The Return to Order Moment

During the sixties, so-called experts promoted something called “new math.” This spirit transformed America's classrooms. Other disciplines soon followed. English became Language Arts. History and Government were combined into Social Studies. The library morphed into the Media Center. Science kept the same name, but instruction radically changed. Computer screens are now the sign of modern education. Some subjects were eliminated. Handwriting instruction, Home Economics, Driver's Education, and most Business courses are things of the past. All of these changes were supposed to get our children ready for life in the twenty-first century. All of these changes were supposed to get our children ready for life in the twenty-first century. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original format may use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2024/02/important-new-research-indicates-that-students-learn-more-from-books-than-computer-screens/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2024/01/inspired-by-their-warrior-mascot-a-pennsylvania-school-board-turns-back-a-leftist-invasion/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/12/even-if-schools-deny-it-children-and-adults-need-to-learn-to-write-in-cursive/. Thank you for listening.

China. Korea. Russia. Iran. Israel. Ukraine. These are more than just the names of countries. Each one represents a significant threat to the world order that took shape after World War II. That order survived the Cold War, armed conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, and seventy years of conflict in the Middle East – among other challenges. On February 24th, Two Thousand Twenty-Two, Russia invaded Ukraine. On October 7, Two Thousand Twenty-Three, Hamas invaded Israel. What will happen in Two Thousand Twenty-Four? Will China invade Taiwan? Will Iran finally obtain Nuclear Weapons? Will the United States and its European Allies find themselves involved in a four-part international conflict? On February 24th, Two Thousand Twenty-Two, Russia invaded Ukraine. On October 7, Two Thousand Twenty-Three, Hamas invaded Israel. What will happen in Two Thousand Twenty-Four? Will China invade Taiwan? Will Iran finally obtain Nuclear Weapons? Will the United States and its European Allies find themselves involved in a four-part international conflict? Unfortunately, that same spirit is becoming increasingly popular across the land. Many Christians are taking part in it, under the misconception that believing in a poorly defined and elusive “peace” can make it happen. They find their hopes in the tired phrase “Give peace a chance,” that they inherited from the sixties. Such an attitude is massively erroneous. To ignore the world situation because of fear would be a mistake equal to that made by Neville Chamberlain at Munich in 1938. We must remain alert and ready to support the cause of Western Christian Civilization. Thank you for listening.

It is very difficult for leftists to describe their visions for the future. They will be happy to mouth the usual words, equity, inclusion and the like. However, when asked to be more specific, they are at a loss for words. There are two reasons for their speechlessness. First, many of them are so far lost in their utopian dreams that they have not transformed those dreams into useful goals. Second, those who have done that thinking can't devise a message that attracts support. Consider this quotation, attributed to World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab, “You will own nothing – and you will be happy about it.” One wonders if Mr. Schwab counted himself among the happy poor of the earth. Indeed, that may sound good to some, usually the same people that describe their hopes in Karl Marx's famous phrase, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” However, no one knows how such a culture would work. Throughout history, an individual's economic security has been based upon how much that person or his family owns. That is his only protection from famine, pestilence, or tyrannical governments. The only people who have been happy owning nothing are nuns and monks who derive their well-being from their relationship with God. For everyone else, the idea of being poor and happy at the same time is a delusion. The resistance to Mr. Schwab's prediction is one of three aspects of the left's overly optimistic outlook that this podcast discusses. Together these three "bumps" on the leftist road constitute a roadblock that makes their path to the future unnavigable. Those who wish to read the essays in their original formats may use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/11/you-will-own-nothing-blueprint-for-the-world-to-come/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/12/what-happens-when-celebrity-leftists-turn-right/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/11/can-right-wing-marketing-compete-with-the-leftward-drift-of-many-giant-american-corporations/. Thank you for listening.

As this episode goes live, Ash Wednesday is only one week away. This may come as a surprise because it has been such a short time since the end of the Christmas season. As most Catholics know, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, a penitential season that lasts until Easter. Typically, most people observe lent by giving up something – perhaps a favorite food, drink, or activity. This podcast is oriented to finding new meanings in the Lenten experience. Any listeners who wish to read the essays in their original format may use the following links - https://www.tfp.org/how-to-make-this-lent-sublime-by-broadening-your-supernatural-horizons/, https://www.tfp.org/real-american-men-put-on-the-armor-of-god/, and https://www.tfp.org/lenten-meditation-unconventional-ash-wednesday/. May all of our listeners have a blessed Lent, and thank you for listening.

Other than the gathering clouds of yet another contentious election, the biggest news story of the day is the battle between Israel and the Hamas Terrorists. The media coverage of this story is telling. Israel is immediately connected with Judaism and Zionism, yet there seems to be a reluctance to draw the obvious connection of Hamas and Islam. There is an even greater reluctance to recognize that Islam is an inherent enemy to Western culture. This podcast discusses several aspects of this broadening struggle. Listeners who wish to read the articles in their original format may use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/12/why-are-people-ignoring-the-slow-motion-jihad-that-rages-inside-france/, https://www.tfp.org/new-book-by-catholic-scholar-islam-and-the-suicide-of-the-west-reveals-great-threat/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/10/the-west-at-war/ and https://www.tfp.org/pope-franciss-abrahamic-religions/. Thank you for listening.

Welcome to the Return to Order Moment. We hope that you find these weekly podcasts to be both informative and a blessing. Today, we are going to shift gears a bit and bring you a message from the founder of the International TFP Movement, Professor Plinio Correa de Olivera. This message concerns three virtues – seriousness and serenity as listed in the title – as well as the related virtue of obedience. Instead of talking of these virtues as part of a philosophical or historical discourse, Professor Plinio uses incidents from his own life. Many of these occasions happened in the context of his childhood relationship with his mother – a woman of great strength and love, as you will see. In the later part of the podcast, he will be answering questions about practicing these virtues which were raised by TFP members.

Recently, many Americans have become interested in the so-called Gilded Age. The term itself comes from the title of a little-read book by novelist Mark Twain. Today, it is easy to get swept up in the lavish clothes and elaborate social rituals of that period. It is so different from the modern age, where there are no rules and many believe that jeans and t-shirts are appropriate for any occasion. However, there are many products of the late nineteenth century that helped to destroy the society that created them. One of these is Liberal Christianity. Those who industrialized the world were dissatisfied with traditional religious belief. They wanted a scientific religion to accompany their technological advances. They cared little about salvation after death, what they wanted was a religion that worked to improve society. This was the development that Pope Saint Pius the tenth criticized as Modernism. Interestingly, as Liberal Christianity grew, the Christianity part became detached. Today, many say that they are “spiritual,” rather than religious. Interestingly, their so called spirituality always fits beautifully into their “no limits” lives without rules. This podcast examines the failings of Liberal Christianity and the reasons that it is failing. LIsteners who wish to read the essays in their original formats may use the following links - https://www.tfp.org/why-liberals-love-religion-without-consequences/?PKG=TFPE3222, https://www.tfp.org/the-plight-of-modernists-without-faith/, and https://www.tfp.org/the-hoax-of-atheistic-communism/. Thank you for listening.

As this podcast goes live, the final preparations are being made for the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 19, 2024. The date for the annual event was first chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the disastrous Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. When that decision was overturned, many hoped that the pro-abortion – often inappropriately referred to as “pro-choice” – movement would dry up and blow away. However, that has not happened. In fact, the pro-aborts appear even stronger today than they did in the bad-old-days of Roe. Many so-called conservatives are saying things out loud that they once kept under wraps – that it is time to jettison the pro-life message from the right-wing lexicon. Today's podcast is designed to resist that sentiment. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original formats may use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2020/02/achieving-christendom-is-americas-best-chance-at-overthrowing-abortion-lgbt-reign-of-terror/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/11/no-the-abortion-issue-did-not-lose-its-edge-in-the-last-elections/ and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/12/the-invincible-courage-of-paulette-harlow/. Thank you for listening.

Today, the Return to Order Moment wants to introduce its listeners to one of the most significant men of the Twentieth Century. His significance lies in the fact that he diligently opposed the Zeitgeist that made the last century the moral cesspool that it was. This man founded the international TFP movement. His biographer referred to him as “the Crusader of the Twentieth Century” and “the Prophet of the Reign of Mary.” I refer, of course to Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira. Shortly before his death in 1995, he compiled this Philosophical Self-Portrait. We hope that bringing this to you will inspire you to read his books and find out more about the organization that he founded. Those who wish to view a printable copy of the essay upon which the podcast was based may use this link - https://www.tfp.org/philosophical-self-portrait-plinio-correa-de-oliveira/?_gl=1*7dbgbp*_ga*NjI0ODI1NDY3LjE2NTgxNjYyODM.*_ga_T660L5C23G*MTcwMzg2NTI4Ni40NC4xLjE3MDM4NjU3NTkuMC4wLjA.*_ga_HFSGW18RNL*MTcwMzg2NTI4Ni4yMDcuMS4xNzAzODY1NzU5LjYwLjAuMA.. Thank you for listening.

Usually, Americans tend to ignore foreign policy. It is messy and tricky and difficult to understand. However, the death of Henry Kissinger last month recalled one of the few periods that foreign policy was on the newspapers' front pages. For those born since the disastrous Vietnam War, if may be difficult to understand why Dr. Kissinger was so famous. His short stature, homely face, and thick German accent would seem to inspire ridicule rather than respect. However, those who lived through that time wanted to see an end to the war. They also wanted reassurance that World War III would never happen. Henry Kissinger's presence seemed to promise that these ends would be achieved. The current situation in both China and Russia shows that Kissinger's happy talk of detente made promises and implied a future that has not come to pass. Indeed, Russia provoked the first European war since World War II and China became ever more militant. This podcast explores those realities. The second essay, by Mr. Julio Loredo, is richly footnoted. Interested listeners can see his sources of information by activating this link - https://www.returntoorder.org/2022/04/can-russia-and-nato-co-operate-vladimir-putin-says-no-it-is-time-for-the-facts/. The other two essays can also be read in their original formats by using https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/12/the-disastrous-kissinger-era-comes-to-an-end/ and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/xi-jinpings-threats-to-taiwan-highlight-the-dangers-of-americas-fictional-one-china-policy/. Thank you for listening.

We want to welcome you to episode two of The Return to Order Moment's Christmas gift to our listeners, taken from The Christ, the Son of God: A Life of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by Abbe Constant Henri Fouard. Last week, we brought you the events surrounding the Annunciation, Visitation, and the Dreams of Saint Joseph. This week, we will pick up Father Fouard's narrative and take our listeners through Mary and Joseph's trip to the City of David, the Nativity, the Visit of the Shepherds and 1the Presentation of the Baby Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem. We hope that you have enjoyed our attempt to add something to the Holiness of your Christmas Holidays. May God bless you all!

We want to welcome you to the Christmas episode of the Return to Order Moment. In this annual celebration, we attempt to help you deepen your celebration of this Holy time by reading material that our listeners would be unlikely to find otherwise. This year, we turn to Abbe Constant Henri Fouard (1837-1903). He was part of a tradition of priests who were best known for their scholarly work. In addition to his ecclesiastical duties, Father Fouard was a historian who traveled widely in Palestine, Syria, Greece, and Italy. His extensive travels bore fruit in his many books, including his The Christ, The Son of God – A Life of Jesus, from which these excerpts are taken. He had the ability to write about the scenes of Our Lord's life that could only come from one who had spent considerable time there tracing the steps that Our Lord Himself took. It is also significant that Father Fouard's journeys took place in an age when Palestine still looked and felt much as it did during the time of Christ, without the modern traffic, industries, and tourist traps that one finds there today. We decided to bring you this magnificent narrative over two episodes. This week, we will give you the setting of the Nativity and the condition of the people who lived there. Then, we will speak of the Annunciation, the Visitation, and the visions of Saint Joseph. Next week, only five days before Christmas, we will hear of the Holy Family's journey to Bethlehem, the Nativity itself, the visit of the Shepherds, and conclude with the presentation in the Temple.

As Pope Francis ages, he appears to become more consistent. Normally, that would be a good thing. However, the trend seems to be that the aging pontiff is consistently wrong on every new issue. He appears to be so enamored of radical leftism, that he seems willing to take the Church down every radical road. Today's podcast will look at three areas in which that tendency manifests itself. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original format may use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/11/pope-francis-the-war-and-the-holy-places/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/10/why-pope-franciss-eco-friendly-apostolic-exhortation-rings-unconvincingly-for-the-faithful/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/09/pope-franciss-synodal-path-mimics-the-anglicans-route-to-self-destruction/. Thank you for listening.

We Americans don't usually think much of titles. In fact, this disdain was written into our Constitution, where Article I, Section 9, Clause 9 states, “No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States.” Not only that, but any government official must get the permission of Congress before accepting one from a foreign king. So, we tend to turn a deaf ear to titles like marquis, duke or knight. We have a few titles for current and former office holders. We allow medical doctors and members of the clergy to put Doctor or Reverend in front of their names. Other than that, it is just plain Mister, Missus, or Miss, and even those become less common every day. The founder of the TFP, Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, thought that this tendency was very unfortunate. In his mind, titles separated those who provided exceptional service to their nations and God – together with their descendants – from the rest of the human herd. He believed that such separations – or hierarchies – were essential to the proper order of society.

Radicals and Revolutionaries always make the same mistake. They all think that the Church is just going to roll over and die. Perhaps Josef Stalin posed this error most succinctly when he asked, “How many divisions does the Pope have?” In his mind, it was the size of the army that made you strong. Nothing else mattered. The Church had no army, except the spear-bearing Swiss Guards. Therefore, it was weak and would soon die. Of course, today, Stalin is dead and the country that he led no longer exists. Vladimir Putin pretends to be some sort of modern-day Stalin. However, the Ukrainians are proving that Putin is more like Humpty-Dumpty than the legendary Soviet dictator. Even though the Church today is in crisis, it is nowhere near death. It still exists and claims millions of followers, which is far more than one can say for the many enemies who predicted her demise over the centuries.

The spread of Western, and particularly Christian Civilization from Europe to the rest of the world is a magnificent story. Unfortunately, most of America's young people never hear it. Most of those who do hear it get a doctored, out of context version written by woke so-called historians who abandon the truths of history to promote their political agendas. This episode of the Return to Order Moment will try to set the record right. Of course, a single podcast cannot undo the years of work of that the university propagandists put into their lies, half-truths, and out-of-context conclusions. Hopefully enough people will hear this to begin to make a dent. This podcast looks at two missionaries to the Americas and a site where much missionary work takes place. These are only three of the hundreds of missionary stories that took place in North America during the exploration and colonization of this great continent. They are essential parts of the American story. We hope that you enjoy them, are edified by them, and use them as a beginning of your own studies of early American Catholicism. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original formats may use the following links - https://www.tfp.org/saint-anthony-mary-claret-apostolic-missionary-ultramontane-champion-and-crusher-of-communism/, https://www.tfp.org/the-mystic-who-became-a-missionary-the-extraordinary-life-of-saint-marie-of-the-incarnation/, and https://www.tfp.org/a-rare-view-of-frontier-catholicism-in-america/. Thank you for listening.

Today's episode of the Return to Order Moment will be shorter than most. However, it is packed with importance. Twenty-first-century Catholics find ourselves faced with a dilemma that we never expected until recently. We find ourselves torn between loyalty to the papacy while being unable to agree with many statements made by the current pope. We will not be able to resolve all the points of that dilemma today, but a sense of faithfulness to the unchangeable truths behind Holy Mother Church forces us to respond to certain comments made by Pope Francis. In that necessity, we take comfort in the fact that the author of the essay that we read here today, Mr. Luiz Sérgio Solimeo, is a superb scholar who has been studying such questions for over five decades. Mr. Solimeo's essay is richly footnoted. Any listener who wishes to review his sources can gain access to that essay in its original format by clicking on this link - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/10/at-the-height-of-the-sexual-revolution-why-does-pope-francis-belittle-those-who-defend-chastity/?PKG=RTOE1899

Society conditions us to see ugliness. The television news business thrives on it. Advertising tries to make us pay attention by shocking us. Movies and novels are deemed boring unless there is something in it that is incredibly ugly, like murder or adultery. Even many fashion trends make the people who adopt them appear ugly. Why did we stop seeking out things that are beautiful? Perhaps it was when society stopped seeking after God. After all, if God is all beauty, then using our wills to embrace ugliness has to be a rejection of God – and an embrace of evil. Each of the four essays that make up this podcast focus upon beauty. The first considers the implications of a miracle that saved a beautiful place. The second describes one kind of beauty of character - and how it was found in a surprising place. The third is more philosophical - considering the ways that modern people reject beauty and how it can be recovered. The last describes a vacation in a magnificent and beautiful place - and the factors that make that place beautiful. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original formats can use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/08/the-miracle-on-maui-is-god-sending-us-a-message/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/09/finding-light-in-a-walmart/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/08/the-rejection-and-restoration-of-beauty/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2021/07/finding-a-world-of-peace-and-order-on-michigans-mackinac-island/. Thank you for listening.

Josef Stalin once said, “Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.” Our listeners can be sure that Communists, whether they be in China, Cuba, Moscow or anywhere else have not ignored Stalin's ideas. Throughout the world, they have diligently worked to take over education. Unlike many other Marxist and Communist doctrines, this one makes sense. In the United States, and much of the world, education is the most socialized segment of society – the area of greatest government control. Even private schools in the United States are staffed with those who meet state certification requirements. To get that certification, teachers and administrators must attend state-approved schools of education. These often become indoctrination centers. This podcast discusses some of the methods that leftists use that divert the schools' attention away from education and toward creating a new generation of "social justice warriors." Readers who wish to read the essays in their original formats may use these links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/09/the-red-chinese-are-turning-americas-best-schools-into-little-red-classrooms/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/09/californias-controversial-math-curriculum-focuses-on-dismantling-white-supremacy/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/06/should-high-school-debaters-be-forced-to-promote-marxism-and-leninism/. Thank you for listening.

One of the buildings at the American TFP's headquarters in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania has a glass covered niche immediately across the entrance hall from the main door. It encloses a statue of the Mother of God, under the title of Our Lady of Good Success. Among the members and supporters who enter the building each day, the custom is to stop and bow before this image whenever one enters or leaves the building – or even when walking from one end of the building to the other. The founder of the international TFP movement, the Brazilian scholar, Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, had a fervent love of the Virgin Mary, and of Our Lady of Good Success, in particular. This essay is typical of the instruction that he gave to TFP members and supporters about the importance of devotion to the Blessed Mother. So, we begin this podcast about Our Lady of Good Success by bringing our listeners Professor Plinio's essay, “Why We Need Our Lady.” Those who wish to read this essay may use this link - https://www.tfp.org/why-we-need-our-lady/ Then we continue with an excerpt from one of our favorite books, A Spanish Mystic in Quito. It is available as a free download from the American TFP by using this link - https://www.tfp.org/free-version-of-a-spanish-mystic/ We conclude the podcast with a marvelous essay in which Mr. Norman Fulkerson related his experience on a pilgrimage to Quito in his essay, Visiting Our Lady of Good Success: A Pilgrimage to Heaven. That essay can be read at https://www.tfp.org/visiting-our-lady-of-good-success-a-pilgrimage-to-heaven/. Thank you for listening, and pray to Our Lady of Good Success for her protection of Holy Mother Church.

Pope Francis has convoked a “Synod on Synodality,” which is meeting as this podcast premiers. Many faithful Catholics have expressed concern over the synod, as its promoters have proposed severe and potentially destructive changes to the Church's structure. Synod leaders have repeatedly expressed their desire to discuss “inclusion.” The following article, taken from the recently published book “The Synodal Process Is a Pandora's Box,” by José Antonio Ureta and Julio Loredo explains what the word “inclusion” means for the Synod's promoters. The other essays included in this podcast describe the one group that is excluded from the Synod proceedings and the reaction to the book. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original format may use the following links: https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/08/radical-inclusion-the-key-to-understanding-the-coming-synod/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/09/confessions-of-a-radically-excluded-catholic/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/09/the-synod-process-is-a-pandoras-box-a-cry-of-alarm-that-raises-hopes/. Thank you for listening

The word freedom has been distorted out of all relationship to its true meaning. Modernists see freedom as the ability to do whatever they want, without having any regard to its consequences, either on ourselves or others. However, that brand of so-called freedom leads to bondage. It destroys ourselves and others in a more total way than any chains or prison bars actually could. Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, often referred to as “The Little Flower,” offers us a perfect example of the proper use of freedom. The founder of the International TFP movement, Professor Plinio Correa de Olivera, considered this dimension of Saint Therese's writings in a talk that he gave on April 17, 1967. The Return to Order Moment offers its listeners excerpts of that talk as published in the January Two Thousand Twenty-Two issue of the American TFP's Saint Gabriel Bulletin.

Most people look upon the pandemic years of Two thousand Twenty and Two Thousand Twenty-One as disasters. The idea of returning to those times sends shudders down any sensible spine. However, there are those who see the Covid scare as the “good old days.” They look back nostalgically on a time when people took the words and commands of government officials seriously. Their technocratic souls thrilled to the sound of Anthony Fauci's voice. Their socialist sensibilities had no trouble standing in long lines in which the people in front and behind them were six feet away. They enjoyed carrying vaccination cards that gave them special privileges to travel. Their love of virtue signaling led them to enjoy having a mask to inform people that they cared. They also got a kick out of looking down their noses at those who refused to cover their noses and mouths with useless pieces of paper and elastic bands. The emergence of a new variant is already giving these Marxist wannabees new hope, and that should frighten anyone with an ounce of sense - or memory of the dark days of 2020-2021. Listeners who want to read the essays in their original formats may use the following links - https://www.tfp.org/how-the-pandemic-shattered-social-skills-and-destroyed-public-spaces/?PKG=TFPE3145, https://www.returntoorder.org/2022/09/hold-public-health-technocrats-accountable-for-their-covid-blunders/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2020/05/how-the-liberals-became-covid-doomsayers/. Thank you for listening.

This year marks the semi-centennial of the American TFP, the organization that sponsors the Return to Order Moment. One of the guiding principles of the TFP is to place principles over personalities. This precept is, in and of itself, enough to separate us from the attitude of most of modern society. Therefore, we spend little time focusing upon our own organization as we strive to inform people about the need to live according to traditional morality, as taught by the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church. However, as we reach this half-century mark, it is appropriate that we take a brief look at our history. We do this for two reasons. First, it encourages our long-time supporters to look back on the battles that we have fought together. Second, we hope that it will encourage those new to the battle to look at our history and consider becoming involved with us. It was in this spirit that the President of the American TFP, Mr. Raymond Drake, penned the cover article in the September/October Two thousand twenty-three issue of Crusade magazine. Thank you for listening.

The ecological movement, at least as we know it today, is a tool of leftist revolutionaries. That is unfortunate because preserving the gifts that God gave us – including the natural world – is truly important. However, the biggest promoters of today's environmental movement are not interested in conserving God's gifts. In fact, the majority are atheists. They manipulate the movement to gain power. They present gruesome pictures of polluted air, water, and land scarred by the wreckage of industry. They twist these images them to inspire others to repeat phrases like, “Someone ought to do something.” Then they spring their plan. That plan always includes forcing others to give up legitimate freedoms. Only such sacrifices can establish the leaders' vision of some environmental utopia. The ironic side of the issue is that the proposed solutions don't solve anything. That is the topic of this week's podcast. Listeners who wise to read the essays in their original formats, including the charts from the second essay, can use these links: https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/04/unreliable-wind-and-solar-energy-will-not-save-the-world/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/07/three-reasons-to-doubt-the-extreme-weather-alarmists/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/08/are-the-recent-canadian-wildfires-accelerating-the-end-of-the-world/. Thank you for listening.

What does it mean to say that a man was “a warrior against himself?” The concept is one that is entirely absent in our modern world which teaches us that the most important interest is our own. However, this meditation on the life of Saint Peter Orseo-lo by Professor Plinio Correa de Olivera carries a message that is diametrically opposite to that of the modern world. In it, we see a man who set out to conquer himself. He had money, power, and position. Yet, he saw that only by abandoning them, could he conquer his own sinful nature. We would all do well by considering the example of the little-known Saint Peter Orseolo, as written by the founder of the international TFP movement, Professor Plinio Correa de Olivera. Thank you for listening.

We live in a cynical world. We are surrounded by those who try to pretend that evil is good – and that the evil that they do is even better. Our leaders do not lead us. They try to figure out what we want and then try to convince us that they want it, too. We are surrounded by people who say that they want to help us, but are only willing to do so if they are paid for their help. We are bombarded by advertising that says that we can be truly happy – but only if we buy their stuff. Fortunately, there are those whose primary motivation is one of charity. When we first meet such people, we might distrust them at first. Our inclination is to wonder what is in it for them. Only slowly do we change our minds as a sense of trust grows. Today, the Return to Order Moment takes you back about one hundred sixty years – to the time of the Civil War. We will focus on a small group of women who called themselves the Daughters of Charity. We hope that this account will inspire our listeners to be just a bit less cynical and rejoice that such people exist. Thank you for listening.

Often, a light bulb that is about to expire gives a very brief moment of bright light before the darkness comes. Such an occasion may be an appropriate analogy for the woke movement. On one level, wokeness has never appeared stronger. On the other, there are signs that it is losing its potency to dictate the policies of the future. Listeners who wise to read the essays in their original format may use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/07/is-d-e-i-going-to-d-i-e/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/08/where-are-wokeism-and-cancel-culture-taking-us/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/07/a-period-correct-mass-at-the-160th-anniversary-of-the-battle-of-gettysburg-attracts-a-full-tent/. Thank you for listening.

Years ago, Hollywood was often called “tinsel town.” This refereed to its ability to make something that was artificial appear real. They make their money selling illusions. One of Hollywood's favorite phrases is “push the envelope.” In other words, the goal is to produce something that is even more shocking than that which came before. However, Hollywood has pushed the envelope as far as possible before it rips, losing the support of its audience. That is the main point of today's episode of the Return to Order Moment. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original format may use these links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/07/what-if-the-hollywood-strike-never-ends/ and https://www.returntoorder.org/2018/12/the-spirit-of-hollywood-versus-the-spirit-of-the-cross/. Thank you for listening.

Until recent years, the ability to understand and explain the arguments of an opponent was vital to participation in the public debate. Without such an understanding, an advocate for a position said ridiculous things that prevented them from being taken seriously. Those who promote the positions collectively called woke are proud of their inability to understand their opponents' arguments. To them, this inability is a sign of their ideological purity. This is a dangerous position. Science exists to help humanity to discover the truths of God's natural world. Subverting the process to suit a political or ideological agenda takes us further away from those truths. Listeners who wish to examine the articles in their original format may use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/07/education-secretary-cardona-is-wrong-about-the-causes-of-disrespect-for-the-public-school-system/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/07/what-david-french-gets-wrong-about-the-culture-war/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/06/why-cancel-the-scientists-who-follow-the-science/.

Of all of the unfortunate aspects of modern life, the style of architecture known as brutalism is, perhaps, the least humane. This podcast defines and examines this horrible trend - one that may be returning. It pays special attention to the soul-destroying nature of brutalism. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original format may use the following links: https://www.returntoorder.org/2022/12/regimenting-the-body-and-destroying-the-soul-the-ugly-legacy-of-brutalism/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/impressions-of-a-soulless-new-airport/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2021/03/how-the-revival-of-catholic-architecture-in-england-changed-the-way-people-prayed/. Thank you for listening.

This episode of the Return to Order Moment looks at a modern-day controversy that should be no controversy at all. For centuries, Western Culture accepted masculinity and feminity without question. Such is the nature of humanity that most other cultures accepted it as well. However, the leftist “deconstruction” of society has proceeded so far that it questions the basic building blocks of civilization. We have reached the time that we all must call “Halt!” before going any farther down the road to ruin. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original formats may use the following links: https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/07/manhood-a-catholic-look-at-a-much-needed-commentary/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2019/03/how-to-destroy-toxic-masculinity-with-catholic-manual-for-men/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2019/02/why-chivalry-is-the-catholic-solution-to-toxic-masculinity/. Thank you for listening.

Despite several clear warnings against Homosexual sin in the Bible, many groups that call themselves religious race to conform to the demands of the LGBT movement. The Catholic Church has resisted. This resistance has earned Catholics the enmity of these so-called activists. These social revolutionaries control most of the media. This combination has sparked a new and very overt form of anti-Catholicism. Two of the three essays in this week's episode concern the recent decision of the Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Team to make a "Citizen Hero Award" to the blasphemous anti-Catholic group, "The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence." The last of the essays is more philosophical and describes some of the reasons that the left hates the Catholic Church. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original formats may use the following links: https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/06/a-wave-of-anti-catholic-bigotry-sweeps-america-protest-now/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/06/supernatural-forces-clash-at-dodger-stadium/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2020/10/17-reasons-why-the-left-hates-the-catholic-faith/. Thank you for listening and may Our Lord and Our Lady richly bless you!

Erratum: At the beginning of the podcast, Mr. Benson refers to "Saint John Hunyadi. While John Hunyadi was a great hero of the medieval Church, he was never canonized as a saint. Our apologies. The nature of today's Return to Order Moment will, we hope, make leftists react in despair – or at least dismay. This tale will make their hair stand on end, their stomachs to become queasy, and make them sputter as they try to express their shock. John Hunyadi's name is unfamiliar today. A world that adores peace has little use for this man of war. A society that promotes so-called “multiculturalism” wants to forget those who were tireless in their defense of Christian culture. Historians who want to promote the theory that the Crusades were inept and corrupt ignore the importance of the brave and self-sacrificing “White Knight of Wallachia.” In a world beset by the “woke” ideas of the left, it is time to remember Hunyadi and his valiant struggle to keep Europe free from the Muslim invaders. Thank you for listening!

Despite their protests to the contrary, there can be little doubt that leftists are targeting America's children. The evidence is all around us, and the list of offenses against childhood innocence is too long to list here. This episode of the Return to Order Moment focuses on the ways that Christian parents, grandparents, and others should react to the left's outrageous behavior. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original format may use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/defending-childhood-innocence-is-a-parents-duty/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/how-neo-paganism-enters-our-culture-with-the-idea-of-child-sacrifice/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/06/how-libraries-came-to-be-sanctuaries-for-sin/

Listen to the political dialogue that passes for news, and you will soon hear someone call for “responsive government.” The idea behind the well-worn phrase is simple. One of the virtues of republican government is its ability to respond to the needs and desires of the people who are, presumably, the source of its authority. Unfortunately, in the modern age, government is inclined to resist the people's will. The overall pattern is for the politicians to leave real problems unsolved, because that posture helps them continue in their lofty positions. This podcast will deal with three manifestations of that tendency. First, it will look at the underlying problems between the "debt ceiling" debate in May. Then it discusses the roots of the student loan program's woes - and suggests a solution. Finally, we will examine the New York Governor's short-sighted decision to ban the continued use of natural gas. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original formats can use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/dealing-with-the-madmen-on-the-debt-ceiling/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/those-who-profited-from-student-loans-should-help-pay-for-the-damage-they-caused/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/new-york-governors-ban-of-natural-gas-will-send-residents-looking-for-non-greener-pastures/. Thank you for listening.

China is a favorite topic of journalists, broadcasters, and pundits. Usually, the conversation revolves around the topic of growing Chinese power. Inevitably, that subject develops into a discussion China's threat to the rest of the world. Many of those discussions center around the personality of China's current leader, Xi Jinping. Xi makes no secret of his ambitions. At the same time, he is very careful to keep his plans to achieve those ambitions secret. This episode of the Return to Order Moment focuses on the effects of Xi's ambitions on the United States. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original formats may use the following links: https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/why-chinas-pursuit-of-world-leadership-will-be-a-disaster-if-it-succeeds/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/xi-jinpings-threats-to-taiwan-highlight-the-dangers-of-americas-fictional-one-china-policy/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/04/how-china-after-mao-consistently-moved-to-more-socialism-not-less/. Thank you for listening.

For centuries, academics taught that the terms “medieval” and “dark ages” could be used interchangeably. One meant the other and vice versa. According to these scholars, the world of the Roman Empire was marvelous. As the Empire fell, the superstitions of the Catholic Church prevailed. Only with the Renaissance did the lights of scholarship shine once again. This version of history was never true, but it did fit into the humanist mindset. It allows them to pretend that their heroes – the thinkers of the Renaissance and the so-called Enlightenment – brought humanity back from a wretched existence as virtual slaves living in mud huts. In our present age, many scholars are re-examining the Medieval world. This podcast examines three surprising aspects of Medieval life, including the role of women, art, and cleanliness. Listeners who wish to examine the articles in their original formats may use these links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/exposing-the-false-feminist-narrative-about-medieval-women/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/the-luminous-ages-the-medieval-use-of-nanotechnology-refutes-detractors/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/01/people-in-the-middle-ages-loved-virtue-and-therefore-practiced-cleanliness/. Thank you for listening.

On March 13, 2013, Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio became Pope Francis. At first, his election was viewed with approval by most Catholics. The idea of a non-European pope appealed to those who thought that the Church needed to accept new points of view. His decision to live in a Vatican guest house rather than the Papal Apartments made him appear to be humble. Pictures of the broadly smiling pope soon appeared on televisions and t-shirts. True to form, the Argentine Pope's made his liberal tendencies clear within days of his election. It has now been ten years since that election. In this essay, Mr. Luiz Sérgio Solimeo looks back and evaluates that decade. Listeners who wish to read the essay in its original format may use this link - https://www.tfp.org/ten-years-of-francis-a-disaster-a-catastrophe/. Thank you for listening.

Every day, the modern-day left works to insinuate their ways into all of our lives. That statement sounds alarmist, but we at the Return to Order Moment are ready to back that statement up with specific information. That is the goal of today's podcast. We see it all around us - abortion, pornography, Satanism, transgender tyranny, euthanasia, and hundreds of other ways. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original formats may use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/03/why-leftists-promote-porn-to-children-in-americas-woke-libraries/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/04/making-a-deal-with-the-devil-how-a-virginia-school-board-allowed-a-satan-club-in-school/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/03/president-bidens-false-compassion-forces-reluctant-states-to-fly-the-transgender-banner/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/04/is-mandatory-mass-suicide-for-the-elderly-the-future/. Thank you for listening.

As this podcast goes live, we are on the verge of one of the most exceptional days in the Church year, the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven forty days after Easter. The Ascension fills us with hope. All believers base their lives around the desire that their souls will eventually follow Our Lord into heaven. Mr. Gustavo Solimeo spoke of that hope in this essay, published in Crusade Magazine in March-April 2005, titled simply “Heaven: The Hope of Our Souls.” Interested listeners can get a one-year trial subscription to Crusade by calling 888-317-5571. Thank you for listening.

Natural Law is an often misunderstood concept. Much of that misunderstanding is deliberate. Leftists do not want to understand or consider it. In this essay, Mr. John Horvat considers and explains the reasons that leftists fear and are repulsed by the ideas behind Natural Law. Listeners who wish to read the essay in its original format may use this link - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/05/why-the-left-hates-and-is-terrified-by-natural-law/. Thank you for listening.

Humanity stands at a precipice. Many have already given their lives into the control of their devices. Our computers and cell phones organize our thoughts, keep track of our schedules, and mechanize our communications with others. The keys to this process appear to be convenience and amusement. Modern people seem unable to tolerate moments of inactivity – even the body and mind's natural needs for rest are often forgotten. At the same time, they expect constant amusement. It is possible to see young moderns – and even some in middle age – simultaneously watching a movie through a streaming service on television while using their smartphones to play a game and text friends and acquaintances. All the while, there is a disquieting sense of being prepared for something far worse – perhaps even fatal to the whole idea of humanity. The coming of artificial intelligence thrills some and fills others with dread. Sometimes, both the trill and dread can be found in the same person. There is the sense that we don't want to be left out of the marvelous future – but aren't totally sure that the future will be marvelous at all. Of course, at the same time, there are those who stand to profit astronomically from the coming of the Metaverse. Like the “snake oil salesmen” of the nineteenth century, they promise the moon, and assume that the public will believe those promises. In his essay “The Metaverse: What Is It?” Mr. John Horvat considers those promises, and whether humanity should follow these modern Pied Pipers. This article was originally published in Crusade Magazine in March/April 2022. A free one-year subscription to this important publication is available by calling 888-317-5571. Thank you for listening.

For many Americans, the mention of Vladimir Putin brings one of three images to mind. First, there is the voice of George Bush the younger saying, “I looked the man in the eye. I was able to get a sense of his soul.” The second is then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offering Putin a cheap plastic “Reset Button.” The third is then-President Obama telling Putin's associate Dmitri Medvedev that “This is my last election ... After my election I have more flexibility.” In all of these cases, you have an American leader trying to convince themselves that they can trust and work with Vladimir Putin. They were wrong. If the war in Ukraine has convinced us of anything, it should be that Putin is not to be trusted. This podcast brings you important insights into the Russian philosophers - most of them largely unknown in the West - that influence Mr. Putin's point of view. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original formats can use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/02/trying-to-explain-alexander-dugin/ and https://www.returntoorder.org/2022/07/putins-ideology-in-his-own-words/.

Modern Americans have a complicated relationship with the idea of leadership. We understand instinctively what good leadership is, but that understanding conflicts with our mistaken ideas about equality. At the same time, we enjoy pointing to the mistakes of those in leadership over us – whether that person be a shift supervisor in a convenience store or the President of the United States. So, we know that we need leaders, yet we resent them at the same time. Part of the problem is that so many people in leadership positions are not true leaders. This podcast compares true leadership with the false leaders in which our modern world abounds. To read the essays in their original formats, listeners may use the following links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/03/when-true-elites-take-charge-problems-get-resolved/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/03/imagining-a-heretical-president/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/03/can-chinas-xi-jinping-keep-his-authority-over-a-nation-of-pessimists/.

Pope Francis and his supporters are engaged in a feverish attempt to change the Catholic Church before they pass away and a more traditionalist generation assumes control of the Church. This podcast considers the roles played by Pope Francis and two of his closest allies within the Church in the United States. Cardinals McElroy of San Diego and Cupich of Chicago. Those who wish to examine Mr. Solimeo's essays, which are extensively footnoted, in their original printed formats can use the following links - https://www.tfp.org/pope-francis-wages-unjust-war-on-the-latin-mass/, https://www.tfp.org/cardinal-mcelroy-homoheresy-and-the-churchs-apparent-eclipse/, and https://www.tfp.org/cardinal-cupichs-modernist-concepts/. Thank you for listening.

When Russia attacked the Ukraine on February 24, 2022, there was a wide-spread consensus that the United States should assist the beleaguered nation. Much of that consensus has dissolved. Today, there is a good deal of controversy concerning the United States' role in the War in the Ukraine. That controversy is unusual in that it cuts across normal party and ideological lines. You can find conservatives and liberals on both sides. The same can be said for Republicans and Democrats. This episode of the Return to Order Moment attempts to clarify that controversy and spell out some of the essential elements of that struggle. Listeners who wish to see the essays in their original format may use the following links - https://www.tfp.org/8-facts-about-russia-and-its-ukrainian-war/?PKG=TFPE3044, https://www.tfp.org/will-the-west-let-itself-be-squeezed-between-russia-and-china/, and https://www.tfp.org/the-errors-of-russia/. Thank you for listening.

Holy Week is often a difficult time for Christians who need to live their lives in a largely secular society. On one level, we know that this is the most important week of the year. It is a time when our Lenten disciplines reach a crescendo. At the same time, it seems that everyone around us is living their normal lives – and they expect that we are doing the same thing. So, then, how do we observe Holy Week properly in the midst of those who do not believe in its importance? To assist our listeners, we bring you a marvelous article written by the founder of the international TFP movement, Professor Plinio Correa de Olivera. Professor Plinio left us with hundreds of articles, written over a long and active life. There was virtually no part of Christian life on which he did not write. We pray that you will be blessed by this reading of Professor Plinio's 1947 essay “Embracing Christ and the Cross: What Does it Mean?”

As God created our first parents in the Garden of Eden, He said, “Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth. And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. And God blessed them, saying: Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.” (Genesis, Chapter 1, Verses 26-28). Two things are clear about humanity from these verses. First, humans were invested with at least some of the characteristics of God, specifically the ability to reason. Second, God intended humanity to use the earthly resources that He Created. Today, there are those who are fighting a revolution against humanity. They are self-hating people who carry a label devised by the atheist philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, nihilists. This podcast takes a closer look at those revolutionaries and their motivations. Those listeners who wish to examine the essays in their original written formats can use the following links - https://www.tfp.org/only-the-pursuit-of-wisdom-can-overcome-the-triumph-of-nihilism/, https://www.tfp.org/the-revolt-against-humanity-describes-a-future-without-god/, and https://www.tfp.org/the-human-extinction-movement-targets-god-and-you/. Thank you for listening.

Complain about the nature and content of a movie, and someone is almost sure to complain, “Get over it. It's just a movie!” That reaction emphasizes the fact that few people think about the effects of the movie industry on society. The Movie industry's larger-than-life images take on a power all their own. It also trivializes real dangers. In Hollywood's make-believe world, all situations can be resolved in two hours. Hollywood is also a deeply seated enemy of religion and morality. Since its very beginnings in the early twentieth century, immorality has been its stock in trade. Those with upright consciences are made to look boring and silly. Those who break the rules appear daring and exciting. However, the movie's worst offenses have been against the Church herself. When the industry blasphemes against Holy Mother Church, the TFP has been quick to respond. Those responses have been effective. In several cases, that influence has cost Hollywood millions as films that were thought to be upcoming blockbusters fell flat at the box office. This podcast will examine three such cases. Listeners who wish to read the essays in their original formats may use the following links: https://www.tfp.org/why-the-movie-benedetta-is-blasphemous-and-anti-catholic/, https://www.tfp.org/catholics-cannot-silent-scorseses-silence/, and https://www.tfp.org/the-da-vinci-code-one-year-later/. Thank you for listening!

A War against the English Language has been going on for years. The Merriam-Webster dictionary says that the word “doublespeak” was first used in 1952 and defines it as “language used to deceive, usually through concealment or misrepresentation of the truth.” The founder of the International TFP Movement, Professor Plinio Correa de Olivera, used the word “talismanic” to describe words that deceived because their meaning subtly changed over time. An example is the word “dialog,” which once meant a simple conversation between two people. Now, it often refers to a largely imaginary debate between those on two sides of an issue. In many American schools, teachers have abandoned teaching grammar and the definitions of many words. In our newspapers, leftists do everything that they can to manipulate language to suit their predetermined goals. Listeners who wish to examine these essays in their original formats may use these links - https://www.returntoorder.org/2022/12/radical-english-teacher-calls-grammar-racist-and-cripples-student-minds/, https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/01/associated-press-redefining-language-in-its-push-for-abortion/, and https://www.returntoorder.org/2023/01/three-academic-skills-that-children-must-have-and-schools-ignore/. Thank you for listening.