As Grade 4 students in Maryknoll College, we were each given a booklet called Catechism which was a summary of the basic precepts of the Roman Catholic faith in Q&A format. We had to learn everything by heart, there were daily quizzes and occasional oral competitions that were supposed to show how much, or how little, we had learned about the Roman Catholic religion.
Later, as college students (still in Maryknoll) many of us became “catechists” and were sent to selected government schools in barrios ( now called barangay) around the campus to teach the Word of God. My mother was sort of regaled by the idea that her daughter had become a “catequista” like those native converts who helped the early Spanish missionaries during the conquest of these islands. Mommy never missed an opportunity to bring the past into the present.
That was probably why the “ Rizal Catechism” caught my eye. It was written by a prestigious historian and Knight of Rizal, Dr. Esteban A. de Ocampo in 1956, when congressmen were heatedly debating the merits of the Rizal Bill authored by Senators Claro M. Recto and Jose P Laurel. Perhaps the “Rizal Catechism” was meant to support champions of the Rizal Law in their battles with the Philippine clergy and the Archbishop of Manila himself. The use of the word “catechism” must have been intentional; it was definitely provocative.
In fine, here are a few samples in the words of Dr. de Ocampo:
Q 13. What was his ambition and what incident made him change his mind?
A: He wanted to become a Jesuit priest, but the execution of the three martyrs, Fathers Burgos, Gomez and Zamora so profoundly affected him that he altered his plans.
Q 27. Why was he called to Malacañan Palace by Governor-General Emilio Terrero?
A: The circulation of the hero’s Noli Me Tangere caused considerable excitement among the Spanish elements in the Philippines who wanted to have the novel banned. The governor asked the author to lend him a copy so that he could judge for himself. Rizal was able to get a copy for him. (Q 28 reveals what the Spaniard did after reading the book.)
Q 32. What route did he take going back to Europe?
A: He sailed for Hong Kong where he spent two weeks studying Chinese customs and theater; then he proceeded to Yokohama where he sojourned for a month visiting the provinces, learning Japanese, and studying the Japanese theater. After crossing the Pacific Ocean, he reached San Francisco toward the end of April. He then took an overland train for New York City where he boarded an ocean liner (‘City of Rome”) on May 16, 1888, for Liverpool, England.
Q 33. What things impressed Rizal in the United States?
A: They were the relics of George Washington, the magnificent Niagara Falls, and the majestic Statue of Liberty. He told General Jose Alejandrino, “America is the land par excellence of freedom, but only for the whites.”
Q 35. What sad news did he receive from his family and friends then?
A: The exile to Bohol of Don Manuel. T. Hidalgo, his brother-in-law, the death of Mariano Herbosa, another brother-in-law who was denied a Christian burial; the arbitrary arrest of Laureano Viado, a Santo Tomas medical student who was found with a copy of the Noli Me Tangere.
There are 89 questions and answers, really worth learning by heart, plus Charles Derbyshire’s rather archaic translation of the “Ultimo Adios “ which I do not recommend ”and a section titled “Rizal said” with 14 quotable quotes.
(You are all invited to the book launch of “ Philippine Towns and Cities “ published by the Heritage Conservation Society. This will take place on 21 January, 5 pm, in the Pride Hall of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, on Gen. Luna Street. Intramuros, Manila.)