THE RETRACTION

OF RIZAL
WHAT IS RETRACTION?

• A public statement made about an earlier statement that withdraws,

cancels, refuses, or reverses the original statement or ceases and
desists from publishing the original statement.
WHAT WAS THE RETRACTION ABOUT?

• On 29 December 1896 is the date of Rizal’s retraction and was said to

have been signed by the National Hero Himself. Rizal retracted
because the church would not allow his marriage to Josephine
Bracken unless he retracted his masonic affiliation.
 THE CONTENT OF RETRACTION OF
RIZAL
• 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 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 have caused and so that God and
people may pardon me.
THE ISSUE ON RETRACTION OF RIZAL

• Rizal wrote and signed the retraction

• Rizal’s marriage to Josephine
• Rizal retracted his masonic affliation
 Rizal stated in his retraction that he
abominate Masonry as the enemy of the church and
reprobated by the same church
DID RIZAL AND JOSEPHINE GOT
MARRIED?
• Father Balaguer testified he married Rizal and Josephine on
December 30 at 6 o’clock in the morning

• After his marriage , Rizal dedicated a Catholic devotion book, De La

Imitacion de Cristo to Josephine, the dedication read as follos “ to my
dear unhappy wife Josephine”.
 • After analyzing six major documents of Rizal,
Ricardo Pascual concluded that the retraction document
said to have been discovered in 1935,
was not Rizal’s handwriting.