Luciano Pinheiro Klein Filho (photo), a History teacher at the Military School, with degrees in Geology, Business Administration and History, is a volunteer worker at the João, o Evangelista (John, the Evangelist) Spiritist Centre in Fortaleza, the capital of the north-eastern Brazilian State of Ceará. He is also a member of the Bezerra de Menezes Memorial (MEBEM) and the current president of the Spiritist Federation of Ceará State. He has published a new biography of Dr Adolfo Bezerra de Menezes, the great pioneer of Spiritism and native of Ceará, who became known as The Doctor of the Poor for his immense charitable work. In the following interview, he discusses the new book, which has had a huge impact in Brazil. 

Where does your passion for History and research come from?

From an early age I was passionate about History. I began to work on research in the 1990s after finishing my post graduate degree in History and when I decided to focus on my career as a teacher.  

Your interest in Spiritist research must come from that too.

Exactly. Thanks, especially, to the encouragement of an old friend, Aldemir Souza, who taught me History at university. He was a Spiritist and suggested that I began serious research to eventually write about the history of Spiritism in the state of Ceará. I took his advice and I’ve never looked back. 

Which period of the history of Spiritism in Brazil strikes you in particular?

It’s a phase that I call “proto-Spiritist”, which are the table-turning phenomena that took place in Brazil in the 1850s. That was at the same time or even before it was happening in Europe, prompting the beginning of Allan Kardec’s research on Spiritism. There are many gaps in the history of that period and the following decade in Brazil and the role played by many pioneers of that era has been all but forgotten by the Spiritist Movement. 

After all that tireless research effort, checking facts, dates and stories, how do you feel as your discoveries progress?

It’s something that generates an indescribable good feeling and an amazing sensation, which is provided by the Spiritual Benefactors. I remember situations when I saw myself celebrating a new, unexpected discovery from my research like a football fan celebrating his team scoring a goal. 

What is the main finding of your book about Bezerra de Menezes?

There are many, many new important findings. But I would highlight the almost archaeological effort of establishing the identities of all of Dr Bezerra’s children in his two marriages. He had two children, Adolfo and Antônio, from his first marriage with Maria Cândida, who passed away prematurely at the age of 19, in 1863. From his second marriage, with Cândida Augusta de Lacerda (affectionately known in the family as Dodoca) 14 children were born and I was able to name them all. One of them, Antônia Bezerra de Menezes, was actually adopted by them shortly after her birth in 1867. She was a slave who was freed at birth by Dr Bezerra’s father-in-law. From all those children, however, only seven were still alive when Dr Bezerra, The Doctor of the Poor, returned to Spirit in 1900. 

Tell us a bit more about the book.

With the title of “Bezerra de Menezes, o Homem, seu Tempo e sua Missão” (Bezerra de Menezes, the Man, His Times and His Mission), it was published in 2021, marking his 190th birthday. The book has 1,192 pages, 17 chapters and it has been selling very well. I’ve tried to understand and portray Bezerra de Menezes as a man of his times, in the 1800s in Brazil. 

What impressed you the most during this research work, which has gone on for decades?

I was amazed by the way and the circumstances in which we came across some of the documents during the research, as well as the kindness of all the relatives of Dr Bezerra in Rio de Janeiro and Ceará. I must admit that after 37 years of Spiritism, if I still had any doubts about the presence of the Spirits around us, those doubts would have been irrevocably dissipated by the experiences I went through. Without the help of the Spiritual Benefactors I could never have found some key documents. I could write a whole new book just to describe those experiences. 

After publishing a book of such relevance, if you had the opportunity to say something to Bezerra in person, what would that be? Another question or a display of gratitude?

I would only thank him for having allowed me to research his life. As the generous and humble Spirit that he is, I’m sure he would have preferred that many facts and achievements unveiled by the book remained forgotten in time. On the other hand, I felt that all of us who have benefited from his immense love had a duty to bring to light his life journey, as an example to all of us. 

Interviewer’s note: 

I have selected a few relevant online transmissions concerning Luciano Klein’s research work (in Portuguese): 

1 – As author of a preface for the work of Luciano, by Samuel Magalhães: live-1

2 – Celebration of the 190th birthday of Bezerra de Menezes during event in Matão, São Paulo, with Luciano Klein e Jorge Fontelles: live-2

3 – About Luciano Klein’s research work, by Jorge Fontelles: live-3

4 – With Luciano Klein, discussing his book “Bezerra de Menezes, o Homem, seu Tempo e sua Missão” for the Mansão do Caminho channel: live-4