MODULE 6: RIZAL’S RETRACTION
but the child died
 Rizal’s Retraction Letter
 Rizal’s Death
 Mi Ultimo Adios
 Bayaning Third World
1. Rizal’s Retraction Letter
The Jesuit priest, Father Vicente
Balaguer, the eyewitness to the event
said that Rizal accepted a shorter
retraction document prepared by the
superior of the Jesuit Society in the
Philippines.
Explanation:
- Allegedly Rizal signed a retraction
letter.
- Retraction meaning, He retracted
everything that he said everything he
said against the Catholic church
- The Jesuits found this retraction letter
that was signed by Rizal, although it
was already proven that is it was
forged
- - A lot of historians still believe that
Rizal retracted
- That was the time that the Catholic
church specifically the Jesuits release
the retraction letter of Rizal
Background
- Rizal was in Dapitan during 1892 to
1896.
- For 4 years, he was in Dapitan
- He was in prison there, but literally he
was not in prison he was just in exile
(pinagbawalan ka sa sariling country
so pupunta ka sa ibang bansa) there
- Dapitan in Zamboanga Del Norte
- During that time, Josephine Bracken
came to Dapitan during the last years
of Rizal
- They live together they have a child,
- During the latter part of their
relationship, Rizal wanted to marry
her only that during that time, there
were no civil marriage
- The civil law is not conducting/allowed
to perform wedding ceremonies
- It was only the Catholic church or the
CANON LAW that can perform
wedding rights
- So since Rizal was not in good terms
with the Catholic church, he had to
talk to the Friars in Dapitan if they will
allow them to conduct the wedding
- In return, when you talk to the Friars,
they said that before they can perform
the wedding, he was presented a
retraction letter a longer document.
Saying that he will retract again the
sayings against the Catholic church.
- But when he was in Fort Santiago,
when he was about to be executed, he
was presented the shorter version of
the document of retraction
- He signed the letter DECEMBER 29,
1896, the day before he was executed
Why did he sign this?
- Because he wanted to marry
Josephine Bracken
- The letter was released by the Jesuits.
- Jesuits are the favorite of Rizal but
they are the one who released it.
2. Fr. Vicente Balaguer, missionary pastor
in Dapitan. Balaguer was in Manila when
Rizal was in his detention cell in Fort
Santiago
“I was the one who assisted Rizal most of that
sad day’s hours. I argued with him and
demolished his arguments. Better than anyone
else I can form an idea of what passed through Explanation:
his soul and what Rizal had been and what he
- Why do you think he wanted
had in mind. I presented to him the formula of
Josephine?
retraction, and in my presence, he wrote it word
- If we will believe the retraction that
for word, revising a few words after some
he signed DEC 29, Rizal learned that
discussion. In my presence he signed it, and I
he would die in Dec 28
kept and presented it to Your Reverence, who in
- Dec 29, he decided to sign the
turn gave it to His Grace, Archbishop Nozaleda
retraction to marry Josephine
(Archbishop of Manila in 1889-1904).”
- Josephine Bracken was claiming that
Explanation: on the morning of the execution, they
got married in the morning of DEC 30
- Balaguer is the primary source
meaning he witnessed he was signing Why do you think he wanted to marry
the retraction letter Josephine?
- He was very close to Rizal
- Because Josephine is not in good
terms with Rizal’s family, specifically
the mother
3. Fr. Balaguer on Rizal
“For some month previously, I had been
in Contact with Dr. Rizal since I was the
5. The following is a letter written by Rizal
missionary pastor in Dapitan where he
to his family before he died. It contains
had been exiled. Following instructions, I
the request of Rizal to his family on what
had received from Superiors, I tried to
to do after he died.
treat him with the greatest respect and
- Check 10:27 of the video
affection, to which he reciprocated with
- That is Rizal’s idea on death, he was
affection confidence in me.”
very at peace
- That was their relationship
- He was hoping after he die, his family
- Balaguer was saying he has no bad
will be left alone by the government
blood against Rizal
- He left to the execution very calm
- He was not saying Rizal retracted just
- We did bury him on the ground
because he doesn’t like him
- He was first buried in Paco Cemetery
after the Spanish period, his body was
retrieved by his family and put it in
4. Basis for Rizal’s retraction:
their house in Binondo
(understanding Rizal’s milieu)
- Then when the monument was done
in Luneta, they put his remain there.
a. According to Professor Austin Craig,
- Probably he was not thinking that this
“Spanish law had established civil
generation will hail him as a hero
marriage in the Philippines, but the
- He preferred to bury in Paang Bundok
local government had not provided
in Manila North Cemetery
any way for people to avail
- He wanted to secure Josephine’s
themselves of the right…”
status
b. Josephine Bracken is not in good
- Josephine did not came from a
terms with Rizal’s family.
wealthy family
Why did he is our national hero?
was buried in Paco Church, it’s a catholic church
- Because out of all of them, he was
and during the Spanish period, you cannot bury
very calm and very heroic the kind of
in the Paco Cemetery if you are not catholic
death niya
- He was courting death (parang
nililigawan daw)
6. Father Balaguer as an eyewitness
(Re:Dec 29, 1896, the night before Rizal’s
execution)
a. In verifying the final contrition of a
criminal, according to Canon Law, a
single witness is enough.
Explanation
- For the Catholic church, sa CANON
Did Rizal retract?
LAW, a single witness in enough
- Sa Civil Law, you must have two
witness kasi
- So Father Balaguer’s testaments is
only enough for the Canon law
- For the church, retraction letter was
true?
7. Fr. Balaguer on Rizal
“He received me with open arms. Since I
like him very much, I was ready to do
whatever I could with divine grace to
save his soul. He asked me his
confession. But that I believed he was
not properly disposed to receive the
sacraments of the church.”
- So again, probably it was part of him
or Rizal being catholic that he wanted
to have his final confession
- Father Balaguer was saying that
before you make u final confession,
you have to be in good terms with the
catholic church
Ma’am believed that Rizal retracted because he
- Mabini was buried in Chinese
cemetery because he did not return to
the catholic faith
- Rizal turned to the Catholic faith after
he died
- Rizal had nothing against the Catholic
church, he only had something against
with the Friars but he is DEVOUT
CATHOLIC si Rizal.
8. Thoughts to ponder/topics for
discussion:
- “He (Rizal) retracted. He died as a
Catholic and approved that he died as
a Catholic was, he was buried inside
the sacred grounds of Paco Cemetery
who compared to Apolinary Mabini a
revolutionary and freemason who was
buried in a Chinese Cemetery.”
(Augusto De Viana, UST)
- MASONS- type of organization that is
against the church
- Rizal even denied being a mason and
denied Katipunan then denied
knowing Bonifacio
- In his trial, he was asked, do you know
Bonifacio, according to him, he did not
know personally
- Probably true but technically Rizal and
Bonifacio met when Rizal established
La Liga Filipina because Bonifacio was
a member of La Liga Filipina and they
were introduced
- When Rizal was exiled in Dapitan, and
La Liga failed to continue, that was the
time Bonifacio established Katipunan
On the issue of result being a fickle minded
person (papalit palit ng isip),
- De Viana answered, (b) “well that may
be true but that is human character.
Rizal was not a perfect person.”
Will the issue invalidate Rizal’s work and
contribution to the country?
- No
Extra info
- Josephine was not in good terms with
Rizal’s family except Paciano.
- In fact, Josephine demanded the
family and she’s claiming that Rizal
married her. And she was asking for
money, some paintings of Juan Luna
and Mi Ultimo Adios
- Josephine was not able to provide
Marriage certificate. Umabot pa yung
kaso hanggang supreme court.
9. Interview to one of the descendants of
Rizal. When they got the body of Rizal in
Paco Cemetery after Spanish Period.
- The body was found to have been
buried directly into the earth without
a coffin. Nevertheless, the clothes
were still recognisable, thought
whatever my Lolo Jose had ridden in
his shoes had long rotted away. A
vertebra showing a bullet wound was
kept in a glass and silver Cup in Lola's
house
a. They were referring to Narcisa’s
House in Binondo.
b. The body was thrown there, and
he didn’t have a coffin
Richard Kissling designed the
monument of Rizal’s
10. Mi Ultimo Adios
- Check 24:54 of the video
- Eden Lost= Paradise was lost, freedom
was lost
With gladness I give you my Life, sad and
repressed.
And where it more brilliant, more fresh and at its
best, I would still give it to you for you for your
welfare at most.
- That was the kind of life that he gave
to the country
The place does not matter cypress laurel, lilly
white, Scaffold, open field, conflict or
martyrdom’s site
- According to him, Heroism no matter
how you died it doesn’t matter as long
as you gave your life to the country
- It doesn’t matter if it is a good death,
if it is an easy death, like cypress laurel
etc..
To die to give you life, ‘neath your skies to expire
and in your mystic land to sleep through
eternity!
- In Ultimo, you can see the last wish of
Rizal: When he dies, he will give you
life
- He wanted to die in country
- He wanted to bury in the PH
Pray thee for all the hapless who have died, For
all those who unequalled torments have
undergone; For our poor mothers who in
bitterness have cried; For orphans, widows and
captives to tortures were shied
And when my grave by all is no more
remembered
Then it doesn't matter that you should forget
me: Your atmosphere, your skies, your vales I’ll
sweep; Vibrant and clear note to your ears I shall
be: Aroma, light, Hues, murmur song, moanings
deep, Constantly repeating the essence of the
field I keep.
- Rizal felt when he died, people will
just forget him or what he did. He
never thought he will be our hero
I'll go where there are no slaves, tyrants or
hangmen Where faith does not kill and where
God alone does reign
- Faith in the Ph during that time kills
29:30
- That is how he described this life,
WEARISOME, napagod siya.
Farewell, sweet stranger, my friend, who
brightened my way;
- This is Josephine Bracken
- The dua? Estranghera
11. JOSE RIZAL IN DAPITAN
- He was in an exile
- He was living in a normal life
- He has clinic, school, he thought a lot
of boys
- 2 operating rooms
12. Main House in DAPITAN
- When he won the lottery, he even
bought additional land in Dapitan
because he used to plant a lot of
seeds, he introduced a lot of methods
in planting
- Naka detached yung CR sa bahay and
even yung kitchen
13. Naglilinis sa bahay niya ngayon
- Member ng Cult (Rizalista)
- Even in Laguna, Pampanga
- PIO VALENZUELA was sent by Andres
Bonifacio by Katipunan.
- Bonifacio asked Rizal regarding his
advice about Katipunan, if he wanted
to escape, because if he want to, he
will help him
- Aqueduct (water system), Rizal;s Dam
and aqueduct : TALISAY WATER
SYSTEM. (kasi mataas lugar niya need
niya ng supply ng water para sa bahay
niya at farm)
- Dapitan made him the old Ibarra, the
reformist Ibarra
- DAPITAN, this is what will happen in
the PH if Rizal will be the president of
the country
- He will improve the economy, agri,
school, hospital.
14. FROM NOLI ME TANGERE
“I'd die without seeing the dawn
brighten over my native land! You, who
have it to see, welcome it- and forget
not those who have fallen during the
night!”
Josephine Bracken
- Irish
- Sweet stranger- because Rizal doesn’t
know her eh, he just went there but
Rizal basically not aware of her family
- DULCE ESTRANGERA
- Ninakaw niya yung Mi Ultimo Adios
because according to her, its
supposed to be her property
- She said kaniya yung Mi Ultimo Adios
MI ULTIMO ADIOS
- But before Josephine stole it, binigay
muna ito ni PACIANO to BONIFACIO,
then he translated it to TAGALOG
- It doesn’t have a title, yung
KATIPUNAN nalang naglagay ng title