The church symbolizes authority as in level of the government during the Spanish era. Rizal may have thought of religion as a predicament, however
he respected its existence. It is somehow a resemblance of not just the influence of Catholicism, but to take over with power to rule among the
nation. Church understandably sounded with abuse, guilt, and terror, subject to perfect that is considered right by not being moral. And this is seen to
different friars in the novel namely, Padre Damaso, Padre Salvi, Padre Sibyla, to name a few.