RETRACTION OF RIZAL
Retraction : A statement saying that
something you said or wrote at an earlier time
is not true or correct.
According to a testimony by Father Balaguer, a Jesuit
missionary who befriended the hero during his exile in Dapitan,
Rizal accepted a shorter restraction document prepared by the
superior of the Jesuit Society in the Philippines, Father Pio Pi.
• Jose Rizal’s Retraction
• I declare myself a catholic and in this Religion in which I was born and
educated I wish to live and die.
• I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writing publications,
and conduct has been contrary to my character as son of the Catholic
Church. I believe and I confess whatever she teaches and I submit to
whatever she demands. I abominate Masonry, as the enemy which of
the Church, and as Society prohibited by the Church. The Diocesan
prelate may, as the superior Ecclesiastical Authority, make public the
spontaneous manifestation of mine in order to repair scandal which
my acts may have caused and so that God and people may pardon.
Four Different Version of Rizal’s Retraction
that had surfaced
1. The First version was published in La Voz
Espanola and Diaro de Manila on the very day
or Rizal’s execution Dec.30,1896
Four Different Version of Rizal’s Retraction
that had surfaced
2. Second one came from an anonymous writer who
revealed himself year later as Fr. Balaguer. It
appeared in Barcelona, Spain on February 14, 1897
in the Fortnightly magazine in La Juventud.
Four Different Version of Rizal’s Retraction
that had surfaced
3. The third one that was said to be “ original text”
was discovered in the Archdiocesan on May 18,
1935 after it disappeared for thirty nine years from
the afternoon of the day when Rizal was shot.
Four Different Version of Rizal’s
Retraction that had surfaced
• 4. The Fourth text appeared El Imparcial on
the day after Rizal’s execution. It is the short
formula of the retraction.
REASONS FOR RETRACTION
• To save his family and town from further
persecution.
• To give Josephine a legal status as his wife
• To secure reforms from the Spanish
Government
Document about Retraction came from:
• Father Balaguer - Delivered the document to Fr. Pio who deliver it to
See Gonzalez Feijoo. After having a copy for their archives, Fr. Pi the
document to the Archives to the Archbishop the next day.
• Archbishop Nozaleda – Rizal made slight variations in his retraction
from the proposed text by Fr. Pi, Fri. pi gave the document the
Archbishop then handed it to the Secretary of the Archbishopric.
• Thomas Gonzalez Feijoo – The retraction documents was handed
to him for safe keeping in the archives of the Secretary’s Office.
Document about Retraction came from :
• Gaspar Castano – Few days after death of Rizal,
Castano saw and read Rizal’s Retraction paper
wherein the later declared himself a catholic.
• Father Rosell – On December 30, 1896 saw the
retraction paper in Ateneo.
• Luis Taviel Andrade – Heard that in the morning of
Rizal’s execution, married Josephine. Upon arriving at
the door, saw Rizal in an attitude of praying the Rizal
came out after kissing the statue of the Sacred Heart.
ARGUMENTS against the Retraction
• The retraction information was published late that could be
unauthenticated
• Claim that other acts and facts do not fit well with the story. Those
most often referred to by writers as follows.
• The “Coetaneous Acts” that undermine the belief that Rizal Retracted:
The document of retraction was kept secret, the request of the Rizal
Family to have the original or copy was both denied, Rizal burial was
kept secret, No masses or funeral was held by the Catholics, he was
not buried in the Catholic Cemetery of Paco but in the ground, There
was no entry in the book of burials that Rizal’s body was buried on the
page of December 30 and it appears on special page where special
orders of authorities are indicated.
OTHER ARGUMENTS if it is true…
• His “Roman Catholic Marriage” to Josephine Bracken as attested to by “witness”. There could be
no marriage without retraction.
• In the desire for historical truth in much later years, people began to search of Rizal’s retraction
and different versions of duly notarized documents.
• “Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity” reportedly recited and signed by Dr. Rizal as attested by
“witness” and a signed Prayer Book which was amongst the documents
• The testimony of the press at the time of event, of eyewitnesses,” and other “qualified
witnesses,” i.e those closely associated with the events such as the head of Jesuit order , the
Archbishop , etc.
• Rizal would not accept the general Roman Catholic teachings but would agree to a number of
beliefs which he had previously disclaimed.
• According to the testimony of Father Balaguer, following the signed of the Retraction a prayer
book was offered to Rizal. “He took the prayer, read slowly those acts, accepted them, and took
the pen and said ‘Credo’ (I believe) he signed the acts with his name in the book itself.”
Differentiation of Two Copies
• First, Instead of the words “mi cualidad which appear in the
original and the newspaper texts, The Jesuits’ copies have “mi
calidad”
• Second, the Jesuit’s copies of the retraction omit the word
“Catholica” after the first “Igesias” which are found the original
and the newspaper texts
• Third, the Jesuits’ copies of the retraction add before the third
“Iglesias” the word “misma” which not found in the original and
the newspaper texts of the retraction
Differentiation of Two Copies
• Fourth, with regards of paragraphing which immediately
strikes the eye of the critical reader, Fr. Balaguer’s text
does not began the second paragraph
• Fifth, whereas the texts of the retraction in the original
and in the manila newspapers have only four commas, the
text of Fr. Balaguer’s copy has eleven commas
• Sixth, the most important of all, Fr. Balaguer’s copy did not
have the names of the witnesses from the texts of the
newspaper in Manila.
END OF PRESENTATION
