Literary Criticism The Fisherman of Souls   Author: Bishop Eusebius Sintra (Spirit) Medium: Valter Turini Publisher: O Clarim

A historical novel has always drawn attention especially for us Spiritists when it portrays episodes experienced by early Christians and even more for being a mediumistic novel written by a Spirit which may feature an air of revelation. However, not all that glitters is gold. This is the case of the book "O Pescador de Almas (The Fisherman of Souls)."

The spiritual writer Monsignor Eusebio Sintra abuses of detailed descriptions of heinous crimes or abuses of power committed by the characters, parading throughout pages and pages bloody brutal images that even causes discomfort at times. What for? So have we not learned through Chico Xavier's mediumistic pen in the words of the Spirit Andre Luiz that evil does not deserve comment?

Quoting events added to the storytelling even if unpleasant is part of any novel narrative; but exploiting the events with detailed descriptions is not of very good taste in literature that should be lifting moment to readers.

Nonsense is how we define the spiritual author's insistence on using whole phrases and words in Latin, including character names and every day greetings, forcing the reader to a tedious exercise of having all the time to resort to the bottom of the pages looking for translation. We could be spared from that.

The novel is set in the ancient Roman Empire during Nero's rule and brings the description of facts of the famous fire of Rome. And here is a profound question: the spiritual author is at odds with the research of historians and contradicts the revelations and descriptions made by the Spirit Emmanuel through the medium Chico Xavier in his book "Paul and Stephen."As the universality of the teachings is the authority of the spiritual messages, common sense tells us to stay with historians and Emmanuel.

Now, here are some excerpts from the book:

"Oh, blessed Master Jesus! Deign to look at the miseries of this cruel world! Behold, Lord, what men's evil has done to this child! Pour on her Your Light! Return her to health, restore reason to her! - he then extends his hands over Susanna's face who, at the slightest touch of Rufus's fingertips, utters a soft moan and stirs in bed"(page 153).

Rufus is the Christian worker with healing power. Despite being a Roman, the prayer made by him is more like that of a Pharisee priest and, in modern days, that of many pastors of Protestant churches.

"... That is why the Spirit's evolution is so hard! It is based on the experiences, on trials and errors! That is how the divine pedagogy works: through harsh and cruel punishments backed by the constant presence of pain slowly trimming the chaff from the being; it tirelessly goes on in the sequence of incarnations that follow until the Spirit, at the end of his journey and finally stripped of all animality, becomes completely humanised, wise and shining the light!"(Page 193).

It is a literary and doctrinaire gem... fake though! Have we not yet reached the human kingdom? Are we not humankind? And will we tirelessly suffer pain to the end of our spiritual progress? But does Spiritism not teach us that God our Father is all goodness, righteousness and love?

The same ballad about the pain and suffering is present on page 237 and makes it even worse: we learn that for the pains caused by passion there is no atonement:

"All we can do is leave them aching, eating us inside out, consuming us ruthlessly like horrific cancers until they kill us without the slightest mercy!".

It gives us the impression that the author is a supporter of romantic tragedy so fashionable in the 19th century and which led so many young people to suicide.

In Chapter 14 the author describes the sacrifice of Christians in the Roman circus (noting that, according to historians and Emmanuel, the circus was also devoured by the fire, so the first sacrifices of Christians could not have taken place there). All of them die in the clutches of hungry lions or burned stuck onto poles to the delight of the audience. They are then welcomed by the Master Jesus and here's what follows:

"Then, they appeared happy and smiling from all sides of the plain, all who had been tortured at Circus Maximus and joined in singing magnificent hymn of praise to the Noble Master of Nazareth who met with them there" (page 262).

All Christians? But had they not just died tragically? Would they all be spiritualized by the simple fact that they espoused the Christian faith? It is known that the first moments after the death of the body are accompanied by a disturbance stage whose duration and depth varies from Spirit to Spirit, but that does not seem to be valid for those Christians killed in the Roman arena, for they "all" seemed to be conscious, happy and they even sang magnificent tune to honour Jesus Christ.

Still in further description of the encounter, we read

"And when all was consummated, all those spirits joined hands and circled the Divine Master who, like a pastor firmly guiding his sheep, rose to infinity turning eventually into a magnificent sun surrounded by diamond stars like a constellation full of luminescence reaching inconceivable heights"(Page 262).

What kind of portrayal is that? Then the Planetary Governor, our Master Jesus, abandons his mission and turns into a sun somewhere in the universe?

In chapter 15 pages 286 and 287 there is a description worthy of the best science fiction and, of course, completely unlikely and inconsistent with the spiritist teachings and everything we know about the return to the spiritual world after death. The character named Flavius cowardly murders the character Iulius in an ambush and soon after, remorseful, he commits suicide. Instantaneously displaced from the physical body, he sees the rival in Spirit next to him and the two begin a fight of "life or death" scrambling among punches and then they start a mutual obsession. It is amazing how the spiritual author's capacity of disregarding the disembodiment process.

And to make things even worse, two spirits of good watch everything, and one of them is Suzanna who had been hideously killed by Iulius, having sworn her hatred before taking her last breath in the physical body. And there she is present in the scene trying to protect her beloved Flavius. In other words, once more death means nothing; and no matter what kind of death. Just die and have all the full powers in the spiritual world. And as Suzanna espoused the Christian faith, thereupon she becomes a protector spirit.

The spirit that accompanies her named Drusilla “takes her in her arms and lifts off disappearing, then, like a light beam.” The author definitely appreciates special effects.

Moreover, we think that the story lacks the action of the Spirits and more depth in the Christian message that pervades the narrative. Besides, it is of dubious taste to describe the indignation thoughts some of the characters have about the others.

Marcus De Mario is a teacher and writer. He is director of the Brazilian Institute of Moral Education and collaborator at the Humildade e Amor Spiritist Society in the city of Rio de Janeiro.