Dear Anatole

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The late Anatole France (1844–1924) was an unrelenting critic of the customs and society of his time. He tenaciously fought against the abuses he witnessed, such as the farce carried out against Captain Alfred Dreyfus (1859–1935). Of Jewish origin, the French officer became the victim of one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in modern history. He was falsely accused of passing secret information to the Germans—documents whose handwriting had been forcibly made to resemble his own. As a result, he was exiled to Devil’s Island, off the coast of French Guiana. The debates over the case dragged on until the captain was fully exonerated in 1906. Shortly after, he returned to the military and served in World War I, which began in 1914 and lasted four years. In 1918, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the reserves, and the following year he was made an officer of the Legion of Honor. Like Brazil’s Rui Barbosa (1849–1923), Émile Zola (1840–1902) was also a staunch defender of Dreyfus.

Consciences Dedicated to Peace

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Disgusted by the coldness of feelings he perceived in hearts where harmony should have resided, Anatole wrote: “Universal peace will be realized one day, not because men will become better (that cannot be expected), but because a new order of things, a new science, new economic needs will impose peace upon them—just as, in the past, the very conditions of their existence kept them in a state of war.”

My dear Jacques-Anatole-François Thibault (your real name), with your solid humanist background—and leaving aside, due to your well-known poetic nature, the displeasures caused by observing a society revolving around an exasperating egotism—your brilliant Immortal Spirit will surely understand that, in order not to become a perpetual torment for the nations, the world needs consciences truly devoted to Peace. That is, Souls illuminated by Reason and Justice, but also by Love, which is synonymous with Charity, so that a “new order of things” and a “new science” may arise, making “universal peace” possible “one day.” The limited analysis of human, political, and social events through the narrow lens of earthly space-time tends to present—even to the sharpest minds—a blurred, and consequently disheartening, sociological perspective. But there is more: starting with the existence of a Universal Law called Cause and Effect, which governs the destinies of Earth. For this reason, it is vital to understand the Divine Statutes, which, while respecting our right to free will, reward each one according to their own merit—following the Law of Reincarnation, defined by a respected priest as “God’s Judiciary.” Without the evolution of human feelings, any proposal for Peace will inevitably foster skepticism in intelligent individuals like yourself.

Do Not Fear the Wolf

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William Ralph Inge (1860–1954) once said: “It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism, while the wolf remains of a different opinion.” However, we cannot continue to be paralyzed by this fear that stifles our actions, because time is pressing. There are still many people eager to set the planet ablaze—like a new Rome—as if new Neros were emerging. To move forward, we must not fear the wolf but instead arm ourselves with patience and determination, strengthening our Souls in times of danger. An example can be found in this prayer by Saint Augustine (354–430): “O God! Let the brilliance of Your Light illuminate the innermost depths of my heart. . . .” Prayer grants peace and strength to the Spirit. It clears the mind, enabling it to conceive pragmatic spiritual solutions to overcome any challenge. Please, dear Anatole, take note of this lesson from your fellow countryman Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850), author of The Human Comedy: “All human power is a compound of time and patience.” Peace will only take hold on this planet when human beings finally understand and accept that it can only arise from the sublimated heart of each person. The rest is what we have already seen: strong intellectual ideologies—so popular in your time—whose overall results you are familiar with: high expectations and disappointing outcomes. Therefore, it is urgent that we combine brain and heart.