Raul Teixeira, a man in the world
Raul Teixeira

A spiritual guide for many, Raul Teixeira has also been a
“protector of the spiritualistic codification”

 
It has been a little over a year since our brethren Jose Raul Teixeira suffered a stroke and it seems right to pay homage to this valuable worker in the spiritualistic doctrine.

I was wondering how to sum up the notable life of our friend and brethren Raul Teixeira, and fortunately found a recent text of excellent quality, written by Maria Helena Marcon, which was published in the Mundo Espirita periodic in August 2012, as a homage paid by the Spiritualistic Federation of the State of Parana, so I take the liberty to reproduce this text, adding some further information about Raul Teixeira.

He was born in Niteroi-RJ, and his trajectory as a servant of Christ began early in his life. Since the day he entered the youth group of the Grupo Espirita Leoncio de Albuquerque, invited by his friend Jose Luiz Vilaca and encouraged by his friend’s mother, he never stopped.

It was the 8th of April of 1967, and Raul Teixeira was 17. The inspired coordinator of the youth group, Cecilia Eintoss, asked him a question concerning the theme of the day: the great Hebrew legislator.

Raul, being passionate about the character as he was, elaborated on the subject for about twenty minutes. He started his journey of blessing right there.

His oratory soon developed and his travels and guest appearances began, so many that his schedule wouldn’t accommodate, being postponed frequently.
A scholar, he made the Spiritualistic Codification the cornerstone for his words and writings. When he developed his psychographic abilities, he waited patiently the spiritual order to publish his first book, which happened in 1990. A book dedicated to the youth, written by a disincarnated young man, through a young medium: Cantico da Juventude, by Ivan Albuquerque.

Today, his medium works total almost 40, including guidance for maturity, for mediums, the workers of the Spiritualistic Movement, the youth, the children and the citizen.

Prose, verse, different subjects are dealt with, reproducing the thought of Spirits, such as the spiritual benefactor Camilo, Sebastiao Lasneau, Thereza de Brito, Levy, Ivan de Albuquerque, Joanes, Francisco de Paula Vitor, Rosangela Costa Lima, Hans Swigg, Jose Lopes Neto, amd his own mother, disincarnated when he was a young boy, Benedita Maria.

“I am a man in the world”, Just that, says Raul

Raul’s mediumship has a particularity: to receive messages of Spirits almost forgotten by Spiritualistic Movement in Brazil and elsewhere, but who were and continue to be great workers. Raul identifies them and brings their orientations, putting them in writing, in a blessed psychographic work.

Some of those recordings, which happened around the meetings of the National Federative Council in Brasilia, in more than one occasion, deeply moved the ones who had the opportunity to get to know one of those personalities. And then, made comments about his role in the forefront of spiritualistic work and as a devoted laborer of Good. Raul is quite reserved with things concerning his biographical information or with homage paid to him. It is quite hard to gather information.

I just want to be a friend to people and it’d make me happy if they saw me that way – he told once to Cezar Said. And, after that, defined himself: I am a man in the world and have no intention to be anything else but continue to be a man in the world.

And that’s how it is. Aware of the work he has been doing, for almost forty-five years, he speaks about it with no false modesty: a worker conscious of his worth in spreading and living the postulates of the Spiritualistic Doctrine. But, for the ones who are lucky enough to experience a few moments with him will soon realize he is not someone who only talks about Spiritualism.

He makes comments about the news when he has time to read it, speaks about music and his dear Elis Regina, things about academic works, of cinema, literature, culture, his family, our family, laughing at laughable things, acting, living and having relationships like any mortal being, or else, “immortal”. (Raul, a man in the world, Cezar Braga Said, Frater Publishing).

Raul tightened his bonds with Yvonne do Amaral Pereira, with the medium Julio Cezar Grandi Ribeiro, Francisco Candido Xavier and Divaldo Pereira Franco. With these last two, in particular, he seeked, more than once, at the beginning of his activities, orientations for the safe direction of his faculties.

In 1980, He founded the Sociedade Espirita Fraternidade, in Niteroi, and broadening the horizons when assisting the needy, the Remanso Fraterno, in Varzea das Mocas, a district about 25km away from the center of Niteroi.

A little over a year ago, the great testimony

In the month of April of 1986, in Mirassol d’Oeste, in Mato Grosso, Raul suffered an accident, in which it was revealed he should have lost his life. However, by intercession of his mother and other Spiritual Benefactors, he was told he was supposed to remain in the flesh, in the work he was dedicated to. that was his moratorium.

Twenty five years later, on 14th of November of 2011, Raul is invited to another great testimony (the original text appointed the date of 16th of November, but Raul himself stated that the stroke happened between the 14th and the 15th of November – writer’s note). In an international trip, to the United States, on the plane still flying over Brazil, he suffers a CVA (Cerebral Vascular Accident) which affects his speech and the movements in his right arm (Raul also added that he was awake, on the plane, after the CVA, by suggestion of the benefactor Camilo, who inspired him calm and patience, because if he fell asleep he could have fallen into a coma – writer’s note).

Upon arriving at JFK Airport in New York, he was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, near the airport, beginning his long treatment, being transferred later to a specialized Hospital in the State of Connecticut.

He later, on the weekend of 17th/ 18th of December, returned to Brazil, going straight to Sao Paulo, in order to proceed with his treatment at Albert Einstein Hospital. His treatment goes on to this day, now in his town, Niteroi. The most recent news tells that his treatment is developing very well. Physiotherapy sessions take place daily and speech therapy three times a week. His speech is getting better rapidly. The neurologist can spot some significant improvement in the movements of his arm and right hand.

For the time being, his daily routine is focused on the treatment. Raul has received invitations to take part in homage paid to him by his caring brethrens, but isn’t able to travel or to put his treatment on hold, which makes him require mental and physical rest.

Throughout these months, the news from people who have visited him is the testimony of a true spiritualist: he is in great mood, keeping his usual good humor and youthfulness, faithfully following his medical prescriptions.

Raul came to Parana for the first time in 1974

It is to this friend that the Spiritualist Federation of Parana wishes to pay homage, once again. Big is the gratitude when remembering how much He offered to Parana State concerning spiritualism.

He arrived in Parana for the first time in 1974, same year in which the Spirit Camilo showed himself to him, saying, from now on I’ll coordinate your activities. Around 1990, when youth groups reorganized after 19 years, he is the coordinator of activities, which went on from the 13th to the 15th of April.

With the theme, Youth and Spiritualism, about two-hundred and fifty participants from all over the State joined the event. It was the 1st Meeting of Coordinators of Youth Spiritualistic Associations of Parana, on the 18th and 19th of March of 1995, which was planned by FEP and is held every odd year.

As well as Divaldo, Raul has been present at the State Symposium of Spiritualism and the Sate Conference of Spiritualists since they started, only missing one event, due to health reasons.

He was also a regular at Spiritualistic Meetings in the countryside as well as at board meetings.

How many mothers would wish to have him as a son? How many young people who want him as a father? How many would like to enjoy his presence, or even work with him in the Spiritualistic realm? But we have him as a friend and counselor, a devoted and convict spiritualist, giving his testimony day after day.

For all that, and for what he means to our hearts, we register our gratitude and wish to see him recovered, happy and smiling among us.”

Doctrinarian fidelity has always been his main concern

I had the joyful opportunity to enjoy many moments with Raul Teixeira, following him to a few lectures and when he lodged in my grandmother’s or my father’s house around Itapetininga-SP.

I witnessed Raul’s infectious youthfulness and exuberant joy. At leisure times, there’s always time for conversations about various subjects, but without losing balance and in tune with the Good.

Raul’s main concern has always been doctrinarian fidelity, not only in its propagation but also in its experiencing. Countless times he voiced his concern with the lack of interest by Spiritualists about studying, which allows for the distortion of spiritualistic principles.

I watched countless lectures by Raul, when he had the opportunity to urge the spiritualist to study seriously and deeply the codification and warn us about the need for your own conduct reflect the guidelines of the Gospel and Spiritualism.

I’d also like to highlight, in my point-of-view, the main importance of Raul Teixeira for the spiritualistic movement, is not to allow the purity of the spiritualistic content to be contaminated by personal ideas of brethrens and Spirits, without commitment with the truth, or assumptions.

For that reason, Raul Teixeira’s books are a wealth of lucidity and spiritualistic orientations, which deserve to be read and studied.

I’d like to point out the pedagogical and coherent way used by the Spirit Camilo, Raul’s spiritual guide, making it easy for us the to grasp and understand the themes discussed.

When asked or consulted, Raul never wasted the opportunity to rectify any doctrinarian misunderstanding or reinforce basic concepts of Spiritualism, always aiming at preserving the spiritualistic teachings as they were recorded in Allan Kardec’s codification.

Raul does it like that for sheer love for the ideal. If we paid more attention to Raul’s orientations, we would surely have fewer distortions within the doctrine, but, unfortunately, we see countless ideas and innovations that are being incorporated to Spiritualism, some stemming from works of mediumship of terrible quality. Because of that, I understand that Raul Teixeira as a lecturer, a medium (a mediumship which bred over 30 books) and citizen, occupies a place of prominence within the spiritualistic movement.

In an interview I gave to a Spiritualistic brethren, when asked about what Raul Teixeira meant to me and my life, I had no doubt and said: “He is my incarnated guardian angel”. Certainly, Raul Teixeira has been this spiritual guide for many people, as well as the “protector of the spiritualistic codification”, not measuring efforts in order to preserve the truths and the coherence of the spiritualistic religion.

I resume this article expressing my esteem and gratitude to this incomparable friend, whom I learnt to call “Uncle Raul”



Editor’s Note:

Clicking on this link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oixtq2cMzhY  – the reader may experience the excitement with which Raul Teixeira thanked the homage He was paid by Federação Espírita do Paraná on 15th of November.