Case Study 3 The Rizal Retraction PDF

Case Study 3: Did Rizal Retract?
Jose Rizal is identified as a hero of the revolution for his writings that center on
ending colonialism and liberating Filipino minds to contribute to creating the Filipino
nation. The great volume of Rizal’s lifework was committed to this end, particularly the
more influential ones, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. His essays vilify not the
Catholic religion, but the friars, the main agents of injustice in the Philippine society.
It is understandable, therefore, that any piece of writing from Rizal that recants
everything he wrote against the friars and the Catholic Church in the Philippines could
deal heavy damage to his image as a prominent Filipino revolutionary. Such document
purportedly exists, allegedly signed by Rizal a few hours before his execution. This
documents, referred to as “The Retraction”, declares Rizal’s belief in the Catholic faith,
and retracts everything he wrote against the Church.
Primary Source: Rizal’s Retraction
Source: Translated from the document found by Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M. on 18 May
1935
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 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 may
have caused and so that God and people may pardon me.
Manila 29 of December of 1896
Jose Rizal
There are four iterations of the texts of this retraction: the first was published in Laz Voz
Espańola and Diario de Manila on the day of the execution, 30 December 1896. The
second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain in the magazine La Juventud, a few months
after the execution, 14 February 1897, from an anonymous writer who was later on
revealed to be Fr. Vicente Balaguer. However, the “original’ text was only found in the
archdiocesan archives on 18 May 1935,after almost four decades of disappearance.
The Balaguer Testimony
Doubts on the retraction document abound, especially because only on eyewitness

account of the writing of the document exists-that of the Jesuit friar Vicente Balaguer.
According to his testimony, Rizal woke up several times, confessed four times, attended
a Mass, received communion, and prayed the rosary, all of which seemed out of
character. But since it is the only testimony of allegedly a “primary” account that Rizal
ever wrote a retraction document, it has been used to argue the authenticity of the
document.
The Testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia
Another eyewitness account surfaced in 2016, through the research of Professor

Rene R. Escalante. In his research, documents of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia included a
report on the last hours of Rizal, written by Federico Moreno.The report details the
statement of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia to Moreno.
Primary Sources: Eyewitness Account of the Last Hours of Rizal
Source: Michael Charleston Chia, “Retraction ni Jose Rizal: Mga Bagong Dokumento
at Pananaw,” GMA News Online, published 29, December 2016.
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,
Seńior Taviel de Andrade, and the Jesuit priest Villaclara. At the urgings of the former
and moments after entering, he was served a light breakfast. At approximately 9, the
Assistant of the Plaza, Señior 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.
Señior 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, Senior del Fresno and the
Assistant of the Plaza, Seńor Maure, were informed. They entered death row and
together with Rizal signed the document that the accused had written.
At 5 this morning of the 30 th, 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.
This account corroborates the existence of the retraction document, giving it credence.
However, nowhere in the account was Fr. Balaguer mentioned, which makes the friar a
mere secondary source to the writing of the document.
The retraction of Rizal remains to this day, a controversy; many scholars, however,
agree that the document does not tarnish the heroism of Rizal. His relevance remained
solidified to Filipinos and pushed them to continue the revolution, which eventually
resulted in independence in 1898.
Rizal’s Connection to the Katipunan is undeniable-in fact, the precursor of the
Katipunan as an organization is the Liga Liga Filipina, an organization Rizal founded,
with Andres Bonifacio as one of the its members. But La Liga Filipina was short-lived
as the Spaniards exiled Rizal to Dapitan. Former members decided to band together to
establish the Katipunan a few days after Rizal’s exile on 7 July 1892.
Rizal may not have been officially part of the Katipunan, but the Katipuneros showed
great appreciation of his work toward the same goals. Out of the 28 members of the
leadership of the Katipunan (known as Kataas-taasang Sanggunian ng Katipuan) from
1892 to 1896, 13 were former members of La Liga Filipina. Katipuneros even used
Rizal’s name as a password.
In 1896, the Katipunan decided to inform Rizal of their plans to launch the revolution
and sent Pio Valenzuela to visit Rizal in Dapitan. Valenzuela’s accounts of his meeting
with Rizal have been greatly doubted by many scholars, but according to him, Rizal
objected to the plans, saying that doing so would tantamount to suicide since it would
be difficult to fight the Spaniards who had the advantage of military resources. He
added that the leaders of the Katipunan must do everything they could to prevent the
silling of Filipino blood. Valenzuela informed Rizal that the revolution could inevitably
break out if the Katipunan were to be discovered by the Spaniards. Rizal advised
Valenzuela that the Katipunan should first secure the support of wealthy Filipinos to
strengthen their cause, and suggested that Antonio Luna be recruited to direct the
military movement of the revolution.

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Case Study 3: Did Rizal Retract?

Primary Source: Rizal’s Retraction

Manila 29 of December of 1896

The Balaguer Testimony

Doubts on the retraction document abound, especially because only on eyewitness

The Testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia

Another eyewitness account surfaced in 2016, through the research of Professor

Primary Sources: Eyewitness Account of the Last Hours of Rizal

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