Crusade Magazine, Vol. 194, March/April, 2025 - Sacrality or Vulgarity at the Table | When Brazilian Catholic thinker Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira reflected on events in São Paulo during his childhood at the beginning of the last century, the social habits of that time particularly attracted our attention. He spoke of the joy of family life, and his lively narrations transported our imaginations to those bygone days that had not yet been taken over by the adoration of novelties in later years, such as speed and industry or people’s extravagant behavior in the twentieth century’s last decades. Americans, alongside Brazilians, are not unfamiliar with this unsavory cultural shift throughout the decades.
Among the images set forth by Professor Corrêa de Oliveira, politeness at the table according to tradition was particularly striking because of the logic and composure of the proceedings and arrangements. Stories were helpful, as they discreetly taught proper manners. It was not a question of refraining…
