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The Great Debatic: The Rizal Retraction:

Introduction
Most of the time, when Filipino asked who is our national hero, we will
say that our national hero is Dr. Jose Rizal
Dr. Jose Rizal known for his writings that criticized the colonial
establishment in the Philippines, he also advocates equal rights and
education for Filipinos. In Order to make effect on the changes he returned
to the Philippines. He wrote noli me tangere & el fili busterismo about the
dark aspect of the Spanish colonization and the catholic friars in the
Philippines.
*Before we start lets watch a short facts about Dr. Jose Rizal.

The night before his execution on December 30, 1896, at the

Bagumbayan now known as Luneta Park, a document appeared that Dr.
Jose Rizal allegedly retracted his Masonic ideals and his writing regarding the
Anti-Catholicism.
The retraction of Dr. Jose Rizal is the one of the controversial issues in
our Philippine History, and it was still being debated by many historians if it is
really that Dr. Jose Rizal Retracted or Not.
 *So let define first what is RETRACTION???

RETRACTION - Is a public statement made an earlier statement that

Withdraws, Cancels, refutes, or reverses the original statement or ceases
and desists from publishing the original stamement (wikapedia)
*So meaning, the retraction is a document containing a message that Dr.
Jose Rizal retracted or reverse his Anti Catholicism writings and ideals
included in his novels.

The Jesuits persuaded Dr. Jose Rizal to retract his anti-Catholic teaching
and his affiliation with the masons. Which could have meant Rizal's
return to the Catholic faith and allowed him to marry Josephine
Bracken.

*So, the point in this part is the Jesuits. So when we say JESUITS it is a
members of the Roman Catholic Society of Jesus gave Dr. Jose Rizal
a condition that if he retracts his Anti-Catholicism teaching as well as his
affiliation with the masons then he can return to the Catholic faith
before he dies and he will be allowed to married Josephine Bracken.
In this part also it says that if there is no retraction, no marriage between
Rizal and Josephine.
 *So as we can see this is the Retraction Letter of Dr. Jose Rizal, on the
left side was the copy of retraction and on the right side is the
translation copy of it.

*So this is the content of the retraction letter. (Basahin)

Retraction Letter

Main issues concerning the RETRACTION:

- Rizal retracted his Anti-Catholism and Masonic Affiliation
- Rizal wrote and signed the Retraction Letter
- Rizal’s married to josephine

*Explain.
 Eyewitnesses
 Fr. Vincente Balaguer
 Former Lieutenant of the Infantry of Cuerpo De Viligencia
The document of retraction is being to hotly debated its authenticity that
was written and signed by Dr. Jose Rizal a moment before his death there
were many eyewitnesses, most of them are Friars or Jesuits, but.......

There are 2 eyewitnesses who associated and gives there testimonies

regarding to what happen to Dr. Jose Rizal before his execution. And they
are Fr. Vincente Balaguer and Former Lieutenant of the Infantry, From
Cuerpo De Viligencia.

Testimony
- Fr. Vincente Balaguer (insert picture)
 Rizal woke up several times
 Rizal confessed 4 times
 He attended a Mass and received communion
 He prayed 4 times the rosary
 He claimed to have received the “exact” copy of
Rizal’s retraction

*According to the testimony of Fr. Vicente Balaguer Rizal woke up

several times, Rizal confessed 4 times, He attended a Mass and
received communion, prayed 4 times with the rosary, and He claimed
to have received the “exact”copy of Rizal’s retraction.

*All of those testimonies of Fr. Vincente Balaguer seem out of Dr. Jose
Rizal's character. Because if we look at it, it's hard to believe that Dr. Jose
Rizal really did those things.

*Elaborate pa
 *So the next Eyeswitness is Former Lieutenant of the Infantry from Cuerpo
De Viligencia

Testimony
- Former Lieutenant of the Infantry of Cuerpo De Viligencia
 Confirm that Dr. Jose Rizal “Signed” a document that contains his
retraction.
 Juan Del Fresno & Eloy Moure who enter in the prison
*According to the testimony of Former Lieutenant of the Infantry of Cuerpo
De Viligencia, two Jesuits entered Rizal’s prison at 3 in the afternoon which
are (Fr.Jose Vilaclara, & Fr. Estanislao March). And the 2 others, He
confirmed that Dr. Jose Rizal together with Juan Del Fresno the chief of the
firing squad & Eloy Moure the assistant of the plaza “Signed” a document that
contains his retraction.

CONTINUED
*After to what the witnesses said regarding the retraction written and signed
by Dr. Jose Rizal there are various versions of this came out.

* The La Voz Espanola and Diario de manila

The La Juventud
The Archdiocesan Archives

4 iterations (versions) of the Retraction

- La Voz Espanola and Diario de Manila – published December 30, 1896

- La Juventud- published in Barcelona, Spain on February 14, 1897

- Archdiocesan Archives- “original” text found on May 18, 1935, after 4

decades of disappearance.
 La Voz Espanola and Diario de Manila
* On December 30, 1896 the day of execution of Dr. Jose Rizal, the la voz espanola and diario de
manila are the 2 news paper companies, and the said text release as a FIRST ARTICLE to be written for
the retraction

La Juventud
* On February 14, 1897 after a few months that Dr. Jose Rizal was executed, the SECOND TEXT
refaced in Barcelona Spain. And publish in La Juventud magazine by unknown writer but later on
Revealed himself as Fr. Vincente Balaguer. Fr. Vincent Balaguer was the first man who gave an
evidence of the retraction of Dr. Jose Rizal

Archdiocesan Archives
* However on May 18, 1935 the original text or the primary source was only found by Fr.
Manuel Garcia in the Archdiocesan Archives after it disappeared for 40 years from the afternoon
when Dr. Jose Rizal was executed.

*Elaborate pa

*The Retraction document of Dr. Jose Rizal is being hotly debated as its authenticity it was
supposed to have written by Dr. Jose Rizal a moment before his death, there were many
eyewitnesses, and most of them are friars or Jesuits, and the document only surfaced for public
viewing on May 18, 1935, which found by Fr. Manuel Garcia at the catholic hierarchy archive in
manila but the original document was never shown to the public only reproduction of it.

* However Fr. Pio Pi. A Spanish Jesuits reported that as early of 1907 the retraction of Dr. Jose
Rizal was Copied Verbatim (Xerox) and publish in Spain and reprented in manila.

So meaning Yung nahanap na sinasabi ni Fr. Manuel Garcia na original document ng retraction ay
kopya lng din galing sa Xerox kung baga hindi din original yung nakuha ni Fr. Garcia.
 Differences
Rizal Retraction
“Original” vs. Jesuit Copy
“1935 Document ”
and Newspaper Copy
 “mi cualidad”
 Have the word “catolica”
 The word “misma” cannot be
found
 Second paragraph started
immediately with the second
sentence
 Only have 4 commas
 With names of witnesses
Fr. Balaguer
and Jesuit Copy
 “mi calidad”
 The word “Catolica” was
omitted
 The word “misma” was added
before the third “Iglesias”
 Second paragraph started
began in the fifth sentence
 Have 11 commas
 No names of witnesses

*Another objection raised by the different historians against the of Dr. Jose Rizal
Retraction was the differences between the text of 1935 document and News paper
copy to the version of retraction that Fr. Vincent Balaguer and Jesuits had presented.

- So First is in the 1935 document cualidad is spelled with “U” while in Fr. Vincent
Baleguer’s Version the spelling is calidad without Letter “U”

- Second Fr. Vincent Baleguer’s Version does not have the word catholica after
the word Iglesia. in the 1935 and news paper versions the word catolica is
present

- Third in the Jesuits copy the third Iglesias is preceded by the word misma , and
this word cannot be found in 1935 document.
 - And with regards to paragraphing Fr. Vincent Baleguer’s Version does not begin
the second paragraph until the fifth sentences, while in the 1935 document
start the second paragraph immediately after the second sentences.

- Lastly the text of 1935 document has 4 commas, while the text of Fr. Vincent
Baleguer has 11 comma.

*this day the retraction issues is still raging like wild fire in the forest of the night
Others would like to believe that the purported retraction of Dr. Jose Rizal was invented by
the friars to deflected the heroism of him which was centred on the FRIARS ABUSES. Sapagkat
umiikot lahat sa masasamang gawin ng mga paring prayle ang lahat ng isinulat nya sa noli at el
fili.

And take note Dr. Jose Rizal did not fight the Catholic Religion, He fought to those who abuses that
religion.

He was not against on the Catholic Religion. He was against to the manner of the friars in the
Philippines during his time.

* So mean Si Dr. Jose Rizal ay hindi galit or kinakalaban ang Simbahang katoliko. Galit siya sa
mga Taong ginagamit ang simbahang katoliko para mang abuso.

* At kung totoo man talaga na nag retract si Dr. Jose Rizal ang kanyang lamang binabawi is yung
Sinabi nya sa sambahan pero Hinde dun sa mga taong nasa loob ng simbahan noong panahon niya.

*Whether Dr. Jose Rizal retracted or not it still didn’t change the fact that his works led us to
fight our rights, and his works stirred the nationalism and patriotism in our hearts us a Filipino
people that made us fight our own country for our own people.

And that’s the end of over topic thank you for listening.