Death: June 30, 2002 in Uberaba, Brazil
BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
Famous Brazilian Spiritist medium. (Spiritism, the Brazilian
form of Spiritualism, stems from the teachings of French Spiritist
Allan Kardec.) Known throughout Brazil as ``Chico Xavier''
(pronounced Sheeko Shaveer), he was born April 2, 1910, in the
town of Pedro Leopoldo in the central state of Minas Gerais. He
was one of a family of nine children. His mother died when he was
only five, but Chico saw her materialize after her death, and
during his period at primary school three years later, be became
accustomed to hearing voices and sensing spirit presences.
He won an honorable mention for an essay contest with an entry
that appeared to be dictated to him by a spirit form. On being
challenged to produce another ``spirit essay,'' he went straight
to the blackboard and started writing a profound statement on the
theme suggested, after which the teacher recommended he stop
talking about spirit voices and pray on conventional Catholic
lines.
He became a practicing medium in 1927 soon after one of his
sisters was cured of apparent possession through the efforts of a
healing medium. The whole Xavier family became Spiritists, and the
medium's wife, Carmen Perácio, founded an evangelical Spiritist
center, where Xavier manifested an ability for automatic writing.
At one of these sessions, Perácio had a vision of a priestly
spirit, ``Emmanuel,'' who became Xavier's spirit guide thereafter.
Xavier's mediumship continued in the form of automatic writing
from spirit dictation.
Although nearly blind in one eye through most of his life and
with only a rudimentary primary education, Xavier produced a
prodigious number of books recognizably in the style of hundreds
of deceased Brazilian and Portuguese authors whose works he had
never had the opportunity to study.
In addition, he visited invalids in the district and undertook
voluntary social work at his Pedro Leopoldo Spiritist Center at
Uberaba. Hundreds of visitors came to this center for a personal
message delivered by Xavier in trance, with instructions on
individual problems, whether spiritual or medical. He has written
some 130 books, of which over 3,000,000 copies have been sold in
415 editions. Some of these books have been translated into
Spanish, French, Japanese, Esperanto, and English.
His book Evolucão em dois mundos (Evolution in Two Worlds,
1959) was written in collaboration with Dr. Waldo Vieira, who
lived 250 miles away. The chapters were written alternately in
uniform style and continuity, and the work took only forty days.
It contained scientific concepts beyond the medium's
understanding, suggesting to many that such information does not
come from the medium's subconscious. Brazilian Spiritists follow
Allan Kardec in clearly distinguishing between escrita automatica
(automatic writing involving the medium's subconscious) and
psiografia (involving a spirit entity).
In spite of the enormous popularity of his prodigious literary
output, Xavier never accepted payment for any of his books and
even disclaimed personal credit by the phrase ``dictated by the
spirit of-'' on the title page.
He left Brazil only on two occasions. In 1965 and 1966 he made
brief trips to Spiritualist centers abroad and a pilgrimage to the
tomb of Allan Kardec in Paris, France. He appeared on Brazilian
television programs, but remained a modest, sincere individual who
devoted his psychic gift to the service of mankind. He was made an
honorary citizen of São Paulo in 1973, and was similarly honored
by other cities and towns in Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro,
Uberada, Campinas, and São Bernardo. In 1977, the government of
Brazil endorsed Xavier's half century as a medium by issuing a
postage stamp in his honor. This official recognition of Spiritism
is unique to Brazil; the government has also issued postage stamps
honoring Allan Kardec and his teachings.
Sources:
Xavier, Francisco Candido. Christian Agenda. London: Regency
Press, 1970.
------. The World of the Spirit. New York: Philosophical
Library, n.d.
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