The American TFP

Where the Virtue of Purity is Disregarded, Social Order Will Crumble—The Lesson of Saint Maria Goretti

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira July 7, 2026July 6, 2026

Amid today’s moral decay, the Holy, Roman, Catholic and Apostolic Church presents Saint Maria Goretti (1890-1902) as a model in the fight against immorality. She is diametrically opposed to every tendency in our contemporary world. Saint Maria Goretti invites us to be faithful to the Church’s traditional doctrine. She is a role … Read more

What Gifts Can We Bring to the Christ Child in These Turbulent Times? Ourselves.

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira January 7, 2026January 6, 2026

On Epiphany, the Three Wise Men brought their gifts to the Christ Child. Immediately afterwards, the persecutions began. The first one was the massacre of the Innocents. It stained the land with blood. That land would later become sacred because the Divine Child would shed His Most Holy Blood there. Thus, at … Read more

A Sublime Christmas Meditation of Hope

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira December 24, 2025December 23, 2025

A meditation is not just about a visual perspective of something; it is also about emotional resonance with the subject of the reflection. Thus, when meditating on Christmas, you need to consider which version of a Christmas scene brings joy to your soul. Which angle makes you feel truly connected to what … Read more

The Key to Saint Thérèse’s Little Way Is Innocence

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira March 29, 2026December 15, 2025

Saint Thérèse of the Infant Jesus introduced a spirituality that she called the Little Way. It called for offering up small sacrifices in a big way. However, the core of the Little Way is the idea that the soul possesses a childhood innocence. It consists of a sense of wonder that gives … Read more

Our Lady of La Salette: Supernatural, Regal Majesty, and Immeasurable Goodness

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira March 26, 2026September 16, 2025

The book by Pie Régamey, Les plus beaux textes sur la Vierge, contains a testimony by Mélanie Calvat, the girl who had the vision of Our Lady of La Salette, on September 19, 1846: The Blessed Virgin was tall and well-proportioned. She seemed so light that a waft could hit her. Yet … Read more

In Search of an Archetype for the Nightmare of the Twentieth Century

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira August 11, 2025

In the first picture, there are select chickens, plump fish and splendid cold cuts. The reader will think, “Certainly, this is a shelf in a well-stocked grocery store or supermarket.” Seeing the other photo, he will say, “It must be a supermarket.” Were anyone to suggest that these are, respectively, objects of … Read more

How I Came to Accept and Love Suffering

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira August 7, 2025

Someone asked me how I came to love suffering. To answer this question, we need to realize that, naturally speaking, nobody loves suffering; it horrifies us. For example, I am horrified by the thought of a drop of boiling water or, even worse, a drop of sealing wax falling on my skin. … Read more

Saint Bernard Teaches: Do Not Take Your Eyes Off Our Lady

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira March 29, 2026November 6, 2024

We do well to read some advice from Saint Bernard about devotion to Our Lady. The advice is as follows: “Oh, whosoever thou art that perceiveth thyself during this mortal existence to be rather drifting in treacherous waters, at the mercy of the winds and the waves, than walking on firm ground, … Read more

The Flying Friar

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira August 19, 2024

Joseph of Cupertino St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1668) was an Italian mystic whose life is a wonderful combination of a complete lack of natural capacity and an extraordinary supernatural efficiency. He lacked every natural gift. He was incapable of passing a test, maintaining a conversation, taking care of a house, or even … Read more

Eight False Types of Piety And How to Avoid Them

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira January 13, 2026August 13, 2024

Our spiritual life is the life of grace within us; through it we become children of God. For our spiritual life to be preserved and to develop, a series of actions are required that constitute the life of piety. How must that life of piety be? What deviations must be avoided? Eternal … Read more