Antonio Barbosa: Spiritual Legacy
The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.
—Billy Graham
One of the largest newspapers in Brazil, Folha de Sao Paulo, had this title in one of its headlines “Antonio Barbosa proposes multi-religiosity.” The news article was covered in all sorts of media—print, radio, television, and the web. In fact, it wasn’t just in the local media, it was talked about by various international media all over the world.
His approach to religion fascinated the entire global community. He founded a religious movement called “Uma Igreja” meaning one church. He believed in the consolidation rather than fragmentation of religion. He believed that by consolidating resources across religious groups more lives will be touched and uplifted.
In a recent interview, he said, “All over the world, we have shortages of priests. We have shortages of churches. Each religion is pushing its own agenda forward. In reality, we have only one creator, one God. Why don’t we consolidate our effort and resources to make an impact on more lives? Isn’t that what religion is all about? Salvation, love, peace? I’d love to see religions around the world work with each other not against each other.”
His interview made waves all over the world. Some religious leaders hated his vision, others loved it. Many religions have seen a decline in church attendance and participation, why not embrace everyone, manage available infrastructure better, and profess a common message of love. As an example, some Catholic churches in far-flung communities barely survive because of lack of priests. Why not use the same facility to hosts Mormons or Muslims? Mormons and Muslims can return the favor in other locations. A church stands as a symbol of God, regardless of your faith. We are one global, spiritual community.
Media reactions on his interviews were varied. Some believed he was a contemporary prophet with a vision truly attuned with the times. Others thought he was out of his mind convinced that protectionist tendencies of religious groups would never give way to the notion of consolidation.
Jim Brown of the New York Times was excited at the chance of meeting Antonio Barbosa. He was at Antonio’s home an hour before the interview time. When he got a chance to meet him, he couldn’t help firing away questions the global audience really wanted to hear. He was truly thankful that he had a competent interpreter with him ready to assist with the translation.
Brown: Thank you, Mr. Barbosa, for having this interview with me.
Barbosa: You’re most welcome, Mr. Brown. I’m delighted to help enlighten your readers on the vision of Uma Igreja.
Brown: Please tell me, how did you come about founding Uma Igreja?
Barbosa: Since my youth, I have always been spiritual. As a young executive, I traveled to many remote places on my company’s behalf. On many occasions, I couldn’t find a Catholic church. At one point, it dawned upon me. Why can’t I just pray in a Mormon church? We have one God anyway, right? I’m sure, our creator will listen to me whether I’m in a Catholic church, a Muslim mosque, or a Jewish synagogue.
Over the years, I ended up visiting and praying in all religious places. In all places I visited, I felt very much welcome. In fact, I had a similar spiritual feeling everywhere I went. Eventually, I passed on the message to friends and family. Many loved the concept and started to turn to me as a leader in consolidating religion worldwide.
Brown: It seems like you now have quite a following. How many members do you have thus far?
Barbosa: I never count membership. My spiritual philosophy is open to everyone. Followers can come and leave as they please. If our YouTube channel is any indication, we have around fifty million followers worldwide. Again, participation is non-binding. You can still practice whatever religion you want. My approach is more anchored on a pragmatic movement to combine resources across religion and enrich more lives.
Brown: Have you established a formal partnership with other religions at this point?
Barbosa: No, it was never about structuring formal relationships, it was always about mutual cooperation to achieve common goals across religions. In business, you may have heard the term “strategic alliances.” This is a situation where companies retain their complete autonomy yet work together to accomplish common goals. This is my vision on how religions worldwide can work together.
Brown: What are your plans for the future?
Barbosa: I want to continue this movement and impact as many lives as I can. I really think religions can and should work together—and think in new and creative ways—to best serve their followers. With many religions facing mounting challenges and constraints, a new level of global cooperation is necessary.
Brown: Do you have a message you’d like to impart to our global readers?
Barbosa: Make an effort to uplift your spirit. It doesn’t matter what religion you belong to. We are all the same in the eyes of our creator. Please be respectful of other religions too. It truly breaks my heart whenever I hear of a bombing or shooting in a place of worship. The victims were there worshiping the same God we all pray to. Over the centuries, religions have evolved. In the past century, our society has too changed in dramatic ways. Shouldn’t religion evolve as well?
Art courtesy of Allison Brannon