RIZAL - PASTELLS CORRESPONDENCE

Dapitan - Manila
1892-1893

Objectives:
To be able to grasp the essence of the correspondence.
To be able to understand Rizals point of view on the Christian religion.
To identify what made Rizal change his perspectives of Christianity.

Significance:
Rizal somehow showed us that we, Filipinos, may have our own insights of different
religion including Catholicism.
He also showed us, Medical Technologists, that we should not be bias on our results like
how he is on the Christian religion.
The correspondence showed how important religion is, with God in the center or
someone else in respect to other religions.
The correspondence helps us understand what the Christian religion was and how it
shaped the country.

Background History of Rizal-Pastells Correspondence:

1.) H ow did Rizal-Pastells Correspondence start?

Fr. Pablo Pastells is a Jesuit priest who attempted to persuade Rizal to return to orthodox
Roman Catholic by way of correspondence. He tried to bring back Catholicism to Rizal.
Started when Fr. Pastells sent Rizal a book by Sarda, with advice that the latter (Rizal)
should desist from his foolishness in viewing religion from the prism of individual
judgment and self-esteem.
Rizal was bitter against the friars because they commit abuses under the cloak of religion.

2.) H ow did Rizal and Fr. Pastells met?

Pastells arrived in the Philippines in 1875. In the middle of the following year he was
sent to Ateneo de Manila and became the director of the Sodality of Our Lady. In this
capacity and as a prefect of the boarders, he came to know the fourteen year old Rizal.

3.) Why did Rizal sent a letter to Fr. Pastells?

During Rizals exile in Dapitan, he had a long and scholarly debate with Father
Pastells on religion which revealed Rizals anti-Catholic ideas acquired in Europe
and the embitterment at his persecution by bad friars.
First Letter of Rizal to Fr. Pastells
Dapitan, September 1, 1892
Rizal is very grateful to Fr. Pastells gift, prayer and advice.
He mentioned that he regretted being a deportee to a poor province like Dapitan
Rizal pointed out the value of self esteem and judgment
Rizal pointed out that self esteem is the greatest good that God has endowed man

Pastells Reply to Rizals First Letter

Manila, October 12, 1892
Pastells believed that Rizal is slowly becoming a heretic
Pastells emphasizes that we need God to guide us in our lives
Pastell is sharing the wonders of God to Rizal

Second Letter of Rizal to Fr. Pastells

Dapitan: November 11, 1892
Rizal thanked Pastells for the booklet that he gave him (Imitation of Christ by Kempis)
He was also thankful for the works of Fr. Chirino, Fr. Delgado and the Missionaries
letters
He said that he would pick phrases from Pastells letter and comment on it with due
respect
He defended himself when Pastells chided him for wasting his talents
He was accused of being a protestant
He thinks that all religions have the same meaning and purpose
He believes that you cannot judge the beliefs of others

Pastells Reply to Rizals Second Letter

Manila: December 8, 1892
Pastells mentioned that they have different religious point of views
He wants to know what Rizal thinks about religion
He emphasizes Rizals point of view in religion
He brought up the topic about Jesus Christ, that He is the legitimate reflector, the same
light and splendor of his eternal Father
He commented on Rizals new place near the plantation

Third Letter of Rizal to Fr. Pastells

Dapitan: January 9, 1893
believes in God/Creator more than faith, reason, necessity
belief = Shipwreck of Faith
 Rizals reason and intellect falls short when it comes to explaining who and how
God can be adequately described
believes in: God in Humanity, Bible: Words written = Words spoken, immortality
of soul and eternal life/SALVATION = 1st Law of Thermodynamics
how can I believe in the death of my consciousness, when everything
around me tells me that nothing is lost but things merely change? If the
atom cannot be annihilated, is it possible for my consciousness which
rules the atom to be annihilated?
Gods work cannot perish
Rizal asks for forgiveness if his religious idea are somewhat different
Rizal gave an image of St. Paul

Pastells Reply to Rizals Third Letter

Manila: February 2, 1893
thanked Rizal for the gift
insisted that Catholic is the one true religion
God is The Word; we should follow God and believe in the words in the Bible
challenged Rizal cite one contradiction in the Scriptures
(by this time, Pastells recognized Rizals shipwrecked faith)
refuses to concede that all is lost and that Rizal will soon come back to the
Catholic Church
agrees that God - The First Cause can be known by reason through His handiworks
Science and Religion
gave Rizal Mgr. Bougands book

Fourth Letter of Rizal to Fr. Pastells

Dapitan; April 4, 1893
Rizals opinion of Mgr. Bougands book (reiterates his concept of God, his belief in
revelation, and his attitude toward miracles)
Rizals religious views were expressed, and Rizal rejected the concept of infallibility of
the Church.

Pastells Reply to Rizals Fourth Letter

Manila; April 28, 1893
Fr. Pastells discusses Rizals religious views. This letter is very long.
Faith is not result of reasoning and therefore is not blind.

Fifth Letter of Rizal to Fr. Pastells

Dapitan: June 1893
 end correspondence
-Rizal sensed a certain impatience in Pastells letters either due to shortness of
Rizal's mind in grasping the religious truths presented to him or pity for Rizals religious
condition.
-Rizal can no longer comprehend Pastells arguments.
Rizal appreciates Pastells desire to enlighten him and illumine his path but he thinks it's
useless.
Let us leave to God's to God the things that are God's and to men the things that are
men's.
The return to faith is God's work.
gratitude for Pastells effort
forgiveness for not having seen earlier the impossibility of their undertaking

Group 3
Abit, Samantha
Chan, Scot
Diaz, Zandreah
Mallillin, Joana
Piedad, Bianca
Soriano, Jeff

2G-MT