Carlos Campetti:
“We are moved by
a sincere wish
of helping
people
interested in
giving healing
in a productive
and safe manner”
The well-known
Spiritist author
talks about his
most recent
work,
his
motivation to
continue writing
and his
commitments
in
the Spiritist
Movement
|
Carlos Roberto
Campetti (photo)
is the author of
several
Spiritist books.
He was born in
the Brazilian
state of São
Paulo, the son
of a Spiritist
father and a
Catholic mother.
He has lived in
the Brazilian
capital,
Brasília, for
many years. He
has a degree in
Journalism and a
Master in
Business
Administration.
Campetti began
reading the
works
|
of Allan Kardec and André
Luiz at the age
of nine. For
many years he
has been a
respected medium
and renowned
Spiritist
speaker in the
Spiritist
Movement, having
taken part in
the foundation
of Spiritist
Groups in the
United States
and Spain. |
Tell us about
your work in the
Spiritist
Movement and
your writing.
What is your
main goal?
I give talks and
I enjoy
organising
seminars and
courses that
prepare
volunteer
Spiritists for a
range of tasks
in Spiritist
Centres. As a
journalist I
used to write
articles in
Portuguese and
later in Spanish
for several
Spiritist and
secular
publications. I
have written a
book in Spanish
about healing,
because there
were few
publications on
that issue in
Spanish. I have
also written a
book on
mediumship based
on my experience
of 10 years in
that area. It is
a practical
book, not a
theoretical one.
That book,
Trabalho
Mediúnico –
Desafios e
Possibilidades,
was co-authored
by my wife, Vera
Campetti, who is
a diplomat.
Travelling
around the
world, we both
noticed there
was a lack of
good literature
on mediumship in
many countries.
We began our
book with the
foundation, the
works of the
Codification and
especially the
Medium’s Book,
and added
practical
guidance in a
simple and
direct language.
It took us 10
years to finish
the book. I
checked
everything she
read and she did
the same with
everything that
I wrote. We
never aimed at
writing a
“best-seller”.
We are moved by
a sincere wish
of helping
people
interested in
giving healing
in a productive
and safe manner,
under the
guidance of
Allan Kardec and
Jesus.
What is your
assessment of
Spiritist
literature at
the moment?
I am concerned
about it. There
are people in
Brazil who
announce that
they have 7,000
Spiritist titles
available for
selling.
However, I
believe the
books that
really follow
the principles
of Allan Kardec
cannot be more
than 2,000. If
someone reads
three books a
month, it will
take them 10
years to read
420 books. That
is why I insist
that people who
are really
interested in
Spiritism should
read first
Kardec, so they
are able to
distinguish
between what is
appropriate and
what is not.
That is a job
that must be
done by the
reader, as we
can’t have in
Spiritism a list
of censored or
recommended
books – an
“index librorum
prohibitorum” or
a “recomendatorum”.
We must bear in
mind that the
dark Spirits
move shrewdly
and find room
where there is
lack of
vigilance or
complacency.
Bezerra de
Menezes (the
great Spiritual
Benefactor) has
warned us in
several messages
about the high
risks of these
times and the
role we,
conscious
Spiritists, have
to play.
What are the
main challenges
to overcome?
The main problem
is
self-interest,
individualism.
Every time in
human history
small groups or
parties were
formed under the
belief that they
were “better
than the others”
or “the sole
bearers of the
truth” we faced
problems.
Aristotle said
that a nation
that does not
know its history
is destined to
repeat it. I go
further: if we
do not learn
from the
mistakes of the
past, we will
make them again
and again until
we learn to get
it right.
Individualism is
a serious
problem and
totally
incompatible
with healthy
mediumship. The
safest way to
overcome the
challenges we
are facing is by
cultivating
humbleness,
solidarity and
love for one
another, without
discriminating
those who make
mistakes. At the
same time, we
cannot be
complacent with
their mistakes.
What needs to
shine and to get
credit is the
work done, not
the people who
carry it out. We
are merely tools
that are here to
help build the
work of Christ.
It happens first
inside their
hearts and later
in the hearts of
others, when
they reach the
maturity for
that.
What role should
writers and
Spiritist
leaders carry
out in order to
safeguard the
quality and
accuracy of
Spiritist
writings?
That is very
straightforward:
they need to be
humble and to
show the moral
authority built
on solid work in
line with God’s
Law. Whenever
they feel their
personality is
getting too much
attention, they
need to step
down. They must
not write,
publish,
recommend or
sell books that
clash with the
main principles
of Spiritism.
The Teachings
are here to
provide the
elements for
people to better
themselves. In
order improve
the quality of
Spiritist books
publishers need
to base their
decisions on the
works of Allan
Kardec. But
readers are the
ones who have
real power. They
should not buy a
Spiritist book
only because it
makes pleasant
reading, because
it is a
bestseller or a
page-turner. We
should not
forget that
Laura, in
Nosso Lar – Our
Home tells
André Luiz that
he could choose
any book from
her library,
because in the
Spiritual City
certain works
published on
earth were not
accepted.
What should be
done to
encourage the
formation of new
Spiritist
authors?
We should put
Spiritism into
practice at home
and in society
with our
children. We
have to offer
them good
examples and
good literature.
We must switch
off the
television and
get into the
habit of reading
in front of them
so that they
learn from our
example. My
father can
barely read or
write. But one
of the earliest
memories of my
life is of him
sitting by the
bed reading
The Gospel
According to
Spiritism.
Our children do
what we do. We
cannot try to
argue or impose
what we do not
do. New
Spiritist
authors will be
formed if they
are given good
role models,
good knowledge
and real life
examples of
Spiritism.
What are your
plans for the
future?
I intend to
carry on working
for Christ,
trying to avoid
that my
individualism
gets in the way
of a commitment
I made in the
Spiritual World.
I intend to
carry on
writing. My
wife, Vera, and
I, have many
projects yet to
be realised.