Effects of Noli Me
Tangere
On August 8th, he returned to Calamba. His
family welcomed him affectionately, with
plentiful tears of joy. The rejoicing of Rizalss
return over, his family became worried for his
safety. Paciano did not leave him during his
first days after arrival to protect him from any
enemy assaults. His own father would not let
him go out alone, lest something might
happen to him.
Nolis prize increases from 1 peso to 50 pesos.
Storm over the Noli
Meanwhile, as Rizal was peacefully living in
Calamba, his enemies plotted his doom.
A few weeks after his arrival, a storm broke
over his novel. One day Rizal received a letter
from Governor General Emilio Terrero (188588) requesting him to come to Malacaan
Palace. Somebody had whispered to the
governors ear that the Noli contained
subversive ideas.
Storm over the Noli
Rizal visited the Jesuit fathers to ask for copy
he sent them, but they would not part with it.
The Jesuits, especially his former professors:
Fr. Francisco de Paula Sanchez
Fr. Jose Bech
Fr. Frederico Faura
Father Faura ventured everything in it was
the truth, but added: you may lose your
head for it.
Storm over the Noli
The governor general, who was liberal-minded
Spaniard knew that Rizals life was in jeopardy
because the friars were powerful. For security
measure, he assigned a young Spanish
lieutenant, Don Jose Taviel de Andrade, as
bodyguard of Rizal.
Don Andrade belonged to a noble family,
cultured and knew painting, and could speak
English, French, and Spanish.
Storm over the Noli
Governor General Terrero read the Noli and
found nothing wrong with it.
Powerful enemies of Rizal
Msgr. Pedro Payo (Dominican Archbishop of
Manila)
Father Rector Gregorio Echavarria (UST)
heretical, impious, and scandalous in the
religious order, and anti-patriotic, subversive of
public order, injurious to the government of Spain
and its function in the Philippine Islands in the
political order.
Storm over the Noli
Governor General Terrero was dissatisfied with the
report of the Dominicans, for he knew that the
Dominicans were prejudiced against Rizal. He sent
the novel to the Permanent Commission of
Censorship which was composed of priests and
laymen.
Fr. Salvador Font (Augustinian cura of Tondo)
drafted the report and submitted it to the governor
general on December 29.
Found the novel to contain subversive ideas
against Church and Spain
Storm over the Noli
The banning of Noli only served to make it
popular. Everybody wanted to read it. Despite
the government prohibition and vigilance of
the cruel Guardia Civil many Filipinos were
able to get hold of copies of the Noli which
they read at night behind closed doors.
Attackers of the Noli
Father Font printed his report and distributed
copies of it in order to discredit the
controversial novel.
Fr. Jose Rodriguez, Prior of Guadalupe,
published a series of eight pamphlets under
the general heading Cuestiones de Sumo
Interes (Questions of Supreme Interest) to
blast the Noli and other anti-Spanish writings.
Attackers of the Noli
Copies of these anti-Rizal pamphlets written by
Fray Rodriguez were sold daily in the churches
after mass.
Storm over Noli reached Spain and was fiercely
attacked on the session hall of Senate of the
Spanish Cortes by various senators.
General Jose de Salamanca (April 1, 1888)
General Luis M. de Pando (April 12)
Sr. Fernando Vida (June 11)
Attackers of the Noli
Vicente Barrantes
Spanish academician of Madrid
Formerly occupied high government position in
the Philippines
Bitterly criticized the Noli in an article published
in La Espaa Moderna in January, 1890.
Defenders of the Noli
Marcelo H. Del Pilar
Dr. Antonio Ma. Regidor
Graciano Lopez Jaena
Mariano Ponce
Father Sanchez ( Rizals favorite teacher at
Ateneo) defended and praised it in public.
Don Segismundo Moret (former Minister of the
Crown)
Dr. Miguel Morayta (historian and statesman
Professor Blumentritt (scholar and educator, read
and liked the nobel)
Defenders of the Noli
Rev. Vicente Garcia
Filipino Catholic priest-scholar
Theologian of Manila Cathedral
Tagalog translator (Imitation of Christ by
Thomas a Kempis)
Father Garcia (penname Justo Desiderio
Magalang)
Wrote a defense of Noli which was published in
Singapore (July 18, 1888)
Defenders of the Noli
Rizal defended his novel against Barrantes
attack in a letter written in Brussels, Belgium
in February 1880.
He exposed Barrantes ignorance of Philippine
affairs and mental dishonesty which is
unworthy of academician
Both friends and enemies of the Noli found it
extremely difficult to secure a copy.
