Introduction to

Statement of the Philippine Hierarchy on the

Novels of Dr. Jose Rizal

Presented by: Group 4 (BMMA 1-A)

RIZAL'S LIFE WORK AND WRITINGS
 06
What is the Rizal
Law?
In 1955, the good statesman Senator Claro M. Recto proposed that all
schools in the Philippines teach students about the life and works of
Jose Rizal. In 1956, the bill was passed and is now known as Republic
Act 1425, or Rizal Law. The official title of the law is much longer: An
Act to Include in the Curricula of All Public and Private Schools,
Colleges and Universities Courses On the Life, Works and Writings of
Jose Rizal, Particularly His Novels Noli Me Tangere and El
Filibusterismo,
Dr. Jose Rizal was fearless in exposing the failures of his time's pioneer
organizations, and equally fearless in pointing out his kinsmen's "mistakes,
indecencies, and our supine and at fault passive consent to these ills". He
generously offered his blood for his country's government help.
Rizal works contain passages that are perhaps
appalling. He isolated from the significant
complexities of his time considerations concerning
the limit of government, the success of society, the
pride of the individual, and the extraordinary mission
and destiny of our country under God. They are
applicable even in our own times.
The Catholic Church in itself, as perceived from the human and problematic
individuals who structure it, isn't, never has been, and never will be shown against
the genuine political and social objectives of any people. Accepting it were, it
should not be what it is called: Catholic, that is general. The Gospel of Christ adds
to the supporting of a substantial and solid justification behind the improvement
of a good, fair and genuinely extreme nationalism.
It conveys the inhabitant mindful of his assumptions inside the overall
population which offered him birth and of the chance, both political
and social, which is imperative for the action of these opportunities.
Rizal's interpretation of Dr. Tavera was not positive, as demonstrated
by Rizal himself.
He pursued the protect, in other words, in addition to the ideas
which a portion of the time, on account of absence, creep into
severe practices, yet the real custom of the Church. In these two
books, there are rehashed attacks against the Catholic religion in
general. There are also entries that blaspheme divine love, such as
worship of pictures and relics.
Dedication of his novel, Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not)
In dedicating his novel, Noli Me Tangere, to his beloved
country, he addressed her as follows:
Desiring your health which is also ours, and seeking
the best means of restoring it, I shall do with you
what the ancients did with their sick; they brought
them to the steps of the temple that all who came to
invoke the god might stop to suggest a remedy. I
shall lift a portion of the bandage which hides the
disease, sacrificing all to the truth, even my personal
pride, for us a son of yours I am not exempt from
your defects and weaknesses.
 Abuse of Power
Thus, while Rizal was fearless in denouncing the evils of

the colonial administration of his time, he was no less

fearless in pointing out to his countrymen “our own

mistakes, our own vices, our supine and culpable

acquiescence to these evils.

Canon Law 1399
“Too Much to Our regret then, we feel it

our sacred duty to come to the

conclusion that these works, as any other

of their kind, fall under Canon Law 1399

of the code of Canon Law which

establishes: By the law itself are

forbidden.
 Canon Law 1399
Books of any writers defending heresy or schism or tending

in any way to undermine the very foundations of religion.

Books which attack or ridicule any of the Catholic dogmas,

or which defend errors condemned by the Holy See, or

which disparage divine worship, or strive to overthrow

ecclesiastical discipline, or which have the avowed aim of

defaming the ecclesiastical hierarchy or the clerical or

religious states; Evidently, some, not all, of the clauses of

this law clearly affect the novels we are studying.

 Faithful Catholics wish to be

second to none in love and

veneration for our national hero,

Dr. Jose Rizal, whose patriotism

remains for us a noble inspiration.

Mobilizing Church Groups Against Recto and the Rizal Bill
A coalescence of religious groups within the church rallied to block
the passage of the bill in the Senate.
Among the most active groups that opposed the Rizal Bill were the
Catholic Action of the Philippines, the Knights of Columbus, the
Congregation of the Mission, and the Catholic Teachers Guild.
The Catholic Church urged its faithful to write to lawmakers to make
their opposition to the bill known. Catholic groups organized
symposiums on why it should not become law.
In one of these symposiums, Fr. Jesus Cavanna allegedly argued the
novels would misrepresent current conditions in the church.
Cavanna was the author of the book, Rizal's Unfading Glory: A
Documentary History of the Conversion of Dr. José Rizal, published in
1956 after the passage of the Rizal Law. The book details Jose Rizal’s
conversion to Catholicism.
 Notable Persons Who Notable Persons Who
Tried To Block Its Fought For Its
Approval: Approval:
Sen. Decoroso Rosales – brother of
Archbishop (Cardinal) Rosales Sen. Jose P. Laurel
Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo -President of Claro M. Recto
Catholic Action of the Philippines Other Illustrious Nationalists
Sen. Mariano Cuenco –brother of
Archbishop Cuenco
Jesus Paredes –radio commentator
Fr. Jesus Cavana –member of the Paulist
Order who wrote a pastoral letter
The Friars
Intentions/Reasons of Persons Who Blocked
the Approval of Rizal Bill
The novels were written when Dr. Jose
Rizal, estranged from Catholic faith
and religion and contradict many of
the Christian beliefs.
To compel Catholic students to read a
book which contains passages
contradicting their faith constitutes a
violation of a Philippine constitutional
provision (Art. 3, Sec. 1, Par. 7).
The Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
are very damaging to the clerics.
The novels do contain teachings
contrary to Catholic faith and so, the
Church is opposed to the proposed
compulsory reading in their entirety of
such books in any school in the
Philippines where Catholic students
may be affected
The prevailing outcry is that it is justified that under the government
mandate, the youth is forcibly entrusted to read and understand these works
that undermine and attack the very faith they swore to believe in without
allowing them to equally obligatory dissect and comprehend the answers to
such attacks in their belief. It asks and begets the question: is this being fair
to Catholicism that under law we teach the youth patriotism that is anti
catholic as contained by the teachings of these novels while not allowing the
catholic side defend or reiterate what it truly wants for us. This is a
controversy of the legal separation and agreement of the church and the
government to not indulge themselves towards the works, issues, and
concerns of the other side.
 With that all said, the text seeks to educate the youth
and the upcoming generations the patriotism Jose Rizal
yearns us to have while creating a safe space for everyone
to understand true patriotism with the errors and flaws of
Jose Rizal's teachings in his novels.
In the text it yearns to clarify the misinterpretations about
faith and patriotism that were intimately mixed up in
Rizal's novels. It asks us to develop a religious and socio-
political conscience and awareness that actively
demonstrates the teachings of true patriotism that Rizal
wants to instill into us without sacrificing our belief to our
faith and Christianity.
Thank You for
listening!
 Presented By:
Group 4

Kyle Gio Dimacali

Angelo Claguas
Antonio Sese
Rafael Capati
Kiara Ysabel Aquino (Leader)
Peer Evaluation GROUP 4- Module 1 Required Readings
Statement of the Philippine Hierarchy on the Novels of Dr. Jose Rizal

Members Rating: Contribution:

Kyle Gio Dimcali 3/3 Research About the Topic

Antoine Louis Sese 2/3 Research About the Topic

Angelo Godwin Calaguas 3/3 Research About the Topic

Rafael Capati 3/3 Creating of Powerpoint

Kiara Ysabel Aquino (Leader) 3/3 Creating of Powerpoint