Gustavo Corção

By H.E. Bishop Thomas Aquinas O.S.B.

Of athletic build, tall in stature, about 1.80 m, with a firm yet kind gaze, a well-proportioned and pleasant face. Very lively in mind, with words full of grace and refined irony that wounded only the enemies of the Church. With his friends, he was frank and direct, yet without hurting them. Astonishing intelligence. It is said that he was able to play chess with three opponents at the same time while keeping his back to the board, holding all the moves in his memory.

He had an infinite kindness toward those who came to consult him. He never said no. He would interrupt his work, his articles or books, to attend to those who visited him. He was feared by communists and progressives, yet he was kindness itself with his friends. His intellectual honesty was remarkable in his discovery of the errors of Maritain and, consequently, in recognizing his own errors as a disciple of Maritain.

He wrote The Century of Nothingness (O Século do Nada, in Portuguese) to retract his errors and to proclaim loudly that he had allowed himself to be deceived by liberal Catholics. “They Lied to Us” was the title of one of his articles during that period, which extends roughly from shortly after the end of the Council until his death in 1978. Corção admirably defended Tradition and fought with courage and talent against the proponents of modernist doctrines and liberation theology. He helped countless souls remain firm in the true Faith.