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• According to Karl Ullmer, Rizal argued

from the standpoint of a practicing


Catholic.
– It’s said that Rizal never failed to attend Mass regularly
throughout his stay in Europe, even when traveling in
unknown cities.
• It is, however, unknown if he confessed.
• His attitude towards religion was similar to
the numerous advanced Catholic thinkers
in Europe at that time: a compound of faith,
scientific awareness and ingrained habits
of thought.
Rizal’s Faith
• It was the age of Darwin and Frazer’s
Golden Bough.
– The age when Christians either resisted the
new discoveries or taking the necessary steps
in a rational acceptance of them.
• Rizal was in the thick of intellectual
contradictions posed by faith and science.
Maximo Viola wrote:
• In his judgement, the religion of Christ is the most
perfect among all known religions, not only for the
moral spirit enshrined in its doctrines, but because also
it is the one which has had the most influence on the
discipline and moralization of humanity; but due to
the modifications introduced by malice or religious
fanaticism, it has come to be at the present time like a
building, which, as a result of inserting many wedges,
has been greatly disfigured and is in threat of collapse.
And as an example he cited Purgatory, which is simply
one of so many mystical inventions designed principally
for the exploitation…
• … for Dr. Rizal, Christ was a religious genius…
Rizal’s Faith
• Despite his insistence that nothing should be
taken as true unless scientifically proved, he
accepted that all religion has an element of
faith, and he had complete faith in God
• He regarded that speculating the nature of
God would only lead to pointless argument.
• He recognized the importance of the
Church’s place in the maintenance of
morality.
Above all, he considered himself a
Catholic.
Rizal’s Political Thoughts
• He saw Spain and the Philippines as a
single nation divided into two equal parts
• He didn’t envision the Philippines as being
independent
– This was an alternative to him incase Spain
continued to ignore the need for reform.
– Yet, this was to him not a good alternative,
nor was it practical.
Rizal’s Political Thoughts cont’d.
• Legislatively he envisioned the legal
relationship between a state of the American
Union and the Federal Government at
Washington for Spain and the Philippines.
– The Cortes at Madrid being empowered to
legislate in matters concerning both territories,
while local legislation would be dealt with by a
separate parliament in Manila enjoying a wide
measure of autonomy.
Rizal’s Political Thoughts cont’d.
• “whom
Quos vult
Jupiter
perdere
Wishes
Jupiter,
to destroy,
prius he
first
dementat!
makes mad”
– the key to Rizal’s political thinking.
• He was afraid that a revolution in the
Islands would cast before Japan the
temptation to intervene.
Rizal’s Political Thoughts cont’d.
• History of Latin American wars of independence
however showed that if an immature country was
not careful, it found that in reality the acquisition of
independence amounted to little more than
exchanging the influence of Spain for that of the
United States.

• To preserve National Integrity- we should aim for


an improved modus vivendi with Spain.
Return to the Twilight
• Rizal again took the same liner, Djemnah,
bound for Saigon.
• By this time he could speak fluent
Spanish, French and German.
– He also knew a certain amount of Dutch.
• July 30, the ship arrived at Saigon.
Return to the Twilight cont’d
• 3 days later, he took Haiphong, an Eastern-
run steamer. They landed in Manila on
August 5.
• Since Leonor had moved to Dagupan with
her parents, he instead spent his time with
friends and finding out how Noli Me Tangere
was faring.
• The copies evading censor by customs had
been sold by a Manila bookshope La Gran
Bretaña.
• Noli Me Tangere was in such demand, a
copy could be sold in the black market for
5 or 6 times its price.
Return to the Twilight cont’d.
• It had immediately acquired the valuable
sales angle of a clandestine circulation.
• Most copies in circulation in Filipino
society had fake covers marked “Gems of
Spanish Verse, Vol. II” or something
equally innocuous.
Return to the Twilight cont’d.
• After 2 days in Manila he traveled down by
inland riverboat to Calamba and home.
• Rizal had gained the status of a filibustero
– a man others considered foredoomed to die if he
stayed in the country
• He directed a stigma on anyone who
received him socially, more gravely than his
own family.
Return to the Twilight cont’d.
• Nevertheless, Jose’s parents and siblings
received him in their home with great joy,
similar to that of the prodigal child and his
father.
• Paciano, however, had a different reaction
and was cold at their reunion.
• As dangerous as Jose’s situation was, days
later he set up an eye surgery, where he
performed a number of successful cataract
operations.
Return to the Twilight cont’d.
• To most people in the Philippines the very
existence of ophthalmic surgery was
unknown.
• Restoration of sight to the blind was
considered a miracle.
• News spread like wild fire throughout the
country of a man called Rizal, a Filipino
coming from Germany, who could work
miracles.

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