NOLI

ME
TANGERE
(touch me not)

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

Introduction

The attacks of Filipinos on the colonial

administration and the predominance of

friars had been in isolated cases, irregular,

and unorganized manner; their sense of

nationality had only been expressed in public

occasionally. Not until 1887, with the

publication of Rizal’s novel, Noli me tangere.

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

Overview

Noli  Me Tangere is about Crisostomo Ibarra, mixed-race

heir of a wealthy clan, returning home after seven years

in Europe and filled with ideas on how to better the lot

of his countrymen. Striving for reforms, (more

specifically, he aims to make education accessible to

more people) he is confronted by an abusive

ecclesiastical hierarchy and a Spanish civil

administration by turns indifferent and cruel.

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

Why was Noli Me Tangere
controversial?

The novel contained “subversive ideas

against the Church and Spain” and

recommended for its banning and

circulation in the islands.

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

Why was Noli Me Tangere
controversial?
The purpose to prove or rather to
of the thesis is

expose the ills besetting the Philippines and to obtain

for the islands a greater measure of freedom, dignity
and progress . Viewed from a liberal minded angle, the
main obstacles impending the nationalistic objectives of

the author were the antiquated, incompetent and corrupt

system of the colonial government and the conservative

religious orders of friars

Villaroel, Fidel. O.P. Jose Rizal and the University of Santo Tomas. Manila: UST Press, 1984

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

The Noli Me Tangere
controversy
The attackers of the Noli includedCatholic
primarily the

Clergy: “Anti-Spain and anti-Catholic” Sentiments

Msgr. Pedro Payo Archbishop of Manila 

Fr. Rector Gregorio Echavarria of the University of Santo

Tomas 

Fr. Salvador Font Agustinian Cura of Tondo

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

The Noli Me Tangere
controversy
Archbishop Pedro Payo asked the Comision

permanente de Censura to judge whether the

Noli should be permitted to be circulated in

the Philippines. On behalf of the Commission,

Father Salvador Font recommended the

absolute prohibition of the novel because “It is

full of foreign doctrines and teachings” and

only because the main objective of the author

is “The independence of this country”.

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

The Noli Me Tangere
controversy
He issued a statement against the novel:

“The book is an infamous libel, full of lies and calumny.”

He also emphasized on Rizal’s ungratefulness and ignorance,

as Font described him as a “man who harbored ill-disguised

for the mother who gave him life, who fed him with the

bread of civilization”.

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

The Noli Me Tangere
controversy

Fr. Jose Rodriguez wrote a series of pamphlets to warn

the people about the dangers of the Noli. He issued

pamphlets ¡ Caiñgat Cayó !: Sa mañga masasamang

libro,t, casulatan (Beware!: of bad books and writings,

1888)

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

The Noli Me Tangere
controversy
“[Noli] is a book full of heresies, blasphemies

and the grossest errors, containing propositions

which are false, rash, offensive to pious ears,

injurious to the sacred Hierarchy and to the

faithful, impious, foolish, erroneous, likely to

lead into the errors condemned in Luther and

other heretics, savoring of heresy and heretical

and even conducive to atheism”

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

The Noli Me Tangere
controversy
other attacks on the Noli:

Senator Fernando Vida denounced the anti-Spanish and  propaganda in

the Philippines. He especially directed his attack on Noli, he said the novel

was “...anti-Catholic, Protestant, Socialist, Proudhonian..."

Vicente Barrantes openly criticized the novel in the spanish newspaper

La España Moderna calling Rizal “a spirit twisted with German education”

An anti-clerical Republican paper in Spain, El Pais , made a bitter attack

on “a badly thought-out and worse written little novel"

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

Controversial scenes in the Noli:
In the Chapter 18 of Noli, Rizal satirizes the Church’s tendency to combine

spirituality and piety with finances. He portrayed this through a group of

gossiping nuns - as they shared how they gain their plenary indulgences. This

condemned the idea of fanaticism and superstition.

The Governor General applauds Ibarra's plan to donate a modern school to

San Diego but he himself, the representative of the Crown, is helpless before

the power of the Religious Orders and advises lbarra to return with him to

Spain.

The chief sexton beats one of Sisa's children to death and drives her mad,

but he can be neither accused nor punished.

Fray Damaso and Fray Salvi persecuted Ibarra because of Maria Clara; with

Damaso being her illegitimate father and Salvi who desires her.

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

Who defended the Noli?
Marcelo H. del Pilar - published a pamphlet entitled “Caiigat Cayo” as

an answer to Fr. Rodriguez’s “Caiingat Cayo” (pen name: Dolores

Manapat)

Fr. Francisco Sanchez - publicly supports the novel.

Don Segismundo Moret - former Minister of the Crown.
Prof. Miguel Morayta - historian and stateman
Ferdinand Blumentritt - Rizal's best friend
Rev. Fr. Vicente Garcia - he wrote a defense of the novel published in

Singapore (pen name: Justo Desiderio Magalang)

Fr. Federico Faura - "You have not written a novel, the book has nothing

of the novel in it; you have described the sad conditions of our time."

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

 Resolution
Rizal's responses to Barrantes' attack are:

"I confess that I found delight in exposing so many shameful and

disgraceful acts, but by painting their pictures with the blood of my heart,

my purpose was to correct them, and save other people.”

"And because of the existence of corruption in the Philippines, I have

written my Noli Me Tangere. I ask for reforms so that the little good there is

may be redeemed."

Crisostomo Ibarra rejects the idea of a revolution during one of his

conversations with Elias, but instead preferred reform through education

of the youth, paralleling Rizal's desire to enlighten his countrymen.

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

 Possibility of an Uprising
Ibarra's conversations with Philosopher Tasio and Elias tackle the idea of

a revolution:

"When the light of days shows up the monster in darkness, the frightful

reaction will come." - Tasio

"...we are nothing, but take up the cause of the people, unite yourself with

the people, be not heedless of their cries, set an example for the rest,

spread the idea of what is called a fatherland." - Elias

"I will urge them to rise against this oppression and proclaim the eternal

right of man to win his freedom!" - Ibarra at the end of the novel.

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

Possibility of an Uprising

John Schumacher’s claim

“Since Spain would never voluntarily grant independence to

the Filipinos, he [Rizal] had concluded, there remained no

choice except a revolution, and the Noli was the first step

toward that goal.”

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2

NOLI
ME
TANGERE
(touch me not)

DR. JOSE RIZAL | CONTROVERSIES | GROUP 2