The Spiritist Review - Journal of Psychological Studies - 1863

Allan Kardec

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Mr. Bishop from Alger published a brochure on August 18th last addressed to the priests of his diocese with the title “Memo about the superstition called Spiritism”. We extracted the following passages with comments:

“…We thought of adding a modest page to those luminous compendiums, casting shame upon Spiritism from the heights of common sense and faith, as it must be, a doctrine that is renovated from the oldest and grossest idolatry that has reached the frontiers of Alger. Poor colony! After so many cruel trials it must still face something like that kind!”

Poor inhabitants! In fact, wouldn’t this city be much more prosperous if, instead of tolerating and protecting the indigenous religion, it had transformed its mosques and synagogues into churches and if the zeal of the proselytism had not been stopped? It is true that the sacred war, a war of extermination like the crusades, would still last if hundreds of thousands of soldiers had perished and if we had perhaps been forced to abandon it. But what is the meaning of all that when compared to the victory of faith! Well, here we have another scourge: Spiritism comes in the name of the Gospels proclaiming fraternity among all different cults, cementing their union and inscribing in its flag: There is no salvation but through charity!

“…But multiple considerations, Mr. Priest, have kept us from doing that so far. First, we hesitated in revealing this new shame, added to so many others ironically exploited miseries by the enemies of our dear and noble Algeria. On the other hand we know that Spiritism has hardly penetrated our location with the exception of certain towns where there are larger numbers of idle people; where the incessantly excited curiosity avidly feeds out of everything that has signs of novelty; where the need to shine and stick out of the crowds is not always strange even to the educated as well as the uneducated, whereas the majority of our small cities and the country ignore it, certainly not missing anything for that matter, including the pretentious and bizarre name of Spiritism. Finally, we believe that such practices are never destined to live long because disillusionment comes soon with the scandals of imagination that almost always die from their own shame. That is what happened to the charlatanism of Cagliostro and Mesmer; in the same way the furor of the turning tables calmed down leaving behind not more than the ridicule of their enticements and memories.”


If the name of Spiritism itself is unknown in the majority of small towns and in the Algerian country the memo by Mr. Bishop of Alger, spread in profusion, is an excellent means of making it known, exciting curiosity that will certainly not be stopped by the devil. That has been the well attested effect of all sermons given against Spiritism that notoriously contributed to the multiplication of its followers. Will Mr. Bishop’s memo have a contrary effect? It is more than doubtful. We always remember these so much realized prophetic words by a Spirit to whom we were asking two years ago how Spiritism would reach the country side. He answered:


  • Through the priests
  • Voluntarily or involuntarily?
  • In the beginning, involuntarily. Later, voluntarily.

We also remember from our first trip to Lyon in 1860 that the Spiritists there were just a few hundreds. In that same location, an intense sermon was preached against them who then sent us this: “More two or three sermons like that and our numbers will multiply tenfold.” Well, everybody knows that there has been no lack of sermons in that city and that the number of Spiritists grew to five to six thousand in the following year and that after the third year they accounted for more than thirty thousand. Poor city of Lyon!

Another thing that is well-known is that the workers form the larger number of followers since they found strength in this doctrine to patiently endure the tough trials of life, not resorting to violence or exploitation to make ends meet. Today they pray and trust God’s justice contrary to the belief in man’s judgement; they now understand Jesus’ words: “My kingdom is not from this world.”

You must say why, with your doctrine of eternal penalties that you promote as an indispensable brake you have never precluded any excess while the maxim: “There is no salvation but through charity” is invincible! God forbid that you may never need to be sheltered there! But if you are still reserved disastrous days by God remember that those who were denied the alms of bread by you because they were Spiritists, those will be the first ones to share their bread with you because they understand these words: “Forgive your enemies and do good to those who persecute you.”

But then what is it so bad about Spiritism since it only attracts indolent people of some cities? What if it is short -lived? What is the problem then if it will have the same fate as Cagliostro, Mesmer and the turning tables? As for Cagliostro, we must leave him out of this because Spiritism has always denied him solidarity despite the persistence of some adversaries in trying to connect his name to Spiritism as they did to every charlatan and conjurer. With respect to Mesmer, one must be really oblivious to what is happening to ignore the fact that magnetism is more spread out than ever and that today it is professed by scientific celebrities.

It is true that today not many people are involved with the turning tables but one must acknowledge that they walked a nice path for they were the starting point of this doctrine that causes so much anxiety to those gentlemen. They were the foundation of Spiritism. If people are no longer interested in them it is because a good reader no longer needs spelling. They grew so much that you cannot recognize them.

After mentioning his successful trip to France Mr. Bishop of Alger adds:

Our first and permanent task on the way back was to publish information against superstition in general and against Spiritism in particular since the Gospel according to Renan only worried us for eight days.”

There we have a singular confession, one must admit. Mr. Renan’s work that destroys the edifice from its structure and that had such a great repercussion, did not worry His Highness but for eight days while Spiritism catches his whole attention.

I hurry up”, he says, “and spite of being worn out by the fatigue of the journeys I role the sleeves up to work. We have in Mr. Renan a new and fierce adversary but that does not worry me much. Let us move straight to Spiritism for that is more urgent.”


It is an honor to Spiritism because it is an acknowledgement that Spiritism has much more to fear and it cannot be fearful unless it is logical. If it does not have any serious foundation, as intended by Mr. Bishop, why then all this uproar against it? Who would shoot a fly with cannon? The more violent the attacks the more its importance is exalted. That is why we are not sorry for that.

We heard, and we don’t doubt it, that true Christians, sincere Catholics, thought that they could associate Jesus and Belial, the commandments of the Church with the processes of Spiritism.”

It is a bit late to notice that considering that Spiritism has arrived and prospers in Algeria for three years now and it is not doing bad. Besides, Mr. Leblanc de Prébois’ brochure, published in the name of and as a defense to the Church, must have informed you that there are currently twenty million Spiritists in France, according to his calculations, that is to say half of the population, and that the other half of the population will be gained soon. Well, Algeria is part of France.

The memo addressing the priests of the diocese says:

If there are Spiritists in your parish, whatever their condition, generally unfaithful, vain women, empty heads, always forming the majority of superstitious entourage, the priest must not hesitate but let them clearly know that there cannot be any possible relationship between Catholicism and Spiritism; that their practices must necessarily be either charlatanism from some, hallucination from the part of others or, something that is even worse, diabolic intervention.”

If there isn’t a possible relationship that is unfortunate to the Catholics rather than the Spiritists because Spiritism gains ground every day and regardless of what is done against it, what is Catholicism going to do when the Mr. Leblanc Prébois’ prediction come true? If he sends all the Spiritists out of the Church who is going to stay inside? But that is not the issue now. It will come at its time. The last part of the phrase has a great reach from the part of Mr. Bishop of Alger, who must measure his words well. According to him, Spiritism must contain either: charlatanism, hallucination or, what is worse, devilish intervention. The Reverend seems uncertain about which one considering that a devilish intervention is the worst. Well, if it is charlatanism and hallucination that it is not serious and there is no diabolic intervention. In the first hypothesis one must recognize that all this noise for an illusion or a simple charlatanism is like fighting the windmills, something that is not much worth of the Church’s attention; the second hypothesis attributes to the devil a greater power than that of the Church or a huge weakness to the Church since it cannot stop the devil’s action as it could not have stopped the possesses of Morzine despite all the exorcisms.



We were there Mr. Priest, in our apostolic endeavor, when we received numerous newspapers cuts, brochures, books and particularly a speech (from Father Nampon) from which, with the exception of the general ideas, we found very clearly and easily exposed everything that we wanted to say next with respect to Spiritism. Since we do not like to unnecessarily rework what we believe to have been done well, we advise you to acquire some of those books and at least one article with that speech that will clarify you sufficiently with respect to those processes, the doctrine and the consequences of Spiritism.”

We are delighted to know that Father Nampon’s work is considered a good job by the princes of the priests after which there is nothing else to be done. It is quite reassuring to the Spiritists to know that Mr. Priest has rested his case with respect to his arguments and that nothing else can be added. Now, since those arguments instead of stopping Spiritism, it does recruit more followers it is up to their adversaries to be happy with the price to be paid.

As for clarifying sufficiently the priest about the doctrine,we don’t believe that altered and truncated texts as those unceremoniously used by Father Nampon, as we demonstrated in our Spiritist Review in June last, are adequate to give them an accurate idea of Spiritism. One must have a very limited reason to use similar means that discredit the cause that they serve.

“Before anything else, wouldn’t that be deplorable to find in Algeria serious Christians that would hesitate to strongly oppose Spiritism, some with the pretext that there is something true in it and others because they would have seen convict materialists coming back to the belief that there is another life through Spiritism? That is illogical ingenuity from both sides!”



In truth, does bringing materialists back to the belief in God and in a future life means nothing? That is why Spiritism is still perceived [jcm – see if this fits in the right spot] something bad. However, Jesus said that a bad tree cannot produce good fruits. Give faith to someone that has none, is it bad fruit? If you were unable to guide those convicted unbelievers and Spiritism did that which one is the better tree? It is obvious that those materialists would continue to be so without Spiritism. Considering that Mr. Bishop would like to see Spiritism destroyed, a belief that bringing the souls back to God, it is because to his eyes, since those souls were not brought back by the Church, it is preferable to have them dying with their disbelief. That reminds us of those words pronounced from the pulpit of a little town: “I would rather have the unbelievers out of the Church than having them back through Spiritism.” Truly, these are not the words of Christ who said: “I want mercy, not sacrifice.” And there is another one that was said somewhere else: “I prefer to see the workers leaving the cabarets drunk to the alternative of learning that they are Spiritists.” That is Madness! We would not be surprised if some people became mad out of a fit of rage against Spiritism.

If, despite the voice of their consciences, people that were educated in the Christian principles and that had forgotten, denied and fought against these principals, trying to practice them and admitting the immortality of the soul, completely different hell and purgatory as compared to those found in the Gospels, if they had gained something through Spiritism, something out of their faith and for their salvations, which Christian person would image herself in such a situation, considering that the only thing they did was to replace those things by sacrileges and blasphemies of belief?”

What is the difference between the purgatory of Spiritism and that of the Gospels since they say nothing about it? So much so that Protestants do not admit that idea. As for hell, the Gospels are far from placing there the scorching hot chairs of Catholicism and from have said, like we heard in our childhood, and like it was preached about three or four years ago in Montpellier, that “the angels remove the seat of those chairs so that the elected ones may enjoy the vision of the suffering of those who are condemned.”

There we have an original side of beatitude of the blessed ones. We were not aware that Jesus had said a single word about it. Spiritism, in reality, does not admit such things. If that is reason for reproach that be it!

You give the impression that it is the renovation of Pagan doctrines that were neglected by wise people, even before the appearance of the Gospels; that by introducing the metempsychosis or the transmigration of the souls, Spiritism kills the individuality of the soul, reducing moral responsibility to nothing; that by destroying the idea of purgatory and the eternally personal hell, it opens the avenue to every kind of disorder and immorality.”

If there is anything that was taken from Pagan theories, that is certainly the image of the tortures of hell. As a matter of fact, we cannot clearly see how come after having admitted any kind of purgatory we now deny its very idea. As for the metempsychosis of antiquity far from having introduced it Spiritism has always fought against it and demonstrated its impossibility. When are you going to stop saying that Spiritism says something contrary to what it actually does? The plurality of existences admitted by Spiritism not as a system but as a natural law demonstrated by facts is essentially different when compared to that. Well, there is no system that can prevail against a law of nature, the work of God, as there is no anathema that can invalidate it as they were not able to nullify the movement of Earth and the periods of Creation.

The plurality of existences, rebirth if you will, is an inherent condition to human nature, like sleeping, and it is necessary to the progress of the soul. It is always unpleasant to a religion to remain in the vanguard of knowledge because there will come a time when it will be overtaken by the irresistible wave of the ideas, then losing credit with and influence upon the educated people. To feel compromised by the new ideas is the same as admitting the flimsiness of its supporting point. It is even worse when they are alarmed by what they call utopias. It is something really interesting to see the adversaries of Spiritism fighting to have it seen as an empty dream, without importance and vitality, constantly screaming: fire!

According to the saying “the tree is known by the fruit it bears”, the best way to assess something is to study its effects. If, as they say, the denial of the eternal hell opens the way to all kinds of disorder and immoralities, it follows that: 1) the belief in that hell opens the way to all kinds of virtues; 2) anybody given to immoral actions has no fear for the eternal penalties and if they do not fear it means that they don’t believe in them. Now, who should believe more in those than the ones that teach them? Who should be more committed with such a fear, more impressed by the images of the eternal torments than those who are day in day out embedded in such a belief?

Where should we find the maximum strength of such a belief? Where there should be more composure and morality if not in the very center of Catholicism? If all those who profess such a dogma and make them the condition of salvation were exempt from reproach their words would certainly have more weight but when we see such scandalous disorder even among those that preach the fear of hell one must conclude that they do not believe in what the preach. How would they expect to persuade the doubtful ones? They kill the dogma by their own exaggeration and by their example.

The dogma of the eternal penalties does not bear good fruits, demonstrating that the tree is not good, and among those fruits we must place the immense number of unbelievers that are daily produced by that tree. The Church hangs on it as if in a lifeline but the cord is so thin that the boat will soon drift away.

Should the Church be in peril one day for the absolutism of its dogmas of hell, for the eternal penalties and for the supremacy attributed to the devil in this world! If one cannot be a Catholic without believing in that hell and in the eternal sufferings one must acknowledge that the number of true Catholics is reduced these days and that more than one Father of the Church may be considered stained by heresy.

It would not be useless to admit, Mr. Priest, that the peace of the families is seriously disturbed by the practice of Spiritism; that a large number of minds has already lost their senses by it and that the homes of the mentally ill in America, England and France are already full with their innumerous victims so much so that if Spiritism propagates its conquest we would have to change the names from sanatoriums to mental asylums.”

Had Mr. Bishop of Alger collected his teachings elsewhere and not from interested sources, he would have known what are those supposed mad people instead of yielding to the echo of an ill-faith invented story from which ridicule sticks out of its own exaggeration. The first newspaper mentioned four cases that supposedly were attested in a hospice; another paper, mentioned the first one, raised the number to forty; a third, citing the second, raised it to four hundred, adding that the hospice will be enlarged, a story that is repeated by all hostile newspapers. Mr. Bishop of Alger then retakes that story and without demolishing the edifice out of his zeal, goes beyond and amplifies it by saying that the homes of the mentally ill in America, England and France are overcrowded with victims of our doctrine. Something interesting here! He mentions England that is one of the countries where Spiritism is least spread and where there are certainly less followers than in Italy, Spain and Russia.

We accept the fact that an ephemeral and inexpressive brochure that a newspaper not much concerned with the sources of the news may say something adventurous for the need of their cause and there is no surprise there although immoral but an episcopal and official document should only contain authenticity, free from suspicion and inaccuracy, even if involuntary.

As for the peace of the families, disturbed by the practice of Spiritism, we only know the cases of women that were deceived by their confessors and encouraged to leave their homes to avoid the influence of the devil that was brought to them by their Spiritist husbands.

On the other hand, there are many examples of formerly split families that were brought together by the advice of their protector Spirits and under the influence of the doctrine that, like Jesus, preaches union, concord, kindness, tolerance, forgetfulness of injuries, indulgence towards the weaknesses of others and brings peace where there is separation. Still here we must say that the tree is known by its fruits. It is a well attested fact that when there is division in families it is always related to religious intolerance.



The pastoral letter ends with the following order:

For all that and invocating the Saint Spirit, we have ordered the following:

  • The practice of Spiritism and the evocation of the dead is forbidden to all and everyone in the archdiocese of Alger;
  • Confessors will deny absolution to whoever does not renounce any participation both as medium, follower or simple witness of any private or public session or finally any activity of Spiritism;
  • In all cities of Algeria and in all rural parishes where Spiritism has penetrated in some sort Mr. Priests will read this letter to the public on the first Sunday after you receive it. In fact, it will be communicated everywhere in particular, according to the need.
Alger, August 18th 1863.”


This is the first order issued with the objective of officially banning Spiritism in a given place. The data shall be recorded in the archives of Spiritism like that of October 9th, 1861 an always memorable day for the Barcelona Act of Faith ordered by the Bishop of that town. Since the attacks, criticism and sermons did not produce the desired effect they wanted to reach it with an official excommunication. Let us see if the result will be better now.

The first paragraph is addressed to all and everyone at the Alger diocese outlining the prohibition of dealing with the dead without exception. But the population is not only formed by eager Catholics. Without mentioning Jews, Protestants and Muslims, it encompasses materialists, Pantheists, unbelievers, free-thinkers, skeptical and indifferent whose number is incalculable. They are nominally accounted among the Catholics because they were born and baptized in the religion but in reality, they left. With that respect Mr. Renan and so many others are considered Catholics. Hence the condemnation does not reach all the individuals but those restricted to the orthodoxy. The same will happen in any place where there is similar prohibition. Since such prohibition cannot materially reach everybody, regardless of its source, for each one that is kept away by that there will be another hundred dealing with the matter.

Also, they leave aside the Spirits that come to us without invitation, even close to those that were prohibited to receive them; that speak to those that do not want to hear; that move through walls when the doors are closed. Such is the greatest difficulty for which there is a lack of an article in the above order.

The order does not reach but the eager Catholic. Now, we have repeated many times that Spiritism came to bring faith to those who believe in nothing or that are doubtful. Those who have a well-established faith and to who such a faith is enough Spiritism says: “Keep it”, without trying to deviating them from that. Spiritism does not say to anyone: “Leave your belief to come to me” for Spiritism has a lot to harvest in the field of the unbelievers.

Hence the prohibition cannot reach those that are addressed by Spiritism and it only reaches those who are not. Jesus said: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick.” If the former comes to him without invitation it means that they find consolation in him and certainty that they cannot find elsewhere and in that case the prohibition will be neglected.

The prohibition was issued about three months ago and we can already feel its effect. More than twenty letters were sent to us from Alger since its appearance, all of them confirmed the predicted results.

In our next issue we shall see what is happening.

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