Álvaro Pinto de Arruda (photo), from the Brazilian city of Bauru, is a retired lawyer in the state capital, having worked at São Paulo’s Attorney General’s Office. He has recently published a book about the great Spiritist writer and public speaker, Richard Simonetti, with whom he has established a long friendship. In this interview, he talks about the new book and shares with us some of his life experiences:

How did you come into contact with Spiritism?

I was born into a Catholic family and practised the religion from a very young age. As a teenager and as a young man, I felt the need to fill the gaps that I could see in the Catholic faith and began studying other religions, including Spiritism. It took me some time to finally mature and find the answers to all my questions. 

And what strikes you the most in Spiritism?

It’s certainly the interchange between the Spirit World and the world where we live. I’m not talking only about mediunimic meetings, when we have a more thorough exchange of information between the two worlds. I’m talking about the impact that a prayer, to express gratitude or forgiveness, has in both worlds. And also the inspiration we get from a message that we receive or even the book that is written by a discarnate author. 

When and how did you meet Richard Simonetti?

I met him in the distant year of 1960, in Bauru. I was a bit younger than him (I’m now 82) and we became friends. We became closer two years later, when I got a job at Banco do Brasil, the state bank, and was allocated to the same branch where he worked. During the four years when I worked there, we talked and exchanged ideas about books and culture in general, including religion. Our chats about religion invariably ended with him saying: “You’ll see it one day, everything comes at the right time.”

And how did your friendship and intellectual partnership develop after that?

I left the bank to become a public prosecutor in the city of São Paulo and I only met him when I travelled to Bauru to see relatives. But I followed, from afar, his progress as a public speaker and a writer. In 2004, I was diagnosed with an insidious illness. I finally understood, then, what Richard meant. My “time” had finally come. I would find my way through pain, not through love. I got in touch with Richard again, who came to visit me in São Paulo and one day asked me to revise a book he had just written. He liked the modifications I suggested and we then established a partnership. I helped him with the other books he published from then on, 29 in total. Whenever he came to São Paulo, we met, had lunch and exchanged ideas. Eventually, he stayed in my flat when he came to the city and our links of friendship became even closer. 

What would you highlight from his performance as a public speaker?

I think my friend Richard Simonetti was one of the greatest public speakers and disseminators in the history of Spiritism. And that’s thanks to his alignment with the works and thoughts of Allan Kardec, his simplicity and humility. An important aspect of his work was the fact that he addressed social and scientific questions that were not on the agenda in the 19th Century and couldn’t, therefore, be discussed by Kardec (for example: stemcells, orthotanasia and euthanasia, gay marriage, artificial insemination, cloning, transplant of organs and anencephaly). 

How about his books?

He wrote extensively, not only books, but also his lectures and talks. His aim was to explain clearly the Spiritist Teachings so it could be understood by all. And for that, he put his humility and simplicity into practice. His books are highly praised, in Brazil and abroad, for their importance in the dissemination of Spiritism. 

You published a book, in two volumes, about the work of Simonetti. How did you come up with that idea?

My aim was to highlight the importance of his work explaining Spiritism in the 65 books he published during this incarnation. But I didn’t know how. I went to sleep one night with that in my head. And I woke up with the solution, with the book well-structured in my head. And I followed exactly that model and that’s how the book was published. All I needed was to read all his books again and set up the repository. I spent 14 months doing that.  

And how did that work go?

To read those 65 books was an opportunity to revise my knowledge of Spiritism. I selected extracts from those books, focusing on the theoretical points that I considered more relevant. My goal was to set aside, according to my criteria, the essence of the Spiritist Thought of Richard Simonetti. To make access easier, I organised the issues and themes by alphabetical and chronological order. 

And which aspect of his work became evident in that process?

It’s without any doubt the wide range of issues addressed by Simonetti during his productive life dedicated to the dissemination of Spiritism. 

And what are your best memories of him?

I remember him for his humility and wisdom, as well as his high spirits. 

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I’ve made a concerted effort to show the essence of the thought of Richard Simonetti as a Spiritist. I hope my book helps those who are studying Spiritism and all Spiritist speakers. I also hope to have honoured, with my book, the trust and memory of my friend Richard Simonetti.

Interviewer’s note:

Book title: O PENSAMENTO - volumes I e II:

Volume 1 – from A to H

Volume 2 – from I to Z

Author: Richard Simonetti

Organiser: Álvaro Pinto de Arruda

Publishers: CEAC Bauru – 1st edition, August and November 2023, respectively

Contact for book requests:

·  55 14 3366-3212

Whatsup: 14 99126 6323