RETRACTION

the act of taking back an

offer or statement, or
admitting that a statement
was false
Rizal's Unfinding Glory
A documentary history of
conversion of of Dr. Jose Rizal
by Fr. Jesus Maria Cavanna y
Manso
FR. JESUS MARIA
CAVANNA Y MANSO
He was a Catholic Priest
He Published "Rizal's Unfinding
Glory" in 1956
RIZAL'S BEYOND THE
GRAVE
A vindication of the martyrof
bagumbayan by Ricardo R Pascual
RICARDO R. PASCUAL
In 1967, he was a professor and an
administrator for 34 years at University of
the Philippines.
is the founder of the Filipino-American
Association of Illinois
Dr. Jose Rizal Beyond The Grave - A
Vindication of the Martyr of Bagumbayan
published 1935
Rizal's retraction letter was discovered by
Father Manuel Garcia, C.M in 1935. From
this time on, the letter's content has become
a favorite subject of dispute among history
writers, history professors, and
academicians. The retraction dated
December 29, 1896 was said to have been
signed by Rizal himself. letter
THE FIRST VERSION:
"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."
THE SECOND VERSION
"I retract with all my heart
whatsoever in my words, writings,
publications, and conduct have been
contrary to my character as a son
of the Catholic church."
Upon analysis of the two (2) versions of Rizal's
letter, it can be shown that there are different
words used and some words are missing in the
rate, whether Rizal truly resigned his Catholic
faith is still a second version. At any
controversy. there are groups who believed or
did not believe that Rizal retracted.
However,there are groups who believed or did
not believe that Rizal retracted.
EVIDENCES OF
RIZAL
RETRACTION
presented by:
Angeline Elaine Pajo
First version of Rizal
retraction document
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.
FIRST EVIDENCE:

The first evidence is the

retraction document
discovered by Fr. Manuel
Gracia C.M. on May 18, 1935.

• Serves as the primary

account or chief eyewitness of
the retraction incident.

RIZAL RETRACTION DOCUMENT

— discovered by Fr. Manuel Garcia
C.M. on May 18, 1935
SECOND EVIDENCE:

The second evidence is that

Rizal recited and signed a
prayer book titled Acts of
Faith, Hope and Charity after
he signed the retraction
document.

—a prayer book that Dr. Jose Rizal

signed before his execution.
THIRD EVIDENCE:
the third evidence
involves the testimony
of the priest present
during the time of the Fr. Vicente Fr. Jose Fr. Estanislao
event, particularly the Balaguer Vilaclara March
Jesuit priest who
interacted with Rizal on
Forth Santiago .
• They are crucial
eyewitnesses who prove
that Rizal made a
retraction. Fr. Luis Vista Fr. Federico Faura Fr. Miguel Saderra
Jesuit Priests
FOURTH EVIDENCE:

The fourth evidence put

forward by the Roman
Catholic church is that within
the last 24 hours before Rizal
execution on December 30,
1896, Rizal engaged in acts of
piety
FIFTH EVIDENCE:

The fifth and final evidence

is the solemnized marriage
results between Jose Rizal
and Josephine Bracken.

Jose Rizal and Josephine Bracken

marriage
A) BELIEVERS OR DEFENDERS OF RIZAL'S RETRACTION:
1. Nick Joaquin, writer

2. Leon Maria Guerrero III

3. Gregorio Zaide, author of history books

4. Guillermo Gomez Rivera

5. Ambeth Ocampo, author of history books

6. John Schumaker

7. Antonio Molina

8. Paul Duval
NON- BELIEVERS EVIDENCE OF RIZAL'S
RETRACTION
First Evidence
Present by people who believe that Rizal not retracted. Is that the
retraction documents is forgery of Fake as pointed out by Pascual the
handwriting on the retraction questions.
NON- BELIEVERS EVIDENCE OF
RIZAL'S RETRACTION
Second Evidence
-the other acts and facts do not fit well with the story of
retraction and some of the following are is the retraction
document wasn't made in public until 1935.

Third Evidence
- results Brielle was kept secret
NON- BELIEVERS EVIDENCE OF RIZAL'S
RETRACTION
Fourth Evidence
- the record of his burial was not placed on the entrance of
December 30, 1896(Died) but rather it was placed on a
special page.

Fifth Evidence
- there is no marriage certificate or public records of results
marriage with Josephine Bracken.
NON- BELIEVERS EVIDENCE OF RIZAL'S
RETRACTION
Sixth Evidence
- Rizal's behavior did not point a convention during his
last 24hrs before his execution.

Last evidence
-Presented by those people who believed that Rizal did
not retracted is that the retraction itself is out of
character it is not in keeping with Rizal's character and
faith.
A) BELIEVERS OR DEFENDERS OF RIZAL'S RETRACTION:
9. Austin Craig, historian

10. Teodoro Kalaw, 33rd degree mason and handwriting expert

11. H. Otley Beyer, UP Professor

12. Jose Del Rosario, UP Professor

13. Fr Marciano Guzman, great grandnephew of Rizal

14. Fr. Vicente Balaguer, A Jesuit Missionary

15. Fr. Pio Pi, Society of Jesuits of the Philippines, Superior

16. Dr. Augusto de Vierra, UST Dept of History, Head

B) NON-BELIEVERS OF RIZAL RETRACTION:
1. Ricardo Pascual, a historian

2. Sen. Rafael Palma, former UP President and prominent mason

3. Frank Laubach, a Protestant minister

4. Austin Coates, a British writer

5. Ricardo Manapat, National Archives director

6. Tomas U. Santos, a historian

7. Jose Victor Torres, history professor of De La Salle University

BELIEVERS OF RIZAL'S RETRACTION HAD THE
FOLLOWING ARGUMENTS:
1. The retraction document (letter) is authentic having judged by a foremost
handwriting expert, Teodoro Kalaw and handwriting experts are known and
recognized in our courts of justice.

2. Eleven (11) witnesses saw Rizal wrote his own retraction, signed a Catholic
prayer book and recited Catholic prayers and kissed the crucifix before his
execution.

3. Rizal's 4 confessions were certified by 5 eyewitnesses, 10 qualified

witnesses, 7 newspapermen, and 12 historians and writers.

4. Aglipayan bishops, masons, and anti-clerics witnessed Rizal's signing of the

retraction document
BELIEVERS OF RIZAL'S RETRACTION HAD THE
FOLLOWING ARGUMENTS:
5. The head of the Spanish Supreme Court notarized his retraction letter.

6. Being a Catholic, he was buried inside the sacred grounds of Pako (nov
Paco) Catholic Cemetery.

7. The retraction letter was not forged because witnesses were present
while Rizal was signing it.

8. Rizal retracted his masonry because he wanted to be at peace when he

dies.

9. Direct evidence which have a greater weight need to prove Rizal's

retraction than just circumstantial evidence.
PRELUDE TO RIZAL'S SIGNING OF THE
RETRACTION DOCUMENT

Some authors of history books dealing with Life, Works, and

Writings of Jose Rizal stated that the first draft of the retraction
letter was sent by Archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda to Rizal's cell
in Fort Santiago the night before his execution. Fort Santiago was
the place where Rizal was imprisoned and where Rizal wrote his
14-stanza poem "Mi Ultimo Adios." But Rizal was said to have
rejected the draft because it was lengthy and did not like the
wordings.
According to a testimony by Fr. Vicente Balaguer who
became Rizal's friend in Dapitan, Rizal accepted a short
retraction document prepared by Fr. Pio Pi, the head of
the Jesuit Society of the Philippines. However, Rizal
wrote his own retraction after making some
modification in the shorter retraction letter shown to
him. In his own retraction letter, he disavowed masonry
and religious thoughts that opposed Catholic belief.
NON-BELIEVERS OF RIZAL'S RETRACTION HAD THE
FOLLOWING ARGUMENTS:
1. There is no certificate of Rizal's catholic marriage to Josephine Bracken

2. There is an allegation that the retraction document was a forgery. There are two
versions of the retraction letter with some words missing in the seconddocument.
Which document is authentic? Were these documents written in Spanish, English,
or Filipino? Since the signing of the document, if it is true, would have been written
in Spanish, not in English. There was no mention that the original writing is
Spanish and translated in English.

3. The document was not in Rizal's own handwriting according to Senator Palma.

4. The retraction letter is not in keeping with Rizal's character and maturebeliefs.
CONCLUDING STATEMENT ON RIZAL'S
CONTROVERSIAL RETRACTION
Whether Rizal signed a retraction or not, Rizal
is still Rizal. It did not diminish his stature as a
great patriot, the hero who courted death "to
prove to those who deny our patriotism that
we know how to die for our duty and our
beliefs." (Jose Diokno's statement).
Rizal's retraction or not did not change the fact that his works
and writings began the "wheels of change" in the Philippine
colonial society - a change that led to the Philippine
independence. The retraction is just one aspect of the life, works,
and writings of Rizal (Jose Victor Torres).

Torres noted that the controversy in Rizal's retraction is

irrelevant today. The way Rizal is taught today, the retraction
means nothing at all, Torres added.