SUBMITTED BY

ALOJADO, RANELIE KAY

BARENA, NIKKI
CINCO, KATHLEEN CLAIRE
DELA VEGA, JOFRED
DAPITANON, MARA KRISTEL
DU, DIANNE ABIGAIL
FORTUNA, GABRIELLE
INGUILLO, ADRIAN RAYMOND
MENDOZA, IVINA CARENE
SANTOS, ANNA ALEXANDRIA
VALDUEZA, JUNA

RETRACTION
HISTORY 50: Life and Works of Rizal
Submitted to: Mr. Adam Dandro Jambangan
Schedule: MWF 11:05 AM – 12:05 AM T203

CONTROVERSY
DID THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL HERO TRULY RETRACT?
 RETRACTION CONTROVERSY

For decades, the authenticity of Jose Rizal’s retraction documents have raised issues, skepticism,
and heated debates among those who seek to know the truth regarding this controversy. However, the
lack of evidence and different statements by significant people involved have only contributed to the
complications and uncertainty which envelope this fiery argument.

"I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and conduct have been
contrary to my character as a son of the Catholic Church.", this was the statement in the document which
made the historians believed that Rizal had retracted. However, there have been claims that the
document, as compared to the original file which was discovered by Fr. Manuel Garcia, an archdiocesan
archivist in 1935, was a forgery. Regardless of these claims, there are several people who believe that the
retraction documents are authentic. These people 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.

Because of what he sees as the strength these direct evidence have in the light of the historical
method, in contrast with merely circumstantial evidence, UP professor emeritus of history Nicolas Zafra
called the retraction "a plain unadorned fact of history." Guzmán attributes the denial of retraction to
"the blatant disbelief and stubbornness" of some Masons.

REASONS FOR RETRACTION

Why would Jose Rizal write the retraction documents? What possible reasons could have pushed
Jose Rizal to write his retraction document, assuming that he truly wrote the said document? The
following four reasons would have been worthy of his character and mentality.

(1) To save his family and town from further persecution.

Rizal may have been told that he faced the dilemma of signing the retraction or of having his
relatives pursued by further persecutions. Since he hoped his death would stop the
persecution of his relatives, the retraction may have seemed to him to be the only way of
achieving that purpose.
(2) To give Josephine a legal status as his wife.
Rizal, even though he for a time suspected Josephine as a spy, seems to have become
convinced that she now loved him, and he may have desired to give her a legal status in the
eyes of the church, and so provide for her future.
(3) To secure reforms from the Spanish government.
(4) To help the church cut away from the disease which harmed her.
Rizal did not desire to injure the Roman Catholic Church, but to remove the cancer which
ruined both church and state in the Philippines -- friar control of land and domination by the
government. He was also struggling for freedom of thought and of conscience to the
individual. He may have felt that much of his propaganda had produced the insurrection, and
have repented of that. His letter to Paciano, written the night before his execution, supports
that theory. It also had been suggested that Rizal may have written the word "Catholic" in the

HISTORY 50: LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL 1

 RETRACTION CONTROVERSY

broad sense of the "Church Universal" as it is used by all branches of the Christian Church
excepting the Roman Catholics. All churches repeat, "I believe in the Holy Catholic Church,"
in this broad sense.

MAJOR ARGUMENTS FOR THE RETRACTION

The argument between the original document and the released retraction documents brought
more controversy because this differs significantly from the text found in the Jesuits. Which is really the
“original”? Some of the significant differences between the copies of the Archbishop and the Jesuits are
the following: (1) the Jesuits’ copies have “mi calidad” instead of “mi cualidad” from the Archbishop’s
copies, (2) the word “Catolica” was omitted after the first “Iglesias in the Jesuits’ copies, (3) the word
“misma” was added before the third “Iglesias” in the Jesuit’s copies, (4) the second paragraph from the
archbishop’s copies started with the second sentence, however, from the Jesuits’ copies it started until
the fifth sentences, (5) the Jesuits’ copies had 11 commas, the other had 4 only and (6) the Jesuits’ copies
did not have the names of the witnesses. These arguments are further discuseed below.

Dr. Eugene A. Hessel in his lecture given at Siliman University, summarizes the major points of
argument for the Retraction of Rizal as follows:

1. The Retraction Document discovered in 1935 is considered the chief witness to the reality of
the retraction.

2. The testimony of the press at the time of the event, of “eye-witnesses,” and other “qualified
witnesses,” i.e. those closely associated with the events such as the head of the Jesuit order,
the archbishop, etc.

3. “Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity” reportedly recited and signed by Dr. Rizal as attested by
“witnesses” and a signed Prayer Book which was amongst the documents discovered by
Father Garcia along with the Retraction.

 If true, Rizal would not only accept the general Roman Catholic teachings but would
agree to a number of beliefs which he had previously disclaimed.
 According to the testimony of Father Balaguer, following the signing of the
Retraction a prayer book was offered to Rizal. “He took the prayer book, read slowly
those acts, accepted them, and took the pen and sad ‘Credo’ (I believe) he signed
the acts with his name in the book itself.”

4. Acts of Piety performed by Rizal during his last hours as testified to by “witnesses.”

5. His “Roman Catholic Marriage” to Josephine Bracken as attested to by “witnesses.” There

could be no marriage without a retraction.

CASES AGAINST THE RETRACTION

HISTORY 50: LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL 2

 RETRACTION CONTROVERSY

1. The Retraction Document is said to be a forgery. There are four points against the document
itself.

 First of all there is the matter of the handwriting. To date, the only scientific study
criticizing the authenticity of the document was made by Dr. Ricardo R. Pascual of
the University of the Philippines shortly after the document was found.

Having some of Rizal’s writings dating from the last half of December 1896 as his
“standard”, he notes a number of variations with the handwriting of the document,
he further concluded that it was a “one-man document” because of the similarities
in several respects between the body of the Retraction and the writing of all three
signers: Rizal and the two witnesses.

o The only scholarly answer and criticism to Pascual is that given by Dr. José I. Del
Rosario. Rosario’s main criticism may be said to be that Pascual does not
include enough of Rizal’s writings by way of comparison and concluded that
the hand-writing is genuine.

 A second argument directed against the authenticity of the document itself is

based on the principles of textual criticism. Several critics have noted differences
between the text of the document found in 1935 and other versions of the
Retraction including the one issued by Father Balaguer.

To date, from the morning of December 30, 1896 there have been, discounting
numerous minor variations, two distinct forms of the text with significant
differences with regards to the use of certain phrases within the document.

o The usual explanation of these differences is that either Father Balaguer or

Father Pi made errors in preparing a copy of the original and these have been
transmitted from this earliest copy to others. Some have wondered if the
Retraction Document was fabricated from the “wrong” version of a retraction
statement issued by the religious authorities.

 A third argument applies to the Retraction itself is that its content is in part
strangely worded, e.g. in the Catholic Religion “I wish to live and die,” yet there
was little time to live, and also Rizal’s claim that his retraction was “spontaneous.
 Finally, there is the “confession” of “the forger.” Antonio K. Abad tells how on
August 13, 1901 at a party at his ancestral home in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija a certain
Roman Roque told how he was employed by the Friars earlier that same year to
make several copies of a retraction document.

2. The second main line of argument against the Retraction is the claim that other acts and
facts do not fit well with the story of the Retraction. Those most often referred to by
writers as follows:

 The document of Retraction was not made public until 1935. Even members of the
family did not see it. It was said to be “lost.”

HISTORY 50: LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL 3

 RETRACTION CONTROVERSY

 No effort was made to save Rizal from the death penalty after his signing of the
Retraction.

o The usual rebuttal is that Rizal’s death was due to political factors and with this
the religious authorities could not interfere.

 Rizal’s burial was kept secret; he was buried outside the inner wall of the Paco
cemetery; and the record of his burial was not placed on the page for entries of
Dec. 30th.
 There is no marriage certificate or public record of the marriage of Rizal with
Josephine Bracken.
 Rizal’s behavior as a whole during his last days at Fort Santiago and during the last
24 hours in particular does not point to a conversion.

3. The third chief line of argument against the Retraction is that it is out of character.

 Senator Rafael Palma, a former President of the University of the Philippines and a
prominent Mason, also argued that if Rizal retracted, it would have been a very
drastic change of character in Rizal which is very hard to believe knowing how
mature and strong in his beliefs Rizal was. He called the retraction story a "pious
fraud.”

CONCLUSION

To conclude, whether or not Jose Rizal retracted, the researchers believe that the retraction
document was more of Rizal taking a moral courage to recognize his mistakes. Perhaps it may be true that
he retracted and reverted to his faith, but this does not diminish Rizal’s stature as a great hero with such
greatness. As mentioned the documentary entitled “Ang Bayaning Third World”, Joel Torre’s
impersonation of Rizal told the time travelers that whether he retracted or not, it does change what he
has already done and what his writings have already achieved. Furthermore, Senator Jose Diokno once
stated, "Surely whether Rizal died as a Catholic or an apostate adds or detracts nothing from his greatness
as a Filipino... Catholic or Mason, Rizal is still Rizal - 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."

Sources:

 Dr. Eugene A. Hessel. Rizal's Retraction: A Note on the Debate.

http://joserizal.nhcp.gov.ph/Reflections/retraction.htm
 Did Rizal Retract? http://joserizal.nhcp.gov.ph/Biography/man_and_martyr/chapter16.htm
 http://nhcp.gov.ph/the-rizal-retraction-and-other-cases/
 http://joserizal.nhcp.gov.ph/Reflections/retraction.htm
 http://primacyofreason.blogspot.com/2013/06/jose-rizals-retraction-controversy.html

HISTORY 50: LIFE AND WORKS OF RIZAL 4