion and tenderness” as “the style of God.” Particularly scandalous were the many references to the promotion of the LGBTQ agenda inside the Church.
Eternal and Natural Law: The Foundation of Morals and Law
John Horvat, author of Return to Order: From a Frenzied Economy to an Organic Christian Society, described the true remedy. Simply titled ”We Want God! How the Godless Crusade of the Right Will Not Work,” Mr. Horvat’s talk illustrated the reasons why many conservatives avoid the spiritual dimensions of any issue. Two motives, in particular, stood out. First, secular conservatives fear defeat at the hands of an increasingly neo-pagan society. Second, they see the transformation of true religion into a mere item of cultural identity as a winning strategy. Such attempts turn the fight for the culture into a godless crusade that precludes God’s saving Grace—the true restoration agent—from entering social conflicts. Any successful attempt to rebuild Western society must be a Godly crusade.
The Rules of Engagement
Nelson Fragelli spoke about “Fighting for Our Culture with the Art of Conversation.” The veteran TFP member from Brazil illustrated one of the simplest—and most effective—weapons: conversation. Many in the Counter-Revolutionary struggle enter the struggle through congenial, yet challenging, conversation. Once enlisted, conversation helps to weld similarly-minded individuals into a solid and effective force. Mr. Fragelli was especially explicit about the role of Grace in conversation, illuminated by Our Lord’s promise that “where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20)
The choice to embrace the Counter-Revolution was also expressed in Michael Chad Shibler’s “The Alternatives We Face: Satan’s Futuristic Plans or a Return to Christian Order.” Mr. Shibler focused on the diabolical revolt against God, which is the Revolution’s essence. However, alert societies are hard to conquer, so the radicals disguise their intentions. Social media, video games, and artificial intelligence aid this process of destroying Christian order. Mr. Shibler noted, “Many not only do not know the difference between good and evil, but also the difference between real and unreal.” All people face constant pressure to adapt their values to the Revolution’s current whims.
In Saturday’s last presentation, Michael Whitcraft gave the talk, “Why Our Fight Inside the Temporal Order Is so Important to the Counter-Revolution.” Mr. Whitcraft pointed out that every person is more a product of the temporal world than that of the sacred. Each person is presently raised in a world of values opposed to the Catholic view of a well-lived life. Mr. Whitcraft summarized that necessity by pointing out that those in the TFP movement “should want nothing more than to be Our Lady’s heel who crushes the serpent’s head.”
Effective Strategies
Sunday began with a description of the myriad ways that the TFP battles against Satan. Michael Gorre listed the organization’s achievements in 2024. Perhaps the most significant facts were the 22,662 Rosary Rallies held on October 12 in reparation for the insults leveled against Our Lord and Our Lady and the conversion of America. Additionally, throughout the year, the TFP’s “Fatima Custodians” around the country visited 1,863 homes, bringing the Fatima message to 16,934 people. Additionally, 845,000 calendars, 807,000 rosaries and 346,000 copies of Crusade magazine were mailed to all corners of the United States. The various TFP campaigns sent a colossal 245 million e-mails. All of the TFP’s efforts, great and small, are designed to place more weight and force upon the head of the serpent whose demise is certain.
Mr. Horvat followed up on his incisive work the previous day with a presentation describing the dual nature of Western Civilization. One part of that nature is derived from its ancient and Christian roots, which the TFP is sworn to defend and promote. However, the other part contains modern and liberal errors that must be rejected. Just as the cockles grew alongside the wheat in Our Lord’s parable (see Matthew 13: 24-30), many lies and half-truths have grown beside the truths of Christian civilization.
Learn All About the Prophecies of Our Lady of Good Success About Our Times
In addition, the West faces challenges from non-Western sources. Anti-Western Revolutionaries seek to destroy Christianity by undermining the entire culture. The only option, therefore, is to defend the West through the assistance of God’s supernatural Grace.
Jose Ureta’s second presentation, “Explaining the War on Tradition Inside the Church,” provided a history of Tradition inside the Church. In His last message before the Ascension, Our Lord admonished His followers to carry His message to all corners of the world. That message requires an understanding of both Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition. However, many inside the Church abandon or minimize Tradition. They accept the fallacy that Catholic truths can only be shared with others by abandoning important aspects of the traditional Faith. This produces a false ecumenism typical of the era since Vatican II. This tendency can never produce true unity. It can only weaken the Faith of all by abandoning one source of truth.
Prayer and Conviviality
In the concluding talk, Rex Teodosio explained the most important tool in any Counter-Revolutionary’s arsenal—“The Power of Prayer, the Game Changer in the Fight of the Counter-Revolution.” Unfortunately, the modern worship of the individual robs Christian prayer of one essential element: dependence upon God and His Grace. This is a massive error. God, in His Love, wants to assist all people in attaining union with Him in Heaven. Therefore, no prayers can ask too much. Indeed, audacity and diligence in prayer are signs of Faith. Asking for God’s assistance in accomplishing great things is not an expression of pride but humility and submission to His Will.
10 Razones Por las Cuales el “Matrimonio” Homosexual es Dañino y tiene que Ser Desaprobado
At the final banquet, Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Braganza delivered the final remarks with a message of confidence and devotion to Our Lady.
The National Conference is a time of great enlightenment for those fortunate enough to attend. Of course, participation in the magnificent High Mass provides the climax of the weekend. The event was more than just excellent talks. The joy of being together with others of like mind caused deep conviviality among TFP friends and supporters in the Counter-Revolutionary struggle. It is a magnificent event that helps fortify those who fight the good fight for Christian civilization in America.
