***[Zaide] It is likewise irrelevant because it does not matter at all
to the greatness of Rizal.***

This is what I take issue with the most. To me it does matter.

There is a statue of Rizal at the Luneta. He is wearing a warm suit,
and is clutching two books - the Noli and Fili. If a tour guide
describes him as the country's National Hero, tells a bit about the
two books that he wrote, and clarify that before he die he retracted
the contents of both books...would they be impressed by the greatness
of the man?

The author of "Rizal's Unfading Glory" clearly describes what to him
is Rizal's greatness: His return to the Catholic Faith which he had
attacked to bitterly.

To me that is not the greatness of Rizal. Rather I agree with
biographer Frank Laubach that it is his works (of what value are his
works if he retracted them?) and more importantly his life (which
includes a steadfast adherence to his principles).

From the opening quote we can see that Zaide does not understand
Masonry. Masons know that you can be a Catholic and a Mason. It is the
Catholics that kicked out Rizal from Catholicism....Rizal continued to
worship God through the Catholic Church (with his own amendments, like
the issue of the divinity of Jesus). Can a man do that, consider
himself a Catholic yet have his "amendments?" To the Masons yes...to
the Catholics, no.

But to Zaide and those who believe in the retraction I would
say...when referring to the statue of Rizal at the Luneta, and telling
someone of his story...be sure to mention that in his arms he holds to
of his greatest works, both of which he retracted.

They might ask you why you venerate a man who holds close to his chest
two pieces of work that he retracted. Perhaps one explanation you can
give is that he wanted all Filipinos to do the same.

Imagine Dr. Yoder changing the title of the sister site to "Dr. Jose
P. Rizal, his Life and Retracted and unretracted works."

Such a title would not take away from his greatness?

Of course it does.

CDV

--- In RP-Rizal@yahoogroups.com, "Ian" <ianjra@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "It is indeed strange, but true, that some Masons, in their days of
> health and power, are not bitter in their attacks against the Church,
> but when death comes, they abjure Masonry in order to die as Catholics.
> On the other hand, no Catholic has ever abjured Catholicism in his dying
> moment in order to die a Mason,"
>
> -Gregorio F. Zaide
>
>
>
>
>
> "At 10:00 of the night of December 29th, the draft of the retraction
> sent by the anti-Filipino Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda (1890-1903) was
> submitted by Father Balaguer to Rizal for signature, but the hero
> rejected it because it was too long and he did not like it. According
> to Father Balaguer's testimony, he showed Rizal a shorter retraction
> which was prepared by Father Pio Pi, Superior of the Jesuit Society in
> the Philippines, which was acceptable to Rizal. After making some
> changes in it, Rizal then wrote his retraction, in which he abjured
> Masonry and his religious ideas which were anti-Catholic.
>
>
>
> This retraction of Rizal is now a controversial document, for the
> Rizalist scholars who are either Masons or anti-Catholic, claim it to be
> a forgery while the Catholic Rizalists believe it to be genuine.
>
>
>
> This debate between two hostile groups of Rizalists is futile and
> irrelevant. Futile in the sense that no amount of evidence can convince
> the Masonic Rizalists that Rizal retracted and the Catholic Rizalists
> that Rizal did not retract. As a famous saying goes: "For those who
> believe — no justification is necessary; for the skeptics, whose
> criterion for belief is not in their minds but in their wills — no
> justification is possible".
>
>
>
> It is likewise irrelevant because it does not matter at all to the
> greatness of Rizal. Whether he retracted or not, the fact remains that
> he was the greatest Filipino hero.
>
>
>
> This also applies to the other controversy as to whether Rizal married
> Josephine Bracken before his execution or not. Why argue on this issue.
> Whether or not Rizal married Josephine in Fort Santiago, Rizal remains
> just the same — a hero-martyr."
>
>
>
> Masons spurn the "Rizal Retraction," assailing it as a "forgery." They
> insist that Rizal never retracted his Masonic membership and his
> anti-catholic ideas in his writings. On the other hand, the Catholics
> believe that his retraction is genuine. Thus a bitter controversy
> between Masons and Catholics in the Philippines has raged until the
> present
> day, and such controversy may never be settled. Anyhow, it really does
> not matter. Whether Rizal retracted or not, he remains just the same as
> the greatest hero of the Filipino nation.
>
>
>
>
>
> Source:
>
> Gregorio F. Zaide & Sonia F. Zaide,
>
> Jose Rizal, Life, Works, and Writings of a Genius, Writer, Scientist and
> National Hero
>
> 2nd Edition, All-Nations Publishing Company, Manila (2006 )
>
> Chap. XXV Martyrdom at Bagumbayan, pp. 265-266; 418
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Famous Filipino Masons who abjured Masonry
>
> (Pres. Manuel Quezon, Gen. Antonio Luna, Señor Juan Luna, Hon. Bp.
> Isabelo de los Reyes)
>
>
>
>
>
> "Rizal's retraction does not affect his character as a hero, neither
> does it nullify his views on political freedom and social welfare, as
> expressed in his writings, especially the Noli and the Fili. Catholicism
> and patriotism go hand in hand together.
>
>
>
> By retracting his religious errors and returning to the fold of
> Catholicism, Rizal emerged a greater man. It takes genuine moral courage
> for any man to recognize his mistakes and to right the wrong he has
> done.
>
>
>
> Like him, other great Filipinos, including Antonio Luna, Juan Luna,
> Isabelo de los Reyes, and Manuel L. Quezon, retracted. It is indeed
> strange, but true, that some Masons, in their days of health and power,
> are not bitter in their attacks against the Church, but when death
> comes, they abjure Masonry in order to die as Catholics. On the other
> hand, no Catholic has ever abjured Catholicism in his dying moment in
> order to die a Mason,"
>
>
>
> Gregorio F. Zaide, Jose Rizal, Life, Works and Writings
>
> National Bookstore Press, Manila (1992), p. 224.
>
>
>
>
>
> "Pagkahawi ng ulap, lilitaw ang liwanag."
>
> Kasabihang Tagalog
>
>
>
> ian
>