The 2024 National Conference of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) took place at its National Headquarters in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania, on October 25-27.
As is the tradition at the end of these gatherings, Prince Bertrand of Orleans-Breganza delivered the closing remarks. Prince Bertrand is a distinguished member of Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira Institute, a TFP sister organization in São Paulo, Brazil. The outspoken Catholic is also the present heir to the imperial throne of Brazil.
His message of confidence and devotion to Our Lady stirred the conference’s nearly 200 participants. We are pleased to present the full text of this inspiring meeting below.
Reverend Fathers, TFP directors and members, TFP friends and supporters, ladies and gentlemen:
By the grace of Our Lady, the TFP National Conference has again come to a close. We reviewed another year filled with many blessings and invaluable lessons.
Each TFP Conference brings us closer to the great chastisement foretold at Fatima. It also means we are closer to the Reign of Mary, which we all desire so much.
As we rapidly approach these times, we need to know the specific trials that we now face. For this reason, I believe the theme chosen for this year’s conference could not be more appropriate. The West is indeed under siege, and therefore, we, as faithful Catholics, are also under siege.
We are being attacked from all sides. This year’s speakers accurately described just how advanced the Revolutionary process has become.
We heard about the massive betrayals within the Church, which are part of a process of self-destruction that is already in a very advanced state. We see sin and heresy accepted and embraced while faithful Catholics face persecution and hatred.
We looked at the alarming rise of Satanism, which is making its way into our everyday lives. A few years ago, this was unthinkable. Now, it is a tragic reality.
Finally, we saw how certain currents within the conservative movement leave God out of the quest for solutions. They try to reverse the immoral trend of events without using moral arguments. This is a losing battle.
This is the scenario we now face. And just when things seem they cannot get any worse… they do.
Naturally speaking, these prospects are alarming. Some souls are tempted to give up hope and succumb to the ways of the world, the flesh and devil, and the Revolution.
By the grace of Our Lady, we are not among that number. We believe God’s side will win this battle, and that is why we are here today.
Someone could ask: “What proof do you have that this battle is winnable? What facts can you give us so that we might continue to believe?”
I respond by saying that we must remember that we are not the only people in human history who have faced obstacles that seem insurmountable.
Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira illustrated this point by citing the example of the greatest trial in human history. This trial was so severe that only one soul in the entire world persevered.
This trial was the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This most tragic event was the reason we can now have hope of eternal salvation.
However, those living at the time of the Crucifixion were not able to see things so clearly. Instead, they faced a massive trial.
Indeed, the Gospels tell us that the Apostles, disciples and holy women did not believe in the Resurrection. They deemed the situation impossible. For them, all hope was lost.
However, one soul did not lose hope. Instead, she remained entirely steadfast in her Faith.
Of course, this was Our Lady. Not even for an instant did she doubt the Resurrection would happen, her Son would triumph and the Catholic Church would be born on Pentecost Sunday.
She alone had perfect faith, for as Saint Paul says, “If Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”
Furthermore, she alone in the whole world represented the Faith at that time immediately after the Death of her Divine Son.
Therefore, on that first Holy Saturday, Our Lady represented the Catholic Church throughout the Earth.
For this reason, Saturdays became devoted to the Blessed Mother. Medieval men saw the beauty in this symbolism and began to honor her every Saturday.
This beautiful meditation is the perfect way to illustrate the circumstances we find ourselves in today.
Our situation appears impossible, just as it did for the apostles after the Crucifixion.
Naturally speaking, it does seem impossible. But thankfully, we are not dealing with the natural. We are dealing with the supernatural.
And when we are dealing with the supernatural, miracles are to be expected.
It may sound a bit presumptuous to say it, but a miracle is exactly what it will take to defeat the Revolution and establish the Reign of Mary.
In fact, Our Lady has already promised us that miracles would indeed take place in the coming days.
Dr. Plinio once said that we are entering the era of miracles and that we should indeed rely on the aid of miracles as we look to end the Revolution once and for all.
This confidence in God’s miracles will help us persevere through the strongest temptations. Thus, we can be ready for anything that comes our way. And whenever we are tempted to give up hope, we are consoled by our confident belief that our miraculous victory will be achieved.
We don’t need to understand precisely how this will happen, but we need to have faith that it will.
We have seen miracle after miracle take place throughout history and even in our own lives. Whether you know it or not, you have witnessed some of the greatest miracles in history.
The fact that we are here today is a miracle. When you think about how fierce the Revolution has become, the fact that the TFP movement is alive and growing is a miracle. The fact that there were over 22,500 Public Square Rosary Rallies two weeks ago throughout America is a miracle.
The Revolutionaries have everything at their disposal: people, money and resources and yet they have not prevailed.
And on our part, we face limitations in all these categories.
The Revolution has no miracles at its disposal.
The Counter-Revolution does. And that’s how the American TFP has managed to march forward for over half a century.
And with the help of Our Lady and her miraculous interventions, the TFP will continue to do so in the years ahead.
It is for this very reason that a beautiful, large Miraculous Medal was chosen as this year’s Conference gift memento.
This medal will serve you as a constant reminder that Our Lady can and will overcome all obstacles. She has and will continue to work miracles for those who confide in her.
I want to end with a beautiful quote from the French poet Edmond Rostand since it summarizes the message I have presented you with today.
“C’est la nuit que la foi en la lumière est admirable.”
“It’s at night that faith in the light is admirable.”
These words could not be truer. What merit is there to believe in the light at noon?
But believing in the light at midnight, when all vestiges of light are gone and everything has sunk into darkness forever – it is at this moment that it is beautiful to believe in the light.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are living in the darkest hours of the night. There is no light within sight. Yet, we must hold on to our Faith. We need to believe in the light.
We must believe in Our Lady’s miracles.
We must be confident that if we remain steadfast in our fight against the Revolution, we will one day see the sun rise over the horizon, marking the glorious dawn of the Reign of Mary.