Adolfo Bezerra de
Menezes Caval-canti was born in the old
neighborhood of Freguesia do Riacho de
Sangue (Stream of Blood), today
Solonopole, in Ceara, Brazil, on
August 29th, 1831. He died in Rio de
Janeiro, on April 11th, 1900.
In the year of 1838, Adolfo Bezerra de
Menezes Cavalcanti, started studying
at the public school of the Friar's
Villa, where in only ten months he
sufficiently prepared himself to reach
the degree of knowledge of his master,
who was responsible to guide his first
educational phase. At a very early
age, he revealed to be extremely
intelligent. When he was eleven years
old he was able to commence the course
on Humanities. At thirteen he knew
Latin so well that he not only gave
classes to his colleagues, but also
was called to replace his teacher
every time he had to be absent.
His father, Antonio Bezerra de
Menezes, was captain of the old
militias and lieutenant - colonel of
the National Guard; he was a stern man,
extremely honest and of irreproachable
character. His wealth was derived from
his cattle’s farm. He spent large sums
of money in politics and in the
assistance of friends and relatives,
because of his good-natured heart.
Those people, however, only looked for
him in order to exploit his charitable
feelings, and he ended up compromising
his fortune. Upon realizing that his
debts equaled his possessions, he
expressed to his creditors his
intention of giving them everything
that he owned, in order to pay off the
debt. The creditors, being his friend,
refused to accept such a proposal,
replying that he could pay them when
and how he wanted.
In spite of the insistence of the
elderly honest man, his creditors didn’t
change their minds. Mr. Antonio
Bezerra de Menezes proposed them to
remain as the administrator of what
one day was his fortune, only using
from it the strictly necessary for the
maintenance of his family, who changed
from a previous comfortable condition
to a life of privations.
Encouraged by the firm purpose of
being guided by his father's honest
character, Bezerra de Menezes, with a
reduced amount of money, given to him
by his relatives, was taken by the
firm purpose of overcoming all
obstacles and headed to Rio de Janeiro
in order to follow the career that his
vocation inspired him to pursue:
Medicine.
In November of 1852, he entered as
intern resident at the Mercy Hospital.
He graduated from the College of
Medicine of Rio de Janeiro, in 1856,
presenting a doctorate thesis about:
“Diagnosis of Cancer." It was when he
started to sign only Adolfo Bezerra de
Menezes. On April 27th, 1857, he
applied for a position of titular
member of the Imperial Academy of
Medicine, presenting the work: "Some
Considerations on Cancer under its
treatment perspective." The designated
reporter, Academic José Pereira Rego,
read the result on May 11th, 1857, and
the election took place on May 18th of
the same year, and he assumed the
position in June 1st. In 1858 he
applied to a position, as substitute,
in the Area of Surgery in the College
of Medicine. Due to the recommendation
given by his teacher Manoel Feliciano
Pereira de Carvalho, at the time Chief
Surgeon of the Army, Bezerra de
Menezes was named his assistant,
assuming the position of Surgeon -
Lieutenant.
In 1861 Bezerra de Menezes was elected
the municipal representative of the
Liberal Party, however the
conservative chief, Haddock Lobo,
under the allegation of him being a
military doctor, refuted his
indication. With the purpose of
serving his Party, that needed him in
order to obtain majority in the Camera,
Bezerra de Menezes decided to retire
from the Army. In 1867, he was elected
General Deputy, and he was still
present in three other lists for a
position in the Senate.
During his political career, injurious
rumors and accusations were acclaimed
against him. As it happens with all
honest politicians, a torrent of
offenses covered his name with insults.
However, the test of purity of his
soul was given, when, abandoning the
public life, he decided to live for
the poor, distributing with the
needful the little that he possessed.
He was always ready to assist the need
ones; wherever there was an illness to
combat, he would take to the afflicted
the comfort of his kind words, the
resource of the doctor's science and
the aid of his scarce but yet generous
purse.
Temporarily retired from the political
activity, he dedicated himself to
entrepreneurial issues, creating the
Company of Railroad Macae Campos, in
Rio de Janeiro. Later, he dedicated to
the construction of the railroad of S.
Antonio of Padua, a necessary stage to
his, not succeeded desire, to make it
reach the Rio Doce. He was one of the
directors of the Architectural Company
that in 1872 opened the “Boulevard
September 28,” in the then
neighborhood of Vila Isabel, whose
name was given to render homage to
Princess Isabel. In 1875, he was
president of Company Carril S.
Cristovão.
Returning to politics, he was elected
municipal representative in 1876,
exercising the mandate up to 1880. He
was also president of the Chamber and
General Deputy for the County of Rio
de Janeiro, in the year of 1880.
Dr. Carlos Travassos had undertaken
the task of translating Allan Kardec's
works, reaching a good result with the
Portuguese version of "The Spirits’
Book.” As soon as the translation was
published he gave a copy of the book
to the deputy Bezerra de Menezes -
with a special dedication. The fact
was described by the future “Doctor of
the Poor” as follows: “He gave me the
book in the city, and I lived in
Tijuca, about an hour away from
streetcar. I was carrying the book
with me and since I did not have
anything else to read during the trip
I said, well, why not! I will
certainly not go to hell for reading
this... And after all, it will be
embarrassing to have to declare myself
ignorant regarding this philosophy,
when I have been dedicating myself to
the study of all philosophical schools.
With this thought, I opened the book
and I immediately became fascinated by
it – in the same way that happened to
me when I read the Bible. I kept on
reading, but I couldn’t find anything
that was new for my Spirit. However,
all that was new for me!... I had
already read or heard everything that
was in the "The Spirits’ Book.” I was
quite amazed with that wonderful fact
and I said to myself: it seems that I
was a spiritist without knowing it, or
as people usually say, I was born a
spiritist.”
On August 16th, 1886, an audience of
about two thousand of the finest
people in town filled the room of
honor of the Old Guard, in the Old
Guard Street, current May 13th Avenue,
in Rio de Janeiro, to hear in silence,
excited, amazed, the wise word of the
eminent politician, the eminent doctor,
the eminent citizen, the eminent
Catholic, Dr. Bezerra de Menezes
proclaiming his decision to became
Spiritist.
Bezerra was a religious person in the
highest sense. Its pen, from that
point on, from the first signed
article in January of 1887, was put
to the service of the religious
aspect of Spiritism. He demonstrated
his literary ability in the
philosophical and religious aspect,
either through excerpts or through
evangelical studies. Because of that,
the Commission of Dissemination of the
Spiritist Union of Brazil, assigned
him to write every Sunday in the
newspaper "O Paiz," the series of "Philosophical
Studies,” under the title "Spiritism."
Senator Quintino Bocaiúva, director of
this most read newspaper in Brazil
became sympathetic with Spiritism.
The articles of Max, pseudonym of
Bezerra de Menezes, marked the golden
time of the spiritist dissemination in
Brazil. From November 1886 to December
1893, he wrote enthusiastically and
continuously.
The bibliography of Bezerra de
Menezes, before and after his change
to Spiritism,
is consisted of the following works: "
The Slavery in Brazil and the measures
that are deem to take for its
extinction - without damage for the
Nation,” “Brief considerations on the
droughts of the North,” “The Haunted
House,” “Madness under a New Prism,”
Spiritism as a Teogonic Philosophy,”
“Marriage and Shroud,” “Black Pearl,”
“Lazarus-- the Leper,” “History of a
Dream,” and “Gospel of the Future.” He
also wrote several biographies of
famous men, such as the Viscount of
Uruguay, the Viscount of Carvalas,
etc. He was one of the editors of “The
Reform,” a liberal organ of the Court,
and editor of the newspaper “Sentry of
Freedom.”
Bezerra de Menezes referred to the
medical activity with the highest
regard, “A doctor is not entitled to
finish a meal, nor to ask if it is far
or near, when an afflicted person
knocks on the door. Those who do not
help because they are entertaining
guests or because they have worked
long hours and are tired, or because
it is too late at night, bad road or
bad weather, because is far or is on
the top of the hill, or above all,
those who ask for a car for those who
have not even resources to pay for the
prescription, or that say to those who
are crying at their door to seek for
another doctor -- those are not
doctors, but rather medicine dealers,
who work for the income and to pay off
their college debts.
Those are unfortunates who send to
others the angel of charity that came
to pay them a visit and that brought
to them the only source that could
satiate their thirsty of Spiritual
wealth, the only that will never get
lost in the sways of life.”
--o0o—
In 1883, a
dispersive atmosphere prevailed in the
core of the Brazilian Spiritism and
those who directed the spiritist
nuclei in Rio de Janeiro felt the need
of a betterstructured union, and for
this very reason a stronger one.
The Spiritist Centers worked in an
autonomous way. Each one of them
exercised its activity in a certain
way, without having knowledge of the
activities developed by the others.
This feeling led them to the
foundation of the Brazilian Spiritist
Federation. At those days the number
of Spiritist Centers were already
expressive, but the only ones that
maintained the hegemony of direction
were four: "Academic," "Fraternity," "Spiritist
Union of Brazil," and "Brazilian
Spiritist Federation," however, soon
appeared among them alive discords.
Under the auspices of Bezerra de
Menezes, and accepting the “instructions”
received from the spiritual plane by
the medium Frederico Junior, the
famous “Spiritist Center” was founded.
This, however, didn't hinder Bezerra
to continue collaborating with all
other institutions. The Spiritists'
enthusiasm soon faded, and the old
worker saw himself abandoned by his
companions, reaching the point of
being the only participant of the
Center. The quarrels were deep among
the so-called "mystics" and "scientific,"
that is to say, Spiritists who only
accepted Spiritism in its religious
aspect, and those who only accepted
its scientific and philosophical
aspect.
In 1893, the convulsion provoked in
Brazil by the Revolt of the Army,
resulted in the closing of all
spiritist societies or other societies.
At Christmas time of that same year,
Bezerra ended the series of
“Philosophical Studies” that he had
been publishing in the “O Paiz.”
In 1894, signs of improvement could be
seen and the name of Bezerra de
Menezes was reminded as the only one
capable of uniting the spiritist
movement. The tireless worker, with 63
years of age, assumed the presidency
of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation,
position that he occupied until his
death.
The year of 1900 was just beginning
and Bezerra de Menezes suffered a
strong brain stroke that kept him in
bed, from where he would never recover.
A true pilgrimage of visitors went to
his house. Sometimes, rich people were
seemed there, other times poor
individuals; he was visited by the
opulent as well as by those who
possessed nothing. Nobody ignored the
tremendous struggle lived by the great
apostle's of Spiritism family.
Everyone knew of his financial
difficulties, but no one would have
the courage to offer any assistance,
in a direct way. Because of that, the
visitors deposited their contribution,
daintily, under his pillow. The
following day, a person that was
changing his pillowcase was surprised
in seeing there the money of the poor
and the large notes of the wealthy!...
--o0o--
Upon his death, a
true pilgrimage went to his residence
in order to pay him homage.
On April 17th, under the initiative of
Leopoldo Cirne, a group of Bezerra’s
friends gathered in order to decide
what would be the best way to assist
Bezerra’s family. They decided to form
a commission directed by senator
Quintino Bocaiuva's, to promote shows
and concerts, in benefit of the family
of the one who deserved the cognomen
of "Brazilian" Kardec.
--o0o--
Worthy of
mentioning is something that occurred
to Dr. Bezerra de Menezes, when he was
still a student of Medicine. He was
facing serious financial difficulties,
needing fifty thousand reis (old
Brazilian currency), to pay his
college tuition, his rent and other
important expenses. His landlord was
threatening to evict him without any
further consideration.
Desperate -- one of the rare times in
which Bezerra felt despair – yet
filled with faith, he raised his eyes
to the on High and appealed to God.
Few days after someone knocked at his
door. It was a nice and refined young
man who intended to hire him for some
private Mathematics lessons. At first,
Bezerra refused alleging that Mat was
the subject that he disliked most, but
the visitor insisted and finally, upon
thinking about his desperate situation
he agreed.
The young man
expressed his desire to pay for the
classes in advance, and although
Bezerra was reluctant to accept, he
ended up agreeing with that. The young
man gave him the amount of fifty
thousand reis. They agreed on the day
and hour for the beginning of the
classes, and the visitor left -
leaving Bezerra very happy and
relieved, because he would be able to
pay his rent and college tuition.
Bezerra looked for books in the public
library to prepare himself for the
classes, but the young man never
returned for the lessons.
In the year of 1894, in face of the
disagreements prevailing in the core
of the Brazilian Spiritism, some
companions, headed by Dr. Bittencourt
Sampaio, decided to invite Bezerra to
assume the presidency of the Brazilian
Spiritist Federation.
Bezerra was very reluctant to accept
that thorny responsibility, and the
following conversation took place:
--They want me to go back to the
Federation. As you all know that old
society is without president and
totally disoriented. Instead of
engaging in the systematic study of
Spiritism or the Gospel, it lives to
discuss Byzantine thesis and to feed
the spirit of hegemony.
--The worker of the vineyard,
Bittencourt Sampaio said, is always
assisted. The Federation can be wrong
regarding its doctrinal ways, but it
is engaged in the work of assistance
to the needful, that is reason enough
for it to attract the sympathy of the
Lord’s servants.
--I agree. But the work of assistance
to the needful is adopting exclusively
Homeopathy in the treatment of the
sick ones, a therapeutic that me and
my family follow and that I also
recommend to friends, and I am not a
homeopathic doctor. This in fact has
been creating serious difficulties in
my career, turning me into an useless
doctor, one that doesn't believe in
the official medicine and that tells
others to follow the Spirits’ advices,
which hinder my right to exercise my
profession.
--And why don't you become a
homeopathic doctor? Bittencourt asked.
--I have no knowledge of Homeopathy. I
utilize the one of the Spirits and not
that of the doctors.
At that point, the spiritual medium
Frederico Junior, channeling the
Spirit of Saint Augustine, said:
--It is better this way. It will be
easier for us to help you in the
treatment of our siblings.
--How, kind Spirit? Are you suggesting
that I make my living out of Spiritism?
--Of course not! You will live of your
profession, giving to your patients
the fruit of your human knowledge,
studying Homeopathy as our friend
Bittencourt suggested. We will help
you in another way: Bringing you,
whenever you need, new pupils of
Mathematics... |