Emmanuel - A Biography

Biographies

Emmanuel

Spiritist Group of New York
Aug 2002
Great Exponents of Spiritism

Emmanuel, written exactly as is, with a double " m " is the name of the spirit, in the original French "L'Evangile Selon le Spiritisme,” in a message dated in Paris, in 1861 and inserted in the chap. XI, item 11 of the mentioned work, entitled "Selfishness."

The name became well-known, among the Brazilian spiritists, due to the psychographed works of the medium, Francisco Cândido Xavier. According to him, it was in the year 1931 that, at a regular meeting at the Spiritist Center that the kind spirit Emmanuel, first appeared to him.

Francisco Xavier, thus, describes Emmanuel: "I saw the countenance of an older man and my soul was feeling the gentleness of his presence; however what impressed me the most was that the generous spirit made himself visible to me within the luminous reflections in the form of a cross."

We invited him to introduce himself. He informed us of some features of his previous lives, describing that he had been a Roman senator, descendant of the proud "Gens Cornelia” and, as well as a priest, who had lived in Brazil.

From October 24th, 1938 to February 9^th, 1939 , Emmanuel transmitted his impressions to the medium Francisco Cândido Xavier, allowing us to know that he had been Públio Lentulus Sura and in the following incarnation, the proud Roman, Públio Lentulus Cornelius, whose life culminated in the extraordinary novel: “Two thousand years ago.”

Públio had been a proud man, but also a nobleman. Rome was his world and he fought its’ battles. He doesn't admit to being involved in its corruption, thus demonstrating since that time his righteous character. Being very strict, he suffered for many years, suspecting that he had been betrayed by the wife to whom he had consecrated his love. For her, in the years of his youth, he composed the most beautiful verses: “Twin soul of my soul,” “Flower of light of my life,” “Sublime fallen star,” “From the beauties of the immensities...” and, later on: “You are my infinite treasure,” “I swear eternal allegiance to you,” “Because I am your hope” “As you are all my love!”

He had the opportunity of meeting Jesus personally, but between the option of being a servant of Jesus or of being a servant of the world, he chose the latter.

It is for no other reason that he writes, at the beginning of the mentioned mediumistic work: "To me, those memories have been very tender, as well as very bitter. Gentle, for the friendly remembrances, but deeply painful, considering that my hardened heart, did not know how to take advantage of this radiant moment that had rung in the clock of my Spiritist life Two thousand years ago ".

He disincarnated in Pompeii , in the year of 79, victim of the lava which flowed from the Mount Vesuvius ’ volcano. At that time he had becoming blind, but was already devoted to the principles of Jesus.

Fifty years later, in the year of 131, he returns to the stage of the world. This time he was born in Ephesus , of Jewish origin, he was enslaved by an illustrious Roman who drove him to the old country of his descendants. At 45 years of age, presumably, Nestorio displays the appearance of an Israelite, with a silent and unconformable pride. Separated from his son, who had also been enslaved; he would again meet him during a sermon as he, Nestorio, preached in the catacombs. A Christian since his childhood, he was arrested and jailed, and because of his continued faith to Jesus, he was condemned to death.

Together with his son, Ciro, and about 20 other Christians, at the end of an afternoon, he was driven to the center of the arena of the famous Roman circus, located among the hills of Celio and of Aventino, in the capital of the Empire. Tied to a post by thick ropes attached to links of brass, extremely thin, and dressed with only a piece of cloth that covered his waist to the kidneys, his body was pierced by poisoned arrows. With the others, facing martyrdom, he sings, raising his eyes to the Sky and subsequently in the spiritual world, he is received by his former love, Livia.

Around the year 217, he once again reincarnates on Earth. As a young man, we can now find him as Quinto Varro, a passionate Roman dedicated to the ideals of freedom.

Faithful to Jesus, he feels his soul oppressed by the ignorance and the poverty in which the privileged classes of Rome maintained the crowds.

He feels that the thoughts of the Christ hover over the Earth, but the Roman aristocracy attempts to battle it. Quinto Varro doesn't ignore that a new world had been created in the ruins of the old one.

Becoming a victim of a conspiracy to kill him, during a trip on the high seas, he assumes the identity of an old preacher of Lyon , named Brother Corvino, and start to work as a gardener. After being convicted to be beheaded, his execution was suspended after the third blow, and instead was granted a slow death, in jail.

Eleven years later, he reincarnates as Quinto Celso. From his childhood, he was introduced to the art of the reading, and revealed having a prodigious memory and great discernment.

As true Christian, he suffered the martyrdom in the circus, tied to a post. He is anointed with a resinous substance and is set on fire. He was about 14 years-old.

His last reincarnation took place on October 18th, 1517 in Sanfins, Entre- Douro-e-Minho, in Portugal , under the name of Manoel de Nóbrega, at the time of the reign of D. Manoel I, The Lucky One.

Possessing a privileged intelligence, he entered the University of Salamanca , in Spain , at 17 years of age. At 21, he was in College at “Canones da Universidade” where he attended the classes of canonical right and philosophy, and received the Doctoral Laureate Degree on June 14, 1541 .

While in Brazil , it was he who studied and chose the place for the foundation of the city of São Paulo , on January 25th, 1554 . The chosen date, was due to the day of the Conversion of the Apostle Paulo, intent on paying homage to Paul of Tarsus.

The historian from São Paulo , Tito Lívio Ferreira, ends his work: "Nóbrega and Anchieta in São Paulo of Piratininga” describing: "Priest Manoel de Nóbrega had founded the School of Rio de Janeiro . On October 16th, 1570 , he supervises it with the same enthusiasm; he then visits his friends and local inhabitants and bids goodbye to everyone, as he had been informed he would be returning to his Homeland. His friends find his attitude to be strange, and so they ask him where he is going, and he replies pointing the Sky.

On the following day, he no longer awakens. He receives the Extreme Unction. On the morning of October 18th, 1570 , the very day of his birthday, when he had concluded 53 years of age, 21 of which had been of constant service to Brazil , whose foundations he had built, the founder of the city of São Paulo passed away.

The last words of Manoel de Nóbrega were: “I give you thanks, my God, my Fortress, my Refuge, who marked this day for my death ahead of time, and conceded me the perseverance in my religion until this last hour.”

He died without knowing that because of his works the city had been awarded, for the second time, the title of “The Provincial of Jesus' Company in Brazil ”- the earth of his life, his passion and death."

As a curiosity, we found in the registry that the deputy Freitas Nobre, who has already disincarnated, declared, in a TV program (of the TV Tupi of São Paulo), on the night of the 27^th to July 28^th, 1971, that when he was writing a book about Anchieta, he had the opportunity of finding and photographing a signature of Manuel of Nóbrega, like E. Manuel.

Thus, the initial “E” of Francisco Cândido Xavier’s mentor was derived from an abbreviation of Ermano, which, according to him, would authorize his name to be written Emanuel, one "m” only, and pronounced with the accent in the last syllables.

Bibliography:

Ave Christ - Francisco Cândido Xavier/Emmanuel

Fifty years later - Francisco Cândido Xavier/Emmanuel

Interviews - Francisco Cândido Xavier/Emmanuel

Two thousand years ago - Francisco Cândido Xavier/Emmanuel

L'Evangile Selon le Spiritisme - Allan Kardec

Magazine Spiritist Presence - Jan/Feb 1991 - Curiosities

Spiritist Alliance for Books