Flávio Mussa Tavares:

“My father’s life was distinguished by his personal conduct and loyalty to the Christian and Spiritist principles”

Flávio Mussa Tavares is the son of our missed writer Clóvis Tavares. He talks about his father and his work, who was the author of several important books and one of the pioneers of Youth Spiritist groups in Brazil

He is from São Sebastião, which is part of Campos, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. My father was born on the 20th January 1915, which is Saint Sebastian’s day. He had a Catholic childhood, and was familiar with the French Priest Emmille Des Touches. In his teenage years, he became part of a youth group that was against the exploration of the man by man, and was a political leader for PCB (Brazilian Communist Party). After his fiancée passed away, he became spiritist when he recognised her through a mediumship communication. There were many traces of authenticity on it, which were enough to convince a dogmatic and atheist young person. after his conversion, he founded Escola Jesus Cristo to which he worked until he was 69 years old, when he passed away in the same city. 

O Consolador: What were the books he published? 

He wrote a series of books for children: Dez Mandamentos (Ten Commandments), História que Jesus Contou (The Story Jesus told), Meu Livrinho de Orações (My little book of Prayers), Vida de Allan Kardec para a Infância (Allan Kardec’s life for childhood). He also wrote a few biographies: João Batista, Pietro Ubaldi’s life, Trinta Anos com Chico Xavier (Thirty Years with Chico Xavier), Amor e Sabedoria de Emmanuel (Love and Wisdom from Emmanuel). He also wrote books with philosophical-religious content: De Jesus para os que Sofrem (From Jesus from those who suffer), Sal da Terra (Salt from Earth), Rocha dos Séculos (Rock from Centuries).  

He published a book for biographical and mediumship research: Mediunidade dos Santos (Saints’ Mediumship). He also wrote a book in partnership with Chico Xavier: Tempo e Amor (Time and Love).  Unfortunately, the publisher LAKE altered the content from the book Meu Livrinho de Orações (My little book of Prayers). 

O Consolador: How did he become spiritist? Did he get to found institutions, and to which has he got more involved? 

He became spiritist after receiving a communication from the Spirit of Nina Arueira, who was his fiancée and passed away quite early. Soon after that he founded the Escola Jesus Cristo, which was the only spiritist institution he ever got involved. 

O Consolador: Who was Nina Arueira in his life, and what kind of influence did she have on him? 

Nina Arueira was a fearless and modern young lady at her time that lived in Campos around the thirties. She wrote newspaper articles, gave conferences in theatres, lead youth and work movements until she had typhoid fever. This illness confined her for a few months at a house of a spiritist gentleman. He managed to convince her of the spiritual truth of the human being, and the divine justice through the law of reincarnation, and cause and effect.  

After her death, my father was in chock emotionally and looked for a medium in Campos. This lady transmitted messages for him, in the same format and language they used to write to each other: in English. From then onwards, he met Chico Xavier, who changed his destiny forever. 

O Consolador: How was the meeting and the familiarity with Chico Xavier and Pietro Ubaldi? 

Chico Xavier and my father met in 1936. They started to meet and exchange correspondences as from 1938, which lasted until 1983. My father wrote a memoirs book of Chico Xavier: Trinta Anos com Chico Xavier (Thirty Years with Chico Xavier), Amor e Sabedoria de Emmanuel (Love and Wisdom from Emmanuel). All letters which are mentioned on the book are full of wisdom. Pietro Ubaldi was his correspondent from 1950 until the beginning of 1972.  From his work, my dad translated the following books to Portuguese: As Noúres, Ascese Mística (Misthical Asceticism) and Problemas Atuais (Present Problems).  

O Consolador: After he passed away, has he sent any messages? 

My father sent 6 letters through his friend and medium Chico Xavier. They will all be published with commentaries in the book A Saudade é o Metro do Amor (The feeling of longing is the metro of Love).  

O Consolador: His speeches were always eloquent and full of great inspiration. Have they been transformed in books?  

His speeches were theoretical, doctrinal and evangelical. He used to speak with his heart, and managed to overwhelm and touch the audience. Besides books, we prepared some of his speeches: Sal da Terra (Salt from Earth), Rocha dos Séculos (Rock from Centuries). We are in touch with the video producer Oceano Vieira de Melo, who is gathering material for a DVD documentary on the life and work of Clóvis Tavares, which should be launched in 2010. 

O Consolador: Can you please tell us about the research your father has done on the character Célia from the famous romance 50 Anos Depois (50 Years Later), from Emmanuel? 

Dad used to research in Rio de Janeiro the life of saints, to find out if they were mediums and the type of mediumship they had. One day he found a brochure about the life of Saint Marina the Monk, who lived in Alexandria. When he read the biography, he knew straight away it was about Célia Lúcius. For seventeen years, Marina lived both as a monk and a boy named Marinus. This lady when living at the monastery was called Brother Marino, but after her death, when her real identity was discovered, she was called Saint Marina the Monk or Mary of Alexandria. My dad used to emphasize how could Chico Xavier know all this world of wisdom, culture and science?  

I accumulated his notes, and published a book on the 18th June 2008, which is the Feast day for this saint, according to the Catholic Church. This book talks about the coincidences the book 50 Anos Depois (50 Years Later) has with several texts the Catholic Church, Maronite from Lebanon, Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches.  

O Consolador: What were the most remarkable aspects of your intimacy with your father Clóvis, not only at home but also with the spiritist activities? 

My father’s life was distinguished by his personal conduct and loyalty to the Christian and Spiritist principles. He always lived in absolute accordance with the principles he preached. At home, he was a devoted father who was always available for our spiritual and material needs.  

O Consolador: What do you have to say about the book A Mediunidade dos Santos (Saints’ Mediumship)?  

Mediunidade dos Santos (Saints’ Mediumship) is his masterpiece according to Chico Xavier. After my father passed away, he met some of the individuals he wrote about in the spiritual world and reconfirmed all data on that book. He describes these meetings in some of the communications received via Chico Xavier. These are all detailed in the book, soon to be published, A Saudade é o Metro do Amor (The feeling of longing is the metro of Love). 

O Consolador: Can the books Amor e Sabedoria de Emmanuel (Love and Wisdom from Emmanuel) and Os Dez Mandamentos (Ten Commandments) be considered the most remarking ones in terms of Clóvis Tavares’ literacy production? 

The first book brings us news and revelations. My father is full of gratitude for the noble spirit Emmanuel, and that is stated on the book clearly. The second one was his first ever book published which focuses on young children (audience), who need to find out more about the first revelation. My father understood that if a child learns the ethical behaviour expressed in the Decalogue, he/she would be ready to learn the Sermon on the Mount and then the moral laws found at the Spiritists’ Book.  

O Consolador: Are all his books available for purchase? 

Most of the books are found in book sales and distributors, but Sal da Terra (Salt from Earth), which was a limited edition. We are now looking for an editor to publish it. 

O Consolador: Can you please tell us anything you judge to be important for our readers? 

My father founded two orphanages in Escola Jesus Cristo. He educated several children, and always following Dr. Bezerra de Menezes’ words: "Nothing to ask for; Nothing to complain about". He founded one of the first Youth Spiritist groups in Brazil together with Leopoldo Machado in 1940. He also implemented the Systematic Study of the Spiritist Doctrine at that time. This group studies and analyses the fundamental principles of the Spiritist Doctrine, in its scientific, philosophical and religious aspects. This group is still open nowadays, and is open to the public.  

O Consolador: Would you like to share some final thoughts with us?

I hope we can all learn more about the fundamental principles of the Spiritist Doctrine. The Spiritist message should be lived fully and shared to everyone. It is our duty to disclose the Parable of the sower. In the parable, a sower dropped seed on the path, on rocky ground, and among thorns, and the seed was lost; but when seed fell on good earth, it grew, yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. We need to spread knowledge, happiness and fraternity, just like our Father has done.