Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
A Brazilian Catholic intellectual whose fierce opposition to communism and modernity shaped a global traditionalist movement.
1908–1995 (age 87)·Brazilian intellectual·Birthday: December 13·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira was a man of 19th-century sensibilities navigating the turbulent 20th. A brilliant and devout young man from São Paulo's aristocracy, he became one of Brazil's youngest congressmen in the 1930s. His worldview crystallized as a stark defense of medieval Christendom against the twin threats of communist revolution and liberal secularism. He saw these forces as destroying a sacred social order based on hierarchy, tradition, and the family. His magnum opus, 'Revolution and Counter-Revolution,' became the manifesto for this struggle. In 1960, he founded the Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property (TFP), which grew from a Brazilian group into an international network known for its dramatic public protests and unwavering doctrinal rigidity. A polarizing figure, he was a guiding light for Catholic traditionalists worldwide and a vocal critic of reforms within his own Church.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Plinio was born in 1908, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Plinio Was Born
The biggest hits of 1908
Plinio's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1908Born
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Started school
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Became a teenager
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1924Could drive
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1926Could vote
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Turned 21
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1938Turned 30
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 40
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 50
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 60
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 70
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 80
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1995Died at 87
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
Key Achievements
- Founded the Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) in 1960, which expanded into a worldwide movement.
- Authored the influential treatise 'Revolution and Counter-Revolution,' which outlines his historical and philosophical analysis of modernity as a destructive process.
- Served as a federal deputy in Brazil's Constituent Assembly and helped draft the country's 1934 constitution.
- Was a leading lay figure in opposing progressive changes within the Catholic Church following the Second Vatican Council.
Did You Know?
He was a dedicated collector of sacred art and antiques, surrounding himself with objects from the historical periods he admired.
As a youth, he was a central figure in the Marian Congregations in São Paulo, a formative experience for his later activism.
The TFP became known for its distinctive style, with members carrying standards and wearing red capes during public demonstrations.
“The crisis of the modern world is, at its root, a moral crisis.”
