Freemason Lodge in Cuba Extols Jose Rizal
Thursday, 15 April 2010 11:41 Public Information Service Unit [DFA]
15 April 2010 - The Philippine Embassy in Cuba reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that Philippine national hero Jose Rizal's virtues and heroism were extolled at a program on April 12 in Havana marking the 54th anniversary of the founding of the Jose Rizal Masonic Lodge of Cuba [Logia Masonica Jose Rizal].
In a stirring oratory, Marciano Perez Quintero, a prominent Cuban Freemason, touched the hearts of his listeners when he recounted the life of Rizal as a dedicated patriot who bore no hatred for those who snuffed out his life by firing squad "in a cold December morning".
Orator of the Lodge, Alfonso Hernandez Ramirez gave another moving account in poetry form, of how Rizal dedicated his life and talents to the goal of enlightening and liberating his people since his youth, and even in exile in Dapitan.
Guest speaker and Philippine Ambassador to Cuba Dr. MacArthur F. Corsino, a Master Mason himself [and a Senior DeMolay, mod.], stressed that the national heroes of both Cuba and the Philippines, Jose Marti and Jose Rizal, were Masons. He said that from their pens and their blood arose two free and independent nations.
Ambassador Corsino added that his affinity with Cuban Masons helped him in his work of strengthening Cuban-Philippine relations on a people-to-people level.
Conducted entirely in Spanish, the program began with remarks by the Master of Jose Rizal Lodge Rene Alberto Duarte Mustelier.
An overflow crowd of over 200 Freemasons and family members attended, at the 10th floor of the Grand Lodge Temple in midtown Havana.
The Jose Rizal Masonic Lodge of Cuba was founded in Havana on April 12, 1956 by a handful of Cuban Freemasons well-versed in the parallel developments of Cuban and Philippine history and appreciative of the greatness of Rizal.
Similar to the Philippines, the Cuban revolution against Spain was spearheaded by Freemasons. Aside from their national heroes Marti and Rizal being Freemasons, the leaders who first declared independence for their respective countries, were Freemasons: Carlos Manuel de Cespedes of Cuba in 1868 and Emilio Aguinaldo of the Philippines in 1898 - who also both became the first Presidents of their countries.
Although Cuba is a Communist state and belief in God as their first principle, [the] Masonry remains a strong civic, non-political fraternity in the country. Founded in 1859, there are today over 40,000 Masons and 400 lodges across the island-nation.
Showing posts with label Jose Rizal Lodge Havana Cuba. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jose Rizal Lodge Havana Cuba. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Monday, January 5, 2009
Successful Rizal Day Observance in Havana
Worshipful Master and Brethren,
I would like to inform you that thanks to Cuban Masonic brethren of the Jose Rizal Lodge of Havana, the Philippine Embassy held a very successful combination of activities to commemmorate the 112th death anniversary of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, led by yours truly as Philippine Ambassador.
After the usual Embassy flag raising ceremony, we held a Rizal Day program attended by a number of Cuban, Filipino and other guests including the Worshipful Master and other top officers of the Jose Rizal Lodge.
The main message was delivered by Rev. Dr. Rodolfo Juarez, a Cuban national who had spent time in the Philippines and did comparative research on Rizal and the Cuban national hero Jose Marti. After this, I delivered Rizal's Mi Ultimo Adios from memory in Spanish. Although I had recited this poem before in RP and in some other foreign countries, this was the first time I delivered it before a Spanish-speaking audience. I saw that some were deeply moved by the depth of the sentiments of this farewell poem of our hero and brother Dr. Rizal which they understood perfectly in their tongue.
After the program and a breakfast hosted by the Embassy, we motored to the Plaza de la Fraternidad where a monument to Dr. Rizal stands, for floral offerings. We were joined there by a big group of Masons of Jose Rizal Lodge and also two ranking officials of the Cuban Foreign Ministry and two ranking officials of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with Peoples. The head of the Casa de Asia Museum also attended. Flowers were offered by the Embassy and these groups.
Many oldtimers, Filipinos and Cubans in Havana could not recall any past instance when such a big gathering came for the Rizal Day floral offerings. Anyway, in my address to the gathering, assisted by our interpreter, I thanked the Masons for their enthusiastic support, said that I myself was a Mason, and stressed that both Dr. Jose Rizal and the Cuban national hero Jose Marti were Masons. Jose Marti was also a remarkable intellectual whose death intensified the Cuban revolution against Spain at the same time that the Filipinos led by Bonifacio then Aguinaldo were waging war against the same colonizer.
The final event of the day was another floral offering at another statue of Rizal, inside the Palacio del Capitanes Gobernadores, the residence of the former ruling Spanish governors-generals.
Happy New Year and more power to our fraternity.
Fraternally,
Mac Corsino
[Moderator's Note: Bro Mac Corsino is the current Philippine Ambassador to Cuba and a Senior DeMolay of Leon Kilat Chapter; as well as a former professor of Silliman University.]
I would like to inform you that thanks to Cuban Masonic brethren of the Jose Rizal Lodge of Havana, the Philippine Embassy held a very successful combination of activities to commemmorate the 112th death anniversary of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, led by yours truly as Philippine Ambassador.
After the usual Embassy flag raising ceremony, we held a Rizal Day program attended by a number of Cuban, Filipino and other guests including the Worshipful Master and other top officers of the Jose Rizal Lodge.
The main message was delivered by Rev. Dr. Rodolfo Juarez, a Cuban national who had spent time in the Philippines and did comparative research on Rizal and the Cuban national hero Jose Marti. After this, I delivered Rizal's Mi Ultimo Adios from memory in Spanish. Although I had recited this poem before in RP and in some other foreign countries, this was the first time I delivered it before a Spanish-speaking audience. I saw that some were deeply moved by the depth of the sentiments of this farewell poem of our hero and brother Dr. Rizal which they understood perfectly in their tongue.
After the program and a breakfast hosted by the Embassy, we motored to the Plaza de la Fraternidad where a monument to Dr. Rizal stands, for floral offerings. We were joined there by a big group of Masons of Jose Rizal Lodge and also two ranking officials of the Cuban Foreign Ministry and two ranking officials of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with Peoples. The head of the Casa de Asia Museum also attended. Flowers were offered by the Embassy and these groups.
Many oldtimers, Filipinos and Cubans in Havana could not recall any past instance when such a big gathering came for the Rizal Day floral offerings. Anyway, in my address to the gathering, assisted by our interpreter, I thanked the Masons for their enthusiastic support, said that I myself was a Mason, and stressed that both Dr. Jose Rizal and the Cuban national hero Jose Marti were Masons. Jose Marti was also a remarkable intellectual whose death intensified the Cuban revolution against Spain at the same time that the Filipinos led by Bonifacio then Aguinaldo were waging war against the same colonizer.
The final event of the day was another floral offering at another statue of Rizal, inside the Palacio del Capitanes Gobernadores, the residence of the former ruling Spanish governors-generals.
Happy New Year and more power to our fraternity.
Fraternally,
Mac Corsino
[Moderator's Note: Bro Mac Corsino is the current Philippine Ambassador to Cuba and a Senior DeMolay of Leon Kilat Chapter; as well as a former professor of Silliman University.]
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
J Rizal Lodge, Havana, Cuba: Bro Amb Corsino
PHILIPPINE EMBASSY
HAVANA, CUBA
23 October 2008
Worshipful Master Francisco Liu
Mt. Kaladias Lodge #91
Dumaguete City
Dear Worshipful Sir,
I would like to inform you and the brethren of Mt. Kaladias Lodge #91 that today I had a meeting with WM Juan Pablo Moret and PWM Pedro Francisco Ugarte of the Jose Rizal Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in Havana, Cuba. (I heard that there was a Jose Rizal Masonic Lodge in Havana shortly after I arrived here, and so, asked my secretary to contact them.)
They were very happy to know that I, the Philippine Ambassador, am a Mason belonging, Bro to a mother lodge under the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. For my part, I was very pleased to find out that their Lodge, founded in 1956, was named after our national hero--a recognition not only of Rizal's greatness but also of his having been a Mason. In fact, they showed me a lodge bulletin which bore Rizal's picture, his brief biography, and his sayings and a full-length poem, "A La Juventud Filipina".
I was also surprised to hear that they have around 400 masonic lodges in Cuba with a membership of almost 40,000, under the Grand Lodge of Cuba. I was told that they would convey to the Grand Master that the Philippine Ambassador is a Mason. Through you, worshipful, perhaps we could also inform the Grand Master of Philippine Masons that the Craft is active in Cuba under their Grand Lodge and there is a Jose Rizal Lodge in Havana. (The lodges here do not have numbers, unlike in RP.)
They have invited me to attend any of their next meetings. I was happy to welcome their invitation. Although everything will be in Spanish, I will endeavor to follow the ritual as conventionally known all over the world and they will also provide me with an interpreter as I would most probably be requested to say a few words to the Cuban brethren.
Please inform our Bro. Hector Villanueva of this development. I have long wanted to communicate with him, but phone communication is almost impossible. May I therefore ask you to provide me with his email address.
Also, please disseminate this information to our Mt. Kaladias brethren.
Sincerely and Fraternally, your Bro,
Ambassador Mac Corsino
HAVANA, CUBA
23 October 2008
Worshipful Master Francisco Liu
Mt. Kaladias Lodge #91
Dumaguete City
Dear Worshipful Sir,
I would like to inform you and the brethren of Mt. Kaladias Lodge #91 that today I had a meeting with WM Juan Pablo Moret and PWM Pedro Francisco Ugarte of the Jose Rizal Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in Havana, Cuba. (I heard that there was a Jose Rizal Masonic Lodge in Havana shortly after I arrived here, and so, asked my secretary to contact them.)
They were very happy to know that I, the Philippine Ambassador, am a Mason belonging, Bro to a mother lodge under the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. For my part, I was very pleased to find out that their Lodge, founded in 1956, was named after our national hero--a recognition not only of Rizal's greatness but also of his having been a Mason. In fact, they showed me a lodge bulletin which bore Rizal's picture, his brief biography, and his sayings and a full-length poem, "A La Juventud Filipina".
I was also surprised to hear that they have around 400 masonic lodges in Cuba with a membership of almost 40,000, under the Grand Lodge of Cuba. I was told that they would convey to the Grand Master that the Philippine Ambassador is a Mason. Through you, worshipful, perhaps we could also inform the Grand Master of Philippine Masons that the Craft is active in Cuba under their Grand Lodge and there is a Jose Rizal Lodge in Havana. (The lodges here do not have numbers, unlike in RP.)
They have invited me to attend any of their next meetings. I was happy to welcome their invitation. Although everything will be in Spanish, I will endeavor to follow the ritual as conventionally known all over the world and they will also provide me with an interpreter as I would most probably be requested to say a few words to the Cuban brethren.
Please inform our Bro. Hector Villanueva of this development. I have long wanted to communicate with him, but phone communication is almost impossible. May I therefore ask you to provide me with his email address.
Also, please disseminate this information to our Mt. Kaladias brethren.
Sincerely and Fraternally, your Bro,
Ambassador Mac Corsino
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