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Mohammed seduced the people bypromises of carnal pleasure to

which the concupiscence of the fleshurges us. His teaching also con-tained precepts that were in con-formity with his promises, and hegave free rein to carnal pleasure.In all this, as is not unexpected;he was obeyed by carnal men. Asfor proofs of the truth of his doc-trine, he brought forward onlysuch as could be grasped by thenatural ability of anyone with avery modest wisdom. Indeed, thetruths that he taught he mingled withmany fables and with doctrines of thegreatest falsity.

He did not bring forth any signs produced in asupernatural way, which alone fittingly gives wit-ness to divine inspiration; for a visible action thatcan be only divine reveals an invisibly inspiredteacher of truth. On the contrary, Mohammed saidthat he was sent in the power of his arms - whichare signs not lacking even to robbers and tyrants.

What is more, no wise men, men trained inthings divine and human, believed in him

from the beginning. Those who be-lieved in him were brutal men and

desert wanderers, utterly ignorant ofall divine teaching, through whosenumbers Mohammed forced oth-ers to become his followers by theviolence of his arms. Nor do divinepronouncements on the part ofpreceding prophets offer him any

witness. On the contrary, he per-verts almost all the testimony of the

Old and the New Testaments by mak-ing them into a fabrication of his own,

as can be seen by anyone who examines hislaw. It was, therefore, a shrewd decision on his

part to forbid his followers to read the Old and NewTestaments, lest these books convict him of falsity.It is thus clear that those who place faith in hiswords believe foolishly. n

From the Summa Contra Gentiles, Book 1, Chapter 16,Art. 4, Footnote 1.

ForgottenTruths

Saint Thomas Aquinas on Mohammed, the “Prophet” of Islam

IN BR IEF 4

CHRIST IN THE HOMEParents Must Answer to God for Their Children 5

RETURN TO ORDERThe Other Gun Culture That No One Dares Mention 6

TFP IN ACT IONAmerican TFP Opposes Participation of Homosexual Activists and Atheists in 2016 CPAC 7

COMMENTARYThe Angel of Portugal: 100 Years Later 8

COVER STORYw Male and Female He Created Them 10w My Lord, What Have We Done? 13

ANF PROGRESS REPORTw Rosary Rallies for Traditional

Marriage: “Go to Joseph!” 15w “Our Lady Protected Me” 17w Public Reparation for Public Sin! 17w Increasing Satanic Assaults

Draw Public Indignation 18w Our Readers Write 19

COMMENTARYHail, Mother of Hope 20

REL IG IONAdore Him “In Spirit and in Truth” 23

BACK COVERThe Empty Chair 24

MAY / J U N E 2 0 1 6

Contents

CRUSADECCRCRUCRUSCRUSACRUSADCRUSADECRUSADEfi

Editor: C. Preston Noell III Associate Editors: John Horvat II, Michael Drake,Norman Fulkerson, Kenneth Murphy, Vincent GorrePhotography: Gary Isbell, Michael Gorre Foreign Correspondents: Charles E. Schaffer, Austria; José Carlos Sepulveda, Brazil; Philip Moran, UnitedKingdom; Benoit Bemelmans, France; Beno Hofschulte, Germany; Juan M. Montes, Italy; David Nash, South Africa; Felipe Barandiaran, Spain

The American TFP The American Society for the Defense of Tradition,Family and Property (TFP) is an organization of layCatholic Americans concerned about the moral crisisshaking the remnants of Christian civilization. Itsearliest origins date back to January 1971, when thefirst TFP members started to group around thepublication Crusade for a Christian Civilization. It is acivic, cultural and nonpartisan organization which,inspired by the traditional teachings of the SupremeMagisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, works ina legal and peaceful manner in the realm of ideas to

defend and promote the principles of privateownership, family and perennial Christian values withtheir twofold function: individual and social. TheTFP’s words and efforts have always been faithfully atthe service of Christian civilization. The first TFP wasfounded in Brazil by the famous intellectual andCatholic leader Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira in 1960.His work inspired the formation of other autonomousTFP sister organizations across the globe, thusconstituting the world’s largest anticommunist andantisocialist network of Catholic inspiration.

Crusade Magazine is a publication of The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP). Direct all requests andinquiries to: Crusade Magazine, P.O. Box 341, Hanover, PA 17331 or e-mail to: crusade@TFP.org. Web: www.TFP.org, Tel.: (888) 317-5571,Fax: (570) 450-6352. © 2016 by The Foundation for a Christian Civilization, Inc. This publication may include images from iStockphoto™which are protected by copyright laws of the U.S. and elsewhere. ISSN 1096-3782 LCCN 98-641433 M-141

Cover: Prince William and his

wife Catherine, theDuke and Duchess

of Cambridge

Page 20 Optimism, pessimism and realism

Page 8 Angel of Portugal—100 year anniversary

Page 15 God does not change

©Corbis Im

ages

The Last Cristero Soldier DiesThe last known surviving soldier of the CristeroWar, Juan Daniel Macías Villegas, passed away inFebruary 2016 in his home town of San Julían,Mexico. According to Catholic News Agency, thefuneral for the 103-year-old veteran took place inSan José church, with his children, grandchildren,great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchil-dren in attendance. The attendees walked in pro-cession two miles to the cemetery, led by the“Cristero National Guard,” a Catholic organizationthat seeks to preserve the memory of those whodied during the religious persecution in Mexico inthe early 20th century.

Juan Macías was among those who fought thispersecution. Born on July 21, 1912, he was baptizedby a priest named Father Narciso Elizondo, thesame one who years later blessed him when hetook up arms. At 13 years old, he started to fightfor the Cristeros under the famed General Victori-ano Ramírez. After the war, Macías lived in SanJulián until the day he died. This was the first townto take up arms on January 1, 1927 against theCatholic persecution.

Eighty-one Percent of AbortionClinics Closed Since 1991; Fifty-three Shut Down in 2015A report from the pro-life group Operation Rescue,published by LifeSiteNews.com, revealed that since1991, the total number of abortion clinics in Amer-ica continues to decline. Last year alone, fifty-three

abortion clinics shut down orstopped offering abortion services.Operation Rescue president TroyNewman said, “There is a directcorrelation between the number ofabortions and the number of abor-tion clinics. When abortion clinicsclose, abortion numbers decreaseand lives are saved.”

American Bishop Exhorts Catholics toDress Appropriately in ChurchWriting in his diocesan paper, Bishop ThomasTobin of Providence, RI, complained of “a habituallack of reverence.” He wrote that he had seen andreceived complaints about “the sloppy and evenoffensive way people dress while attending Mass.”He continued, “These displays reveal a gross mis-understanding of the sacred space we’ve enteredin the church and the truly sacred drama takingplace in our midst.” Bishop Tobin said every mem-ber of the worship community should dress ap-propriately for Mass, especially those who performpublic liturgical ministries.

Survey Results: Americans LeastConcerned About “Climate Change”A Pew Research Center global survey of forty coun-tries, revealing how concerned people are about“climate change,” showed that the United Statesscored 8.78 on a scale of three to twelve, with ascore of twelve indicating the most concerned. TheUnited States was tied with the United Kingdom.Only Poland, Israel and Australia scored lower justby a hair. Topping the list of concerned countrieswas Brazil, with 11.42 on the scale, followed byLatin American countries where a median of 74percent think it is a very serious problem. Thecountries of sub-Saharan Africa followed with amedian of 61 percent, Asia, 45 percent and theMiddle East, 38 percent.

Taiwan Elects First Catholic Vice-PresidentTaiwan voted to elect its first Catholic vice-presi-dent, Chen Chien-jen. Theisland-nation is largely Bud-dhist and Taoist. Only 4.5percent of its population of23.4 million is Christian.There are 270,000 Catholicsin Taiwan. But localCatholics say that Chen’selection could help the pro-file of the Church. Known asa fervent Catholic, Chen is aKnight of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher and washonored into the Order of St. Gregory the Great in2013 for his contributions to the Church. Upon hiselection, he said, “I want to be the light of theworld and the salt of the earth, and light myselflike a small candle to illuminate Taiwan.”

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G4

In BriefAlejand

ro M

oren

o Merino

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G 5

It is certain that a child’s future good or badconduct depends on his being brought upwell or poorly. Nature itself teaches every par-

ent to attend to the education of his offspring.God gives children to parents, not that they mayassist the family, but that they may be broughtup in the fear of God, and be directed in the wayof eternal salvation. “We have,” says Saint JohnChrysostom, “a great deposit in children; let usattend to them with great care.” Children havenot been given to parents as a present, whichthey may dispose of as they please, but as a trust,for which, if lost through their negligence, theymust render an account to God.

One of the great Church Fathers says that onthe Day of Judgment, parents will have to renderan account for all the sins of their children. So, hewho teaches his son to live well shall die a happy

and tranquil death. “He thatteaches his son. . . when he died,he was not sorrowful, neitherwas he confounded before his en-emies.” (Eccl. 30:3, 5). And he willsave his soul by means of his chil-dren, that is, by the virtuous edu-cation which he has given them.“She shall be saved throughchildbearing.” (I Tim. 2:15).

But, on the other hand, a veryuneasy and unhappy death willbe the lot of those who have la-bored only to increase their pos-sessions, or to multiply thehonors of their family, or whohave sought only to lead a life ofease and pleasure, but have notwatched over the morals of theirchildren. Saint Paul says thatsuch parents are worse than in-fidels. “But if any man have notcare of his own, and especially ofthose of his house, he has denied

the Faith, and is worse than an infidel.” (I Tim. 5:8).If all fathers fulfilled their duty of watching over

the education of their children, we should have butfew crimes. By the bad education which parentsgive to their offspring, they cause their children,says Saint John Chrysostom, to rush into manygrievous vices; and thus they deliver them up to thehands of the executioner. So it was, in one town, aparent, who was the cause of all the irregularitiesof his children, was justly punished for his crimeswith greater severity than the children themselves.

Great indeed is the misfortune of the child thathas vicious parents, who are incapable of bringingup their children in the fear of God, and who, whenthey see their children engage in dangerous friend-ships and in quarrels, instead of correcting andchastising them, they take compassion on them,and say, “What can I do? They are young; hopefullythey will grow out of it.”

What wicked words, what a cruel education! Doyou hope that when your children grow up, theywill become saints? Listen to what Solomon says,“A young man, according to his way, even when heis old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6). Ayoung man who has contracted a habit of sin, willnot abandon it even in his old age. His bones, saysholy Job, will be “filled with the vices of his youth,and they will sleep with him in the dust.” ( Job20:11). When a young person has lived in evilhabits, his bones will be filled with the vices of hisyouth, so that he will carry them to the grave, andthe impurities, blasphemies and hatred to whichhe was accustomed in his youth, will accompanyhim to the grave, and will sleep with him after hisbones are reduced to dust and ashes.

It is very easy, when they are small, to train chil-dren to habits of virtue, but, when they have cometo manhood, it is equally difficult to correct them,if they have learned habits of vice. n

Taken from the sermon Advice to Parents by SaintAlphonsus de Liguori.

Christ in the Home

PARENTS MUST ANSWER TO God for Their ChildrenB Y S A I N T A L P H O N S U S D E L I G U O R I

Saint Louis Martin,father of SaintThérèse of the ChildJesus, brought up hisdaughters in the holyfear of God.

The gun debate has ignited onceagain as it does with each newkilling spree. Every time, we hear

the same message. The public is invitedto clamor for measures to control guns tostop the violence. We are told to pressureour politicians to have the courage toface the powerful gun lobby. We areurged to reject our violent “gun culture.”

To be honest, there really isn’t much Ican do personally to reject this culture.My exposure is actually minimal—and Isuspect it is the same with tens of mil-lions of other Americans, gun owners and non-owners alike. Most are like me who very rarelyhandle a weapon. People I know who do handlearms often are usually quite discreet about it. Theyseem to understand the seriousness of carryingany gun—and are familiar with those very rare oc-casions when a gun might be needed for self-de-fense. To these owners, guns represent restraint. Ihave no problem with this gun culture since its ad-herents act responsibly, rationally and calmly.

It is telling that, despite the extreme ease withwhich a person can become a member of a majorgun rights organization (just pay dues), no masskillers appear to have been members. In a similar

way, no mass killers have been found tobe fervent Christians, family men orowners of significant property.

There is a second gun culture that noone dares mention. And this gun culture,I vehemently oppose. Unlike the first cul-ture, I am and can be constantly exposedto it. It is in my face and found all overthe media. The use of weapons in thisculture is irresponsible, deadly and, in-credibly, supported by liberals. And yet,no one protests.

This second culture is defined by theplots and themes constantly found in Hollywoodfilms and video games. It seems that every actionfilm is full of guns, misuse of weapons and gratu-itous violence. In fact, I am exposed to more gunsin one of these films than a full year of exposure inthe first culture.

You see this culture in the chase scenes wherecharacters shoot at each other without any regardfor what is around them. These are trigger-happycowboys (and cowgirls) ever ready to shoot any-thing that moves. The weapons they sport aresemi-automatic pistols, automatic weapons andyet more sophisticated arms that deaden the pub-lic sensibility to violence. No one complains about

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G6

B Y J O H N H O R V A T I I

Return to Order

The Other Gun Culture That No One Dares Mention

Violent video games andmovies can make murderseem easy and gratifying.

The use of weapons in this culture is irresponsible, deadly and,incredibly, supported by liberals. And yet, no one protests.

these characters that cling to their guns and wreakhavoc on society. Daily we are flooded with imagesof these irresponsible characters that pull out afirearm at a moment’s notice. We are witnesses todramatic deaths that bear little resemblance toreal death. Film stars engage in the frenetic in-temperance of a surreal world that acts upon im-pulse and brutal actions. They make killing look soeasy and gratifying.

I don’t understand why people have no problemwith this unreal world that glamorizes the gun andglories in scenes of massive violence. I am especiallyappalled by bloody video games that make today’smass murder sprees look like cakewalks. Thereseems to be no problem with these bloody acts thatwould be illegal and criminal in the real world.

Such scenes from action films and video gamesrepresent not a single episode of a mass murder.Rather, it is as if the same mass murder is com-mitted millions of times inside theaters, homesand mobile devices. Inside the minds of countlessyouth, they send a message that guns are themeans to impose one’s will upon another. Gunsrepresent power. To lonely young men from fa-therless families frustrated by their failure to bepart of society, the gun is the ultimate platformand avenger.

The same liberalswho decry the first cul-ture have little problemaccepting the second.Ironically, liberal actorsand actresses who sup-port gun control willplay ruthless charactersthat gun down their op-ponents. The same lib-erals that call for drasticgun control measuresfill the theaters show-ing these action thrillers. They will idolize the filmstars who wield their weapons so irresponsibly.

Is it any wonder that we have those who act outtheir fantasies based on the unreal world on thescreen? Isn’t it time we, liberals and conservativesalike, publicly denounce this other gun culture thatsends such a deadly message?

I am not saying that Hollywood and videogames are the only causes of the mass murder phe-nomenon. However, I believe this second gun cul-ture plays a major role. That which no one daresmention, should be mentioned. n

As seen on theblaze.com

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G 7

Why do liberals failto speak out againstentertainment thatextols gun violence?

For many years, the American TFPhas been a proud sponsor of theConservative Political Action Con-

ference (CPAC). e annual gathering ofthe nation’s conservative movementdraws like-minded activists from the so-cial, fiscal and defense “legs” of whatPresident Ronald Reagan famously

called the “three-legged stool” of the conservative movement.As long as these three legs are true to their ideals, the con-

servative movement will remain united, stable and strong.is metaphor, however, was recently toppled by the confer-ence organizers themselves when they allowed two groups ofunlike-minded activists to participate in this year’s confer-ence. e Log Cabin Republicans, an LGBT activist group thatpromotes homosexuality and same-sex “marriage,” was wel-comed as a sponsor. Also, an atheist group was allowed as anexhibitor at the event. Clearly promoting agendas opposed tothe social leg of the “three-legged” stool, these groups shouldnot have been allowed to participate in the event.

e American TFP’s protest statement was circulated atthe conference. e statement clearly pointed out that the

leadership of the American Conserva-tive Union effectively discarded its con-servative identity, violated the principleof non-contradiction and unabashedlydisplayed its inconsistency.

If there is continued presence of the Log Cabin Republicansand similar organizations in future CPAC conferences, theAmerican TFP will choose to be consistent with true conser-vatism and not become a sponsor in future conferences. n

TFP In Action

American TFP Opposes Participation of HomosexualActivists and Atheists in 2016 CPAC

TFP members insisting that conservativesuphold traditional values resonated with CPAC2016 attendees.

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n www. T F P. O R G8

Commentary

The year 2016 marks the centennial of the Ap-paritions of the Angel of Portugal to Lucia,Francisco and Jacinta. On three occasions in

1916, the three children were visited by this celestialmessenger and profoundly transformed as a result.

The world was in chaos like never before. WorldWar I was tearing Europe apart. The Mexican Revo-lution brought a string of horrors in its wake. Eu-genicists such as Margaret Sanger were aggressivelypushing birth control and forced sterilization.

With no human solution in sight, Pope BenedictXV appealed to heaven. He entreated all Catholics toinvoke Our Lady under the title of Queen of Peace,adding this invocation to the Litany of Loreto.

His prayer did not go unheard. The Queen ofPeace set in motion events that would change theworld. In a tiny village in rural Portugal, she wouldsend the Angel of Peace to three unknown childrento prepare them for their providential mission.

Formed by PrayerLucia dos Santos, then nine years old, and hercousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, eight and six,respectively, had taken their sheep to a field near arocky outcrop called Loca do Cabeço, not far fromtheir village of Aljustrel. Lucia later wrote an ac-count of that marvelous April morning:

“We had been playing for a while when astrong wind shook the trees. Since it was a calmday, this made us raise our eyes to see what washappening. Then we began to see, well above thetrees that covered the stretch of land to the east, alight whiter than snow in the shape of a transpar-ent young man who was more brilliant than acrystal struck by the rays of the sun.

“As he approached, we began to see his fea-tures. He was a young man of great beauty aboutfourteen or fifteen years old. We were surprisedand ecstatic. We did not utter a word.

“Once he drew near us, he said: ‘Fear not. I amthe Angel of Peace. Pray with me.’

“Kneeling down, he bowed forward until hisforehead touched the ground. We imitated him,led by a supernatural inspiration, and repeated thewords we heard him say: ‘My God, I believe, I

adore, I hope, and I love Thee. I beg Thee for-giveness for those who do not believe, do notadore, do not hope, and do not love Thee.’

“After he had repeated this twice, he rose andsaid: ‘Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary areattentive to the voice of your supplications.’ Thenhe disappeared.”

The three children were totally consumed withGod’s presence by their contact with the angel. Fora long time, none of them uttered a single word, asthe marvelous circumstances demanded silenceand profound reverence.

This first prayer of the Angel of Peace would for-ever be engrained in their hearts. For hours a day,Lucia and her cousins could be found prostrate andrepeating this same prayer over and over again.Though they never uttered a word to anyone aboutthe angel, their very souls were now marked withthe spirit of serious prayer.

Purified by SufferingThe second apparition occurred in the summer of1916 over the well at the house of Lucia’s parents,where the three children were playing. This isLucia’s account of the angel’s words:

“‘What are you doing? Pray! Pray a great deal!

B Y B L A I S E G R A F

The Angel of Portugal:

The Angel of Portugal appeared to Lucia,Francisco and Jacinta in 1916 to preparethem for the coming of Our Lady.

100 Years Later

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G 9

The Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merci-ful designs concerning you. Offer prayers and sac-rifices constantly to the Most High!’

“‘How must we sacrifice?’ I asked.“‘Offer God a sacrifice of anything you can as

an act of reparation for the sins with which He isoffended and as a supplication for the conversionof sinners. Draw peace upon your country bydoing this. I am its guardian angel—the Angel ofPortugal. Above all, accept and endure with sub-mission whatever suffering the Lord sends you.’Then he disappeared.”

Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta would now acceptwith resignation the mission God had in store forthem. They would soon learn that it was to be a mis-sion of suffering. The years that followed would befilled with intense physical sufferings. They wouldalso have to endure suspicion, insults and calum-nies from strangers, family and friends.

By accepting all of these hardships and offer-ing them for the conversion of sinners, the chil-dren showed strength beyond their years.Through their sufferings, the three young shep-herds became the most pure instruments of theHearts of Jesus and Mary.

Transformed by Divine UnionThe third apparition occurred in the autumn of1916, once again by the rocks of Loca do Cabeço.Here is what Lucia says about their last encounterwith the angel:

“As soon as we arrived there, we began to saythe angel’s prayer on our knees, with our faces tothe ground. ‘My God, I believe, I adore, I hope, andI love Thee....’ I do not know how many times wehad said this prayer when we saw an unknownlight shining over our heads. We rose to see whatwas happening, and we saw the angel bearing achalice in his left hand. Drops of blood fell into thechalice from a Host suspended over it. Leaving thechalice and the Host suspended in the air, theangel prostrated himself beside us and said the fol-lowing prayer three times:

“‘Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and HolyGhost, I adore Thee profoundly and offerThee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul,and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all thetabernacles of the world, in reparation for theinsults, sacrileges, and indifference withwhich He is offended. And through the infi-nite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and ofthe Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg Thee forthe conversion of poor sinners.’

“After this, rising up, he again took the chaliceand the Host in his hand; he gave the Host to meand the contents of the chalice to Jacinta and Fran-cisco to drink, saying: ‘Take and drink the Body andBlood of Jesus Christ, who is horribly insulted by

ungrateful men. Make reparation for their crimesand console your God.’

“He again prostrated himself on the ground andrepeated with us the same prayer three more times.‘Most Holy Trinity. . . .’ Then he disappeared.

“Compelled by the supernatural force that en-veloped us, we imitated the angel in everything,that is, prostrating ourselves as he did and repeat-ing the prayers he said. The strength of God’s pres-ence was so intense that it absorbed andannihilated us almost completely. . . The peace andhappiness we felt were great, but intimate, as oursouls were entirely concentrated on God.”

The three shepherds were totally transformed bythis last apparition of the angel. God took up Histhrone in their souls when they received Holy Com-munion from the Angel of Peace. This was the finalpreparation, to make way for the coming of theMother of God the following year.

Queen of AngelsWhen Our Lady of Fatima appeared in 1917, thewhole world soon knew of the apparitions. It wasonly years later that Lucia would relate the appari-tions of the Angel of Portugal in 1916.

It is no coincidence that this Angel calls himselfthe Angel of Peace. But the peace the Angel refers tois not simply the absence of war, but as SaintThomas defines it, “the tranquility of order.” Neglectfor God and His laws on a massive scale had leftmuch of the world open to the influence of demons.The Angel of Peace visiting the three children was anact done not because of any virtue on their part,

though they retained much of their innocence. No,the visit of the Angel came as an act of God’s good-ness. Divine Providence sent an angel to the threeshepherds to restore order in His creation.

In the year 2016, the action of the angels is morecrucial than ever. Like Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta,we must be open to their influence. We must beformed by prayer. We must bear the cross and bewilling to suffer. We must allow God’s power totransform us.

In this way, we best prepare for the centennial ofOur Lady’s coming to Fatima. Let us confidently in-voke the Queen of Angels to hasten the events thatwill lead to the triumph of her Immaculate Heart. n

“The strength of God’s presencewas so intense that it absorbedand annihilated us almost

completely. . .” —Lucia dos Santos

“It’s a boy!” Few things give parentsmore joy than learning the sex oftheir newborn child.

“What will we call him?” asks themother, as the nurse puts the boy inher arms.

“How about Adam?” asks the father.So starts the life of a child, with ab-

solutely nothing more than what Godhas freely gifted him and the name hisparents have given him. He is born tothe light of the world without a bankaccount, a diploma, or accomplish-ments. He also has no failures, no polit-

ical party, no philosophy, ora single agenda.

Even before Adamknows what an agenda is,

movements pushing agen-das are trying to change hisworld. The most notoriousare actively promoting thefeminist agenda, the homo-

sexual agenda and the trans-gender agenda.

All these agendas have radicalchanges in mind that will affect

Adam’s world.  These changes willaffect how babies will be treatedin day care centers, toddlers inkindergarten, children in gradeschool, adolescents in high

school, young adults in college

and adults in the workplace. Already leg-islators and judges across the countryare contemplating changing the birthcertificate form to allow the listing of“gender-neutral” parents. Adam’s parentswill no longer fill their names under “fa-ther” and “mother” on the form.  Theywill merely be “parent 1” and “parent 2.”Day care centers are increasingly be-coming “gender neutral” and Adam maybe forced to suppress his natural ram-bunctiousness. He will be forced by someday care centers to act more subduedlike girls and the girls will be encouragedto be more aggressive like boys. In schoolhe will have to share locker rooms andbathrooms with transgender girls who“think” they are boys. If Adam joins themilitary, he will be forced to watch as fe-male soldiers, some only 18-year-oldgirls, are shot at, captured or killed. In allareas of society and even in the Church,these agendas are making headway. In allareas of society and even in the Church,these agendas are making headway.

What is the Driving Force of These Agendas?All agendas are driven by a set of valuesdefined by some philosophical system.The common denominator betweenthese three agendas is equality, or egal-itarianism. What started as a strugglefor sexual equality under the feministmovement became “marriage” equalityunder the homosexual movement, andhas now moved on to “gender” equality

CoverStoryCoverStory

10 C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G

Male Female He Created Them

—Genesis 5:2

B Y R E X T E O D O S I O

Contrary to progressivist fantasies,boys and girls are biologically differentfrom the moment of conception.

How the radical agenda seeking to deny the differences betweenmen and women is unnatural and gravely sinful.

&

under the transgender movement. However, to impose absolute “equal-

ity,” the activists of these agendas mustfirst remove all inequalities.  This is a dif-ficult challenge since inequality is a nat-ural result of the differences betweenpeople and things. The differences be-tween a grain of sand, a princess-cut dia-mond and the sun establishes unequalbut natural characteristics. Nature dic-tates that a grain of sand should be inertwhile the sun should blaze with incalcu-lable brightness. In the same line of rea-soning, nature dictates that Adam shouldbehave like a boy, while a girl should actlike a girl.

As long as these differences exist,there will always be inequality. From thisviewpoint, it becomes clear why thesemovements are working hard to equal-ize, diminish and neutralize the differ-ences between male and female. What isnow being promoted as “gender neutral-ity” is really an attempt to abolish thenatural differences in sex.

Social Reprogramming is Child AbuseOur hypothetical Adam is born with nei-ther agendas nor philosophies. In hismind, he is a boy and nothing more thana boy. Nature drives everything in Adam’spersonality to be a boy. At his young age,so absent of guile, he simply wants to bewhat he naturally is.

Whether he likes it or not, thesemovements will try to restructure howAdam feels and thinks. They will try tosocially reprogram him so he is nolonger a boy, but simply a “genderless”child. He will no longer grow up a male,but only a “genderless” adult.

But, can the natural differences be-tween male and female be abolished? Canmankind really overrule God’s original in-tent? Can absolute equality between sexesever be achieved through legal restruc-turing and social reprogramming?

Source MaterialsIn face of this assault on the innocenceof children, it is necessary to set therecord straight by emphasizing the dif-ferences that make us male or female.Modern science gives us a mountain ofproofs.  Due to space, we will limit our

examples within the genetic and hor-monal viewpoint, since these areas areof primary importance in determiningthe   moods, preferences, behaviors,and above all, the personalities of thetwo sexes.

The studies we will cite are from Dr.Louann Brizendine’s books, The FemaleBrain, and The Male Brain, both stillconsidered reference materials for sci-entists in the field, and Dr. Leonard Sax’sbook, Why Gender Matters: What Parentsand Teachers Need to Know about theEmerging Science of Sex Differences.

How Different are Males and Females?Already in the maternity ward, Adamand the other baby boys show differentbehavior patterns from baby girls. Whilebaby girls are drawn to look at thenurses’ faces, Adam will spend seventypercent more time looking at moving ob-jects, flashing lights, and the movementof people.

Studies show that girls are naturallypredisposed to give more importance tofacial cues than boys because of the ac-celerated development in the part oftheir brains that controls communica-tion and visual skills.

Dr. Brizendine cites an interestingtest. Scientists placed a “dangerous”object in the middle of the room andgave children instructions to stayaway from it. A parent would stand

at one end of the room and was in-structed to signal dissatisfaction, butonly by facial expression, if their childgoes anywhere close to the object.

For the girls, it was sufficient to seebulging eyes, raised eyebrows or pursedlips to discourage them from going nearthe object. The boys simply disregardedthe facial cues. They walked right to andeven touched the dangerous object, nomatter the intensity of the disapprovalof the facial cues.

Beauty is in the Eye of the BeholderAnother part of the brain that is wireddifferently is sensitivity to colors.Women are actually more sensitive tocolors. Adam will have a one in tenchance of being colorblind and a higherchance of suffering from color confu-sion, compared to three percent of girls.

Israel Abramov is a psychologist andbehavioral neuroscientist at CUNY’sBrooklyn College, and has spent fiftyyears studying human vision.  Abramovgave a group of people a battery of visualtests. He discovered that, of the one mil-lion identifiable colors to the humaneye, women see gradations in colormore precisely than men. What men callblue, women will call teal, sky orturquoise. What men refer to as green,women will insist that it’s more like hon-eydew, lime, spring, clover, fern, moss,flora, or sea foam.

There is no male race orfemale race, only the

human race. There is nomale soul or female soul,only a human soul. Beingmale or female doesn'tcome from the soul but

from the body.

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G 11

Scientists have found women to bemore sensitive to colors, while men

are more sensitive to movement.

However, men appear more sensitiveto movement. If there were hundreds ofbars on a computer screen flashing atthe same rate, men can more easily findthe lone bar that is flashing faster.

Sense of HearingAdam’s sense of hearing and how heprocesses what he hears are also differentfrom the girls.

Dr. Leonard Sax says that girls havebetter hearing than boys. This partiallyexplains why, in a heated argument, awoman will suddenly say; “Stop shout-ing at me.” To which a puzzled man willalways respond; “I’m not shouting.”

This is due to a few key differences inthe neurophysiology and brain structureof males and females. The areas of thebrain that control social and verbalskills are actually larger in women thanin men. This faculty also develops fasterin girls than in boys. This part of the fe-male brain is actually hardwired differ-ently from the male brain.

In one study, Dr. Brizendine asked agroup of boys to ask a “personal” ques-tion to a group of girls, something theyhave always wondered about the othersex. After deliberation, the boys wantedto know why girls go to the bathroom to-gether. Without hesitation, the girls an-swered, “because it’s the only place

where we can go talk.” The biological explanation for this is

that when a girl talks, estrogen stimu-lates the production of oxytocin anddopamine which in turn activates thepleasure centers of her brain. The levelof oxytocin and dopamine are, in fact, sohigh, it can match the rush that lotteryor jackpot winners experience.

Men are not stimulated as much byconversation. Quite to the contrary, Dr.Brizendine says that men have a capac-ity of ignoring background noise. Thiscould mean loud machinery, the chatterof conversation, etc. This explains whyour Adam will tend to ignore the cry ofother babies in the room while babygirls will feel distressed.

The Risk FactorWhere men feel particularly stimulatedis in taking risks. This behavior is called“risk shift” by psychologists.

In a test involving college students,participants were asked to throw ringsonto a pole standing in one end of theroom. They were told to stand behindone of the lines on the floor marked at 1foot, 3, 5, 10, 15 and 20 feet. They couldbe as close or as far away from the poleas they want. When alone in the room,most male students stood 3 to 10 feetaway. The female students stood 1 to 3

feet away. However, when other fellowstudents where in the room, the behav-ior of the male students became morerisky. They now stood noticeably farther,as much as 15 feet away. The female stu-dents did not change their distance.

This is not simply a human psycho-logical phenomena influenced by nur-ture. This can be observed in otherprimates such as monkeys, baboons andchimpanzees.

Two scientists observed how aspecies of Japanese macaques had a dis-proportion between its male and femalepopulation. In fact, there were five fe-male macaques for every male. Thenorm for most primates is 1 to 1. Aftercollecting twenty-one years of data, sci-entists found support for the risk shifthypothesis. “Males are mainly lost to thepopulation because of their risk-takingbehaviors,” cites Dr. Sax. Male monkeysdo wild and crazy things, just liketeenage boys. They play a type of gamearound the highway where they scam-per across the road when a vehicle ap-proaches only to miscalculate theirspeed and be crushed by oncomingtrucks. Female monkeys simply avoidthe highway altogether.

Where Do These Differences Come From?There are many other differences listed

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G12

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The differences in genes between a male and a female are derived from the Y chromosome. This

accounts for only one percent of variation, but what a difference this percentage makes.

Studies of the male and female brain show thatthe differences between the sexes go far beyondexternal appearances.

by Dr. Brizendine, Dr. Sax and many sci-entists who wrote books on human be-haviors, hormones (endocrinology),neuroscience, neurophysiology andother fields.

Dr. Brizendine observes that thedifferences begin early when the fetusreceives its sex chromosome.

Human cells have forty-six chromo-somes. Only one gene accounts for thesex chromosome. In other words,ninety-nine percent of the genes be-tween male and female are identical.We are, after all, part of the samehuman race. There is no male race or fe-male race. For that matter, SaintThomas Aquinas affirms that there isno male soul or female soul, only thehuman soul.

The difference in the genes is due tothe Y chromosome. A mere one percentof our genes dictates how our hairgrows, how our muscles develop, ourbone density, the differences in organs,skin, hormones, voice, fingernails,hearing, eyesight, sensitivity to pain,speed of reflexes, response to stress,language comprehension, cycles, rela-tionships skills, visual skills and eventhe concentration of neuron connec-tions in our brains.

Then, perhaps the biggest and mostobvious of the differences is in our rolesin procreation. Only males are capableof being a father. Only females are capa-ble of being a mother.  This is so obviousthat to cite science to prove this, insteadof appealing to common sense, seemsoffensive to any rational creature.

One percent! But, what a differencethat one percent makes.

Babies, for example, will go through aradical hormonal production phaseroughly nine months or so after theirbirth. In fact there will be so much hor-mone production that, according to Dr.Brizendine, Adam will have the equiva-lent amount of testosterone as an adultall packed in his baby body. Girls will sim-ilarly have an adult’s level of estrogen intheir baby bodies. During this time, thewhole neurological system will be steepedin high dosages of testosterone or estro-gen. Steeping the brain and organs in thishigh hormonal concentration will

Years ago while walking through anantique store in Baton Rouge, I

came across a graceful statue of ayoung couple twirling to a folk minuet.It spoke to me of the innocent and sim-ple joy of times gone by. It is a bronzerepresentation of a young boy and girlperhaps dancing for the first time andenjoying the natural complementari-ties which the Creator placed in naturewhen He created man and woman.(Gen. 2:18)

To the man God gave strength andthe means to spread security to thosearound him; the woman He made fem-inine and graceful with the power to re-flect the pure joys of living. Despite hisyouth, the young man in the statuestands like a pillar holding the girl’shand so she feels the security to spinand smile. She is secure in his supportand he is pleased to provide it so shecan sparkle.

While the girl holds out her apronwith delicacy and grace, the youngman holds his hat in respect for hisdancing partner. Her dress is simpleand modest but her smile reflects thebeauty of a soul which the young manrecognizes as a jewel. He will need toprotect this jewel and make it his life’sduty to provide an atmosphere forsuch a flower to blossom. In real life wemay have found such a scene during arural celebration in a small Austrianvillage many years ago, when mankindwas happier and teenage suicide un-heard of. Now resting on my bureau,the statuette has become for me a bea-con of hope, a point of sanity.

But the world has drasticallychanged and there are those who pro-claim that there are not two genders, butsix or even seven. One recent category

includes those who do not “know” whatgender is theirs. Another recent reportproposes that one ought to treat chil-dren neither as male nor female in casethey should want to “change” their gen-der later in life.

Has the world gone mad? Well, yes. . .We have abandoned truth, reality andcommon sense and replaced them witha man-made madness—somethingmankind historically produces when itpresumes to improve on God’s creation.

Today, this beautiful statuettestands almost as a religious symbol. Itrepresents so well the reality of whatGod created that it aptly reminds us ofthe beauty of “La Difference” betweenthe only two genders our Heavenly Fa-ther actually made, for our own good.Yet, dare we look out a window, oropen a newspaper today? For if we do,we may hear ourselves exclaiming,“My Lord, what have we done withYour creation?” n

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G 13

My Lord, WhatHave We Done?B Y A N T O N I O F R A G E L L I

predispose the child’s development forthe next ten or so years as he or she ap-proaches puberty.

Surprisingly, whereas our Adam willonly be exposed to nine months of thishigh level of testosterone, girls will beexposed to estrogen for a full two years.

The Inherent Difference Betweenthe Male and Female BrainDr. Sax cites a very surprising studythat should prove beyond a doubt howdifferent males are from females. In2004, a completely hermaphrodite birdwas studied in UCLA. The bird wasborn half male and half female. The leftside of the bird had female body partsand coloration, while the right side hadthe male body parts and coloration.When they dissected the brain of thisbird, they thought they would find thebrain tissues of both right and left ex-actly the same. Brain tissue, they rea-soned, is affected by the nutrients inthe blood and both sides of the brainwere nourished by the same blood.When they dissected it, they found thatthe male half of the brain was intrinsi-cally different from the female half.Surprised by this finding, they wantedto see if this is true for human brains.Is the brain tissue of the male humandifferent from that of the female?

After their research, neuroscientistsfrom three universities published theirfinding that the male brain is “intrinsi-cally different.” It was rich in proteins

that are coded directly by the Y chromo-some. (Why Gender Matters, pp. 13-14)

The Perfect Male and FemalePerhaps, more than scientific proofs,nothing will bring out the stark differ-ences between male and female moreclearly than by holding up the perfectstandards of male and female: Adamand Eve, Jesus and Mary.

God made Adam to be different fromEve. To one he tasked the dominance ofthe whole Earth, contemplation, to tendand guard and keep paradise (Gen 2:15).To the other he tasked to be a compan-ion and a help to Adam, to have socialskills, to be sensitive to beautiful things,to be nurturing and to be the mother ofall the living.

Jesus and Mary were also different intheir state of spiritual perfection.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, God mademan, is perfection Himself in His divin-ity but also perfect in His humanity. Themedieval man saw in Our Lord JesusChrist all the perfect models of mas-culinity, whether he be king or peasant,farmer, theologian, carpenter, knight,priest, fisherman, physician, or judge.

Our Lady, the very image of Eve per-fected by grace, presents a different modelof perfection that is distinctly feminine. Inher, the medieval woman saw the perfectmodels of femininity whether she benurse, religious, teacher, seamstress, shep-herdess, housemaker, princess, governess,washerwoman, mediatrix, advocate,

queen or handmaid, but above all, themother and the virgin.

Each is distinctly different from theother. It is after these models that all menand women throughout history shouldbe measured until the end of time.

Our hypothetical Adam should be en-couraged to follow these perfect rolemodels instead of being forced to sup-press his maleness through social re-programming.

The feminist, homosexual and trans-gender agendas are trying to implantequality in society by destroying the nat-ural differences created by inequality.God made man in His image and like-ness. These egalitarian agendas want totransform mankind into a “genderless”society and in the process must deformwhat God has made. It is one of thegreatest forms of revolt against God.

What should be patently clear is thatscience proves that neither human law,executive mandate, Supreme Court rulingnor even a constitutional amendmentcan abolish the inequalities in creation.

To men without faith, no amount ofproof is sufficient. To men of faith, onlyone proof suffices.

“Male and female, God made [us].”(Gen. 5:2). n

Jesus and Mary were alsodifferent in their state ofspiritual perfection.

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G14

The Word Incarnate was a Man par excellence, and one of His great statements against the so-called inclusive or egalitarian mentality of our days was whenHe chose twelve men for His apostles. In not choosing a single woman, He made clear that in His creation there are roles for men and roles for women.

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . A N F . O R G 15

America Needs Fatima®MAY/JUNE 2016 P R O G R E S S R E P O R T

In the Old Testament, a famine struckEgypt and the people complained to

Pharaoh. His sole reply was, “Go to Joseph!”Holy Mother Church, seeing her chil-

dren starving for spiritual nourishment,says the same to us: “Go to Joseph!” SaintJoseph provided for the needs of the HolyFamily. As patron of the Universal Church,he can provide for all our necessities.

On Saturday, March 19, 2016, the glori-ous Feast of Saint Joseph, American NeedsFatima again sponsored Rosary Rallies forTraditional Marriage. For the third year in arow, Catholics gathered in public squares,at busy intersections, and near governmentbuildings across the country. They prayedthe rosary for the restoration of a true mar-riage culture in America.

Church teaching is clear that marriageis between one man and one woman forlife. This has always been true and will al-ways be true, despite manmade laws orSupreme Court decisions.

Daily the onslaught of unnatural viceand immorality continues unabated.Thankfully, Americans in greater numbersare taking a public stand against theforced acceptance of the homosexualagenda. The 2016 Rosary Rallies for Tradi-tional Marriage numbered more than4,200 nationwide.

What reactions are sparked by these

peaceful and prayerful rallies? Across thecountry, the overwhelming response hasbeen positive. Along with the traditionalmarriage banners sent by America Needs Fa-tima, homemade signs displaying “Honk forTraditional Marriage” and “Purity Is the An-swer” met with enthusiastic support. Everyso often someone may pass by shouting in-sults. But God is most certainly pleased withthe sacrifice of those who endure such treat-ment while defending His laws.

The battle for the heart and soul ofAmerica is coming to a head. Thankfully,we can have utmost confidence in the pow-erful protection of the great Saint Joseph.

Saint Thomas Aquinas taught, “Somesaints are privileged to extend to us their

Rosary Rallies for TraditionalMarriage: “Go to Joseph!”B Y B E N B R O U S S A R D

Dedicated volunteers across the countrystood outside praying the rosary despitecold and rainy conditions.

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . A N F . O R G16

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

Call Louisa today at (888) 317-5571to find out more!

Consider putting America Needs Fatima inyour will! Your generosity will help win the

FUTURE OF AMERICA

. . . because the Fatima message isone of the most powerful gifts to

give to the next generation.

patronage with particular efficacy in cer-tain needs, but not in others. But our holypatron Saint Joseph has the power to assistus in all cases, in every necessity, in everyundertaking.”

The homosexual movement now wantsto corrupt the most innocent Americans—our children. Let us continually do as theChurch commands: “Go to Joseph!”

Placing the future of the family in his pa-ternal care, he will surely safeguard thesacrament of marriage for future genera-tions. Confident in Saint Joseph’s interces-sion, let us continue the fight for the futureof the family and our country. n

Your help will make the following works possible:l Home visitations with Pilgrim Virgin statues of Our Lady of

Fatima, reaching thousands of families annually

l Acts of reparation and protests nationwide to stop blasphemousattacks against the Sacred Persons of Jesus and Mary

l Massive promotion of religious literature, books, medals andespecially rosaries

l Thousands of Public Square Rosary Rallies annually

More than 4,200 Rosary Rallies for Traditional Marriagetook place on March 19, 2016. Catholics young and old

were eager to do their part, taking a public stand todefend true marriage.

Just starting the Fatima vis-its, I find it very impressive

to see how many Catholicsput their faith into action.One example of this came inFebruary when we visited thehome of Kathleen in easternMaryland.

After a few neighbors hadgathered, the visit started asnormal. When we beganspeaking about the AmericaNeeds Fatima protestsagainst blasphemy, Kathleeninterjected and told her storyabout taking a stand.

In 1999, the blasphemous film “Dogma” began show-ing nationwide. Kathleen tried to organize a protest infront of a theater, but no one would protest with her. Shedecided to do the protest anyway all by herself. After ar-riving with her homemade sign, she began praying therosary out loud. e management of the theater threat-

ened to have her arrested, but shestood firm and kept praying. Shesoon heard honks from cars goingby and saw lots of thumbs up.

Kathleen has protested manytimes since then, sometimes alonebut often with others. In talkingabout taking a stand, she said, “Iknow Our Lady protected me. atfirst homemade sign I used whileprotesting “Dogma” stayed in mycar for years and I had it with mewherever I went. Every time Ilooked at it, I was reminded of OurLady’s maternal aid.”

Hearing Kathleen speak, it be-came clear that Our Lady was always there, along withher legions of angels backing her up. As the enemies ofthe Church become more and more emboldened, mayOur Lady raise up many more souls like Kathleen totake a strong stand in public against the onslaught ofblasphemy. n

“Our Lady Protected Me”

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . A N F . O R G 17

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

ORNER

CUSTODIAN’S

B Y E L I A S R U B I O

Public Reparation for Public Sin!

Apublic event in Topeka, Kansas, sponsored by Visit Topeka,Inc., drew the ire of America Needs Fatima members and

supporters for its bold promotion of indecency and immorality.Dubbed Kansas Burlesque Fes-tival, the morally offensive an-nual event featured lewd anddepraved acts that organizersthemselves warned on their

website to be “too mature/intense” for viewers.e event was so offensive, it undermined families, the

Sacrament of marriage and children’s innocence. AmericaNeeds Fatima issued a stern warning to the public not to at-tend the event and instead, to gather for a legal and prayerfulRosary Rally near the venue to offer reparation for the shock-ing and impure display.

Email protests were also sent to the mayor of Topeka, and tothe president of Visit Topeka, Inc., the taxpayer-supported or-

ganization hosting the event. e fact that the citysubsidized the hosting organization with tax-payer dollars made it more reprehensible and aserious assault on the family values of the Mid-western city’s morally-conscious population.

While praying at the Rosary Rally organizedby America Needs Fatima, attendees had in mindthe prophetic words of Our Lady of Fatima whenshe said to Jacinta, “more souls go to hell becauseof sins of the flesh than for any other reason.” n

Mr. Elias Rubio, left, recently joined the ranks of theFatima Custodians.

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

Adisturbing trend has been noted re-cently, as satanic groups are pres-

suring government officials to beginpublic meetings with a satanic “invoca-tion” or “prayer.” A Phoenix City Councilmeeting was a target, as well as fourother public meetings in the Arizonacities of Scottsdale, Tucson, Sahuaritaand Chandler. Similar actions were alsoattempted in the Florida cities of CoralSprings, Deerfield Beach and Apopka.

The Satanists are deceitfully usingthe U.S. Supreme Court decision inGreece v. Galloway, in which publicprayer is allowed as long as “due respect for thosewho adhere to other beliefs” is maintained, tojustify their demand. However, in Phoenix, mem-bers of the City Council changed their rules toprevent the Satanists from doing their deviousact. Following Phoenix’s lead, other cities dis-pensed with the opening prayers and opted in-stead for a moment of silence. But concernedcitizens believe that this whole exercise may notonly be about asking for equal time for their own“prayers,” but is also a brazen attempt by Sa-tanists to ultimately remove all religion frompublic life.

As part of TFP/America Needs Fatima’s fightagainst all satanic advances in America, an emailcampaign was launched to raise awareness and tosupport the Phoenix City Council in its efforts tokeep Satan out of council meetings.

Many satanic attacks have caught the attentionof and drew strong protests from TFP/AmericaNeeds Fatima. In 2014, Satanists attempted to holda “Black Mass” at Harvard University. Prayers anddemonstrations around the country and a solemnprocession with the Blessed Sacrament throughthe streets near Harvard, followed by Eucharisticadoration at St. Paul’s Church in Harvard Square,forced the organizers to cancel the sacrilegious act.

Another attempt at “mainstreaming” Sa-tanism occurred at the unveiling of a nine-footstatue of Baphomet, a devil with the head of agoat with a smiling boy and girl at its feet,

which was to take place in a public venue inDetroit, Michigan. After being deluged withthousands of protest emails, the organizerswere forced to hold their satanic ritual awayfrom public view.

A satanic “Black Mass” held in the Civic Cen-ter of Oklahoma City was another event thatdrew hundreds of protesters from all over thecountry who showed up outside the public build-ing offering prayers of reparation.

The opening of the Greater Church of Luciferin the city of Spring, Texas, also drew prayerfulprotests from concerned families from the smallTexas town. TFP/America Needs Fatima joinedin their efforts to protest the “church” from open-ing its doors.

And on Christmas Eve last year, the City ofOklahoma granted a notorious Satanist a permitto publicly desecrate an image of the Mother ofGod by pouring fake blood over her. The sacrile-gious act was done right in front of St. Joseph’sOld Cathedral. Vehement protests and petitionsorganized by TFP/America Needs Fatima wereignored by Oklahoma City officials.

All public satanic attacks not only amount toreligious persecution, but also aim to desensitizeAmericans to evil in all its forms. Our best de-fense is to uphold morality and remain vigilant.TFP/America Needs Fatima remains committedto leading the fight. n

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . A N F . O R G18

Increasing Satanic AssaultsDraw Public Indignation

As Satanists become moreemboldened to performpublic blasphemies,Catholics should also beemboldened to do publicreparation.

ANF PROGRESS REPORT

Our Lady of Fatima Car ShrineI was so happy with the travel prayerand Fatima car shrine you sent me! I livealone and I do drive, so I sure can usethis in my car. I also would like a few ex-tras for my son who drives an hour andforty-five minutes one way to workevery day. Thank you again, it was ablessing for me to receive this.

G.G., Alamosa, Colo.

Thank you for the lovely car shrine. Inever drove, but I will always carry itwith me. If I have to take a taxi or bus,or have someone offer me a lift in a car,it will always be with me. Also, thankyou for the beautiful Fatima calendarand the Crusade Magazine. I look for-ward to reading it, and your letters in-spire me. God bless you. May OurBlessed Mother protect and keep yousafe always.

J.B., Bayonne, N.J.

“A few days after receiving the travelprayer shrine and card (and praying it),our son was saved from what could havebeen a fatal accident, hardly a scratch or

even a bruise. Our Blessed Mother hasbeen so good to us.”

S. L., St. Louis, Mo.

Child of MaryI am happy to know that my small do-nations are going to promote thepromises of Mary’s ImmaculateHeart—the conversion of souls and hertriumph for America.

May the hearts of Jesus and Mary con-tinue to bless your important ministry!

E.D., Framingham, Mass.

Rosary RallyI want to thank you for the privilege ofserving as a Rosary Rally Captain thisyear. I already received many blessings,graces, and answered prayers. PraiseGod! Thank you Mama Mary for all yourintercessions. I met many wonderfulpeople, and also witnessed conversionsduring the Rally event. Yes, God is good.Planning to do this again next year!Blessings to everyone.

G.M., San Dismas, Calif.

I sincerely hope that the Rosary Rallieswhich took place on October 10th ofthis year were a huge success. I hope themovement stirred the awareness thatwe need a “righteous change” in God’sname, and a call to “Order.” The up-heaval, unrest, and divide has to bequelled, but with God in mind. OurCatholics and true Catholicism have tobe “saved.” We stand to lose so much;our Church, our values, our schools, ourteachings, our families, our children,our lives, our Faith.

We have to stand together.I do hope my monthly Child of Mary

pledge will multiply and make significantmiracles and strides for the betterment of

the Catholic Church, our faithful, and indefense of our God and His Holy Family.

Blessings to you all, and thank youfor your beautiful 2016 calendar.God bless and godspeed!

M.L., Bronx, N.Y.

America Needs FatimaThank you so much for your beautifulministry! I love this awesome picture ofthe Sacred Heart. I treasure every giftyou send that helps to deepen my faithand love for Jesus and Our Lady!

G. D., Cherry Hill, N.J.

I will work faithfully for Our Mother. Godbless you for all the good work [you do]and for the privilege of being a part of it.My life has meaning now. Thank you.

C.L., Zephyrhills, Fla.

Thank God for your organization. Whoelse promotes the rosary, the messagesof Fatima, rosary rallies, and the menwho take the Fatima statues to so manyhomes? I also like the Crusade Magazine.So much information! We certainly hearnothing about Fatima in our parish.

W.F., Highland, Ill.

Thank you for all you do to keep OurMother real and alive in America, acountry so blessed, yet so ungrateful.

A.G., Centreville, Va.

Our Readers Write...

Send us your feedback by writing to us at Crusade@TFP.org

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . A N F . O R G 19

Optimism, pessimism, realism: what posi-tion should we take in the face of currentevents? Before answering this question

we need to give words their true meaning. Strictly speaking, a realist is one who sees facts

as they are.erefore, an optimist would be one who, with

a defective vision, imagines events with brighterappearance than they actually display; and a pes-simist one who, on account of a symmetrical andopposite defect, were to see them with darker col-ors than they actually have. us, a doctor withan objective and true notion of his patient’s con-dition would be realistic; one who mistakenly di-agnosed the illness as less serious than it actuallywas would be optimistic; and one who figured theillness was worse than it actually was, a pessimist.

Once these various meanings are defined itbecomes easier and more accurate to saywhether one should be optimistic, pessimistic,

or realistic. Obviously, in any case one should berealistic. For if realism is the exact vision ofthings, and on the contrary, optimism and pes-simism are errors, one should prefer to stick withtruth rather than error. So when we hear talk of“healthy optimism” in chronic and necessary op-position to “unhealthy pessimism” we often feellike smiling: If optimism is a bright but distortedvision of the truth, how can it be healthy? Howcan there be health in distortion?

But, someone could say, sound optimism con-sists in having a wholesome view of things in lightcolors when they are actually light. We agree. Butin that case one should not always speak of “un-healthy pessimism.” ere should also be roomfor a “healthy pessimism” that would consist inseeing things dark when they actually are. Yet, forpeople who constantly talk about “healthy opti-mism,” pessimism is necessarily “unhealthy.” Oneis “healthy” whenever one is optimistic and “un-healthy” whenever one is pessimistic. e possi-bility of “healthy pessimism” is precisely what alot of people want to deny at all cost.

* * *In short, one must be always and unflinchingly

realistic. When reality is good, one must drawfrom it optimistic omens in the good sense of theword. And—also in the good sense of the word—when reality is bad one should draw pessimisticforecasts from it. “Healthy optimism” and“healthy pessimism” are legitimate and reason-able expressions only if they always and inex-orably identify with “absolute realism.”

at said, the question of whether we shouldbe optimistic or realistic about the present timetranslates into this: whether our time justifiesgood prognostics, or bad.

is is, therefore, what we will deal with.

* * *Something which is in bad shape warrants bad

prognoses. And something which is doing well

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G20

Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, a man of Catholic faith andaction, showed countless souls the way to live out anauthentic Marian devotion.

Hail, Mother of HopeB Y P L I N I O C O R R Ê A D E O L I V E I R ACommentary

justifies good prognoses. For an effect cannothave qualities that somehow are not contained inits cause. Consequently, we must ask whetherthings today are going well or badly.

Now, it is good for a man to provide for thegoods necessary or appropriate for the suste-nance of life. Thus, to the degree that a thiefcares about his future and wants to provide forhis own subsistence, he is right. His sin beginsonly the moment he decides to employ illegalmeans in order to meet that concern, entirelyjust of itself. Therefore, not everything in athief ’s intentions is bad. In this sense, strictlyspeaking, the very act of Judas, when stealingalms the Apostles had reserved for the poor andwhen ultimately selling the Man-God, hadsomething legitimate inasmuch as it derivedfrom an appetite for goods necessary to sustainhis life. Yet that did not save Judas from the sen-tence “melius erat illi si natus non fuisset” [itwould have been better for him not to havebeen born] (Matt. 26:24), nor did it spare thievesfrom being punished as criminals everywhere,nor yet the people of Israel from suffering themost resounding punishment in all human his-tory at the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

* * *is is not the place to take stock of what to us

appears to be good or bad and then figure outwhether it is good or evil that prevails. atwould be a Herculean task which could hardly fitin a book, let alone in a magazine article.

But that does not mean our question will remainunanswered. If we want to know what prevailstoday, if it is the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ or thespirit of the world, it suffices to read Saint Paul.

According to the Apostle, the works of theflesh are: “fornication, uncleanness, immodesty,luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, con-tentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissen-sions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness,reveling, and such like” (Gal. 5:19-21). On the con-trary, the fruit of the Spirit is “charity, joy, peace,patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity (calmamidst suffering), mildness, faith, modesty, con-tinence, chastity” (Gal. 5:22-23). No need to ask ifwhat prevails in our century is the works of theflesh or the fruit of the Spirit.

Let us take the same truth from anotherangle. Would we dare say that today’s civiliza-tion is still predominantly Christian? In thatcase we should recognize that the corruption ofcustoms, greed, rivalries, fights, the universal

disorder that prevails in it are typical and spe-cific fruits of the Church’s influence. Who doesnot see that we would blaspheme were we to sayso? us, we must recognize the truth: our civi-lization is not informed by the spirit of JesusChrist. It produces fruits typical of civilizationsdominated by darkness.

* * *

What can we expect from this? Where are wegoing to end up within a few more decades of wars,strife, struggles between nations and classes?Where will we be fifty years from now if the cor-ruption of morals keeps developing with the in-creasing speed it has been showing for example, inmatters of dance, immodest fashions and the ho-mosexual and transgender movements?

If one wants to reason with all honesty,one must acknowledge that very little sep-arates us from total catastrophe, and that ifwe continue along this line, within not toolong we will suffer an eclipse of culture andcivilization similar to the fall of the WesternRoman Empire.

And what will the future of the Churchbe in that world? Will She be con-demned to live a few more centuries inthe catacombs? Will the number offaithful be reduced to an insignificantlittle group?

* * *God alone knows the future. No one

could reasonably be surprised if thewhole structure of modern civilizationthunderously and tragically crumbled ina great bloodbath. But there is a rea-son—and it is not the only one—to hopethat Providence will not allow HolyChurch to return to the catacombs forlong. It is that an omen of victory alreadyexists amid the desolation of the presenttime: the visible action, so to speak, of theBlessed Virgin on earth.

From Lourdes and Fatima to this day,the more the universal crisis grows, themore Our Lady’s interventions becomenumerous and tangible. Devotion to OurLady is fought—it is horrible to say it—not only outside the Church but even insupposedly Catholic circles. But to noavail. One can see that here and therethe Blessed Mother continues to at-tract thousands of souls to Her and to

21C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G

C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G22

develop a regeneration plan that obviously leadsto a grand and spectacular outcome.

All circumstances seem appropriate for an im-mense triumph of the Virgin. e crisis is tragic. Itapproaches an apex. To tell the truth, humanmeans of salvation are nil. For our sins we deserveno signal grace but only punishment and morepunishment. All the characteristics of a humanlylost situation—not only typical but archetypical—seem to build up at present.

Who could save us? Only someone who had forus the boundless complacency of an exceedinglygood, generous and compassionate Mother. But atthe same time that Mother would have to be morepowerful than all the forces of the world, the deviland the flesh. She would have to be omnipotent withGod Himself, very rightfully irritated by our sins. Sav-ing us from this situation would be the most brilliantmanifestation of that Mother’s power.

Now then, we do have that Mother. She is ourMother and the Mother of God. How could one notrealize that so many disasters and countless sinscall out as it were, for the intervention of theBlessed Virgin Mary? And how not to see that Shewill heed that cry?

When will that be? During the great drama thatdraws near? After it? We do not know. But onething appears absolutely likely: that as the outcome

of this crisis, Mary most holy is preparing for HolyChurch, not centuries of agony and pain, but an eraof universal triumph.

* * *And so, in this month dedicated to Mary, with

our eyes fixed on Her and in all serenity we can an-swer the question of whether we should be opti-mistic or pessimistic: a healthy pessimism shouldpersuade us that we deserve everything and per-haps will suffer an awful lot; but a healthy and su-pernatural optimism should persuade us that thetriumph of the Church is being prepared in today’spains through a complete crushing of the mental-ity of our times. Both that pessimism and optimismare healthy realism because they take into accounta great reality without which any vision of humanproblems is flawed: the Providence of Mary.

And, lastly, Mary must be terrible to the deviland his crew, as an army ranged in battle, princi-pally in these latter times, because the devil, know-ing that he has but little time, and now less thanever, to destroy souls, will every day redouble his ef-forts and his combats. He will presently raise upnew persecutions, and will put terrible snares be-fore the faithful servants and true children of Mary,whom it gives him more trouble to surmount thanit does to conquer others. n

Millions of pilgrimscome every year toOur Lady’s shrine atFatima to seek hopefor today's crises.

She is our Mother and the Mother of God. How could one not realize that so many disasters and countless sins call out as it were,

for the intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

23C r u s a d e M a y / J u n e 2 0 1 6 n w w w . T F P . O R G

“The object of Eucharistic adora-tion is the divine Person of OurLord Jesus Christ present in the

Most Blessed Sacrament,” says Saint PeterJulian Eymard, founder of the BlessedSacrament Fathers. For many, this core be-lief of faith is the very source of inspirationto visit any Catholic church where theBlessed Sacrament resides. To have thatintimate spiritual conversation with Our

Lord and Savior is “the true Eucharistic meditation, i.e., ado-ration.” He continued, “e Father seeketh such to adore Him. . . in spirit and in truth.” (John 4: 23)

But what if the tabernacle, which houses the Holy Eu-charist, is nowhere to be found or is relegated to an obscurecorner of a church’s sanctuary? What possible consequencewould this dislocation have, if any?

After Vatican II, most American churches began relocatingthe tabernacle from the traditional central position in the

church to someplace else, making it not immediately visible tothe faithful. Although the document concerning tabernacleplacement did not explicitly mandate moving the tabernacle,several passages in Sacrosanctum Concilium (e DogmaticConstitution on the Sacred Liturgy issued on December 4, 1963)allowed for the relocation of the tabernacle under certain cir-cumstances upon the discretion of the local bishop. Further-more, the council called for “noble simplicity” in the overalldesign of churches, which many believe led to a general declineof Catholic art and architecture in the aftermath of the Council.

However, not only did we see a general decline in art andarchitecture, there is also clear evidence of a precipitous de-cline in the spiritual life of American Catholics as well, espe-cially with regard to their understanding, or lack thereof, ofthe Real Presence of Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. e relo-cation of the tabernacle is arguably one contributing factor.

At least two surveys—by the Pew Forum on Religion & Pub-lic Life and American Catholics in Transition, D’Antonio, et al,—reveal that members of the Pre-Vatican II generation are morelikely than respondents of other generations to believe thatChrist is really present in the Eucharist (70 percent comparedto 57 percent of the millennial generation; 55 percent of the Post-Vatican II generation; and 53 percent of the Vatican II genera-tion Catholics). ese results are sobering, as transubstantiationand the Real Presence are two major tenets of the Catholic faith.

So what was in the minds of those who decided to movethe tabernacle away from the center of the church? For one, intheir eagerness to embrace the ecumenical spirit of VaticanII, they emphasized austerity and simplicity in church designin order to focus more on the altar and the congregation,which many observed as essentially Protestant. Taking awaythe centrality of the Holy Eucharist in churches, in effect, re-duced the importance of the precious body, blood, soul anddivinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the lives of the faithful.

More than five decades after Vatican II, many are nowclamoring to bring back the tabernacles. ey are led by bish-ops and priests who have observed first-hand the deleteriouseffect of the absence of the tabernacles as the focal point intheir churches. Among them is Bishop Robert Morlino ofMadison, WI, who instructed his priests to move every taber-nacle in the diocese back to the center of the church by 2018.Priests and parishioners reacted favorably to the bishop’s di-rective as evidenced by the many messages of appreciation onsocial media. Others, like Bishop omas Paprocki of Spring-field, IL, issued a Pastoral Letter, Ars celebrandi et adorandi inwhich he directed the return of the tabernacles to the centerof all churches in his diocese. Similarly, Bishop Daniel Jenkyof Peoria, IL, and Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre,NY, did the same. And so the trend continues.

As Saint Peter Julian Eymard reminds us, “To abide in Hislove is to make His Eucharistic love the center of our life, theonly source of our consolation; it is to cast ourselves into theHeart of Jesus in our affections, in our sorrows . . . He invitesus to do so: ‘Come to Me, all you that labor and are burdened,and I will refresh you.’”(Matt 11:28). n

Religion

Adore Him “In Spirit and in Truth”

B Y V I N C E N T G O R R E

There was a time when people read books. In factpeople still do, but the trend among the young andfuture generation is changing drastically.

Is it a good change?—perhaps it would be prudent tothink and see.

Imagine a leather-bound book on a shelf or nightstand. During a calm moment, a reader sits down in anempty chair, and, if the book is interesting, can spendhours immersed in its pages.

As the human eye reads, the mind builds up picturesand travels to a different world as if in a film. If the bookis more informational, the mind begins to build a newbank of knowledge about the subject treated.

The calm and organic reading process is agreeable andaccording to the nature of the mind. Brick by brick,whether constructing a story or an edifice, the mind cap-tures the new information or scenario and delights in it.

From time to time, the reader must stop and allow themind to think on what has just been read or adds a furtherconsideration or development of a point. This is becausethe mind is much more than a book; it is a living book ca-pable of imagination and development.The book serves as a trigger for newthoughts.

This calm and meditative process isconstructive and imparts deeper knowl-edge on a given subject, or the memoryof a story which will later be shared. Ateacher, for example will impart knowl-edge thus gained to the class room. Agrandfather surrounded by his grand-

children will retell and enhance the story he read, thuscaptivating their young minds. A priest may use hisreading material in a sermon to help illustrate a pointof Holy Scriptures. All this is calm and constructive.

Suddenly, there comes bursting in, the iPhone and itscousin the Android and an infinite number of apps andsocial media.

Browsing from page to page, tweeting or texting quickmessages or searching for the latest gossip on Facebook,the mind jumps from branch to branch like an undisci-plined monkey.

A large amount of little pieces of information distractthe mind with short-lived impressions, sensations andemotions.

This trend of distraction has overtaken the world.Everything is rushed and frenzied. There is what mightbe called a “frenetic intemperance” surrounding the newannouncement, for example, of the latest iPhone. Forsome the smart-phone is a tool that can be turned off. Butfor many, it has become a destructive way of life which re-duces conversation, human initiative, and even thought

processes. It is sad to see children as young as five

or six glued to a smartphone. Such an ad-diction can poison the child’s mental andspiritual growth.

All this buzz and commotion seeks tostifle its ancient predecessor: the book.The empty chair in the library is produc-ing increasingly more empty minds andthe world is not a better place for it. n

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