"Catolicismo", Nº 411, March 1985 – Year 35

This statement was published in the "Folha de S. Paulo" on March 19, 1985.

 

Are we on the eve of an orchestrated media

attack?

 

The TFP Press Service informs us:

 

So far, events are following standard patterns.

On the 14th of this month, a morning daily from Campos, R.J. published a two-page paid ad on behalf of Mr. Giulio Folena. Its text was wordy, superficial and insulting, and innocuously aimed at the TFP. On the 15th, a news article reporting on the ad from Campos, was understandably published in the Folha de São Paulo. The Folha da Tarde and Jornal da Tarde also reported on the issue.

On the morning of the 16th we learned that further declarations by this Mr. G. Folena and Mr. L. Filipe Ablas were published in the Folha de São Paulo and Folha da Tarde. Like its forerunner, this published matter also swarms with affirmations that clamor for refutation. On the 17th new pronouncements came to light, published in the Folha de São Paulo, and, in varying degrees, they endorsed those mentioned earlier.

And by the time this TFP communiqué reaches the public maybe even more pronouncements in the same vein will have been published.

If this organization were not already used to this technique, it would feel as if drowning in the downpour of untruths calculated to preclude any dignified, serious and efficient response. For it is easy and quick to hurl accusations into the air, against the truth, with no proofs, and distorting the facts. To refute them however, sometimes takes reflection and a detailed account of the facts.

If what has happened so far deteriorates into an orchestrated media attack, side by side with people without ulterior motives and disconnected from any attack plan, we will see others pop up like surprises, well-rehearsed and showy marionettes, pretending fright, to "confirm sensationally" the already-made accusations, or to cry out their shock, their bewilderment and their apprehensiveness, asking for measures "for what is happening."

All of this is usually done in order to open up with every "new marionette" a new battlefront against the victim. For each marionette echoes those which came before it and tosses into the debate some new accusations. The victim is left virtually incapable of defending himself against so many simultaneous attacks. It is a prodigiously efficacious way for the untruths to circulate unhindered, and for the truth not to be able to make itself heard.

All the appearances are that this method, well known to the good specialists in media demolition (cf. Jean-Marie Domenach, "La propagande politique," Collection Que saisje?, [Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1962], pp. 55, 58), is being used in the present case.

The part of the marionettes would not be viable if it did not rely on the sympathy of leftists infiltrated in so many newsrooms. And it was used successfully in the case of the Associação Civil Resistência, the sister organization in Venezuela of the TFPs, because the marionettes relied on the impassioned support from the political party in power (Acción Democratica, or A.D.) affiliated with the Socialist International, helped by Venezuela’s Communist Party. They were also supported by the full, leftist majority coalition in Parliament, and the entire leftist Cabinet, as well as the President of the Republic (A.D.). Subsequent events showed that the government was resolved to commit the most despotic illegalities in order to exterminate the TFP in the country, which it did, in spite of the public protest of 15 illustrious figures of the judicial, political and journalistic circles of Venezuela (cf. Catolicismo, no. 410, February 1985). It had however the warm applause of Izvestia (cf. Folha de São Paulo, Nov. 29, 1984), and the Cuban Communist publication Bohemia (Dec. 7, 1984), which stated that "the Venezuelan measure, as a wake-up call, should trigger similar action in the other countries where the TFP operates, before their fascist activities continue to grow and the harm done to youngsters being blindly indoctrinated become irreversible." Precisely the same measure advocated by Mr. G. Folena…

The Brazilian public should observe the facts to see if they follow this pattern.

This invitation to the public is the TFP’s first counter-measure. Tomorrow, another one will be published extensively, in this newspaper.

Being experienced in defending itself according to the laws of God and men against this type of attacks, the TFP will know how to use all the means at its command - despite its paucity of financial resources - to protect its good reputation and, impassive and noble, to remain standing in the fight.

Among these means, the most powerful is confidence in the Virgin of Fatima, the Patroness of those who fight against international communism, including against those who - as can be assumed in this case - are its useful innocents.

"Finally, My Immaculate Heart will triumph!"

São Paulo, March 18, 1985
Paulo Corrêa de Brito Filho
TFP Press Director