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Mauro Karl (photo) was
born into a Spiritist
family in the city of
Petropolis, where he
acts as a coordinator of
events gathering young
people in the region. In
this interview, he talks
about one of the main
such events, known by
its acronym COMEERJ – a
gathering of Youth
Spiritist Groups from
Rio de Janeiro state.
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Tell us a bit more about
your first steps as a
Spiritist and your work
as a volunteer. |
Divine Providence
allowed me the
opportunity of being
born into a Spiritist
family. I was brought up
with Spiritism from a
very young age and
naturally got engaged in
Youth Movements. The
seeds planted through
this incarnation bore
fruit and I found in the
Gospel According to
Spiritism the path of my
life. It provided me
with the tools needed
for self-enlightenment,
which drove me towards
working with young
people, helping find the
Teachings as I did. I
began working at Uniao
Municipal Espirita de
Petropolis at a young
age and I am still
there, helping
organising local events
for young Spiritists.
What is COMEERJ and how
it began?
It all began with a
group of enthusiastic
and dedicated Spiritists
who travelled the
country in the 1970s and
took part in youth
gathering in other
Brazilian states. Our
first meeting in Rio de
Janeiro state took place
in 1978. COMEERJ is an
opportunity to
experience, as much as
we can at this stage,
how life will be in the
next phase of
development of the
planet, known as
Regeneration. Young
people meet during the
carnival holidays (which
are hugely popular in
Brazil) following five
basic principles:
fellowship,
spirituality, the
construction of good on
Earth, disseminating
Spiritism and investing
in human resources.
Young people who have
attended regularly
Spiritist groups for at
least two years are
allowed to join for the
four-day period. We
usually meet, sleep,
study and eat in state
school buildings empty
during the holidays.
Getting 200 young men
and women locked up
during the four days of
carnival is quite a
challenge? Why on Earth
do they go back the year
after?
That is a question we
often hear from friends
and relatives. Everyone
else is getting ready to
travel for the holidays
and have fun, while we
are getting together for
the event. We sleep on
mattresses on the floor,
eat at the canteen,
queue up for showers and
study most of the day.
It is difficult to
persuade those who have
never taken part to join
us, but I always say
that it is such an
amazing experience,
better than anything
else you will do during
the year. I often tell
young people: make sure
you take part of a
COMEERJ at least once in
your lifetime. The
emotions and experiences
you live there will stay
with you forever.
What is the difference,
from an educational
point of view, between
this event and other
religious gatherings for
young people?
I believe the difference
here is the opportunity
to actually live the
Gospel teachings,
training for life in the
world of the future, the
regenerated planet. We
are given four days to
get rid of our
insensibility,
egocentric feelings and
to find a true brother
in those sitting next to
us, whatever his social
background. We learn to
deal with our feelings
together, we laugh and
cry together. To reach
this goal, COMEERJ
workers have freedom to
choose the activities
they will take to the
group. One of the tools
commonly used is the
arts. We see young
people as a Spirit who
has been through many
incarnations and is rich
in experiences. As such,
they are encouraged to
take an active part in
the process.
How do you combine
discipline and freedom
in a four-day-long
gathering of more than
200 young people? It is
a huge responsibility,
no?
Yes, it is a huge
responsibility. The
parents are fully aware
of the challenges of
educating and giving
discipline to their
children. You imagine
that with such a large
group. Young people must
understand that our
meetings are not summer
clubs. We have clear
objectives, agreed with
the Spiritual
Benefactors of whom we
are humble good will
workers. The
coordinators at COMEERJ
meetings have a duty to
keep order and
discipline, making sure
everyone follow the
guidelines agreed –
modest dressing, no
swearing, timekeeping
and punctuality etc.
That way we also help
develop discipline and
responsibility among the
young men and women
attending the event. All
that is done without
supressing their
liberty, based on mutual
respect, in an exercise
of Christian
citizenship.
Can you say that young
Spiritist who go to
those meetings develop
into a different
Spiritist adult?
Absolutely!
How does the Spiritual
World, the Benefactors,
influence and manifest
during COMEERJ
meetings?
We can feel their
influence in the
planning stages, in all
the intuition and
inspiration we get, when
similar or complimentary
ideas come up to
different people and are
then put together to
make up a whole piece.
We also feel their help
when we face problems
and challenges. And in
many situations they
appear in a more
ostensive manner, in our
dreams and in messages
during our mediumship
meetings. We do not feel
abandoned at any stage
of the event. All this
evidence also reminds us
that we are not really
in charge of the
process; Our Lord Jesus
Christ is in fact the
one in charge.
Finally, what advice do
you give to those
working in the
evangelisation of young
people in the Spiritist
Movement?
That we all continue to
work and to improve to
fulfil the promise of
evangelise Brazil, a
country that has been
given a special place
and role, where the tree
of Christ’s Gospel
should bear fruits for
the whole planet. Yes,
we do believe in the
relevance of special
events such as COMEERJ,
but we should pay full
attention to the work
with young people in
Spiritist Centres on a
regular basis. Young
people must be given the
opportunity to join the
path of good, they must
be aware that they are
our future, here and
now, as the great
Benefactor Dr Bezerra de
Menezes keeps reminding
us.