diced b Jos e S. Arc a, - non

Rizal's very serious Catholic formation appeared with greater clarity inhis conversations with the non-Catholic passengers. For example, he notedon 4 November he had had a discussion on free will and hope. A Russian hadtold him hope was "weakness," a Japanese that it was "useless . . . the willdoes everything." But the Philippine hero maintained that "without hopethere is no will."33 The night of 8 December, the feast of the ImmaculateConception, Rizal spent on the deck chatting with his new friar friends. Andhe wrote on his diary:The Franciscans came afterwards and I talked to them about the Franciscans inmy country.If they are rich, they are no longer Franciscans, they were saying.The moon was bright above; the sea calm, very calm. Big phosphorescent dropslike tears of fire were jumping by the prow. The young naturalist was saying theywere medusas, but how can there be so many?Seated on the ropes and sails they were talking about these things. There was talkabout Saint Francis' miracles, of the niche behind, the door, of the hawthornturned into roses, etc. I was given one of these leaves.'The novelist indulged in memories. The scientist and the poet in himwent hand in hand, doubting the explanation by the naturalist and piouslyaccepting the hawthorn leaf Saint Francis had changed into a rose.The fmal reference to the missionaries he wrote in Saigon, their last stop:More than 300 Chinese come over the bridge, and the missionaries, including thebishop, fear a riot. All speak in admiration of the Anamite [Vietnamese]seminarians and their missionaries. They are angels, a poor Franciscan wassaying."Balance and judgment are revealed in these phrases. As a first class passenger,he shared in the quite unjustified fear of a possible riot, quite probablebecause poverty forced the Chinese to move in huge crowds. Volonteri, whowas acquainted with various Chinese groups, did not doubt somethinguntoward could occur, but at the same time these missionaries from Europeaffirmed and publicized the angelic goodness found also in an Asian.SIMEONE VOLONTERI AND THE PHILIPPINES,A MISSIONARIES' PARADISEWho was this bishop whom Rizal had come to know, describe, admireand respect? What is the origin and truth of his judgments and observationsabout the Philippines, its government, its friars?7