Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

Indian Tribalism: The Communist-Missionary Ideal for Brazil in the Twenty-First Century

The Church could normally heal these evils, but to what extent are they finding a remedy in Her? It is not credible that evils such as these can find a remedy without the intervention of Paul VI.

Now, one does not see that he has made up his mind to intervene. This is what one concludes in believing the following information published in the bulletin Alvorada, in the Prelacy of Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga, and by the semi-official organ of the Archdiocese of São Paulo (Cf. O São Paulo, 1/10/1976).

48.  Craters in the Jungles, Sparks in the Cities

The Pope appeared [upon receiving Cardinal Arns] very touched and united with the people of God of the backlands and with their persecuted Bishop.

At the end, the Pope said to Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns that the Bishops and missionaries working in these parts of the country are true heroes and that to meddle with the Bishop of Sao Felix would be to meddle with the Pope himself. (Doc. 36, p. 1)

Commentary

Paul VI's expressive words of support for Bishop Pedro Casaldaliga (released to the press, incidentally, in an unofficial manner) were such as to influence the reader to favor the Bishop of São Felix do Araguaia, noticeably weighing in the controversy over the Bishop.

This leads us to believe that without a filial but general clamor of the Brazilian people to Paul VI it will not be possible to restrict the nucleus, or better, the smoking crater of missionary agitation that seems to be swallowing up our jungles as a vehicle to fill our cities with sparks.[16]

What are the probabilities that this clamor will be heard?

They are not great, if one takes into account a significant precedent. In 1968, the TFP collected 1,600,368 signatures for a petition to Paul VI asking for measures repressing communist infiltration in the Church.

This petition - the largest in the history of our nation - was delivered by a trusted representative in the Vatican. And it has remained without an answer ...

Concomitantly, analogous petitions to Paul VI from the Argentine, Chilean, and Uruguayan TFPs totaling four hundred thousand signatures, are unanswered.

Since then, communist influence in Catholic circles has continued to grow.

And in Chile it was the decisive factor in Marxist Allende's ascension to the Presidency.

Not even this should diminish our hopes for a solution. It is necessary for Brazilians to oppose "Catholic leftism" and progressivist and leftist neomissiology with all the licit means within their reach. Once this is done, Providence will do the rest.

It is not in vain that Our Lady of Aparecida was crowned Queen of Brazil in 1931 by the National Episcopate. It is possible that, for superficial souls, this coronation may have seemed an empty and meaningless ceremony.

However, Our Lady does not consider empty and meaningless Her sons’ homage of love! On Her they may rely, provided that they do not become discouraged in battle and move towards victory with their best efforts and all their ardor.

Note:

(16) The subversive character of neomissiology was denounced by Fr. Jose Vicente Cesar, President of the Institute "Anthropos do Brasil" who declared that it disagreed with the new orientation of CIMI "aimed at using the Indian to dispute the political and socio-economic system of Brazil." (Cf. O Globo, 1/25/77). 

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