Fr. Vicente García y Teodoro ( : 1817–1899) was a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

, hero and a defender of Dr. Jose P. Rizal. Padre Garcia was born in the village of Maugat, formerly a part of

Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous ci ...

and presently a barangay of Padre Garcia, on April 5, 1817, to parents Don Jose Garcia and Dona Andrea Teodoro. His family belonged to the upper classes and had Castilian blood. The faint photograph of the man among the exhibits in the town hall show a handsome

mestizo (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also r ...

. Another proof was that Vicente went to study for the priesthood while pure-blooded Filipinos at that time were not able to study because of poverty and discrimination. Garcia suffered discrimination from his Spanish superiors because although he was nominated for the position of Canonigo Magistral, he didn't occupy it. The colonizers didn't see fit to have an indio even if he is a mestizo in any exalted position. There are

anecdote An anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait. Occasionally humorous ...

s of his admirable qualities such as his kindness and generosity and his proficiency in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

and

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

. He was himself a writer who translated Spanish and Latin literary pieces. One of his more notable works was his translation from the original Latin to Tagalog of the Imitacion de Cristo. Padre Garcia's place in history comes not only from his admirable qualities as a human being. Although a member of the church, he had the courage to defend Rizal from the tirades and censure of the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

church. His letter of defense was originally intended to be given to Fr. José Rodriguez, an

Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...

friar who, in 1888, published a pamphlet entitled "¡CAIÑGAT CAYO! Sa Mañga Masasamang Libro,t, Casulatan (Beware Of Malevolent Books and Writings)". The publication is filled with scathing condemnation of Jose Rizal's writings.Rodriguez, Fr. José. ¡CAIÑGAT CAYO! Sa Mañga Masasamang Libro,t, Casulatan. 1888 ed. Manila: Pequeña Imp. Del Asilo Del Huérfanos, 1888. 12-13. Print. However, his friends dissuaded him from doing so. The letter was published in

La Solidaridad ''La Solidaridad'' (The Solidarity) was an organization created in Spain on December 13, 1888. Composed of Filipino liberals exiled in 1872 and students attending Europe's universities, the organization aimed to increase Spanish awareness of th ...

on March 15, 1895. In his defense-letter the

belied Fr Rodriguez's accusation that Rizal was an "impious man, a

heretic Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

who hated religion and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

." According to Padre Garcia while the

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ol ...

was quick to issue such accusations, he failed to cite any proposition made by

Rizal Rizal, officially the Province of Rizal ( fil, Lalawigan ng Rizal), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Its capital is the city of Antipolo. It is about east of Manila. The p ...

that showed his "impiety, heresy, or blasphemy." Padre Garcia then proceeded to cite various phrases in the Noli that showed the hero to be the exact opposite of the heretic and blasphemer that Fr Rodriguez had accused him of being. He signed his name as V. Caraig. Padre Garcia came home to Rosario in 1899 and in July of that year he died at the age of 82. In determining whether the bones interred in the old cemetery were those of the priest, the historical committee sought the help of

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...

professor and anthropologist Jerome Bailen and his team of experts. Bailen says that based on historical data and technical description the bones found in the old cemetery are those of Padre Garcia. On July 12, 1999, his remains were re-interred in the Most Holy Rosary Parish Church in the town proper of Padre Garcia (the old seat of the township of Rosario).

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia, Vicente 1817 births 1899 deaths 19th-century Filipino Roman Catholic priests People from Batangas People of Spanish colonial Philippines