When and how did
you first come
in contact with
Spiritism?
In this
incarnation, my
first memory of
any contact with
Spiritism was
through the
hands of my
grandfather,
when I was still
in my early
childhood. Some
years later,
when I was 13, I
made new contact
with Spiritism,
this time moved
by the need to
understand
mediunimic
phenomena I saw
around me.
Mediumship is an
important tool.
How did you
become aware of
your mediumship
and what have
you already been
able to achieve
through it?
When I was a
child, still
very young, I
used to go out a
lot with my
mother and I
frequently
mentioned to her
that wherever we
went the rooms
were packed with
people. She used
to contradict
me, saying that
“only such ad
such lady was
there.” And that
kept happening
again and again.
And that is why
my grandfather
began taking me
Spiritist
Centres. When I
was nine, I
became scared of
the phenomena I
could see around
me, because of
the misleading
explanations I
had for them. As
a result, my
mother was
admitted to a
psychiatric ward
in Rio, where
she stayed for
many years. It
was a very
painful
experience.
Natural,
spontaneous
mediumship does
not bring about
any problems for
mediums, we must
understand. And
because of the
phenomena so
many people end
up seeking a
religious, as
they seek an
explanation.
That may become
a good
opportunity to
awaken the
mediunimic
capacities of
other family
members, but
that must be
done under the
strict
principles of
the Gospel,
which is an
important tool
for moral
regeneration.
What worries you
the most about
the Brazilian
Spiritist
Movement at the
moment?
I wouldn’t call
it a worry as
such, as I
continue to
trust the
Spiritist
Movement, but we
all need to do
more to avoid
the cult of
personalities.
We cannot afford
to repeat the
errors of the
past because of
inflated egos.
What are your
suggestions for
the improvement
of the Spiritist
Movement?
That we pay more
attention to the
five basic books
of Allan Kardec.
All forms of
dissemination of
the Teachings
anchored on
those core
principles are
laudable.
Based on your
formation as a
Spiritist, what
do you think is
the best way for
us to put into
practice
consistently the
Gospel of Jesus?
You will only
find salvation
by doing
charity. And the
best way of
achieving that,
which should be
our ultimate
goal, is if we
practice the
Gospel in the
Home.
It is inevitable
that new ideas
will keep being
added to such a
vast philosophy
as Spiritism.
How do you think
Spiritists
should deal with
that?
I prefer to
quote Kardec
when he very
appropriately
said that if
science one day
proved that the
Spiritist theory
was wrong he
would abandon
his theory
straight away
and follow
science
instead.
In your public
talks, what
issues do you
prefer to
address and
why?
The Gospel of
Jesus, as I am
fully convinced
of its need. In
any circumstance
we face in life,
this is the
indispensable
nourishment, the
spiritual food
that Our Master
Jesus taught us
that we should
ask for in our
prayers.
What is your
Spiritist
bedside table
book and why?
The Gospel
According to
Spiritism.
The passages
registered by
the evangelists
slow down the
pace of our
troubled hearts,
anguished by the
pain, the
violence and
other such
things from our
daily lives.
Kardec’s
interpretations
lead us into a
new vision of
the lessons,
widening
considerably our
understanding,
which is
enlightened by
the instructions
of the spirits.
We know how much
you value the
formation of
free and
enlightened
individuals. How
can Spiritist
Centres
contribute
towards that?
If you give
people different
tasks, provided
they are
versatile, but
bearing in mind
that we need to
stick to the
remits of the
Spiritist
guidelines. So
many people say
that we need
more volunteers
to work in the
Spiritist
Movement. What
happens,
however, is that
many directors
of Spiritist
Centres in
Brazil are still
prisoners of the
old religious
ideas of the
past. They
struggle to set
themselves free.
Many prefer to
follow fellow
Christians
rather than
following Christ
as he expected
us to do. We
need, therefore,
to review
principles and
attitudes so
that we can shed
the light to
those looking
for new
proposals within
the Gospel of
Jesus instead of
blocking the
light with our
presence.
What have the
most remarkable
facts of your
life so far?
(Laughter…)
That is the type
of question we
ask to
self-centered
people. Without
false modesty,
which is often a
call for yet
more praise, I
really cannot
mention anything
I have done that
can be set as an
example. I have
tried had to
follow the
examples of
Jesus, through
the clear
message found in
Spiritism. I
thank God for
every minute I
spend as an
incarnate on
earth. This is
an opportunity
for each one of
us to renew our
feelings with
the help of the
Gospel and to
put into
practice a
little bit of
what we have
learned.
Thank you and
please leave us
with your final
thoughts.
The great
Spiritual
Benefactor,
Emmanuel, said
through Chico
Xavier that we
are more in need
of truth than
money, of light
then bread. I
thank you for
this opportunity
of making a
modest
contribution to
the dialogue and
I would like to
finish by
saying: we need
to behave
properly.
