My first
contacts with
Spiritism were
in 1986 in Rio
de Janeiro.
When you were in
the military,
how did you
combine your
professional
life and your
activities as a
Spiritist?
Throughout my
career, I lived
with the risk of
injury and
death. That is
part of my
profession.
Military life
demands
commitment to
strict
principles, such
as hierarchy and
discipline. But
I always found
room for the
principles of
Spiritism to
come across in
my decisions.
Could you
mention a
remarkable
moment of your
life as a
Spiritist?
Something very
emotional
happened when I
began doing our
“kilo campaign”
to collect food
for people in
need. I clapped
my hands outside
a humble house
on a Sunday
morning and a
little old lady
came out saying:
“I know the work
you do.” She
gave me two cups
of rice as a
donation even
though it was
clear that she
didn’t enough
even for
herself. I
hugged her then
and couldn’t
hold the tears.
Of all the
Spiritist
principles,
which one meant
the most to you
in the beginning
and why?
When I attended
my first
Spiritist talks
and lectures I
noticed the
speakers
mentioned
humankind’s
great luminaries
and it did not
matter what
religion they
had. That really
impressed me.
When did the
radio programme
“O Espiritismo
Está no Ar” (Spiritism
is on Air)
began?
The project of
my friend José
Eduardo Ferreira
Abreu began in
June 2014. It
was broadcast
for the first
time on November
7th
the same year.
It was presented
by Pedrosa,
Eduardo
Ferreira,
Cristóvão and me
and we have had
many guests too.
What feedback
and audience you
get?
We have good
audiences in
Brazil, the
United States
and Europe. That
is verified by
the
broadcaster’s
main computer
and we also
through phone
calls, WhatsApp
messages and
emails. The
programme is
broadcast by a
local community
radio station
from Juiz de
Fora but it can
also be tuned in
through Radio
Trans FM 87.9 on
the following
link:
http://www.radios.com.br/aovivo/Radio-Trans-87.9-FM/14918
We go on air
from Mondays to
Fridays from
19:30 to 20:00
local time
(22:30 to 23:00
GMT).
What are your
plans for the
future with the
programme?
We have many
plans. The first
one is to have
our own studio
and then to
extend its
duration from
half an hour to
an hour.
What advice do
you give to
those who want
to use the radio
waves to
disseminate
Spiritism?
They must! The
biggest form of
charity we can
make for
Spiritism is to
disseminate it
and the radio is
one of the best
ways of doing
it.
Are all your
listeners
Spiritists?
We have
listeners from
many religions,
especially
Christian
Evangelicals
because our
programme comes
at the end of an
evangelical
radio programme,
“Mundo Real"
(Real World).
What is the most
gratifying
aspect of the
programme?
It is the
gratitude of all
the listeners,
who send us
messages every
day.
How has
Spiritism helped
you in your
family and
social
relations?
Spiritism to me
is like coming
to the gates of
Damascus. But of
course I must
take that into
proportion as I
am still
light-years away
from St Paul.
Is it possible
to be happy?
Yes. Even living
in a world or
trials and
tribulations, we
can still enjoy
many happy
moments.
Thank you for
this interview.
Please leave us
with your final
thoughts.
My beloved
friends, all I
can do is to
thank God and
the Spiritual
Benefactors for
their patience
with me, a
Spirit who has
so much to
learn. And I
must also thank
the listeners of
the programme,
“O Espiritismo
Está no Ar,” for
their
understanding
and patience.
