How did you
become a
Spiritist?
It was very
simple. It
happened when,
in 1974, I read
one of the books
dictated by the
Spirit, André
Luiz to the
medium,
Francisco
Cândido Xavier:
E a Vida
Continua... (And
Life Goes
On...). I
had borrowed the
book from a work
colleague,
Franciso Sanches
Lopes, to whom I
am eternally
grateful for
giving me the
first and
elucidatory
explanations
about
Spiritism.
And how did you
get involved
with IDE?
IDE was founded
in 1963 by a
group of
Spiritists who
had begun in
1958 to hold
study groups, to
give soup to the
poor and had a
hostel for
migrants. In
1963, Chico
Xavier suggested
that the group
began publishing
a Yearly
Spiritist
publication with
the highlights
of the year in
Spiritism, as
well as articles
and messages.
Chico Xavier
also suggested
the names for
the publication,
Anuário Espírita,
and for the
Institute of
Spiritist
Dissemination.
Eventually our
dear medium
began sending
material he
wrote through
his mediumship
for IDE to
publish. We have
now published
more than 70
books written by
Chico Xavier as
a medium.
Does IDE holds
the typical
activities of a
Spiritist Centre
in the city?
Yes. It has a
Spiritist
Centre, which
provides
assistance to
people in need
(food, temporary
accommodation,
medical
treatment,
dentists,
nappies, courses
for pregnant
women, donations
for poor
children and
babies) as well
as fraternal
assistance, or
counseling,
courses about
Spiritism,
mediumship
meetings and
healing. More
than 100
volunteers are
involved in this
project.
What are the
main challenges
you face on the
editorial side?
We often say
that there are
problems in all
jobs involving
human beings and
that we must
look at them as
opportunities to
learn and
improve. In this
particular case,
the main
challenge we
have is that we
prioritize the
dissemination of
the works of
Allan Kardec,
especially
The Gospel
According to
Spiritism
and The
Spirits’ Book.
We offer them at
a very low
price, so that
readers who
wouldn’t
normally afford
those books have
an opportunity
to buy. Or in
many cases
people buy and
donate the
books. Those
books are in
fact subsidized
by other IDE’s
publications,
such as novels
and books of
messages. I take
this opportunity
to remind people
of a campaign we
launched quite a
while ago,
called “Your
opportunity to
give something
back”. That is
what it said:
Reciprocate all
the happiness
Spirism has
provided to you
by disseminating
it through
The Gospel
According to
Spiritism.
You can do that
by giving it to
people you know
to be in need or
simply
“forget them”
in busy places,
such as:
hospitals,
hotels, cinemas,
buses, doctor
surgeries,
or wherever your
intuition
suggest. And you
may rest assured
that the
Spiritist
Benefactors will
know how to use
that sublime
tool.
There are many
people who still
do that, in
silence and
anonymously.
What particular
experience or
event would you
like to
highlight from
your experience
in Spiritism?
I can say that
my work in
Spiritism,
currently
focusing in
helping the
dissemination of
the Teachings
through the
publication of
books, is
frequently
marked by
surprising and
even astonishing
events. The
spirits helps us
all the time.
Without them it
would be very
difficult to go
ahead with such
an important
task. I am
amazed by all
the instances
when I get the
inspiration to
do something, or
by the
“coincidences”.
That helps me
get more and
more confident
on the support
of the workers
in the Spirit
World.
What would you
like to
highlight from
your experience
at the IDE?
I can only
highlight the
work of all the
volunteers and
employees of the
organization.
They are all
great friends
and truly
responsible for
the success of
my
administration
ahead of this
Spiritist
organisation.
Is there
anything else
you would like
to add?
Only to repeat
what we all
know: that by
working to help
other people we
learn to live
life, to
understand it
and to love it.
I would like to
thank you for
the opportunity
to say a few
words about this
organisation,
where I am glad
to contribute
with my work.
