THE RETRACTION

OF
DR. JOSE RIZAL
 WHO IS DR.JOSE RIZAL?
Dr. Jose Rizal, the
national hero of the
Philippines, was a
brilliant student,
doctor, writer, and
poet. He exposed the
abuses of the
Spanish colonial
government in his
 RETRACTION
the action of
drawing something
back or back in; a
withdrawal of a
statement,
accusation, or
undertaking..
 PRIMARY SOURCES FROM CATHOLIC CHURCH
Fr. Fr. Pio Cuerpo de Fr. Manuel Garcia &
• “Before goingPi
Vicente Vigilanci
to the fort, I went to Archbishop O'Doherty
the palace in order to
Balaguer a
receive orders and instructions from the prelate. The archbishop
gave me the formula of retraction and profession of faith,
composed by Rev. Father Pio Pi”
• “I tried to make him see how false and indefensible such
criterion was, in as much as without the authority to the church
he could not be sure of the holy scripture or of the books truly
revealed by god: how absolutely impossible it is for the
individual reason to interpret at his will the word of god”
• “I told him with energy that if he did not yield his mind and his
reason for the sake of faith, he would soon appear for judgement
before god and would surely be damned. Upon hearing his threat,
tears gushed from his eyes and he said: No, I will not damn
myself”
• “It was already night when I arrived at the fort, I found Dr.
Jose Rizal impatient. He asked for the formula of the prelate.
 PRIMARY SOURCES FROM CATHOLIC CHURCH
Fr. Fr. Pio Cuerpo de Fr. Manuel Garcia &
Vicente Pi Vigilanci Archbishop O'Doherty
• A Jesuit witnessa in the alleged
Balaguer
Rizal retraction.
• Father Vicente Balaguer accepted
his retraction letter, which was
shorter.
• Only involved in securing the
retraction document from the
Archbishop of Manila
 PRIMARY SOURCES FROM CATHOLIC CHURCH
Fr. Fr. Pio Cuerpo de Fr. Manuel Garcia &
Vicente Pi Vigilanci Archbishop O'Doherty
• Security Corps. of Manila that built in 1895
Balaguer a activities of the Katipunan and their
• To collect information about the
alliance or supporters.
• In 3 years, They collected around 3000 documents.
• December 12, 1995, they sell this to a private sector and the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts take it for 145,000 dollars.
• Federico Moreno - Chief Inspector of Cuerpo de Vigilancia: He wrote a
surveillance report.
• at 7:15am, Rizal entered death row
• At approximately 9, the Adjutant of the Garison, Senior Maure ask Rizal
if he wanted anything and he only ask for a prayer book which was
brought to him shortly by father march prepared retraction present by
two Jesuit priest.
• he refused to sign.
• Rizal signed a document. it seems, it was the retraction.
• from 3pm to 5:30 pm, Rizal read prayer book several times.
• 8 in the evening they serve a tinola for Rizal as his last meal.
 PRIMARY SOURCES FROM CATHOLIC CHURCH
Fr. Fr. Pio Cuerpo de Fr. Manuel Garcia &
Vicente archivistVigilanci
• An archdeocean Pi in manila Archbishop O'Doherty
• He found the original copy of Rizal's retraction paper on 1935.
Balaguer a was discovered by Fr. Manuel Garcia,
• Rizal "original" Retraction letter
he found the Document on May 18, 1935 at Archdiocesan Archives (The
original document was never shown to the public, only reproduction of
it)
• The Retraction letter dated December 29, 1896, was said to have been
signed by the national hero himself
• It stated "I declared 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“
• In the following day Fr. Manuel Garcia gave in to Archbishop Michael
O'Dohery.
• MICHAEL J. O'DOHERTY - was an Irish prelate and was the 27th
Archibishop of Manila in the Philippines. O'Doherty was Archbishop of
Manila for 33 years from 1916 until his death in 1949, making him the
longest to hold the post, serving through the difficult years of the
4 DIFFERENT VERSIONS VERSION 1

RETRACTIONS
VERSION 2
OF

VERSION 3

VERSION 4
 La Voz Española and Diario de
Manila
VERSION 1 (December 30, 1896)

This is the first

VERSION 2 version of the
retraction to be
VERSION 3 published, and it is the
shortest.
VERSION 4
"I retract with all my
heart whatever in my
VERSION 1 La Juventud
(February 14, 1897)

VERSION 2 This version of the

retraction was published
in Barcelona, Spain, and
VERSION 3 is longer than the first
version.
VERSION 4
"I believe and I confess
whatever she teaches and
VERSION 1

Archdiocesan Archives
VERSION 2 (May 18, 1935)

This version of the

VERSION 3 retraction was
discovered in the
archdiocesan archives
VERSION 4 in Manila after having
been missing for 39
years. It is similar to
VERSION 1 El Imparcial
(December 31, 1896)
VERSION 2
This version of the
retraction appeared in
VERSION 3 the Spanish newspaper
El Imparcial on the day
VERSION 4 after Rizal's
execution. It is the
shortest of all the
ANTI RETRACTION
• He is known as one of the
biographers of Jose
Rizal.
• Biografia de Rizal in
1938..
• He gave a critical
analysis against the
retaction of Rizal.
• The document of
retraction was kept
secret.
• It found the “original”
after 30 years.
• When the family of Rizal
ask for retraction of
Rizal, as well as the
marriage certificate,
they are both denied by
• Ricardo
Pascual
said that
the
document
found in
• Lazaro Segovia
called him, and
the friars asked
him to work for
them for 10
days.
• For 10 days, he
tried to study
the handwriting
of Dr. Jose
Rizal.
• He kept one for
• SECRET SERVICE
INTELEGENCE
• Surveill
ance
report
• in this case:
Fr. Vicente
Balaguer is
not there
visiting Rizal
during his
last days.
THANK YOU!