The 2nd World Spiritist Congress took place from September 30 to October 3, 1998, at the Lisbon International Fair Congress Centre. The event was promoted by the International Spiritist Council (CEI) and organized by the Portuguese Spiritist Federation (FEP). This Congress marked a milestone in the history of Spiritism, gathering 3,051 congress participants, with 1,800 from Brazil (from all states), 1,059 from Portugal, and 192 from 27 countries across Europe, the Americas, and Africa. The largest Brazilian delegations came from Rio de Janeiro (306), São Paulo (243), and Bahia (224).
Opening Session
The Opening Plenary Session took place on the afternoon of September 30, preceded by a magnificent artistic moment presented by the Círculo de Música de Câmara Orchestra and the Vocal Women’s Group Harmonia Choir. The opening table was composed of João Xavier de Almeida (President of the Portuguese Spiritist Federation), Nestor João Masotti (General Secretary of the International Spiritist Council), Adriano Barros (General Commissioner of the Organizing Committee), Divaldo Pereira Franco, and José Raul Teixeira. João Xavier de Almeida officially declared the Congress open, followed by an opening prayer by Adriano Barros. On behalf of the CEI, its General Secretary addressed the audience. During the session, a representative from the CTT – Portuguese Post presented four commemorative postage stamps for the event, stamping them on cards delivered to the Congress Board.
The opening conference was delivered by Divaldo Pereira Franco, who deeply and inspiratively addressed the central theme: “Spiritism in the Face of the 3rd Millennium.”
Development of the Work
The Congress activities began on the morning of October 1. The central theme was developed through 20 subthemes, presented in Auditorium 1 as 8 conferences, 3 lectures, 9 panels, and 1 workshop, conducted by 30 invited speakers. Additionally, in Auditoriums 2 to 6, 90 free themes were presented by their respective authors.
Artistic Activities
Throughout the Congress, Auditorium 8 hosted a varied artistic program, including theatrical performances, poetry moments, musical performances, and piano recitals.
Closing Session
The Closing Plenary Session took place on the afternoon of October 3, preceded by a musical moment with the previously mentioned orchestra and the Cantal Choir of Lisbon. The closing table included: João Xavier de Almeida (FEP), Nestor João Masotti (CEI), Adriano Barros (Organizing Committee), Divaldo Pereira Franco, José Raul Teixeira, Jorge Andréa dos Santos, and representatives from all CEI member countries.
After a prayer, a commemorative moment dedicated to Allan Kardec was held to celebrate his birthday, led by Roger Perez, President of the Union Spirite Française et Francophone. Speakers included representatives from FEP, CEI, and the Organizing Committee. Edwin Genaro Bravo Marroquín, from Guatemala, announced that the 3rd World Spiritist Congress would be held in his country in 2001.
The closing conference was delivered by Divaldo Franco, who emotionally reflected on “Spiritism: A New Era for Humanity.”
Book Fair
In Auditorium 8, a Spiritist Book Fair was set up with stands from Portuguese and Brazilian publishers and distributors, highly sought after by the congress participants. The FEB sold out its stock of booklets published by the Experimental Field of Brasília. The CEI stand offered for sale the new French edition of Le Livre des Esprits by Allan Kardec – a photomechanical reproduction of the 2nd edition (1860), with parts omitted in current editions. Pamphlets for the campaign “Know Spiritism – A New Era for Humanity” were also distributed in Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French.