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Literary
Criticism
The Fisherman of
Souls
Author: Bishop
Eusebius Sintra
(Spirit)
Medium: Valter
Turini
Publisher: O
Clarim
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A historical
novel has always
drawn attention
especially for
us Spiritists
when it portrays
episodes
experienced by
early Christians
and even more
for being a
mediumistic
novel written by
a Spirit
which may
feature an air
of revelation.
However, not all
that glitters is
gold. This is
the case of the
book "O Pescador
de Almas (The
Fisherman of
Souls)."
The spiritual
writer Monsignor
Eusebio Sintra
abuses of
detailed
descriptions of
heinous crimes
or abuses of
power committed
by the
characters,
parading
throughout pages
and pages bloody
brutal images
that even causes
discomfort at
times. What for?
So have we not
learned through
Chico Xavier's
mediumistic pen
in the words of
the
Spirit Andre
Luiz that evil
does not deserve
comment?
Quoting events
added to the
storytelling
even if
unpleasant is
part of any
novel narrative;
but exploiting
the events with
detailed
descriptions is
not of very good
taste in
literature that
should be
lifting moment
to readers.
Nonsense is how
we define the
spiritual
author's
insistence on
using whole
phrases and
words in Latin,
including
character names
and every day
greetings,
forcing the
reader to a
tedious exercise
of having all
the time to
resort to the
bottom of the
pages looking
for translation.
We could be
spared from
that.
The novel is set
in the ancient
Roman Empire
during Nero's
rule and brings
the description
of facts of the
famous fire of
Rome. And here
is a profound
question: the
spiritual author
is at odds with
the research of
historians and
contradicts the
revelations and
descriptions
made by the
Spirit
Emmanuel through
the medium Chico
Xavier in his
book "Paul and
Stephen."As the
universality of
the teachings is
the authority of
the spiritual
messages, common
sense tells us
to stay with
historians and
Emmanuel.
Now, here are
some excerpts
from the book:
"Oh, blessed
Master Jesus!
Deign to look at
the miseries of
this cruel
world! Behold,
Lord, what men's
evil has done to
this child! Pour
on her Your
Light! Return
her to health,
restore reason
to her! - he
then extends his
hands over
Susanna's face
who, at the
slightest touch
of Rufus's
fingertips,
utters a soft
moan and stirs
in bed"(page
153).
Rufus is the
Christian worker
with healing
power. Despite
being a Roman,
the prayer made
by him is more
like that of a
Pharisee priest
and, in modern
days, that of
many pastors of
Protestant
churches.
"... That is why
the Spirit's
evolution is so
hard! It is
based on the
experiences, on
trials and
errors! That is
how the divine
pedagogy works:
through harsh
and cruel
punishments
backed by the
constant
presence of pain
slowly trimming
the chaff from
the being; it
tirelessly goes
on in the
sequence of
incarnations
that follow
until the
Spirit, at the
end of his
journey and
finally stripped
of all animality,
becomes
completely
humanised, wise
and shining the
light!"(Page
193).
It is a literary
and doctrinaire
gem...
fake though!
Have we not yet
reached the
human kingdom?
Are we not
humankind? And
will we
tirelessly
suffer pain to
the end of our
spiritual
progress? But
does Spiritism
not teach us
that God our
Father is all
goodness,
righteousness
and love?
The same ballad
about the pain
and suffering is
present on page
237 and makes it
even worse: we
learn that for
the pains caused
by passion there
is no atonement:
"All we can do
is leave them
aching, eating
us inside out,
consuming us
ruthlessly like
horrific cancers
until they kill
us without the
slightest
mercy!".
It gives us the
impression that
the author is a
supporter of
romantic tragedy
so fashionable
in the 19th
century and
which led so
many young
people to
suicide.
In Chapter 14
the author
describes the
sacrifice of
Christians in
the Roman circus
(noting that,
according to
historians and
Emmanuel, the
circus was also
devoured by the
fire, so the
first sacrifices
of Christians
could not have
taken place
there). All of
them die in the
clutches of
hungry lions or
burned stuck
onto poles to
the delight of
the audience.
They are then
welcomed by the
Master Jesus and
here's what
follows:
"Then, they
appeared happy
and smiling from
all sides of the
plain, all who
had been
tortured at
Circus Maximus
and joined in
singing
magnificent hymn
of praise to the
Noble Master of
Nazareth who met
with them there"
(page 262).
All Christians?
But had they not
just died
tragically?
Would they all
be spiritualized
by the simple
fact that they
espoused the
Christian faith?
It is known that
the first
moments after
the death of the
body are
accompanied by a
disturbance
stage whose
duration and
depth varies
from
Spirit to
Spirit, but that
does not seem to
be valid for
those Christians
killed in the
Roman arena, for
they "all"
seemed to be
conscious, happy
and they even
sang magnificent
tune to honour
Jesus Christ.
Still in further
description of
the encounter,
we read
"And when all
was consummated,
all those
spirits joined
hands and
circled the
Divine Master
who, like a
pastor firmly
guiding his
sheep, rose to
infinity turning
eventually into
a magnificent
sun surrounded
by diamond stars
like a
constellation
full of
luminescence
reaching
inconceivable
heights"(Page
262).
What kind of
portrayal is
that? Then the
Planetary
Governor, our
Master Jesus,
abandons his
mission and
turns into a sun
somewhere in the
universe?
In chapter 15
pages 286 and
287 there is a
description
worthy of the
best science
fiction and, of
course,
completely
unlikely and
inconsistent
with the
spiritist
teachings and
everything we
know about the
return to the
spiritual world
after death. The
character named
Flavius
cowardly murders
the character
Iulius in an
ambush and soon
after,
remorseful, he
commits suicide.
Instantaneously
displaced from
the physical
body, he sees
the rival in
Spirit next to
him and the two
begin a fight of
"life or death"
scrambling among
punches and then
they start a
mutual
obsession. It is
amazing how the
spiritual
author's
capacity of
disregarding the
disembodiment
process.
And to make
things even
worse, two
spirits of good
watch
everything, and
one of them is
Suzanna who had
been hideously
killed by Iulius,
having sworn her
hatred before
taking her last
breath in the
physical body.
And there she is
present in the
scene trying
to
protect her
beloved
Flavius. In
other words,
once more death
means nothing;
and no matter
what kind of
death. Just die
and have all the
full powers in
the spiritual
world. And as
Suzanna espoused
the Christian
faith, thereupon
she becomes a
protector
spirit.
The spirit that
accompanies her
named Drusilla “takes
her in her arms
and lifts off
disappearing,
then, like a
light beam.”
The author
definitely
appreciates
special effects.
Moreover, we
think that the
story lacks the
action of the
Spirits and more
depth in the
Christian
message that
pervades the
narrative.
Besides, it is
of dubious taste
to describe the
indignation
thoughts some of
the characters
have about the
others.
Marcus De Mario
is a teacher and
writer. He is
director of the
Brazilian
Institute of
Moral Education
and collaborator
at the Humildade
e Amor Spiritist
Society in the
city of Rio de
Janeiro.
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