The Nativity Scene is one of the most endearing Christmas traditions in the Catholic Church, recalling the conditions in which the Redeemer was born. Its origin goes back to Christmas 1223 to Saint Francis of Assisi. The saint wished to celebrate the birth of the Divine Redeemer in a more solemn way … Read more
In 1900, the Catholic Church was healthy and growing in China. There were forty bishops, about 800 European missionaries, 600 native Chinese priests, and the number of native Catholics throughout the whole of China proper was estimated at 700,000. It was during this time that the Boxer Uprising (1898-1900) started which ushered … Read more
The merciful predilection of the Mother of God for Latin America is the reward she has given for the heroic faith formed from the Iberian Peninsula during the 800 years’ struggle against the invading Moors and found in the Latin American peoples’ souls in which Divine Providence willed to deposit it. From … Read more
The following text is taken from an informal lecture Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira gave on July 16, 1970. It has been translated and adapted for publication without his revision. –Ed. There is a valuable deposition from the canonization of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, given by her sister Celine. … Read more
A painting of the Visitation, by TFP artist Dias Tavares. The following text is adapted from a lecture Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira gave on July 2, 1970. It has been translated and edited for publication without his revision. The story of the Visitation of Our Lady to Saint Elizabeth is well … Read more
The Church teaches that true and complete sanctity is the heroism of virtue. The honor of the altars is not granted to weak, hypersensitive souls that flee from profound thoughts, from acute suffering, from the fight, in short, from the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Mindful of the words of … Read more
In the moral order, the world is composed largely of sinners, selfish creatures who live not to serve God, but to please themselves. These self-serving souls comprise the vast majority of mankind, especially in times of decadence – as were the days of Our Lord, as are our own. In their selfishness, … Read more