https://www.britannica.

com/topic/Rizalist-cult

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Rizalist cult, any of numerous ethnic religious groups in the Philippines that believe in the
divinity of José Rizal, the national hero martyred by the Spanish in 1896. Among many
peasant cults it is commonly believed that he is still alive and will return to deliver his
followers from poverty and oppression. Rizal has been identified as God, as the second,
or Filipino, Christ, and as the god of the pre-Spanish Malay religion. Rizalist cults, such as
the Iglesia Sagrada ni Lahi (Holy Church of the Race) and the Banner of the Race Church
(the largest group), synthesize Roman Catholic rituals, images, and organization with
traditional Filipino elements. Some 300,000 rural people adhere to these cults.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/new-religious-movement#ref846310

WRITTEN BY: Murray Rubinstein LAST UPDATED: Feb 25, 2019

New religious movement (NRM), the generally accepted term for what is sometimes
called, often with pejorative connotations, a “cult.” The term new religious movement has
been applied to all new faiths that have arisen worldwide over the past several centuries.
NRMs are characterized by a number of shared traits. These religions are, by definition,
“new”; they offer innovative religious responses to the conditions of the modern world,
despite the fact that most NRMs represent themselves as rooted in ancient traditions.
NRMs are also usually regarded as “countercultural”; that is, they are perceived (by others
and by themselves) to be alternatives to the mainstream religions of Western society,
especially Christianity in its normative forms. These movements are often highly eclectic,
pluralistic, and syncretistic; they freely combine doctrines and practices
from diverse sources within their belief systems. The new movement is usually founded by
a charismaticand sometimes highly authoritarian leader who is thought to have
extraordinary powers or insights. Many NRMs are tightly organized. In light of their often
self-proclaimed “alternative” or “outsider” status, these groups often make great demands
on the loyalty and commitment of their followers and sometimes establish themselves as
substitutes for the family and other conventional social groupings. NRMs have arisen to
address specific needs that many people cannot satisfy through more traditional religious
organizations or through modern secularism. They are also products of and responses to
modernity, pluralism, and the scientific worldview.

The Philippines produced its own new religions. These were the Rizalist cults, named
after José Rizal, a martyr in the struggle against the Spanish in the years immediately
preceding the Spanish-American War. The Rizalist cults were syncretistic and combined
Catholic elements with pre-Spanish Malay and Filipino elements, presenting millenarian
messages that gave hope to the poor and oppressed.
 Assessment
NRMs, in all their diversity, represent various responses to the challenges of modernity:
religious and cultural pluralism, the influence of science and technology, and the
secularization of much of modern life. They are also attempts to find new spiritual
alternatives to the mainstream religious traditions. While some NRMs have led their
adherents to tragic ends and others faded away as quickly as they had arisen, many have
provided religious solace to those who feel they cannot obtain it elsewhere, and some
show signs of enduring and becoming institutionalized. Some of them will undoubtedly
become, over time, part of tomorrow’s “mainstream religions.”

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jose-Rizal

WRITTEN BY:

 The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Alternative Title: José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda

José Rizal, in full José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, (born June 19, 1861,
Calamba, Philippines—died December 30, 1896, Manila), patriot, physician, and man of letters
who was an inspiration to the Philippine nationalist movement.
The son of a prosperous landowner, Rizal was educated in Manila and at the University of Madrid.
A brilliant medical student, he soon committed himself to the reform of Spanish rule in his home
country, though he never advocated Philippine independence. Most of his writing was done in
Europe, where he resided between 1882 and 1892.
In 1887 Rizal published his first novel, Noli me tangere (The Social Cancer), a passionate exposure
of the evils of Spanish rule in the Philippines. A sequel, El filibusterismo (1891; The Reign of
Greed), established his reputation as the leading spokesman of the Philippine reform movement. He
published an annotated edition (1890; reprinted 1958) of Antonio Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas
Filipinas, hoping to show that the native people of the Philippines had a long history before the
coming of the Spaniards. He became the leader of the Propaganda Movement, contributing
numerous articles to its newspaper, La Solidaridad, published in Barcelona. Rizal’s political
program included integration of the Philippines as a province of Spain, representation in the Cortes
(the Spanish parliament), the replacement of Spanish friars by Filipino priests, freedom of assembly
and expression, and equality of Filipinos and Spaniards before the law.
Rizal returned to the Philippines in 1892. He founded a nonviolent-reform society, the Liga
Filipina, in Manila, and was deported to Dapitan in northwest Mindanao. He remained in exile for
the next four years. In 1896 the Katipunan, a Filipino nationalist secret society, revolted against
Spain. Although he had no connections with that organization and he had had no part in the
insurrection, Rizal was arrested and tried for sedition by the military. Found guilty, he was publicly
executed by a firing squad in Manila. His martyrdom convinced Filipinos that there was
no alternative to independence from Spain. On the eve of his execution, while confined in Fort
Santiago, Rizal wrote “Último adiós” (“Last Farewell”), a masterpiece of 19th-century Spanish
verse.
 https://www.ilovetansyong.com/2014/07/rizalista-religious-movement-or.html

The Rizalista religious movement refers to the new religious movement adopted by a
number of ethnic religious groups in the Philippines that believe in the divinity of Jose
Rizal, the Philippines' de-facto national hero. But there are also people condemned
towards the group that it may be an occultism. Join us , As “I love Tansyong “ and
BSA Students from University Rizal System attempt to investigate.

The Rizalista religious movement refers to the new religious movement

adopted by a number of ethnic religious groups in the Philippines that
believe in the divinity of Jose Rizal, the Philippines' de-facto national
hero. But there are also people condemned towards the group that it may
be an occultism. Join us , As “I love Tansyong “ and BSA Students from
University Riza attempt to investigate.

CULTURE , RELIGION , VIDEO

🛐 Rizalista : Religious movement or Occultism

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The Rizalista religious movement refers to the new religious movement adopted by a number
of ethnic religious groups in the Philippines that believe in the divinity of Jose Rizal, the
Philippines' de-facto national hero. But there are also people condemned towards the group
that it may be an occultism. Join us , As “I love Tansyong “ and BSA Students from
University Rizal System attempt to investigate.

The Rizalista religious movement refers to the new religious movement

adopted by a number of ethnic religious groups in the Philippines that
believe in the divinity of Jose Rizal, the Philippines' de-facto national
hero. But there are also people condemned towards the group that it may
be an occultism. Join us , As “I love Tansyong “ and BSA Students from
University Riza attempt to investigate.
The Rizalistas, as they are collectively and commonly called, are different group of people
having different beliefs but focuses on one faith. It is their faith to the Philippine's national
hero Dr. Jose Rizal that binds them together. Generally, this group immortalizes and
worships Jose Rizal as a divine being. Many of these sects or religious movements believe
that Rizal is still living and that he will deliver his followers from oppression and poverty.
Rizalist groups have differing views on the divinity of Jose Rizal. Some believe that he is
God himself, some believe that Rizal was the second son of God, the reincarnation of Christ.
Some of these groups also identify Rizal as the god of the pre-Spanish Malay religion. Some
only see as Rizal as a spiritual guide. Leaders of the sect often claim that key people in the
Philippine Revolution including Rizal himself were reincarnation of the Virgin Mary. Many
of these groups claim that the only key to salvation is by joining their group

The Rizalist religious movement ranged from colorums which were prevalent during the
1920s up to the 1930s to Philippine Benevolent Missionary Association, which was led by
Ruben Ecleo. Among these movements are the Iglesia Sagarada Familia, Lipi ni Rizal,
Pilipinas Watawat, the Molo and the Iglesia ng Watawat ng Lahi
https://www.revolvy.com/page/Rizalista-religious-movements

The Rizalista religious movements refers to the new religious movement and a form of Folk
Catholicismadopted by a number of ethnic religious groups in the Philippines that believe in
the divinity of Jose Rizal, the Philippines' de facto national hero. Many of these sects or religious
movements believe that Rizal is still living and that he will deliver his followers from oppression and
poverty. Rizalist groups have differing views on the divinity of Jose Rizal. Some believe that he is God
himself, some believe that Rizal was the second son of God, the reincarnation of Christ. Some of
these groups also identify Rizal as the god of the pre-Spanish Malay religion.[1] Some only see as
Rizal as a spiritual guide.[2] Leaders of the sect often claim that key people in the Philippine
Revolution including Rizal himself were reincarnation of the Virgin Mary. Many of these groups claim
that the only key to salvation is by joining their group.[3]
The Rizalist religious movement ranged from colorums which were prevalent during the 1920s up to
the 1930s to Philippine Benevolent Missionary Association, which was led by Ruben Ecleo.[3] Among
these movements are the Iglesia Sagarada Familia (lit. Church of the Holy Family), Lipi ni Rizal
(lit. Clan of Rizal), Pilipinas Watawat (lit. Philippine Flag), the Molo, and the Iglesia ng Watawat ng
Lahi (lit. Church of the Race's Flag).[2]
Some of these groups regularly participate in Rizal Day celebrations in Rizal Park as an act of
devotion towards Rizal.[4]
https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/where-jose-rizal-is-worshipped-as-a-god-a2190-20180614-lfrm2

Where Jose Rizal is Worshipped as a

God by NAOMI TIBURCIO Jun 14, 2018

To a group of Filipinos who live at the foot of Mt. Makiling, the nation's hero is also a very peculiar deity.

To the rest of us, the Independence Day celebrations are a reminder of Dr. Jose Rizal's greatest
achievement: rekindling the spirit of nationalism in a people long stripped of dignity after centuries of
invasion and colonization. To a small group of Filipinos, however, Rizal’s greatness transcends even
his status as a national hero, placing him at the center of a religion where he is no less than a divinity.

On this day, Rizal's followers—who call themselves Rizalistas—from the hero-god's hometown of
Calamba, Laguna, are expected take to the streets to join other Rizalista churches in a procession.
Everyone is dressed in all-white attires, with women wearing long dresses, and the men neat and
trim in their barong tagalog.

Half an hour away from the town proper, past the abundance of houses and the hectares of farming
fields, by the shore of Laguna de Bay and at the foot of Mt. Makiling in Calamba City is a small sitio
that seems stuck in the past, where the remaining Rizalistas reside. This is Sitio Ronggot, and there
stands a small, lone chapel for the Rizalist church of Sagrada Familia.

Sitio Ronggot’s Sagrada Familia believes in a holy trinity much like Christianity: with Diyos Amabeing
Señor Ignacio Coronado, also known as Apo Asyong, whose name appears in the teachings of many
Rizalista sects; the Diyos Ina, known as Inang Adarna; and Diyos Anak, who, like Jesus, had come in
human form. It is their belief, however, that the Holy Child came down in the form of Dr. Jose Rizal.
Amang Doktor, they call him. The different Rizalist churches are connected by their devotion and
faith in Rizal as a deity, though they are scattered across the country, with varying doctrines and
traditions.
Some Catholics-turned-Rizalistas in the area have managed to find convergence in Catholic doctrine
and Rizalista teachings. The use of the cross, the Bible, and the reverence for Mary and Jesus stayed
with them. The Catholic Sign of the Cross is also used with some variations. Mainly the common
ground, however, is their belief of a messiah who will bring them salvation through his second
coming.

The far-flung sitio may not seem like the best location to build a church, but the founder of Sagrada
Familia, Danny Bibat, seemed to see something in it when he led a few other families from
Pangasinan to what they believed was their Promised Land. Sitio Ronggot is where they were to start
a new community and build a church, the perfect location to meet Rizal the messiah as he was
prophesied to descend from Mount Makiling.
Sitio Ronggot is where they were to start a new community and build a
church, the perfect location to meet Rizal the messiah as he was
prophesied to descend from Mount Makiling.
When their original leader, Danny Bibat, passed away, the responsibility for the group fell to Danny's
sister, Gloria Bibat. Now in her 90s, Nanay Gloria continues to lead her flock.

The small chapel includes a 7ft.-tall sculpture of Rizal, and an altar that includes many images of the
national hero alongside images of the Christian faith.

The Rizalistas of Ronggot practice a folk religion that blends elements of Christianity with worship of
Jose Rizal.

"Dito kami idinestino ng kapangyarihan ng Diyos Ama, Diyos Ina, Diyos Anak, at Diyos Espiritu Santo. Kaya
kahit anong hirap nagtitiyaga at nagtitiis kami dito," says Gloria Bibat, the current leader of Sagrada
Familia.
Sitio Ronggot's residents are now fourth-generation Rizalistas who still hold their beliefs intact. After
Danny Bibat’s passing, the responsibility of leading the church fell to his sister, Gloria. Also known as
Nanay Gloria, she is now in her 90s—frail, hard of hearing, weak of memory, and beset with many
medical issues related to old age. Despite all this, her devotion to Rizal has not wavered.

In their kapilya is a seven-foot tall sculpture of Rizal; on the altar are various framed pictures depicting
Rizal, side by side with the Holy Trinity and the symbol for the All-Seeing Eye. The church has
attracted its share of visitors, from college students on exposure trips to curious travelers—some of
whom have added a few mementos to the altar. The chapel's seats are old chairs from a neighboring
public elementary school, and above the church, the broken ceiling houses a few birds and critters.
Behind the altar is a small room with a single bed, done up in fresh white linen and with
a kulambo draped from above. It looks like an ordinary bedroom—for one of the leaders of the church,
perhaps. According to Virgie Bibat, the right-hand woman of Nanay Gloria, the bedroom is for the
spirit of Apo Asyong, who sometimes visits the chapel.

"At kahit makapal ang ulap, lilitaw rin ang liwanag. Jose Rizal ang kanyang pangalan na
martir sa bagumbayan. Siyang Kristo ng Kapilipinohan." —from a Rizalista hymn

On Sundays, the Mass service is attended by a shrinking number of followers. Usually there are only
around ten attendees or so, most of them old ladies in long skirts, most of them belonging to the Bibat
clan.

https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/young-star/2005/05/27/279306/rizalistas-and-religion
On Rizalistas and religion
STILL TALKING - STILL TALKING By Enrico Miguel T. Subido () - May 27, 2005 - 12:00am

To mock someone else’s religion is a dangerous thing. In the past few weeks, we
have read about riots and violence caused by Newsweek reports that Guantanamo
interrogators threw the Koran into a toilet to rattle Muslim prisoners.

When I found out that we were going to visit a group of people who worshipped Rizal as
the second Christ, my initial reaction was to laugh and scoff at the preposterous practice.
However, keeping in mind the recent world events that transpired because of a lack of
respect for other peoples’ beliefs, I stifled the urge to deride the practice. I resolved to
keep an open mind. Setting out on a Sunday morning, our group of social anthropology
students and professors went to Calamba, Laguna to visit the Rizalistas.

Barangay Ronggot is a bit out of the way. From Calamba proper, you have to take
a bangka to get to the barangay, or the alternative is to walk about three or four kilometers
on an unfinished, unpaved road. The barangay does not have a hospital or a public
market, and the residents of the village have to go all the way to Calamba proper for the
consumer items that they need. I wouldn’t say that the inhabitants of Barangay Ronggot
are totally isolated though. They have television and radio, so they are still updated on the
news from all over the country.

Without knowledge of their unusual beliefs, one could dismiss the Rizalista village as just
another of the generic, underdeveloped barangays found all over the country. There were
no monks garbed in robes. There was no chanting. Everyone was busy with the daily
chores necessary for survival . The parents worked as farmers and fishermen. And, it
being summer vacation, the children stayed at home. There were various town characters,
including the town drunkard.

The reason for worshipping Rizal was quite simple: "Dahil siya ang Pambansang Bayani."
A shrine for Rizal with pictures and statues of the national hero, with the Ten
Commandments believed to be penned by Rizal himself was built. Harder to believe, the
worshippers contend that Rizal’s spirit goes into chosen mediums so that he can continue
teaching those who follow his ways. The medium nowadays is an old lady
named Manang Gloria. There were others before her, but the story is the same for all of
them. Rizal’s spirit supposedly possesses them during the time of worship, and through
the medium, teaches his followers the lessons of living life the correct and righteous way.
They say it is Rizal talking when the medium takes on the voice of a man.
For us who believe in scientific explanations, the part about spirit possession is a bit hard
to swallow. Could it simply be a case of good acting and manipulation skills on the part of
the medium? If so, then this is a potentially dangerous thing, as an unscrupulous medium
may lead the flock to believe in and perform irrational, possibly harmful things. On the
other hand, this manipulation could work positively as the medium who advocates
positive, progressive and socially beneficial beliefs could do much to convince the people
to work and strive for lofty causes.

In our country where folk belief and practices are closely conjoined with more modern
religious beliefs, the phenomenon of possession is a common occurence. Thus, we have
reports about entities (such as the Santo Niño or the spirit of dead relatives) "entering" the
bodies of the mediums and speaking through them. In the northern region where I grew
up, possession is known as naluganan in the Ilocano dialect. Surely, the various regions in
the country have a term for possesion in their local dialects. However, despite the
prevalence in the belief, I still feel that religion should be a personal thing, without need for
mediums.

Barangay Ronggot does not offer much as a tourist destination. However, the field trip
there served to emphasize what, I feel, is given utmost importance at my Jesuit school:
That religion is a personal thing; and thus, the importance of educating one’s self to attain
a wider, more tolerant perspective. The musician Ben Harper says it best, "...so before
you knock it, you better try it first."

I will end this piece with an anecdote about religious tolerance and about how we don’t
have to have the same religious beliefs to be able to genuinely care about each other:
When my dad was lying in a coma, various friends came to pray over him. The daily visits
of our Catholic priest, the Protestant and Anglican Minister might not have been too
unusual. However, the intensive care unit nurses must have thought it was weird that my
family allowed, in addition, a British mystic friend and an Igorot mumbaki. See, our friends
needed to say their goodbyes to my dad too; and our Bontoc farm
manager Manong Edward, whom my dad helped through school, felt that his mumbaki
might help. My dad eventually went on to the next life, but through these various people, it
was made known to us that God does exist. We each try to know him in the best way we
can, and dissing another’ beliefs and forcing him to accept our own puts us in danger of
becoming religious boors.

http://nhcp.gov.ph/jose-rizal-a-hero-saint/
Posted on September 19, 2012

JOSE RIZAL: A HERO-SAINT?

by Quennie Ann J. Palafox
December 30 of each year marks the nationwide commemoration of the martyrdom of our national hero, Dr.
Jose Rizal. We remember Rizal through floral offerings, flag raising and other activities honouring him.
Wherever you go, you may find a Rizal monument, schools, streets, plazas, and other structures named after
our hero. The Filipino Missal (Book of Divine Office) of the Philippine Independent Church published in 1961,
featured the important feasts of the church including the birthday of Manuel L. Quezon (August 19) and the
martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal (December 30).

Many Filipinos are unaware that once upon a time Rizal was declared a saint by the Philippine Independent
Church and his death anniversary was celebrated in a manner similar to those of the saints.

The Philippine Independent Church or Iglesia Filipina Independiente was founded on August 3, 1902 with
Gregorio Aglipay as its first Obispo Maximo (Supreme bishop). In the beginning, the PIC became a major
religious sect that attracted many followers to its anti-friar campaign and anti-imperialism campaigns. As a
matter of fact, PIC churches displayed the Philippine flag at the side altar to impress to the public its reverence
to the country and to the heroes who fought during the Spanish and American colonial period.

How did Rizal become a saint? Wenceslao E. Retana, a noted Spanish Filipinologist and biographer of Rizal,
was the first to mention Rizal’s canonization. Retana cited the “Acta de Canonizacion de los grandes Martires
de la Patria Dr. Rizal y PP. Burgos, Gomez y Zamora” (Proceedings of the Canonization of the Great Martyrs of
the Country Dr. Rizal and Fathers Burgos, Gomez, and Zamora) published in Madrid in 1907 in his account of
the canonization of Rizal. The Acta was published in the official organ of the sect, La Iglesia Filipina
Independiente in 1903.

According to the Acta, the Council of Bishops met in Manila on September 24, 1903 but there was no
mention of where they met. It was the Secretary General, Bishop Isidoro Perez who presented to the Council
the canonization of heroes Dr. Jose Rizal, Jose Burgos, Mariano Gomez, and Jacinto Zamora. By anonymous
decision, Rizal and the three priests were canonized following the Roman Catholic rites.

The proceedings of this canonization were recorded in the book of proceedings of the Independent Church
and were signed by the following bishops: Gregorio Aglipay, the Secretary General Bishop Isidoro Perez of
Cagayan, and Bishops Ponciano Manuel of Pangasinan, Gregorio Dizon of Zambales and Pampanga, Fortunato
Clemeña of Cavite, Ramon Farolan of Abra and others.

Aglipay ordained that no longer would masses for the dead be offered for Rizal and the three priests; on the
other hand, their birth and death anniversaries would be celebrated in their honor. Their statues were revered
at the altars of the sect, their names given at baptism, and, at least in the case of Rizal, novenas were written in
his honor. An example of this was Tomas Velasco’s Novena a Pagdaydayaw ken Santo Martir Dr. Jose Rizal.

Unfortunately the Acta and the Ilokano novena honoring Rizal would seem to be the only materials
pertaining to Rizal’s canonization. However, former Obispo Maximo of the church Santiago Fonacier, and
Isabelo de los Reyes, Jr., who were interviewed by historian Marcelino Foronda, said they were aware of the
canonization of Rizal.

The account of former Obispo Maximo Santiago Fonacier corresponded to that of the Acta. In the interview
with Foronda, Fonacier said that the canonization rites transpired from two to four o’clock in the afternoon of
September 24, 1903 at the house of Bishop Aglipay. This house used to stand at, 54 Ezpleta St., Sibakong, Sta.
Cruz, Manila. Only Bishops and some priests were in attendance, what one would call a closed door conference,
not open to the public, with no laymen present.

On Sunday, September 27, 1903, considerable number of people flocked to the small chapel of the
Independent Church on Calle Lemery, Tondo to listen to the Misa Cantada (Sung Mass). Instead of a requiem
mass for the four martyrs, a mass proclaiming the newly canonized saints was held. The pictures of the new
saints, Rizal, Burgos, Gomez and Zamora were placed on the main altar. Bishop Gregorio Aglipay officiated the
mass while Bishop Gregorio Dizon of Zambales and Pampanga preached the sermon.

The proclamation was an important event in the church as high ranking government officials and the
relatives of the new saints gathered to witness it. Doña Saturnina Rizal, Rizal’s eldest sister and her husband
Don Manuel Hidalgo were present. Marcelino Gomez, a nephew of Fr. Gomez, Don Paulino Zamora, a relative
of Dr. Zamora, and Dr. Manuel Xeres Burgos, nephew of Fr. Burgos, also attended the mass. Notable
personalities such as Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Don Felipe Buencamino, Isabelo de los Reyes, and Teodoro
Gonzales also attended.

The canonization of Rizal by the Philippine Independent Church was of great significance to the church and
its members. Rizal’s images and statues were displayed in churches and chapels of PIC where the devotees
could pay respect and worship him. Aglipay likewise used the novena in impressing upon the church members
the political ideals of Rizal by publishing his own Novena del Dr. Jose Rizal.

It is a historical fact that Jose Rizal had formidable influence on Gregorio Aglipay and the Philippine
Independent Church, and this was manifested in the canonization of Rizal. Aglipay such admiration and
respect for Rizal that he gave him such titles as “glorious apostle” and the “wise apostle” of God. Aglipay also
mentioned that the teaching of the Philippine Independent Church was inspired by Rizal’s ideology and
writings.

Zoilo M. Galang wrote that it was Rizal who encouraged Aglipay to become a priest as he had lived with
Aglipay in the house of Leonor Rivera in Intramuros. However, no other writer has corroborated the claim of
Galang.

Today, one can no longer see the statue or even picture of Rizal upon the altars of the PIC. Rizal’s birthday
and death anniversary are no longer celebrated by the PIC in accordance with ceremonies restricted for saints.
Clearly, the church has revoked its doctrine of revering Rizal as holy figure.

http://dennisvillegas.blogspot.com/2011/06/rizal-first-filipino-saint.html

For the past few years, I have been studying some of the Rizalista sects in Mount Makiling, Mount Banahaw , and
Mount Arayat . These Rizalistas worship Jose Rizal as God. They call Rizal in a variety of names: the Tagalog
Christ, the Jove Rex Al, the Son of God, Amang Doktor, Amang Rizal, and so on.

One time, while on discussion about Rizal’s various mystical powers, an old Rizalista told me that Rizal could also
be considered the Filipino Buddha because he was the first Filipino to attain enlightenment. You could imagine my
amusement thinking about Rizal sitting in Buddha-like position trying to achieve Nirvana!

It is fascinating me because some years back, I was asked by a young smart-aleck student if Rizal could be
considered for sainthood because he died a martyr’s death. I remember answering that Rizal will never be
canonized by the Catholic Church since during his life, Rizal attacked the Catholic Church. But then again in more
enlightened retrospect, I knew I made a mistake, because Rizal never attacked the Catholic Church itself, but rather
the bad practices in it.

Nevertheless, the thought of Jose Rizal becoming a saint was cool. I wanted to find out if there were some people in
the past who may have lobbied for Rizal’s sainthood in the Catholic church. My research led me to some dusty
shelves in the Filipiniana section of the National Library where I asked a bespectacled librarian if there was ever a
book or a monograph about a move to beatify Jose Rizal.

The bewildered librarian looked at me as if I had just come from outer space, and perhaps considered me as one of
those rabid Rizalistas who invade the library every now and then to research on the divinity of God Rizal. Then she
told me that there was no such a thing. As consolation for my weird research, she handed me Rudy
Astronomo’s Kristong Kayumanggi (Tagalog Christ), which of course, I already read many times before, the book
being freely given in many Rizalista churches in Laguna.

I went home and totally forgot about St. Jose Rizal. Then one evening, while browsing some old newspapers in my
collection, I came across an old Renacimiento newspaper from 1903. It contained news of Jose Rizal canonization
in the Philippine Independent Catholic Church (Spanish: Iglesia Filipina Indipendiente) or more widely known as the
Aglipayan Church . Indeed, unknown to most of us, Jose Rizal was canonized as a saint on September 24, 1903 by
the Aglipayan Church .

This canonization of Rizal was not, of course, recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, since the Aglipayan
Church was a breakaway Catholic group. Nevertheless, this was the very first known act of any organized religion in
the Philippines to venerate Rizal as a saint, making him as the first Filipino saint! Consequently, after Rizal’s
canonization, hymns and prayers were composed in his honor, and his birth and death anniversaries became
important feast days. Rizal’s pictures and statuettes were placed in the altars of Aglipayan churches.

It is important to note, however, that at present, the Aglipayan Church has already ceased to recognize Rizal as
saint. According to present Aglipayan Bishop Rev. Fr. Efraim Fajutagana, Rizal’s sainthood was revoked in the
1950s, since it was only done during the nationalistic phase of their church—that is, during the early years of their
separation from the Catholic Church. So at present, the church no longer celebrates the feast days of Saint Jose
Rizal, although they still recognize Rizal as the foremost Philippine hero.

The question now is: in the light of Rizal’s unjust execution (like Joan de Arc who became St. Joan of Arc), if it’s now
possible for the Roman Catholic Church to beatify Rizal and elevate him to the official roster of Catholic saints.
Since the Catholic Church claimed that Rizal retracted his “errors in faith” shortly before his death, then it can be
argued that it is already high time for the Catholic Church to retract its own condemnation of Rizal as enemy of the
church. This would be complicated, as anti-retractionists would argue that Rizal did not retract because he had
nothing to retract.

Nevertheless, immaterial to whether Rizal retracted or not, the issue is clear: Rizal was unjustly executed partly
because of the role played by the Catholic Church. So the first thing the Catholic Church should consider is to issue
a long-due apology for its role in the martyrdom of Rizal. As a Catholic and Rizalist, I feel that this is a just demand
because our greatest hero was wrongly executed. For the record, Spain already issued an official apology for
executing Rizal. Now, a Rizal monument similar to the one we have in the Luneta stands in a plaza in Madrid.

Rizal’s retraction would no longer be the issue here but the Church’s retraction. But I guess it would be very unlikely
since the Church as an institution has not admitted errors, just as in the Middle Ages--during the Inquisition—it
committed serious errors in executing so many innocent people, but has not issued any formal apologies on these
dark years of Catholicism.

Hence, I believe that Jose Rizal joining the ranks of the Catholic saints would be a remote possibility at present.
Nonetheless, for the Rizalistas, it does not matter: God Rizal always sounded better than St. Jose Rizal.