Are you familiar with the capes and standards
of the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP)?
Why do TFP symbols inspire so much admiration and sometimes even hatred?
What do they represent?
In the animal kingdom, the lion represents majesty and courage.
In scripture, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah refers to Our Lord Jesus Christ and His
eternal kingship over Heaven and earth. The TFP lion advances toward the enemy with
a bold step. His eyes don’t gaze upon the opponent in his immediate vicinity
but on the infinite. His gaze looks at the noble Cause he fights for. God is the end.
The red cross on its chest represents the Catholic Faith. While its claws are ready to pounce,
the lion’s outstretched tongue symbolizes the importance of waging and winning the battle of
ideas. The lion faces the left -- liberalism and communism -- with its chest out and head high.
Its ornate and elegant tail defies the vulgar and egalitarian traits of the Revolution.
As Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, the founder of the first TFP, stated: “The lion […] demonstrates
elegance, aristocracy and strength. He is a lion that knows how to be a Crusader.”
The color gold symbolizes the nobility of the TFP’s fight
for the restoration of Christian civilization, the Reign of Christ the King,
and the coming triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary promised at Fatima.
TFP Cape or the “Dreaded Red Sashes” A leftist student at George Washington University
once described her encounter with a TFP campaign in the newspaper. “Walking to
class on Thursday afternoon, I suddenly heard bagpipes and saw the dreaded red sashes…”
These “dreaded red sashes” are highly visible and act as a force multiplier.
Shining and agile in its movements, the TFP cape
calls the public’s attention to an ideological issue. It also transforms the one who wears it
into a living standard.
On street campaigns, the TFP standard is a point of reference.
It stands out on college campuses and pro-family events like the March for Life.
This “medieval banner,” as many call it, proclaims the ideals of tradition, family, and property.
When the wind blows, the banner displays its entire symbolism.
But the standard also proclaims the perennial principles it stands for
even when the wind settles. Its faithfulness to principles is unconditional.
When the standard catches a gusty wind, it represents the enthusiasm of every
soldier of Christ to serve the Church. In periods of calm, the standard symbolizes
the reflection and contemplation that sustain the person who must later carry on the fight.
And the standard pole symbolizes the virtue of temperance,
which regulates and restrains the standard and anchors its enthusiasm.
Red symbolizes the virtue of heroism, the blood of the martyrs, and the value of self-sacrifice.
Prof. Plinio explains: “Our red standard with the golden color of its lion
presents something that speaks of great ideals … [it] elevates the soul to a higher plane,
it speaks of battle, makes one feel the nobility and beauty of the right,
and communicates at least a little of the sense of the battle to those who contemplate it.”
The fleur-de-lis that
crowns the TFP standard symbolizes three virtues: wisdom, purity, and chivalry.
The tallest petal is wisdom, the superior virtue that governs all others.
The two collateral petals of purity and chivalry bow in submission to wisdom. Above all,
the lily points to Heaven and symbolizes the purity of Our Lady.
TFP members wear a ceremonial habit,
especially for solemn occasions. This habit is full of symbolism and reflects
three aspects of the moral profile of a TFP member: slave of Our Lady, warrior, and monk.
The large cross of Saint James is half-red and half-white
with a gold thread separating the two colors. Here, red symbolizes the willingness to shed one’s
blood, if necessary, in defense of the Church and Christian civilization. White symbolizes
the purity of orthodoxy and chastity. And gold represents the nobility of the TFP mission.
The crusader cross is large because TFP members are not afraid to display
their love of the Cross of Christ in a world that despises it.
The blade of the sword-cross moves with each step and evokes the good fight.
However, the hood of the habit resembles the Benedictine cowl but with a sharper and stiffer
tip. When folded, the hood frames the head and underscores the vital need for contemplation.
The tunic and scapular draw their inspiration from the Carmelite habit because many founding
members of the TFP, including Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, were Third Order Carmelites. Later,
a white tunic based on the Trappist habit was adapted for younger TFP members. In warrior-monk
fashion, the tunic falls just below the knees and exposes crusader-like cavalry boots.
Instead of a cincture, the TFP habit uses a chain. This is an outward expression of
the spiritual slavery of love to the Blessed Virgin Mary according to the method of Saint
Louis de Montfort’s book, True Devotion to Mary. Where the chain clips together, either three
or seven links hang down. Three links symbolize Our Lady’s role as daughter, mother, and spouse
of God. The seven links represent either the Seven Sorrows or the Seven Joys of Our Lady.
You’ll notice the large Rosary, the spiritual weapon of our time. Finally, the TFP cape is fixed
on the left shoulder of the scapular.
Symbols are important because they express ideas and principles that are difficult to convey with
words alone. Only mention the word “heroism,” and a heroic person or symbol will spring to mind,
not a dictionary definition. Symbols speak of the ineffable,
metaphysical and spiritual realm. They make the invisible world visible.