C.        Reactions Based on Revolution and Counter-Revolution

Has the efficacy of Revolution and Counter-Revolution been annulled by these numerous changes? On the contrary.

            In 1968, the TFPs then existing in South America, inspired in particular by Part II of this essay ("The Counter-Revolution"), organized national petition drives addressed to Paul VI, requesting measures against leftist infiltration into the Catholic clergy and laity of South America.

            Altogether, 2,060,368 people in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay signed the petition during a 58-day period.

            To our knowledge, it is the only mass petition – on any subject – signed by the sons of four South American nations. And, as far as we know, it is the largest petition in the history of these four countries. ⁸²

            The answer of Paul VI was not merely silence and inaction. It was - how it pains us to say it - a series of acts whose effect continues to give prestige and facility of action to many promoters of Catholic leftism today.

            At the sight of this rising tide of communist infiltration into the Holy Church, the TFPs and like organizations did not become discouraged. And in 1974 each of them published a declaration⁸³ expressing their inconformity with the Vatican Ostpolitik and their resolve "to resist to the face." ⁸⁴

            One of the declaration's passages, referring to Paul VI, expresses the document's spirit:

            "On our knees, gazing with veneration at the person of His Holiness Pope Paul VI, we express all our fidelity to him. In this filial act we say to the Pastor of Pastors: "Our soul is Yours, our life is Yours. Order us to do whatever you wish. Only do not order us to cross our

arms in face of the assailing Red wolf. To this our conscience is opposed."

            Not stopping at these efforts, the TFPs and like organizations in their respective countries promoted during the course of  1976 nine editions of the Chilean TFP best-seller, The Church of Silence in Chile: The TFP Proclaims the Whole Truth. ⁸⁵

            In almost all countries, the respective edition included a prologue describing numerous and impressive national events analogous to what had occurred in Chile.

            The response of the public to this great publicity effort can be termed a victory: 56,000 copies were printed in South America alone, where, in the most populous countries, the total pressrun of a book of this nature, when successful, is usually 5,000 copies.

            In Spain, more than 1,000 secular and regular priests from all regions of the country signed an impressive petition giving the Sociedad Cultural Covadonga⁸⁶ their firm support for the courageous prologue of the book's Spanish edition.