''Padre'' Dámaso Verdolagas is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...

in the novel '' Noli Me Tángere''. The novel was written by José Rizal, one of the leaders of the Propaganda Movement in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. ''Noli Me Tángere'' (''Touch Me Not'' or "Social Cancer") is a

controversial Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...

and

anticlerical Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...

novel that exposed the abuses committed by the

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, Can ...

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 ...

s (belonging to the

Roman Catholic Church 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 ...

) and the Spanish elite in colonial Philippines during the 19th century. The novel, according to the author, represented the state of Philippine society under Spanish colonial rule. It was intended as a

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

-nationalist wake-up call for the people of the Philippines. While the natives (''indios'') were trained to become secular clergy,

priests in the powerful religious orders were given preferential treatment in the assignment to parishes.

Character summary

Dámaso Verdolagas, a

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

Spanish priest, was the former curate of the town of San Diego. He was an enemy of Don Rafael Ibarra, Crisóstomo Ibarra's father; Don Rafael refuses to conform to the friars' power. After Don Rafael's death in jail, Padre Dámaso ordered his corpse exhumed and transferred to the Chinese cemetery, which he considered was for heathens. He was later revealed to be the biological father of María Clara. María Clara's mother, Doña Pía Alba, and Don Santiago de los Santos had been trying to conceive a child when Padre Dámaso raped Doña Pia. Near the end of the novel, he and María Clara had a dispute about her not marrying Alfonso Linares, and her going to the convent or dying. This broke Padre Dámaso's heart. By the end of the novel, he was transferred to another town to be its curate. He was later found dead due to unknown causes, possibly depression or hypertension.

Legacy

* Padre Dámaso was portrayed in the following films and television series: ** Oscar Keesee - '' Noli Me Tángere '' (1961) ** Cristóbal Gómez - '' José Rizal'' (1998) **

Arnell Ignacio Arnaldo Arevalo Ignacio (born March 4, 1964), known professionally as Arnell Ignacio, is a Filipino Television Presenter, game show host, comedian, actor, news anchor, singer-songwriter, and public official. Ignacio has hosted several shows, ...

- ''Damaso'' (2019) **

Tirso Cruz III Tirso Silvano Cruz III (born April 1, 1952) is a Filipino actor, comedian, and singer. He currently serves as the Chairperson of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. Regarded as a "matinee idol", Cruz is a FAMAS Award and Gawad Ur ...

- '' Maria Clara at Ibarra'' (2022) * The Tagalog term "''anak ni Padre Dámaso''" ("child of Father Dámaso") has become a stereotype or cliché in the Philippines to refer to a

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

or half-white (

: ''mestizo'') child whose father is unknown. It can also refer to a child whose father was (or who was suspected to be) a Spanish clergyman. * Filipino tour guide and cultural activist

Carlos Celdran Juan Carlos Pamintuan Celdran (born John Charles Edward Pamintuan Celdran; November 10, 1972 – October 8, 2019) was a Filipino artist, tour guide, segment TV host and cultural activist. He was known for "Walk This Way", a guided tour of the ...

was arrested for shouting and bearing a sign with the word "Dámaso" at the Manila Cathedral during an ecumenical service, to protest the bishops' stance against abortion and contraception on September 30, 2010.

References

Fictional Spanish people Fictional priests and priestesses Philippine literature Noli Me Tangere (novel) characters Literary characters introduced in 1887 {{novel-char-stub