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    Braga-Batistil - The Retraction of Rizal

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    Essielve Batistil
    Rizal's retraction of Catholicism and renunciation of Masonry shortly before his execution is a historically controversial event with multiple versions of what transpired. The Jesuits claim Rizal signed a retraction letter after persistent persuasion, but their account is challenged by inconsistencies in documents and eyewitness reports that Rizal refused to sign until minor changes were made. An investigation into handwriting samples and eyewitness reports cast further doubt on the authenticity of the Jesuits' narrative of Rizal's retraction.

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    Braga-Batistil - The Retraction of Rizal

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    Essielve Batistil
    123 views27 pages
    Rizal's retraction of Catholicism and renunciation of Masonry shortly before his execution is a historically controversial event with multiple versions of what transpired. The Jesuits claim Rizal signed a retraction letter after persistent persuasion, but their account is challenged by inconsistencies in documents and eyewitness reports that Rizal refused to sign until minor changes were made. An investigation into handwriting samples and eyewitness reports cast further doubt on the authenticity of the Jesuits' narrative of Rizal's retraction.

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    Rizal's retraction of Catholicism and renunciation of Masonry shortly before his execution is a historically controversial event with multiple versions of what transpired. The Jesuits claim Rizal signed a retraction letter after persistent persuasion, but their account is challenged by inconsistencies in documents and eyewitness reports that Rizal refused to sign until minor changes were made. An investigation into handwriting samples and eyewitness reports cast further doubt on the authenticity of the Jesuits' narrative of Rizal's retraction.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    123 views27 pages

    Braga-Batistil - The Retraction of Rizal

    Uploaded by

    Essielve Batistil
    Rizal's retraction of Catholicism and renunciation of Masonry shortly before his execution is a historically controversial event with multiple versions of what transpired. The Jesuits claim Rizal signed a retraction letter after persistent persuasion, but their account is challenged by inconsistencies in documents and eyewitness reports that Rizal refused to sign until minor changes were made. An investigation into handwriting samples and eyewitness reports cast further doubt on the authenticity of the Jesuits' narrative of Rizal's retraction.

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    You are on page 1of 27

    THE RETRACTION OF

    RIZAL
    What is a Retraction?

    • It is the withdrawal of one’s undertaking.

    • As for the case of Rizal, it was the act of re-embracing the


    Catholic Church and the disassociation from Masonry.
    Contradicting parties of the issue

    Pro-retraction camp
    • Jesuits
    • Archbishops of Manila
    • Other members of the Catholic hierarchy
    Anti-retraction camp
    • Members of the Masonry
    Rafael Palma “pious fraud”
    JESUIT VERSION
    • Frs. Vicente Balaguer, Jose Villaclara, Estanislao March, Luis Visa,
    Federico Faura and Miguel Saderra were sent to Rizal’s detention
    cell.
    • Fr. Pio Pi (Superior of the Jesuits) instructed the aforementioned
    Jesuits to persuade Rizal to retract his association with the Masons and
    his anti-Catholic teachings.
    • Fr. Pi ordered that the retraction should be in writing using the sample
    retraction templates approved by the archbishop Bernardino Nozaleda
    JESUIT VERSION
    • The first personnels to visit Rizal were Fr. Miguel Saderra and Fr. Luis
    Visa
    • Rizal asked whether he could see his former teachers at Ateneo
    Municipal for which the Jesuits replied that he could only see Fr.
    Villaclara.
    • They also mentioned the prospect of meeting Fr. Balaguer, to which
    Rizal answered positively.
    Fr. Vicente Balaguer

    • Claimed to had persuaded Rizal to denounce the


    Masonry and return to the Catholic fold.
    In his sworn affidavit he wrote:

    Of all that has been narrated, I am positive by personal knowledge. I have


    personally intervened and witnessed it myself; and I subscribed
    and confirmed it with an oath. And lest, perhaps, someone may think that I
    could not remember it with so many details, after twenty years. I testify that
    on the very day of Rizal’s death, I wrote a very detailed account of
    everything. The original of this account I have preserved, and from it I have
    taken all the data of the present narration. (Cavanna 1956)
    • Explained to Rizal that in order to administer the sacraments, he must
    sign a retraction letter and make a profession of faith.
    • The first time was in the morning from 10 to 12:30
    • The second meeting was around 3:00 in the afternoon
    • And in the third time, around 10 in the evening where it was on this
    occasion where Rizal signed the letter.
    Highlights of Events (Jesuit Version)
    • At 6:00 A.M. of December 29, 1896, the death sentence was declared
    to Rizal and he eventually moved to his cell where he was by several
    Jesuits and teachers.
    • He spent most of his time writing correspondences to family and
    conversing with the Jesuit priests.
    • At around 4 o’clock he was visited by his family.
    • At around 10 o’clock, a retraction was prepared to be signed by Rizal,
    which he rejected at first, but had it later signed after some changes.
    • At around 3 in the morning of December 30, 1896, Rizal heard Mass,
    confessed his sins and took Holy Communion.
    • At around 5 o’clock Josephine Bracken bade him farewell
    • He died at exactly 7:03 A.M.
    • The first template was unacceptable to Rizal because it was too lengthy.

    • Fr. Balaguer offered a shorter one but was not signed right away by
    Rizal because he was uncomfortable with the statement
    “I abominate Masonry as a society reprobated by the Church”
    • The final version of the retraction read
    “I abominate Masonry as the enemy of the Church and reprobated by
    the same Church”
    The retraction letter was signed after minor changes.
    Challenges to the Jesuit Version
    • Friedrich Stahl expressed that how come “nobody has ever seen this
    written declaration in spite of the fact that quite a number of people would
    want to see it”.
    • Jose Alejandrino also wrote that the “Spaniards aim to persecute Rizal
    even after his death, as they falsely accuse him of making confessions
    and retractions that he was incapable of making himself”
    Challenges to the Jesuit Version
    • Trinidad, Rizal’s sister also attested that the Jesuits promised to present
    the original retraction to them after the Mass dedicate to the eternal rest
    of Rizal’s soul. However, this was not realized.
    • Manuel Artigas y Cuerva considered the document as “apocryphal”
    • Herminigildo Cruz wrote an article where he pointed out why the Jesuits
    could have misplaced such a “priceless document”
    Challenges to the Jesuit Version
    • Rizal family’s petition, requesting the alleged retraction as well as the
    proof of Rizal’s marriage to Bracken was denied.
    • In spite of Rizal’s “reconciliation” with the Church, no proper burial was
    ever bestowed.
    • In 1935, the archdiocesan archivist Fr. Manuel Garcia, found the “original”
    retraction document about Rizal.
    • Teodoro M. Kalaw, a Mason examined the document and declared that
    the document was “authentic, definite and final”
    • Further attested by Carlos P. Romulo regarding its authenticity.
    • Henry Otley Beyer, a handwriting expert concluded that “there is not the
    slightest doubt that every word on that sheet of paper was written by Jose
    Rizal”
    Source: Jesus Cavanna, Rizal's Unfading Glory: A Documentary
    History of the Conversion of Dr. José Rizal (Manila: 1983)

    https://www.facebook.com/190138951035424/posts/jose-rizals-re
    tractioni-declare-myself-a-catholic-and-in-this-religion-in-which
    -/4713972691985338/
    Retraction letter
    I abominate Masonry, as the
    I declare myself a catholic and in this Religion
    enemy which is of the Church, and as a
    in which
    Society
    I was born and educated I wish to live and die.
    prohibited by the Church.
    I retract with all my heart whatever in my
    The Diocesan Prelate may, as the Superior
    words,
    Ecclesiastical Authority, make public this
    writings, publications and conduct has been
    spontaneous manifestation of mine in order
    contrary to my character as son of the
    to repair the scandal which my acts may
    Catholic Church. I believe and I confess
    have caused and so that God and
    whatever she teaches and I submit to
    people may pardon me.
    whatever she demands.

    Manila 29 of December of 1896


    Jose Rizal
    Four Different Versions of Rizal’s Retraction
    a) Published in La Voz Española and Diario de Manila on the exact
    same day as the execution.
    b) Appeared in Barcelona Spain on February 14, 1897 from an
    anonymous writer who revealed himself as Fr. Balaguer fourteen
    years later.
    c) The “original” text which was discovered by Fr. Manuel Garcia
    d) The fourth one appeared as the short formula or “summary” in El
    Imparcial on the day after Rizal’s execution
    Notable discrepancies among the texts:

    • cualidad" (quality), which has a "u" in the original and newspaper texts
    but is spelled "calidad" (also meaning quality) in the Jesuits' copies
    • the newspaper and original texts both include the term "Catolica"
    (Catholic) following the first "Iglesias" (Churches), but the Jesuit versions
    do not.
    • In the Jesuit’s copy, Iglesias has a preceding word misma, which means
    “same” while the 1935 version hasn’t.
    Notable discrepancies among the texts:

    • The 1935 version has the second paragraph follows after the second
    sentence while the Jesuit’s does not begin the second paragraph until
    after the fifth sentence.
    • Jesuit’s version has 11 commas while the other one has only 4.
    In a book published by Ildelfunso Runes, he disclosed that:

    • Was employed by the friars for 10 days to study Rizal’s handwriting.


    • Made out about five copies of the retraction letter based on a draft
    prepared by the friars.
    The Cuerpo de Vigilancia collection

    • The Cuerpo de Vigilancia de Manila (Security Corps of Manila) – intelligence


    service organized to gather information about the activities and the
    suspected
    • Involved a report written by Frederico Moreno
    Frederico Moreno’s account
    • At 7:50 in the morning of December 29, Jose Rizal entered death row
    accompanied by Senior Taviel de Andrade and Fr. Villaclara
    • At approximately 9 o’clock Senior Maure asked Rizal if he wanted
    anything for which he replied that he only wanted a prayer book which
    was brough to him by Fr. March.
    • At 10 o’clock, Rizal spoke with the two Jesuits (March and Villaclara)
    regarding religious matters. They presented to him a retraction letter that
    Rizal refused to sign. They argued about the matter until 12:30.
    • At 3:00, March entered the chapel and handed him what he had written.
    Senior Juan del Fresno and Senior Maure together with Rizal, signed the
    document. “It seemed this was the retraction”
    • From 3 to 5:30, Rizal read his prayer book several times along with the two
    Jesuits (March and Vilaclara)
    • At 6, Rizal’s mother and his sisters entered the chapel. Embracing them,
    the accused bade them farewell with great strength of character and without
    shedding a tear. The mother of Rizal left the chapel weeping and carrying
    two bundles of several utensils belonging to her son who had used them
    while in prison.
    • At 8 in the evening, Rizal was served with his last meal on earth,
    tinola.
    • At 5 this morning of the 30th the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison
    dressed in mourning who left flooded with tears after embracing Rizal.
    • At 7:30 in the morning he left for the place of execution.
    “When the accused left, I noticed he was very pale but I am very
    certain that all the time he was imprisoned, he demonstrated great
    strength of character and composure”
    Based on the account of Moreno,

    • Only two Jesuits are identified: Fr. Jose Vilaclara and Fr. Estanislao
    March

    • He did not mention the presence of Fr. Vicenete Balaguer


    Did Rizal intentionally retract?

    It is hard to tell.

    “For those who believe, no justification is necessary; for the skeptics


    whose criterion for belief is not in their mind but in their wills, no
    justification is possible"
    THANK YOU!

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