Rue de Champagne, Brussels
Jesuitical contrasts – Praise for the Noli by Fr. Sanchez – Book on ideal priests – For what? – To cloak wolves with the skin of sheep – To awaken my countrymen from their profound lethargy – Not by means of soft sounds but with blows and detonations – “Your mission is to baptize the heathen but mine is to make men worthy” – The Jesuits are not at the vanguard for not accepting the liberal principles of progress.
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38 Rue de Champagne, Brussels
2 February 1890
Jose Rizal
Dear Brother,
I am here in Belgium, in the beautiful city of Brussels and perhaps I may remain here for a few months until I go to Holland.
I received your pleasing letter on the same day of my departure for which reason I could not answer it. I am grateful to you for the kind words you dedicate to me, concerning father Faura, I believe that he did not have evil intentions when he assured Dr. Pardo de Tavera that I had to die. In my way of thinking it was Jesuitical astuteness. The Jesuits have to show in public feelings that they may not perhaps feel. Towards me Father Faura behaved in a different way. But the public ought to believe that he does not agree with me – absolutely not, not in any way. However, Father Sanchez, my professor of rhetoric, dared to defend me in public and praise my book, but secretly he told me that I would have done better writing an ideal book in which I could describe an ideal picture of ideal priests and in this way show the contrast, I replied that I did not write for thinking readers but for the public that do not think; that there are so many books where ideal priests are described and they are utilized by bad priests to conceal their wolfish bodies with the skin of sheep. I told him that I wanted to awaken my countrymen from their profound lethargy and one who wishes to do that does not use soft and gentle sounds but detonations, blows, etc. “Are you not afraid of the consequences of your audacity?” asked Father Sanchez – he treats me familiarly. “Father,” I replied, “you are a missionary. If you go on your mission, are you not afraid of the consequences of its fulfillment?” “Oh, that is entirely different!” he replied. “Not at all,” I replied, “your mission is to baptize the heathen, but mine is to make men worthy.” My grand dispute with the Jesuits and their principal reproach against me is that I have placed them behind the cart of progress. They told me that the Jesuits marched at the head of progress to which I replied that it could not be so for they cannot accept the liberal principles of progress, etc. – for example, freedom of the press, freedom of thought, freedom of religion. Father Faura said that there are many learned scientists in the Society of Jesus. I agree, but with the remark that science alone is not progress itself but an accessory of it; it forms only the principles. With Father Bech I carried on a conversation about purgatory. At first we discussed philosophically, but at the end canonically. Afterwards I told him that we could not continue the discussion because to a Catholic everything the Pope says is the purest truth and the last words of the last pope pass as the latest and greatest truths.
I am shivering with cold. By the penmanship you can see that my fingers do not move as they should.
Therefore, I end the letter. Greet on my behalf the whole family and poor Dr. Czepelack. He needs comfort, but for such a great misfortune words are impotent.
Yours,
Rizal
02-496 [Blumentritt V.2]