Name : EVAN C.

BOALOY BSEE3A

Jose Rizal is, as most Filipinos see him, a hero who helped us achieve the freedom we
experience today. However, there are sects that perceive him as Jesus Christ, as his
reincarnation, as a spirit, as an avatar, as a saint, or as a messenger sent by God. It was a
religious sect that believed that José Rizal is a holy person and that Mount Banahaw will one
day be the New Jerusalem. It was founded by Maria Bernarda Balita or MBB, who believe that it
is the white flower in My Last Goodbye of Rizal that will sprout in the middle of the thick grass of
his grave. She prophesied that in the future a white dove would land on Banahaw Mountain and
sow a seed that would grow into a piece of bamboo that would become the Philippine flag and a
new Jerusalem.
This millennialism of the Rizalistas assumes that the New Jerusalem will be the place
where believers will spend their eternal life and where the total goodness of the Supreme Being
is exemplified. It is believed to be led by righteous leaders who promote goodness to all.
There was also a "universal" flag similar to that of the Philippines, but with a triangular
moon in the center, symbolizing the woman who will establish and continue the faith as Christ
promised her people. They believe that it depends on each man, woman or man, how to
behave to be worthy of Heaven. They see parallels in Christ and Rizal in relation to the role they
played in his life. They were also healers physically with Rizal and spiritually with Christ. Like
Christ, Rizal was a philanthropist, led in his faith by the Holy Spirit. Faith is something personal
that cannot be imposed on others.
The Mystic City of God is one of those religious sects that respect other sects and
religions and is one of the few that does not focus on the size of its organization but on the
beliefs that they represent.
They believe that the man executed by firing squad in Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park) in
1896 was just a spiritual transfiguration. As evidence, Rizalistas says that only a pair of shoes
and a tree trunk were found when Rizal's body was exhumed in Paco Park. The couple named
the boy Jove Rex Al. When the boy was baptized, the acting Catholic priest is said to have
rejected the name because it was too close to the Lord's name. Founded on December 25,
1936, the Rizalista sect had its first Supreme Bishop, Rev.
Preachers are said to be able to communicate with Rizal, who lives in Makiling. As the
sect gained more followers, it founded 100 local chapters across the country based in Calamba,
Rizal's hometown. Iglesia ng Watawat ng Lahi, believed to be the original Rizalista group, is led
by 51-year-old Bonifacio Relleta. The sect allows its priests to marry as long as they serve in
their community for five years. Today, José Rizal's birthday, along with the anniversary of his
death on December 30, is one of the holiest days in the Watawat ng Lahi calendar. On October
25, Rhizalists celebrate Christmas on October 3, which they consider the true date of the birth of
Jesus Christ. If the Catholic Church has the Ten Commandments, the Rhizalists have three
simple rules: love God, people, and society. The division among the Rhizalists is due to political
and doctrinal differences, noted Enrico Naculangga, he recalled resigning as president of the
sect earlier this year because his chapel had to be executed by the bank. He said that an old
man appeared to him and criticized him for his lack of faith. Relleta found new strength and
went to the bank to pay off the debts of the sect.