RETRACTION OF RIZAL

(PREPARED BY: KADIR A. BULLANG)

Synopsis
Dr. Jose P. Rizal that was executed 120 years ago on
December 30, 1896, became a hero because of his writings
against the Spanish colonists ideas and that he wanted to
aspire the Filipinos to open their minds and build the country
as one great nation.
NOLI ME TANGERE, EL FILIBUSTERISMO and his essay
towards LA SOLIRIDAD.
But despite of all of this, he retracted all his anti-catholic ideas
and beliefs against the Church through a document that he
signed. The document formally known as “Retractaccion” or
The Retraction.
Retraction Letter
First draft of the retraction was sent by Archbishop Bernardino
Nozaleda to Rizal’s cell in Fort Santiago the night before his execution
in Bagumbayan. But Rizal was said to have rejected the draft because
it was lengthy.

According to a testimony by Father Vicente Balaguer, Rizal accepted a

shorter retraction document prepared by the superior of the Jesuit
Society in the Philippines, Father Pio Pi.

He was free to modify the retraction letter according to Father Pio Pi’s
permission. Letting him dictate what he ought to profess or express,
and he shall write, making in any case some remarks.
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 the son of the
Catholic of the 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
Eccleciastical 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 1896

Jose
Rizal
this was the statement in the document which made the
historians believed that Rizal had retracted. Its
authenticity is confirmed by people who witnessed it.
This include eleven eyewitnesses who were present
when Rizal wrote his retraction, signed a Catholic prayer
book, recited Catholic prayers, and the multitude who
saw him kiss the crucifix before his execution. Fr.
Marciano Guzman, a great grandnephew of Rizal, cites
that Rizal's 4 confessions were certified by 5
eyewitnesses, 10 qualified witnesses, 7 newspapers,
and 12 historians and writers including Aglipayan
bishops, Masons and anti-clericals.
EYEWITNESSES
 Father Vicente Balaguer Llacer
“After Rizal was condemned to death, when the chaplain of the Royal
Fort Santiago, where the convict was, offered his services for so sad
circumstances, the prisoner told him that he appreciated his offering,
but that he decided rather to be visited by the Fathers of the Society of
Jesus by whom he had been educated.”
Rev. Father Superior, Father Pio Pi then sent Father Saderra, and
Father Luiz Viza to the fort on morning of Dec. 29, 1896. Jose Villaclara
“Rizal received them with great signs of affection, and asked them
whether some of those who had been his professors were still there in
Ateneo.”
“As a matter of fact Rizal had decided to retract on December 29. When
his sister Maria visited him at fort Santiago on that day to bade him
farewell, he told her:
“Maria, I am going to marry Josephine.” the convict says.
Father Vicente Balaguer and Viza went to the palace and reported
on the condition of the convict, who offered some hope for
conversions, since Rizal asked for the formula of retraction. And the
retraction formula was finished a few hours before midnight and
was sent to the fort.
“This declaration of retraction was signed together by Dr. Jose P.
Rizal and Senor Fresno, Chief of Picket, and Senior Moure, Adjutant
of Plaza. Finally, I declare and affirm that, a little before Rizal came
out from the chapel, I left in the company of Josephine Bracken, and
a sister of Rizal, from whom by him and by the witnesses. Before
Rizal reached Bagumbayan, I went to Ateneo and delivered the
aforementioned document to Father Pio Pi, who that very day
brought it to the palace, and handed it to Archbishop Nozaleda. His
grace entrusted it to his secretary, reverend Tomas Gonzales Feijo,
who kept it in the secretary’s office, in the chest of reserved
document.”
EYEWITNESSES
 Captain Rafael Dominguges Y Garcia
In notarial act signed by him in the city of Badajoz, Spain, May 30, 1918, before Don
Benjamin Escola Y Manso, Notary Lawyer of the illustratious Colleges of Madrid,
Salamanea and Badajoz, with Don Pedro Murillo Pavon and Don Marceliano
Torrejoncillo Casado as witnesses: (Notorial Act duly legalized by Reginaldo S.
Castleman, Vise-Consul of the United Sates of America, in Madrid, Spain.)
read the death sentence to Rizal to be shot at the back by a firing squad at 7:00A.M.
in Bagumbayan
“When the execution of the death sentence was pronounced against him, I had to
fulfill the painful duty , imposed by my office remaining near the convict all the time
he was in the chapel.. I preserved with me some notes taken during those 24 hours in
the chapel, hours of great emotion.”
“The Reverend Jesuit Fathers, Luis Vista, Jose Vilaclara, Vicente Balaguer Llacer, and
Faura, come to visit him. He is also visited by the civil governor, and other persons of
rank. He receives everyone with affability and a wonderful calmness.”
“In the presence of the Jesuit Fathers, he asked to get married and he promises to make his
confession.
“.. Follows conferences with the Fathers Balaguer and Vilaclara. Rizal is yielding little by little. At
8 o’clock, he makes his confession to father Vilaclara. Once, finished, accompanied by the
fathers, the Officer of the Picket, two other officers and myself, he kneels down before the altar,
and all all those that are present kneel too. He reads in a clear and serene voice the following
declaration which was signed by him: (full text of retraction)”
In another part of the NOTORIAL ACT where these notes have been included, Colonel Rafael
Garcia declared also:
“As a confirmation that there is no doubt the retraction of Rizal. Senor Pinana must look fro an
issue of the daily El Liberal—I don’t remember of what date,-- which published with pictures and
great details the execution of Rizal with the title “La Vida Retrospectiva” In the section, “Rizal en
Capilla” among other things, it says literally: “But in the chapel it was another thing. In the first
place, the statuette of the heart of Jesus, carved by him when he was still a student at the
Ateneo, made a deep impression upon him… Unable to evade the reminiscenes of the past, and
after a long controversy, he at last, yielded, rather out of feeling then out of reason, and signed
the retraction of his errors abjuring free-thinking, etc.””
“With respect to citing witnesses, I cannot do so since I don’t remember others than the Jesuit
Fathers, The Officer of the Picket and two sentries”
The notary lawyer added at the end of this affidavit:
Finally, the testifying party declared that by the present
act he wanted to ratify the authenticity of the preceding
notes which were taken by himself, as if has been
stated, while Dr. Rizal was kept in the chapel, and while
the events of which he had been an eyewitness, and
which appear reflected in these notes with all fidelity
and accuracy, we’re taking place before his eyes.
EYEWITNESSES
 Lieutenant Mariano Martinez Gallegos
In the notarial act signed by this former lieutenant of infantry, in the city
of manila, Philippines, on July 29, 1952, before the notary public don
enriquez Ramirez, he declared the following points
“Towards the end of December, 1896 and even since December 8 th of the
preceding year, I was residing in Manila, a graduate to the Royal Military
Academy with the rank of the first lieutenant. I was stationed in the Royal
Fort Santiago, performing my military duty one of the pickets as adjutant
of commander Eloy Moure.”
“When Dr. Rizal was read his death sentence on the 29 th of the mentioned
month of December 1896, the chaplain of artillery and commander Fresco
and Moure were present with their two adjutants: Martin, Lieutenant of
artillery, and the deponent, Gallegos, who was a lieutenant of infantry.
“… I on the other hand, could see and hear the greater part of the
facts that happened within the last 24 hours of Doctor Rizal; and I
resolutely state that I witnessed his conversion to the catholic faith
and the clear testimony he gave of it.
And, in order to avoid any objection which later on could be raised
against my testimony, I wish the following facts, of which I was an
eyewitness on account of being present when they took place, to be
recorded in an authentic and dependable way:
1.) Doctor Rizal wrote and signed a document of retraction and
profession of catholic faith, which officers Fresno and Moure also as
witnesses.
EYEWITNESSES
 Reverend Luis Viza Y Marti S.J
(…)
In the notarial act signed by this priest in the city of Manresa, Spain, May of
the illustrious College of Barcelona, (Notorial Act. 337, duly legalized by Harris
N. Cookingham, Vice-consultant of the United States of America, In Barcelona,
Spain) he declared and testified to the following details:
Towards the end of December, 1896 (and since 1891), I was in Manila. On the
twenety-nith of the same month of December of that year, at about six
o’clock in the morning, I went with Father Miguel Saderra y Matta, rector at
the time of the Ateneo municipal, to the Royal Fort Santiago, with the purpose
of giving spiritual help to Dr. Jose Rizal Mercado Y Alonso. When we arrived,
they were reading to him the death sentence. Hence, we waited in the room
of banners. Then the reverend chaplain of the artillery corps of the fort, mow
dead, came and told us that Dr. Rizal, after reading was finished , with great
controversy asked the judge to let the Jesuit fathers, his professors of old, be
called. He was told that they were already there. Once he was transferred to
the chapel, we proceed to it, in the company of the chaplain.
EYEWITNESSES
 Don Panciano Rizal
(..)
“We avow that we cannot present any direct proof in favor of Rizal’s
conversion and retraction from Don Panica
EYEWITNESSES
 Mrs. Josephine Bracken Taufer
Father G. Spada, a member of the Milan Foreign Mission Society, and a
Vice General of Hongkong, attended the widow of Dr. Rizal, Josephine
Bracken in her last illnesses in St. Francis Hospital since she had to come
to live as the Italian convent in Hongkong shortly after Rizal’s death.
Father Spada ministered the last sacraments to Josephine, who died very
peacefully. The very reverend father gave her body a first class burial in
hongkong catholic cemetery. But what is most pertinent to our case is the
statement made in the form of an affidavit by Father Spada, what he had
learned from the unfortunate Josephine concerning the conversion of Dr.
Rizal. We here include a facsimile of Father Spada’s affidavit bearing his
signature and those two witnesses from an unretouched photograph
made by father Eugene Giesel .J the first statement refers to a fact often
repeated” by Mrs. Jose Rizal: Dr. Rizal certainly died a catholic.
EYEWITNESSES
 Manuel Luengo
 (..)
 According to the notes taken in the prison cell of Rizal on
December 29, 1896, by Captain Rafael Dominguez y Garcia,
judge advocate of Rizal’s trial, one of the illustrations persons
who visited Rizal that day was the civil governor, who at that
time was his excellency Manuel Luengo. In a letter written by this
gentlemen to Don Gonzalo M. Pinana y de Areito, a resident of
Madrid, Villalar (the author of this book so often quoted here:
Murio el Dr. Rizal Christianamante? He asserts the fact he saw
Rizal in chapel. He manifests his conviction that Rizal died as a
true Christian, although he does not give the details of his visit to
the convict not the grounds of his conviction.
EYEWITNESSES
 Fr. Joaquin Vilallonga S.J (..)
Former rector of the Ateneo de manila, and afterwards superior of the
Jesuit mission in India, returned to the Philippines on 14, 1949, to spend
the rest of his life in the heroic task of helping the patients of leper
colony in Culion.
In an interview released to the press on the occasion of the 8 th
anniversary of Rizal’s birthday, June 19, 1949, the venerable priest said:
“Jose Rizal retracted his affiliation with Masonry and returned to
embrace Catholicism a little before his execution in old Luneta on
December 30, 1896”
In confirmation of this statement, he cited three priests .. Who
according to him, were eyewitnesses of the retraction : Father Luis Viza,
Father Vicente Balaguer, and Father of Jose Villaclara, who are now dead.
“… When Father Viza returned, he told me at the sight of the image
of the sacred heart, Rizal could hardly stop his tears,a dn felt deeply
moved,” affirmed Father Vilallonga. But the father who played the
most important role in the drama of Rizal’s last hours was Father
Vicente Balaguer S.J as well as Father Jose Vilaclara, S.J. Both
remained with the convict the whole night until the last minutes
before Rizal went off to Fort Santiago.”
“.. Father Vicente Balaguer suggested a formula for the retraction,
supplied and approved by the archbishop of Manila, most rev. fr.
Bernardino Nozaleda, O.P. Rizal found some points in the formula he
could not at once agree with. Father Balaguer proposed then to
make some corrections. A final and amended formula was prepared
by Rizal in his own handwriting.”
“After Rizal had signed the formula of his retraction, Father
Balaguer returned to the Ateneo and we were all informed of the
events.”
“… We were consoled and went to the chapel and give thanks to
god for the great mercy he had shown towards on one of our dear
alumni.”
And father Vilallonga concludes saying:
“Finally, I want to make a formal and solemn declaration that
whatever I had said about Doctor Rizal is the truth.
Date: December 30, 1932
Shortly after the arrival of Mrs. Jose Rizal (..), in Hongkong I was in a position
to know and to speak with her, especially during the time she lived with the
Italian sisters.
During those years, often spoke of her husband and especially the position
of honor and respect in which he was held by his fellow countrymen, On
many occasions, too, we discussed the last hours of Dr. Rizal. It was during
those conversations that I learned from the wife of the deceased the
following
1.) Dr. Rizal certainly died a catholic, a fact often repeated.
2.) Before Rizal was lead to face the firing squad, he married Josefina
according to the rites of the catholic church.
3.)Dr. Rizal told his wife that he had confessed and that he had Holy
Communion.

“These three declarations I personally heard from the lips of Mrs. Rizal.”
EYEWITNESSES
 Mr. Mariano De Ycaza (..)
His reminiscence of his life as a young student at that time of
Rizal’s conversion are blurred with accuracies in names and other
details, which, however, can easily be explained as natural sleeps
of the memory after a lapse of more than half a century. In a certain
way, his inaccuracies prove that his testimony has not been
borrowed from any written account of those events hence is
entirely independent of the attestations we have been quoting until
now. Nevertheless, his narrations substantially agree with what has
been testified by the other eye witness. Hence, Mr. M. DE Ycaza’s
testimony has at least the value of a confirmation of the substance
of the accounts rendered with other naturally more reliable
witnesses.
“ The day Dr. Rizal was shot, I was going to the infirmary of the Ateneo to
take some medicine, and from the window which faced the Malecon, I saw
Dr. Rizal being taken from Fort Santiago through the Malecon to be made
a martyr.”
“The next day or so, I remember that my teacher, Father Francisco
Sanchez, who had been the favorite teacher of Dr. Rizal a few years
before in the same college, told us that Rizal had been a freemason and
that he had re-entered the Catholic faith before his death.
Father Francisco told us that it happened as follows:
Jose Rizal while as student at the Ateneo De Manila, was very handy at
carving with his pen-knife and before he graduated he carved from a
piece of wood a little statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and gave it to his
favorite teacher, Father Sanchez, for a souvenir, which Father Sanchez
kept it with great enjoy.
“… Father Sanchez, upon hearing that DR. Rizal was a prisoner at Fort
Santiago and knowing that Rizal was a freemason, went to call on him and
took a little statue of the blessed Virgin Mary which Rizal had carved out of
wood and had given to father Sanchez few years before.

They conversed together, and Father Sanchez asked Rizal if he wanted to

reenter the catholic faith and showed him the statue of the blessed Virgin
Mary and asked him if he remembered it. Upon seeing this statue which he
had carved, Rizal broke down and decided to give up Masonry and reentered
the Catholic Faith. Afterwards, Father Sanchez heard his confession and gave
him Holy Communion before he was taken to be made a martyr.

This is the truth and you can published it if you think it will do any good, as I
think and hope it will.”
BEST EVIDENCE
 Father Manuel A. Garcia found the said retraction
 In April, 1935, Was appointed as the archdiocesan archivist.
“In 1933, these archives were piles up on a few shelves, to look for
a document there was some what I like trying to find a needle in a
haystack. I know that by years of personal experience. No wonder,
then, that when the controversy on Rizal’s retraction arose, it was
practically and physically impossible to find the precious document.
Some attempts were made no results. And freemansory kept asking
repeatedly for the document. There was no trace of document
existed as was claimed by a thousand and one person who had
seen it.”
“Again, back in 1935. In our new-proof vault, the muchachos and clears of the
archbishop’s House and Office made a perfect mounds of papers. I began my work,
the silent and patient work of an archivist.”
“May 18, 935. the tedious work continued, giving to me new surprises. As other
papers passed one by one through my hands. A bundle entiled “Masoneria” was in
sight. I knew what that means – a bundle of jewels for Filipino history. The retraction
and other documents of so many Filipino Freemasons and heroes who came back to
bosom mother church.”
Manuel A. Garcia then showed the file documents to late president Manuel Quezon
and they decided to show the said document to Teodoro Kalaw. But they were
prudent because they knew that Kalaw was a freemason of the thirdy-third degree.
They called General Carlos P. Romulo who was the editor in herald and they
prepapred for the atomic bomb on June 15, 1935 headlines:
“RIZAL’S RETRACTION FOUND”
Subsequently, General Romulo was able to confer with Kalaw on the
Rizal and other documents by Father Garcia. He said:
“See what we have found, Kalaw. What do you think of them?’
“Why? They are the missing Rizal’s documents?” Kalaw
enthusiastically asked.
“Any doubt about them?” Queried Romulo.
“None whatever,” Said Kalaw
 In spite of the opinion of Kalaw, archbishop O’ Doherty was not satisfied. He
requested Professor H. Otley Beyer, Professor of anthropology, in the
university of the Philippines, and curator of the U.P museum or archeology, and a
recognized handwriting expert, to study and examine Rizal retraction document
to decide whether or not it was genuine.
 Professor Beyer delivered an extemporaneous speech in faculty symposium of UP.
That was held in Diliman, Quezon City, 1950.
“.. I examine the document of Rizal’s retraction twice. The first was shortly after the
document was found by someone looking through marriage records in the
archbishop’s file. I was asked by father fletcher, the secretary of the archbishop
O’Doherty, to make an examination of the document and let the archbishop know
whether or not I thought it was genuine for his personal information. I agreed to do
that on the understanding at that time that thee was to be no publicity concerning
my opinion as the geniunness or un ungenuinness of the document.
“… The folder that had been found in the records contained this document. The
folder was of the usual Spanish catalan paper containing a series of documents about
½ inch thick legal documents bound together.”
“The binding as I examined it rather carefully, had not been disturbed for decades at
least; it seemed to be quite the original binding that had been put there at the
beginning. In that folder which contained some 40 or 50 other documents, was
documents signed by Dr. Rizal.”
“There were contained 3 or 4 letters from Rizal in addition to the retraction,
requesting marriage to Josephine Bracken and other letters refusing that marriage
unless he signed a retraction. All those documents itself of which I have a photograph
here, I was not satisfied because, while in this folder were 3 to 4 letters signed by
Rizal did not satisfy me. So I said that I would not give a genuine opinion on the
writing until I had other letters and writings of Rizal to compare with that document;
and so this photograph was made and I took it away and examined it in comparison
with probably 150 letters and documents in Rizal’s handwriting.”
“I would say off hand from my experience of 30 or 40 years of examining handwriting
documents, that there is not a slightest doubt that every word on that sheet of paper
was written by Jose Rizal except the signatures of the other witnesses below. The
whole document is in his original handwriting.”
 Another handwriting expert Dr. Jose I. del Rosario.
Collaborated with the late Albert S. Osborn, the international
authority on handwriting analysis by preparing the data in certain
Philippines cases submitted to him by the Justices of the Supreme
Court of the Philippines.
“I have carefully compared the handwriting of the retraction not only
with the Ultimo Adios and with the letter written by Dr. Jose Rizal to
his “defensor,” Don Luis Traviel de Andrade , as well as with the
manuscript of the farewell addressed to the mother Dona Teodora
Alonso, dated the 13th of December 1896, but also with numerous
letters of Dr. Jose Rizal now in the archives of the Filipina Division,
national library.
In honesty, I can say that I do not find anything in Dr. Rizal’s
retraction which does not proclaim that the retraction is in fact and
truth of the authentic and genuine handwriting of Dr. Jose Rizal.
Testimony of Cuerpo De
Vigilancia
Recently, 4 August 2016, Commissioner Rene R. Escalante, OIC of
National Historical Commission of the Philippines, read the “Professorial
Chair Lecture for Rizal Studies” entitled “Re-examining the Last 24 Hours
of Rizal Using Spy Reports” from De La Salle University.
Partial unreleased documents from Cuerpo De Vigilancia were discovered
and examined, from there, it stated that one of the spy group agents,
Federico Moreno, who happened to be the guard of the cell where Rizal
was kept, documented what was happening in the last 24 hours prior
before the execution.
According to the document, Rizal wrote a letter when he was
acknowledged about the retraction. He mentioned the 2 Jesuit
priests who entered the cell of Rizal. Padre Jose Vilaclara and
Padre Estanislao March, and followed by another two Jesuits, Juan
del Fresno at Eloy Moure.

“Most Illustrious Sir, the agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia

stationed in Fort Santiago to report on the events during the
[illegible] day in prison of the accused Jose Rizal, informs me on
this date of the following:

“At 7:50 yesterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death row

accompanied by his counsel, Señor Taviel de Andrade, and the
Jesuit priest Vilaclara. At the urgings of the former and moments
after entering, he was served a light breakfast. At approximately
9, the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor 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.
Continue..

“Señor Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for a long while with
the Jesuit fathers, March and Vilaclara, regarding religious matters, it
seems. It appears that these two presented him with a prepared retraction
on his life and deeds that he refused to sign. They argued about the matter
until 12:30 when 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 in the afternoon, Father March entered the chapel and Rizal handed
him what he had written. Immediately the chief of the firing squad, Señor
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.”
From this statement, we now know that the 2 aforementioned Jesuit priests Juan
del Fresno at Eloy Moure were mentioned. Its an affirmation that retraction
document was signed by both of them as well. The guard also mentioned that
before Rizal was brought to Luneta, he was then married officially with his
fiance, Josephine Bracken.

“At 5 this morning of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison …dressed
in mourning. Only the former entered the chapel, followed by a military chaplain
whose name I cannot ascertain. Donning his formal clothes and aided by a
soldier of the artillery, the nuptials of Rizal and the woman who had been his
lover were performed at the point of death (in articulo mortis). After embracing
him she left, flooded with tears.”
What Rizal had written in the “Imitation of the Christ”?

One copy of the Imitation Of The Christ that was written by

Thomas Kempis was handed over to the
Pambansang Museo Ng Pilipinas, Jeremy Barns. This is the
Exact copy that Jose Rizal given to Josephine Bracken moments
Before the execution.
Retraction Letter
Filipino historian Nicolas Zafra considered the controversy as “a plain unadorned
fact of history, having all the marks and indications of historical certainty and
reality” in his book The Historicity of Rizal’s Retraction.
Dr. Augusto De Viana, head of UST’s Department of History , also believes that
Rizal retracted and said the National Hero just renounced from the Free Masonry
and not from his famous nationalistic works.
“He (Rizal) retracted. He died as a Catholic, and a proof that he died as a Catholic
was he was buried inside the sacred grounds of Paco Cemetery.” said De Viana,
De Viana said it is not possible that the retraction letter had been forged because
witnesses were present while Rizal was signing it.
He added that the evidence speaks for itself and moves on to the question on
Rizal’s character as some argue that the retraction is not in line with Rizal’s
mature beliefs and personality.