Chico Xavier
Encyclopedia
Chico Xavier, born Francisco de Paula Cândido (April 2, 1910 - June 30, 2002) was a popular medium
in Brazil
's spiritism
movement who wrote 413 books, ostensibly using a process known as "psychography".
Xavier was born in the city of Pedro Leopoldo
, State of Minas Gerais
and is popularly known as "Chico Xavier" (Chico is the Brazilian nickname for Francisco). Heavily influenced by works of Allan Kardec
, Xavier professed that his hand was guided by spirits. Xavier called his spiritual guide Emmanuel, who according to Xavier, lived in ancient Rome
as Senator Publius Lentulus, was reincarnated in Spain as Father Damian, and later as a professor at the Sorbonne
.
Xavier's work produced religious teachings, novels and works of philosophy. His books sold an estimated 50 million copies, the profits of which were all channelled into charity work. In 1981 and 1982, he was nominated for the Nobel peace prize.
Xavier believed he was only a channel for the work of the spirits; that he was not able to produce any miracle, such as healing people, and he could not contact someone that was dead, unless that person was willing to be contacted. His appearances on TV talk shows in the late 1960s and early 1970s helped to establish Kardecist Spiritism as one of the religions professed in Brazil. Xavier's popularity remained unchanged in Brazil throughout his life. Despite health problems he kept working up to his death, on June 30, 2002 in Uberaba
. In 2010, a movie biography entitled Chico Xavier was released in Brazil. Directed by Daniel Filho
, the film dramatized Xavier's life.
Mediumship
Mediumship is described as a form of communication with spirits. It is a practice in religious beliefs such as Spiritualism, Spiritism, Espiritismo, Candomblé, Voodoo and Umbanda.- Concept :...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
's spiritism
Spiritism
Spiritism is a loose corpus of religious faiths having in common the general belief in the survival of a spirit after death. In a stricter sense, it is the religion, beliefs and practices of the people affiliated to the International Spiritist Union, based on the works of Allan Kardec and others...
movement who wrote 413 books, ostensibly using a process known as "psychography".
Xavier was born in the city of Pedro Leopoldo
Pedro Leopoldo
Pedro Leopoldo is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte and to the microregion of Belo Horizonte...
, State of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
and is popularly known as "Chico Xavier" (Chico is the Brazilian nickname for Francisco). Heavily influenced by works of Allan Kardec
Allan Kardec
Allan Kardec is the pen name of the French teacher and educator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail . He is known today as the systematizer of Spiritism for which he laid the foundation with the five books of the Spiritist Codification.-Early life:Rivail was born in Lyon in 1804...
, Xavier professed that his hand was guided by spirits. Xavier called his spiritual guide Emmanuel, who according to Xavier, lived in ancient Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
as Senator Publius Lentulus, was reincarnated in Spain as Father Damian, and later as a professor at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
.
Xavier's work produced religious teachings, novels and works of philosophy. His books sold an estimated 50 million copies, the profits of which were all channelled into charity work. In 1981 and 1982, he was nominated for the Nobel peace prize.
Xavier believed he was only a channel for the work of the spirits; that he was not able to produce any miracle, such as healing people, and he could not contact someone that was dead, unless that person was willing to be contacted. His appearances on TV talk shows in the late 1960s and early 1970s helped to establish Kardecist Spiritism as one of the religions professed in Brazil. Xavier's popularity remained unchanged in Brazil throughout his life. Despite health problems he kept working up to his death, on June 30, 2002 in Uberaba
Uberaba
Uberaba is a city and municipality in the west of the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Its population is 296.000 with an area of 4529.7 km², giving a density of 60.71 people per km². It is located on a plateau at an elevation of 785 meters and is in the Uberaba River floodplain...
. In 2010, a movie biography entitled Chico Xavier was released in Brazil. Directed by Daniel Filho
Daniel Filho
Daniel Filho is a Brazilian film producer, director and actor and screenwriter. He starred in the film Os Cafajestes, which was entered into the 12th Berlin International Film Festival.-Selected filmography:Actor...
, the film dramatized Xavier's life.
External links
- Chico Xavier on the Internet: The Messenger (Video Series)
- Chico Xavier o medium (in Portuguese)
- Biografia de Chico Xavier (in Portuguese)
- Obituary of Chico Xavier--Guardian Unlimited
- Francisco de Paula Candido Xavier Biography
- The Most Prolific Spiritist Medium in Brazil, Francisco de Paula Candido Xavier, returns to the Spiritual Plane
- Allan Kardec Educational Society
- Spiritist Society of Baltimore