RIZAL’S RETRACTION

KRICIA

WHO IS RIZAL?

Jose Rizal (Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda)

- Born on June 19, 1861
- Calamba, Laguna
- Seventh child among eleven, second son
- Nickname - Pepe/Moy

• Jose Rizal is also known as “Hero of Revolution”

- Because of his writings that center on ending colonialism and liberating Filipino
minds to contribute to creating the Filipino nation.

• Two influential works of Rizal

 Noli Me Tangere
 El Filibusterismo

• His essays vilify not the Catholic religion, but the friars, the main agents of injustice in the
Philippine society.

It is understandable, therefore, that any piece of writing from Rizal that recants
everything he wrote against the friars and the Catholic Church in the Philippines could deal
heavy damage to his image as a prominent Filipino revolutionary. Such document purportedly
exists, allegedly signed by Rizal a few hours before his execution. This documents,
referred to as “The Retraction”, declares Rizal’s belief in the Catholic faith, and retracts
everything he wrote against the Church.

RETRACTION
- A withdrawal of a statement, accusation, or undertaking

EVIDENCES
- Documents
- Testimony

HIEZEL

Primary Source: Rizal’s Retraction

Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M.

- archdiocesan archivist
- is said to have been the one who found Rizal's retraction at the Catholic hierarchy’s
archive in Manila in May 18, 1935

Translation (English)
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, writings, 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 is of
the Church, and as a Society prohibited by the Church. The Diocesan Prelate may, as the
Superior Ecclesiastical Authority, make public this spontaneous manifestation of mine in order
to repair the scandal which my acts may have caused and so that God and people may pardon
me.

Manila 29 of December of 1896

Jose Rizal

 The said letter contains that Jose Rizal declared himself as a Catholic and that he retracts
everything he had said, written, published, and did against the Catholic church.
 The original document was never shown to the public, only reproductions of it.

ASHLEY NICOLE

THE BALAGUER TESTIMONY

Jesuit version of Rizal Retraction

Manila Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda

- He asked the Jesuit to take care of Rizal’s spiritual needs while the latter awaited the hour
of his death.

Fr. Pio Pi
- the Superior of the Jesuits Society in the Philippines
- In an affidavit that he issued in 1917, declared that he had accepted the task given
- He instructed the Jesuit priests to convince Rizal to retract his anti-Catholic teachings as
well as his affiliate from the Masons.

KRISTELL

Fr. Vicente Balaguer

- a Jesuit missionary who befriended Rizal during his exile in Dapitan

According to his testimony

- Rizal woke up several times, confessed four times, attended a Mass, received
communion, and prayed the rosary
 - At 10 o’clock in the evening, the two templates of the retraction which was sent by
Father Pio Pi and Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda as presented to Rizal.
- Rizal found the first template unacceptable because it was too long and its language and
style were not reflective of his personality.
- Fr. Balaguer withdrew it and offered the shorter one. Rizal did not sign it right away
because he was uncomfortable with the statement “I abominate Masonry as a society
reprobated by the Church.”
- The Jesuits allowed Rizal to revise the retraction template, and his final version read, “I
abominate Masonry as the enemy of the Church and reprobated by the same Church”
- After making other minor changes to the draft, Rizal signed his retraction letter before
midnight. Fr. Balaguer handed it over to Fr. Pi, who in turn submitted it to Archbishop
Bernardino Nozaleda

KAILLA

THE CUERPO DE VIGILANCIA TESTIMONY

- The Cuerpo de Vigilancia de Manila (Security Corps of Manila) was the intelligence
service that the Spanish colonial government created in 1895. It was organized primarily
to gather information on the activities of Katipunan members and supporters. Cuerpo
agents were tasked to monitor the activities of suspected Katipunan members. They were
supposed to report all sorts of rumors, collect news reports, identify the financiers of the
Katipunan, compile revolutionary papers, gather photographs, and intercept mail. The
agents were also instructed to monitor foreigners who were sympathetic to the
Katipuneros. In a span of three years, they were able to collect almost 3,000 documents
containing eyewitness accounts of the activities of individuals fighting for Philippine
independence.

ASHLEY JEANDRA

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE LAST 24 HOURS OF RIZAL

WRITTEN BY FEDERICO MORENO

THE CUERPO VIGILANCIA VERSION

 At 7:50 am
- Jose Rizal entered death row accompanied by his counsel, Señor Taviel de Andrade, and
the Jesuit priest Vilaclara.
- He was served a light breakfast.
 At 9 am
- the Adjutant of the Garrison, Señor [Eloy] Maure, asked Rizal if he wanted anything.
- He replied that at the moment he only wanted a prayer book which was brought to him
shortly by Father March.
 At 10 am
- Señor Andrade left death row.
 - Rizal spoke for a long while with the Jesuit fathers, March and Vilaclara, regarding
religious matters.
 At 12:30 pm
- Rizal ate some poached egg and a little chicken. Afterwards he asked to leave to write
and wrote for a long time by himself.
 At 3 pm
- Father March entered the chapel and Rizal handed him what he had written.
- The chief of the firing squad, Señor [Juan] del Fresno and the Assistant of the Plaza,
Señor Maure, were informed. They entered death row and together with Rizal signed the
document that the accused had written. It seems this was the retraction.
 At 5:30 pm
- Rizal read his prayer book several times, prayed kneeling before the altar and in the
company of Fathers Vilaclara and March, read the Acts of Faith, Hope and Charity
repeatedly as well as the Prayers for the Departing Soul.
 At 8 pm
- Rizal was served a plate of tinola, his last meal on earth.
 At 5 am of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison accompanied by his sister
Pilar, both dressed in mourning.
 At 7:30 am
- European artilleryman handcuffed him and he left for the place of execution accompanied
by various Jesuits, his counsel and the Assistant of the Plaza. Father March gave him a
holy picture of the Virgin that Rizal kissed repeatedly.

JOCHEBETH

CHALLENGES TO TGE RETRACTION

- The Newspaper narratives are merely rated on testimonies of people who claimed that
they have read the Retraction .
- No One saw the Original "Written Declaration"
- Out of Character
- Attempts to Slander Rizal and save the church's images
- Forgery.
 The Retraction of Rizal remains to this day, a Controversy but many agree that the
document does not tarnish the heroism of Rizal. His relevance remained solidified the
Filipinos and pushed them to continue the Revolution eventually resulted in
Independence on 1898.