Alessandro Viana Vieira de Paula: 

“Spiritism is a lighthouse guiding our lives” 

The well-known Spiritist speaker from Brazil’s São Paulo state
talks about his role in the dissemination of the work
of the great medium, José Raul Teixeira
 

	Alessandro Viana Vieira de Paula (photo) has been a Spiritist for 30 years. He is a judge by profession and a well-known Spiritist lecturer and public speaker. In the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Gospel According to Spiritism, he talks about the work of the Brazilian medium, Raul Teixeira,  and  the challenges faced by the Spiritist
Movement.   Raul Teixeira is ill after collapsing during a flight from Brazil to the United States. Since that incident, you have dedicated your efforts to disseminating his work. What can you tell us about that experience?

It has been a very positive experience, as his works are so relevant for Spiritism. I admire the manner in which his Spiritual guide, Camilo, goes about the several issues, with a high level and at the same time a very unique pedagogy. By selling the books, I also help raise funds for Raul Teixeira’s charitable organisation, Remanso Fraterno, which holds the copyrights.  

What have you learned from your friendship with him? 

I thank God for the friendship with Raul. His joy to be alive, the fidelity to the Gospel and the common sense in matters of Spiritism are remarkable. Also, being with him in so many occasions I had the opportunity to discuss matters related to the Spiritist Movement and the Teachings. After he had his stroke, he continues to teach me, as he has remained faithful to everything he taught in 42 years of Spiritism. 

You travel the country disseminating the Teachings. What is your assessment of the Spiritist Movement? 

I have met amazing Spiritist friends, completely dedicated to the activities in their groups. But the vast majority of Spiritists in Brazil still does not read or study as they should. That opens the doors for the acceptance of books and articles in the Spiritist Movement that clash with the principles laid out by Allan Kardec. The Spirit of Truth, in The Gospel According to Spiritism, alerted Spiritists to the need of combining love and education. The lack of love brings about feuds and disputes among Spiritists. The lack of theoretical knowledge leads to unfounded opinions and clashes and splits in the Movement. 

How will Brazil manage to overcome its huge social problems and become a successful nation? 

The social challenges are at a high peak due to the period we are going through in Spiritual terms – the transition to a world of Regeneration. As we know, those who commit evil acts just for the sake of it will be transferred to other worlds. But the great obstacle for the Spiritual progress of the planet is the lack of action by those who are neutral. They do neither good nor bad deeds. That is why we have now so much pain and suffering around. That seems to be the only effective way of waking us up to our Christian responsibilities, to the fact that we need to be useful to and help one another and help our society, playing an active role in the construction of the society of the future. 

What is your view on the 150^th anniversary of publication of The Gospel According to Spiritism? 

This is a theme I will focus on in my lectures and talks this year. This book puts us a lot closer to Christ, it teaches us how to put into practice what he preached. As Allan Kardec explains in the book’s introduction the moral of Jesus is unquestionable and does not generate controversy. What I can say is that we need to be reminded of his Teachings more often so we can have more good people in our society.  

Is there a remarkable event or experience from your life in Spiritism? 

Having visited the great medium, Chico Xavier, in the city of Uberaba when he was nearly 90 and very frail. There was a huge queue of people waiting to see him. The woman ahead of me on the queue had a picture of her son, who had passed away. When she showed it to Chico, he took it and kissed it with so much love that that mother knew for sure that her son would receive the needed Spiritual assistance. This mother went away feeling comforted and cared for, despite not having heard a single word from Chico. 

How would you sum up your enthusiasm for the dissemination of Spiritism? 

In such a disturbed and materialistic world as planet Earth, Spiritism has been a lighthouse guiding my life, allowing me to stay afloat on the corporeal ship that is our body. 

Your final thoughts, please. 

May we continue to be encouraged by the beauty of Spiritism, keeping the enthusiasm of our early days in the Spiritist Movement. The joy of being alive and helping others as well as the fidelity to the Gospel should be paramount in our lives, aiding those who are still in the dark and need a bit of light. As the Spirit of Truth teaches us in the introduction of The Gospel According to Spiritism, may we join the Divine Concert, with Jesus as the director of our lives.