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Tell us about
your early days
in Spiritism. |
My first contact
was when I was
17 and already
dated by current
wife. She used
to attend an
Umbanda
[Afro-Brazilian
religion] Group.
When I changed
jobs I met
someone who
attended a
Spiritist Centre
and he began
giving me Allan
Kardec books.
The first one
was The
Spirits’ Book,
followed by the
other books that
make up the
codification of
Spiritism. I
began attending
a Spiritist
Centre in São
Paulo, but when
it closed I
continued
studying on my
own. When it
reopened, I
began attending
the meetings
again and got
more and more
involved, until
I was invited
for talks, to
join the board
of directors and
eventually
became its
president.
You have a
Master’s Degree
in Religion
Sciences from
PUC, a Catholic
University in
São Paulo. Your
dissertation was
entitled “Unite
to Disseminate –
the impact of
the regional
bodies on the
growth of
Spiritism”. How
was it to deal
with such an
issue in a
Catholic
environment?
It was fine. The
area of Religion
Sciences at PUC
in São Paulo is
very open for
research on
Brazilian
religious
issues. There is
a vast number of
works on
Afro-Brazilian
religions
published. I
suggested
investigating
the impact of
the Spiritism
and the
Spiritist
Movement on
Brazilian
society. The
proposal was
approved and I
received a grant
from the
Brazilian
government. The
only problem I
found is they
had a negative
perception of
Spiritist
students. They
believed at the
university that
Spiritst
students were
arrogant and
believed that
they had access
to the truth,
being there
simply to show
it, rather than
treating the
object of the
study as a
hypothesis to be
proved. I am
glad I have
managed to
overcome that
perception
during the
course. I have
now great
friends both
among PUC
students and
lecturers.
Your study was
eventually
published as a
book. Would it
be possible for
you to sum up
the main points
of your
research?
As a researcher
I wanted to
understand why
Spiritist
leaders in
Brazil were in
denial about the
real number of
Spiritists in
the country. The
Brazilian
Spiritist
Federation, FEB,
says there are
tens of millions
of Spiritists in
Brazil, while
the 2010 census
showed there
were fewer than
3 million [in a
country of about
200 million
people]. I came
to the
conclusion that
3 million is a
very sizeable
number if you
compare with
other groups. We
are the third
biggest religion
in Brazil. I
also
demonstrated
that Spiritists
have had a very
important impact
on Brazilian
society,
bringing about
important
actions and
positive
attitudes. I
also told the
story of
Spiritism in
France, Brazil
and the state of
São Paulo, its
expansion in
Brazil and the
reasons that
contributed to
that. And
finally I
discussed the
role played by
Spiritist
regional bodies,
such as USE in
São Paulo, in
the growth of
Spiritism in
Brazil, looking
into their
positive aspects
and where they
have failed. My
conclusion was
that there are a
number of
unsolved and
badly resolved
issues that have
damaged the
coherence and
objectivity
needed to
disseminate
Spiritism.
As a researcher,
do you agree
that there is a
growth in
Spiritist
studies in
Brazilian
universities?
Absolutely.
There are many
interesting
studies being
concluded and
published. We
need to access
all that
research and
assess what we
will be able to
use to improved
Spiritist
activities and
services, or
simply
understand
better the
Spiritist
Movement. But
there is room
for research
focusing on the
diversity within
the Spiritist
Movement in
Brazil, a
country with
such diversity.
The impact of
Spiritism in
Brazilian
society is much
bigger than
imagined and it
will be possible
to measure that
through serious
research in
universities or
by other people
who study the
Spirtist
Movement. We
must, however,
always apply
common sense to
our studies, as
well as the
proper approach
and a sound
theoretical
base, producing
knowledge with
method as Allan
Kardec did. I
believe we are
still attached
to behaviour and
habits from a
gone-by era,
which developed
in a different
world. Spiritism
has developed in
Brazil under
strong Catholic
influence and
mentality,
because of the
history of our
people. We need
to identify and
destroy certain
models and
practices, which
we cannot see
unless we
distance
ourselves from
the situation.
And that is
possible when we
carry out
well-structured
research.
What else would
you like to add?
We are the
nation with the
greatest number
of Spiritists in
the world. We
have strong
organisations,
consolidated and
fully committed
to the
dissemination of
Spiritism.
Spiritism in
Brazil is an
immensely rich
phenomenon if
you take into
account the
possibilities it
opens for living
in peace, for
the production
of culture and
for the cultural
development of a
people who can
play a very
important role
in the future of
the society in
this world. May
each one of us
strive to study
and put into
practice in full
what we manage
to understand of
the Spiritist
Teachings,
unveiled by the
higher Spirits
more than a
century ago,
when humankind
reach a stage a
material and
scientific
development that
requires that we
are more
responsible for
what we do, for
other people and
for the world we
live in.
The dissertation
mention in this
interview is
available on
line on the
following link:
http://migre.me/wgt3g
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