O Consolador: Where do you currently live? 

I live in a small village called Hollola, which is located around 100 km far from Finland’s capital Helsinki. 

O Consolador: Why did you move to this place? 

I moved there because of work.

O Consolador: What is your professional background? 

I am a mechanic engineer. 

O Consolador: What is your current task in the Spiritist movement?

I translate spiritist publications and articles to Finnish, helping to disseminate the Spiritist Doctrine in my country. 

O Consolador: When did you have the first contact with Spiritism? 

When I visited a Spiritist Centre in 2004. 

O Consolador: Was there any particular fact or circumstance that has promoted this contact? 

I used to work for a multinational company during the 8 years that I lived in Brazil. I have heard a few times about people that had contact with spirits. I also had the opportunity to witness that. This is very peculiar for a Finnish engineer, I would promptly classify the event as a joke or a hoax if I have not personally testified the authencity of the phenomenon. At that time my wife and I were dating. When we talked about it, she mentioned that this subject was seriously studied by several spiritist centres.

My mother in law suggested me to visit a spiritist centre and attend to a lecture. And so, with a bit of curiosity , I went to a spiritist centre for the first time. I remember that I could not understand much, due to my Portuguese knowledge, but it didn’t matter because my wife and her mother would provide me with explanations whenevear needed.

O Consolador: How did your family reacted?  

Actually, my family – who is Finnish- do not understand what Spiritism is. I am translating texts that include religious and philosophical aspects for them. 

O Consolador: Amongst the three Spiritist aspects – science,  philosofy, religion – which one do you like the most? 

I believed in God before I was introduced to the Spiritism. I am sure I was helped by an inexplicable force in some circunstances. However I acted as an atheist as I didn’t believe in the church precepts. Today I believe and I am grateful to God, Jesus and to my mentors.

Therefore, the Spiritism changed my soul. The philosofy aspect is very importat because it provides a logic explaination of where we came from, what we are and what we will be. The scientific part explains things that were previously classified as abnormal. All three aspects are part of a puzzle, when put together they fit perfectlly resulting in an enlightened image. I think that the religious aspect plays the biggest role, as it speaks to the heart. The philosofical part comes second, followed by the scientific aspect. I think that this enlightened image would not be formed if one part was missing. 

O Consolador: Amongst the Spiritist books that you read, which ones would you consider essential for begginners? 

I recommend the following mix of short and enlightening readings: The Spirit’s Book introduction, The Gospel According to the Spiritism - part II, Kardec’s biography by Anna Blackwell. After reading these parts I would suggest two books: The Spirit’s Book (for eventual reading) and another Spiritist book, easier to read. The second book will depend on the interests of each individual. 

O Consolador: Can you mention an unforgettable Spiritist book? 

The Spirit’s Book. It was not easy to study at the beggining but today I understand it a bit better than before. This book gives me strength to face daily challenges, it helps me keeping my self control,  to clarify my mistakes and motivates me to choose the best thoughts and attitudes.  

O Consolador: If you were going to spend some years in a remote place, with restricted access to the Spiritist movement, which books would you take? 

The Spirit’s Book, The Gospel According to Spiritism and Paulo e Estêvão.  

O Consolador: Among the doctrinal differences existent in the spiritual movement, one refers to what we call laic spiritism. What is your view on this subject? 

I am not familiar with laic spiritism or aware of any doctrinal differences. The Spiritist Doctrine is very clear and its main questions are already aligned and explained in the chapter II of The Gospel According to the Spiritism. I think we should not spare time discussing about doctrinal nuances. Instead we should speak less and do more charitable work. This can retard the development of the spiritist movement and was one of Kardec’s major concerns. If we notice something deviating from the Spiritist principles, of course we should clarify the matter. However we must be very careful and respect everyone involved. Before we touch this topic, it is important to stop for a moment and listen to our heart while we ask the following questions: What I am talking about this? What is the reason? Is my comment useful, necessary and constructive? Is my opinion based on a Kardec’s principles? Would I like if someone said the same thing to me?

If we have interest in a doctrinal nuance, we should either study alone or within a group, always following Kardec’s principles. 

O Consolador: In with regards to the healing practice offered by some Spiritist centres, in your opinion, what is the best way to deliver it? 

I think that the simplicity, pure thoughts and the sincere desire to help is what makes the healing practice so effective. In Finland, where I live, there are no Spiritist Centres.

O Consolador: What is your view on abortion? How is this matter dealt with in Finland? 

The legislation, demonstrations and advertising have a limited effect. I think it is important to use all communication channels to disseminate the spiritist knowledge. A person who comprehends the spiritist doctrine in depth does not consider abortion as an option. In Finland abortion is legal and there are around 10.000 cases per year. Naturally the church is against it however many people do not follow what is preached by church.

There is a Pro-Life Association in Finland that demonstrates through pictures how abortion is performed. This association publishes photos on the internet and also display them in public events. I believe these pictures have made some people re-think their decision and therefore I support it, although it can be shocking. To spread out the Spiritist Doctrine and promote public awareness will be more effective. This is how I want to contribute.

O Consolador: Do you have any contact with the Brazilian Spiritist movement? Do you consider it to be active or it could improve the spiritist doctrine dissemination? 

I have a great deal of respect for the Brazilian Spiritist movement. The Spiritism dissemination has been done broadly and professionally through books, magazines, radio, TV and internet. The number of spiritist centres and the amount of charity work done have been increasing. The resources are limited but the faith is abundant. Further than the work done in Brazil, the Brazilian Spiritist movement plays a very important role for the spiritism dissemination in other countries. The International Spiritist Council is a result of this work and it is very important for the spiritist doctrine dissemination worldwide. 

O Consolador: How is the spiritist movement developing in Finland?

The Spiritist movement in Finland is still very restricted.  We still do not have public activities,  we are at the very beggining and intend to revert this situation by raising public awareness. In order to disseminate the doctrine it is essential to know the culture and understand how people think. Finnish people like to study, analize and make up their own minds about things. They do not tolerate when people try to convince them. If we do not choose the right approach, they can get this impression. In my point of view Finnish people are more rational than emotional. They support logic and rational ideas. This is a very positive argument which should be used when spreading out the spiritist doctrine in Finland. Taking this into consideration, we have created a website in Finnish -  http://www.spiritismi.fi/. We want Finnish people to have access to the information and analyze them, without thinking that someone is pushing them.

The website has parts of Kardec’s books translated to Finnish. We normaly have more than 20 people accessing the website daily. Thus, every day we have Finnish people learning about tthe Spiritist Doctrine. We have announced in the website that the Spirit’s Book will be launched in Finnish soon. The International Spiritist Council will sell the book via www.amazon.com, therefore Finish people can buy it online and it will be delivered to their homes. A Brazilian volunteer that lives in Finland is sending weekly newsletters about Spiritist books to some friends. This is very practical and useful, mainly amongst friends.

I have faith that the future holds several surprises that will help us to spread out the Spiritist Doctrine. Each step has to be taken carefully, praying and believing that if we do our best God will, in his divine mercy, help us too. 

O Consolador: Our world already started the regeneration process, as we know. How long do you think that it will take for the Earth to develop into a fully regenerated planet where, according to Saint Agostinho, only love will prevail? 

I hope it happens as soon as possible. However it depends on each individual. The more we work, the soonest this day will come. 

O Consolador: Given the problems that our society is facing, what people responsible for the Spiritist movement worldwide should consider as top priority? 

I believe we should pay more attention to the activities and publications directed to children and youngsters. 

O Consolador: In order to finalise this interview we would like to ask: how important is the Spiritist Doctrine to your life? 

Before knowing the Spiritist Doctrine I made big mistakes. The Spiritism revealed God to me and that He always wants the best for us, even when we fail. Through Spiritism I was able to find myself as well as to improve. My wife is a Spiritist and I believe that was not by coincidence that she took me to a Spiritist centre. My wife and I are blessed to have the Spiritist Doctrine in our lives and we always try to do our best. Sometimes we stumble and for sure it will happen many times, but we always stand up and I believe that with God’s help we always will.