Zélio Fernandino de Moraes (10 April 1892– 3 October 1975) was a Brazilian

medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation *Medium bomber, a class of war plane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium of ...

who is considered the founder of the

Umbanda Umbanda () is a syncretic Afro-Brazilian religion that blends traditional African religions with Roman Catholicism, Spiritism, and Indigenous American beliefs. Although some of its beliefs and most of its practices existed in the late 19th cent ...

religion.

Biography

He was born on 10 April 1892 in São Gonçalo. At the age of 17, Zélio joined the Brazilian Navy. He was hospitalized with

paralysis Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...

, but claimed to have been miraculously healed after he predicted that he would have been healed the next day. This led to contacts with Brazilian

spiritism Spiritism (French: ''spiritisme''; Portuguese: ''espiritismo'') is a spiritualist, religious, and philosophical doctrine established in France in the 1850s by the French teacher, educational writer, and translator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Riva ...

movements, and he became spokesman for a spirit entity named "Caboclo das Sete Encruzilhadas." As part of a Kardecist spiritual group, he later claimed to be in contact with other entities, including one named "Father Antônio", which he clearly described as a spirit of an old man. Between 1918 and 1935, Zélio organized various temples/centers for Umbanda. In 1939, the Spiritist Union of Umbanda in Brazil (União Espiritista de Umbanda do Brasil, or UEUB) was formed to oversee the centers. Zélio continued to actively run the organization until his death at age 84.

References

*Saidenberg, Theresa. "Como surgiu a Umbanda em nosso país: 70° aniversário de uma religião brasileira." ''Revista Planeta'', São Paulo, N. 75, December 1978. p. 34–38. *"O fundador da Umbanda e sua missão na Terra." ''Seleções de Umbanda'', N. 6–7, 1975. 1891 births 1975 deaths Brazilian spiritual mediums Founders of new religious movements People from São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro Zélio {{Brazil-reli-bio-stub