Rizal in Europe, Propaganda Movement and Freemasonry

I. Rizal in Europe: Important details on his travel

1882 Rizal set sailed to Spain and went aboard the Spanish steamer
Salvadora which was bound to Singapore.
June 11, 1882 Rizal reached Naples and Marseilles. He visited the famous Chateau
d’lf.
June 16, 1882 Rizal set his feet on Spain's soil. He met his classmates in Ateneo in
Barcelona.
November 3, 1882 Rizal enrolled in the Universidad Central de Madrid.
March 1883 Rizal joined the Masonic lodge called Acacia in Madrid.
JUNE 1883 Rizal left Madrid to Paris for his specialization in opthamology
February 3, 1886 Rizal left from Paris and worked under Dr. Otto Becker.
1886 Noli Me Tangere was published through the help of Viola.
May 13, 1887 Rizal arrived Leitmeritz, Bohemia riding a train. He met Blumentritt in
person.
MAY 21, 1887 Noli Me Tangere wa printed.
June 2 to 3, 1887 Rizal reached the frontier of Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
June 27, 1887 Rizal reached Rome. After a week of staying in Rome, he
prepared to return to the Philippines.

II. Jose Rizal and the Propaganda Movement

The birth of the movement - Filipino émigrés who had settled in Europe.

Missions:

1. Philippines in the Cortes

2. secularization of the clergy
3. creation of a public school system independent of the friars
4. abolition of the polo and vandala
5. guarantee of basic freedoms of speech and association
6. equal opportunity for Filipinos and Spanish to enter government service

Other Renowned Propagandist

Graciano Lopez Jaena – the greatest orator of the Propaganda Movement

Marcelo del Pilar - Beloved by masses for his eloquent Tagalog and fearless defense of the poor against
friar abuses.

Antonio Luna – pharmacist and essayist

Rizal as a propagandist: contributions and involvement

 Most outstanding propagandist

 Inspiration to Bonifacio
 Great novelist of the Propaganda
 Served as mouthpiece of injustices
 One of the proponents of La Liga Filipina
 One of the pillars of the Propaganda Movement

III. Rizal and Freemasonry

The Hierarchy of Masons

Lodges

Blue Lodge York Rite Scottish Rite

Entry level Also called the Red Highest degree

or Middle Lodge masons

Brief History of Philippine Freemasonry

1. The establishment of Masonry in the Philippines cannot be ascertained due to strict prohibition
of Masonry.
2. Primera Luz Filipina - The first lodge on record established in the Philippines
3. Grand master Miguel Morayta - leads the Grande Oriente Espanol
4. Logia Solidaridad - became Filipino Masons in Spain.
4 things you didn't know about Freemasonry

1. WHEN MEETING, MASONS DO NOT DISCUSS RELIGION OR POLITICS.

"There are certain subjects which are prevented or we simply proscribe from discussing within
the lodge. And religion is one. Politics is another." - PIERS VAUGHAN, MASTER OF ST. JOHN'S
LODGE #1 IN NEW YORK
2. FREEMASONRY IS NOT A RELIGION.
"Freemasonry has the look of a religion. You think of religion as ritual, there's also this ritual
element. But there are no priests, there are no ministers, there are no rabbis, there's no system
of clergy of any sort. Everybody's their own thinker." - Professor Margaret Jacob, UCLA history
 3. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH CONDEMNS FREEMASONRY.
In 1738 the Catholic Church condemned Freemasonry, and has since issued about 20 decrees --
directly or indirectly -- against the fraternity. In 1983 Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the future Pope
Benedict XVI) re-affirmed this position. - Professor Margaret Jacob, UCLA history
4. ATHEISTS ARE NOT WELCOME
"The reason we, I think in the past, wanted somebody that had a belief in a supreme being is
because we take certain obligation to be a good man, to support the fraternity. And if you didn't
have a belief in a supreme being, the obligation would mean nothing." - James Sullivan, Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge of New York

Interviews

SIR RONY GALZOTE:

1. "The society of masons has three sections or they call that lodge because in the ancient times
these people gathered together and they met in lodge or hotel. Until now they carry that lodge.
[It has three sections] blue lodge, the Scottish Rite and York Rite."
2. "...a real mason will not allow you to interview them. The [ones in] higher degree has all the
reason as to complete the goal understanding the secrecy of the masonry."
3. "Any mason you interview, that depends on how true he is but most likely if he is not a leader of
masonry the data that is released to you are not that or some of them are not authentic."
4. They [Fr. Lucio Gutierrez and Fr. Jose Villaruel] said that Rizal became a mason... third degree
mason. [Before he died] in Bagumbayan... Rizal took confession [to one of the] Jesuit priest. In
that confession, Rizal recanted… being a mason and died as a christian.
5. "In fact they opposed the reigning caliph named Saladin. But along the way, the nations
quarreled because of the news that there's a gold deep down there in Jerusalem specifically in
Solomon's Temple. Out of greed they fight [with] each other in order to get those gold [and] sell
[them] without a competitor. Saladin went back to Jerusalem and make peace with King Richard
of England and after the war broke up - after losing to Islam many of the Knight Templars turned
into gold diggers and ginamason nila - [they tried] to crack the blocks to dig down the gold down
there. At that time, scholars are telling us, that there are two types of Masons: the rock masons
and the freemasons. The rocks masons are just masons who worked on large blocks of rocks.
While the free masons are those who carved the blocks.

MASON INTERVIEWEE:

1. "No data can show when and how freemasonry originated but it was thought that it started
during the building of King Solomon’s Temple. In ancient history, Operative masons are the
builders of the temple and other stately edifices. In recent times, they are the major players in
erection of the structures using stones and cement. Freemasonry is therefore, a worldwide
fraternal organization consisting of men in good standing, who uses the tools and principles of
operative masons to build one’s character and become a better version of himself."
2. "Freemasons hold the ideals of equality, and live within its tenets; Brotherly Love - Freemason
will show tolerance and respect for the opinions of others and behave with kindness and
 understanding to his fellow creatures. Relief - Freemasons are taught to practice charity and to
care, not only for their own, but also for the community as a whole, both by charitable giving,
and by voluntary efforts and works as individuals. Truth - Freemasons require high moral
standards and aiming to achieve them in their own lives."
3. "Freemasons who gathered together is called a Lodge. The first lodge in the Philippines was
called “La Primera Luz Filipina” which was established by a Spanish naval officer, Jose Malcampo
in the province of Cavite. Although organized under a Portuguese Grand Orient and exclusively
for Spaniards, its formation marked the introduction of Freemasonry in the country. Our heroes
Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Emilio Aguinaldo, Andres
Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini and many other Filipino patriots were all masons. Jose Rizal joined
masonry in Madrid while Marcelo Del Pilar joined masonry in Barcelona. They all belong to
different Lodges but treated each other as brothers. These patriots where the brave ones who
lead the revolt against Spanish government and eventually set us free from colonization.
Although they did it on their own personal capacity as citizens of this country, but it was the
principles of Freemasonry that brought them together, and they support each other in all their
endeavors. The propagation of the ideals of democracy is perhaps their biggest contribution in
Philippine history."
4. "Rizal was made a Master Mason on November 15, 1890 at Logia Solidaridad 53 in Madrid,
Spain. He affiliated with a lodge under the jurisdiction of Grand Orient of France on October 14,
1891, and was made honorary Worshipful Master of Nilad Lodge No. 144 in 1892. Ang La
Solidaridad nya na novel title ginkuha nya sa mother lodge nya."