Columns

The Black Knight 

Reformation of the Heart of the Order

by Sir Manny Bade, KCR

I believe I now found the solution to what’s ailing our beloved Order of the Knights of Rizal. More than anything, I believe the OKR is becoming obsolete.  It needs to refocus its energy.  If you remember, the Catholic Church in the 1960’s was fast becoming a dinosaur in the modern age.  Social activism has supplanted religion as the “opium of the masses”.  Pope John XXIII opened the gates of the church to new ideas through the Vatican Council II and the church survived to become a modern institution infused with a new relevance. 

The Order of the Knights of Rizal must also initiate a similar transformation. The first and foremost and the only reason for the Order’s existence is the propagation of the teachings and ideals of Dr. Jose Rizal. It’s was the same with the pre-Vatican II Church’s mission to propagate the love of Christ. That’s why many of the Church’s leaders would tell the poor:  “I know your sufferings, but don’t worry, I’ll pray for you”.  Now, prodded by Vatican II many in the Church stress social activism, the likes of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and some even go to extremes in fighting injustice in the jungles of South America. Similarly, the Order needs to refocus from telling people: “I know you’re suffering, so I’ll tell you about the teachings and ideals of Dr. Jose Rizal”, for that does that make sense. 

The problems that beset our Order start from the fact that membership of the Order and more so its leadership are viewed and touted for their prestige. In other words people join the Order to be served, not to serve.  This is a stark contrast to service organizations like the Lions and Rotary.  That’s why people do everything they could – cheat, bribe, etc to reach the pinnacle of the Order.  Let’s try to steer the Order into an ideology of service to the poor, and not only will the Order find new relevance but we will also eliminate the social climbers, the prestige seekers that aspire to lead the highest echelon of the OKR. 

Antonio Malonzo is no Rizal.  But in time he will be loved more than Rizal because his message and his works are what the poor and the country are in dire need of now.  And knowing Rizal’s penchant for service to his people, he must be turning in his grave right now just looking at what our Order had become. 

Let’s give justice to our hero by starting a reform movement to help the poor, and believe me our Order will find new meaning and relevance in the 21st century.