RETRACTION OF

RIZAL
Tamayo, Regine M.
Calangi, Pinky
BSA – 1A
 Retraction
a statement saying that something you said or
wrote at an earlier time is not true or correct
 According to a testimony by Father Balaguer, a Jesuit missionary
who befriended the hero during his exile in Dapitan, Rizal accepted
a shorter retraction document prepared by the superior of the
Jesuit Society in the Philippines, Father Pio Pi
Jose Rizal’s Retraction:

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.
 Four Different Versions of Rizal’s Retraction that
had surfaced

1. The First version of the text was published in La Voz Espanola

and Diaro de Manila on the very day or Rizal’s execution,
Dec.30, 1896.

2. The Second one came from an anonymous writer who

revealed himself years later as Fr. Balaguer. It appeared in
Barcelona, Spain on February 14,1897 in the Fortnightly
magazine in La Juventud.
3. The Third one that was said to be the “original text” was
discovered in the Archdiocesan archives on May 18, 1935
after it disappeared for thirty-nine years from the afternoon
of the day when Rizal was shot.

4. The Fourth text appeared in El Imparcial on the day after

Rizal’s execution. It is the short formula of the retraction.
 REASONS FOR RETRACTION

1.To save his family and town from further

persecution
2.To give Josephine a legal status as his wife
3.To secure reforms from the Spanish Government
Document about Retraction came from:
Father Balaguer
- Delivered the document to Fr. Pio who deliver it to Archbishop Nozaleda
who deliver it to Sec. Gonzalez Feijoo
Father Pio Pi
- Father Balaguer handed out the Retraction documents to Father Pi
- After having a copy for their archives, Fr. Pi then gave the document to
the Archbishop the next day
Archbishop Nozaleda
- Rizal made slight variations in his retraction from the proposed text by
Fr. Pi
- Fr. Pi gave the document to the Archbishop then handed it to the
Secretary of the Archbishopric
Gaspar Castano
- Few days after death of Rizal, Castano saw and read Rizal’s Retraction paper
wherein the later declared himself a Catholic.
Father Rosell
- On Dec 30, 1896, Rosell saw the retraction paper in Ateneo
Luis Taviel de Andrade
- Heard that in the morning of Rizal’s execution, married Josephine
- Upon arriving at the door, saw Rizal in an attitude of praying the Rizal came
out after kissing the statue of the Sacred Heart
Gonzalez Feijoo
- The retraction document was handed to him for safekeeping in the archives
of the Secretary’s office.
 ARGUMENTS against the Retraction
The retraction information was published late that could be unauthenticated
Claim that other acts and facts do not fit well with the story. Those most
often referred to by writers as follows.
The “Coetaneous Acts” that undermine the belief that Rizal Retracted:
The document of retraction was kept secret
The request of the Rizal Family to have the original or copy was both denied
Rizal’s burial was kept secret
No masses or funeral was held by the Catholics
He was not buried in the Catholic Cemetery of Paco but in the ground
There was no entry in the book of burials that Rizal’s body was buried on the
page of December 30 and it appears on a special page where special orders
of authorities are indicated.
 OTHER ARGUMENTS if it is true…
 His “Roman Catholic Marriage” to Josephine Bracken as attested to by
“witnesses.” There could be no marriage without a retraction.
In the desire for historical truth in much later years, people began the search
of Rizal’s retraction and different versions of duly notarized documents
 “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
The testimony of the press at the time of the event, of “eyewitnesses,” and
other “qualified witnesses,” i.e. those closely associated with the events such
as the head of the Jesuit order,the archbishop, etc
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.”
 Differentiation of Two Copies
1. First, Instead of the words “mi cualidad which appear in the original and the
newspaper texts, The Jesuits’ copies have “mi calidad”

2. Second, the Jesuits’ copies of the retraction omit the word “ Catolica” after
the first “ Iglesias” which are found in the original and the newspaper texts

3. Third, the Jesuits’ copies of the retraction add before the third ”Iglesias” the
word “misma” which is not found in the original and the newspaper texts of
the retraction.
4. Fourth, with regards to paragraphing which immediately strikes the eye of
the critical reader, Fr. Balaguer’s text does not begin the second paragraph

5. Fifth, whereas the texts of the retraction in the original and in the manila
newspapers have only four commas, the text of Fr. Balaguer’s copy has
eleven commas.

6. Sixth, the most important of all, Fr. Balaguer’s copy did not have the
names of the witnesses from the texts of the newspapers in Manila.
 Observation on the document of Retraction of Dr. Jose Rizal
By: Dr. Jose del Rosario

1. The execution and writing movement in Capital letters including the

different varieties used as in the letter D,J,R,I,P,V,S,C,M,E are all in natural
form of letter used by Dr. Rizal
2. The small letters h,p,d,r,o,g,l,j,a are all of the handwriting of Rizal
3. The slant of writing is irregular and nearly vertical in the writing of the
Ultimo Adios because the paper used was too small so the difference in
slant between the Ultimo Adios and the normal was not a motive for
doubting the genuineness of this writing
4. All the other characteristics like the short ending strokes show nothing to
argue the genuineness of the document.