Manila
An anonymous letter, well-known, and signed “A Friar” calls Rizal ungrateful — It expresses the attitude of the friars toward the educated Filipinos — Friars doing everything humanly possible bring Filipinos out of darkness — The Government at fault for the “backwardness” of Filipinos, not the friars — The MS is damaged.
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Manila, (15 February 1888?)
MR. JOSE RIZAL
PEPE:
I begin this letter with the strange salutation that “you are very ungrateful,” a quality unworthy of a man who has at least an atom of honesty, because you have paid with the blackest ingratitude the priceless benefits which you have received. You attacked cruelly without reason and without basis those to whom you, as well as your countrymen, owe much your education. You should know to whom I refer and as I belong to them body and soul, I regret and I feel duty bound, though late, to address you these lines whether you like them or not.
Our brethren of yesteryears did, and we are doing now, all that is humanly possible, in bringing you out from the chaos of ignorance and misery, in which you were and are submerged. If you have come out of it or you are becoming more stupid, more vicious, and more miserable than before, it is not our fault. We are not God that we could make bright minds out of nothing. Blame Nature which created them with innate incapacity. On the other hand, the Government, that monster, claiming to be your father, at the same time destroying and spoiling you, grabs your bread and little by little annihilates you, that Government is the one which is duty bound to give you education and riches and solely responsible before humanity and God. You should ask it for an explanation of your backwardness, if the fault is not yours. You should attack it severely and if you do that you shall have us at your side. Therefore, on behalf of my brethren or fellow believers I return with interest to you, to all your countrymen, to your whole country, the abuses and insults that you hurl at us from your trashy books. You cannot charge me with being uncivil, impolite, because you were the one who began the attack.
If you or all of your countrymen consider yourselves offended, challenge us and we shall accept it, as we are no cowards as you are, without discounting the possibility that a hidden hand may put an end to your life. Amen.
This is enough for today with the promise to resume it in the next mail.
A FRIAR
05-283 [100 Letters]