JOSE RIZAL’S

RETRACTION
CONTROVERSY
LEARNING OUTCOMES

• 1. Establish strong arguments on the issues of

Retraction of Rizal and the Place of the Cry of
Revolution using the primary sources

• 2. Analyze the impact of these issues in Philippine

Historiography
The retraction of Rizal is
still one of the greatest
historical issues of all time.
The story of the Retraction
has been told and retold
and has created
tremendous ambiguities in
Philippine history on the
credence of the national
hero.
Just before his execution, the church
with all its witnesses expressed that
Jose Rizal wrote a document where
he retracted. But no document was
shown to his family. It was only after
39 years that the supposed to be
“original” was found in 1935. This led
to more suspicion on whether there
was really a retraction and more so,
is the document authentic or not.
Another text was published in
La Voz Española and Diaro de
Manila on the very day of Rizal’s
execution, Dec. 30, 1896.

The next text appeared in Barcelona,

Spain, on February 14, 1897, in the
fortnightly magazine in La Juventud;
it came from Fr. Balaguer who was
an anonymous writer at that time but
later on revealed himself after
fourteen years.
 Archivist Fr. Manuel
Garcia, C.M. discovered
the "original" text was
discovered on May
18,1935 in the
archdiocesan archives ,
after it disappeared for
thirty-nine years from
the afternoon of the day
when Rizal was
executed.
 • It was supposed to have been
signed by Jose Rizal moments
before his death.
• There were many witnesses,
most of them Jesuits.
• The document only surfaced for public viewing on
May 13, 1935. It was found by Fr. Manuel A. Gracia
at the Catholic hierarchy’s archive in Manila.
• The original document was never shown to the
public, only reproductions of it.
 • However, Fr. Pio Pi, a Spanish
Jesuit, reported that as early as
1907, the retraction of Rizal was
copied verbatim and published in
Spain, and reprinted in Manila

• Fr. Garcia, who found the original document, also

copied it verbatim.
 Major arguments for the Retraction

1. The Retraction “Document” found in 1935 was

considered imperative evidence to the Retraction,
itself.

2. There were eyewitnesses closely associated with the

events
 Newly released documents and
new interpretations that may
affirm his retraction:

1. The Cuerpo de Vigilancia

2. What Rizal wrote on the copy of "Imitations of Christ"
3. Mentions about the "cross" in his final writings
'De La Imitacion de Cristo
 Why do some think Jose
Rizal really wrote this
retraction document?

According to some historians , assuming

that he really retracted, there could be
probable reasons if Jose Rizal could have
really written the document of Retraction.
It is important to consider these
reasons to be not far from his personality.
 What reasons that could be? In some
studies, here are some possible reasons that
could be related to his character:

First is a matter of love for

family.

To save his family and town from

persecution of the Spanish Authorities.
His love for family must have been his
concern at the last minutes of his life.
The fact that he was writing his letters
of goodbye to the members of his
family, he could have felt that he must
do something to save them from the
persecution of the Spanish authorities
even after his death.
 What reasons that could be? In some
studies, here are some possible reasons that
could be related to his character:

Second is that Jose Rizal wanted to

marry Josephine to give her a legal
status as his wife . Rizal would not
have wanted Josephine to live as after
his death without marrying her as it
has brought her suffering and
unhappiness living with him without
the blessings of marriage by the
church.
 What reasons that could be? In some
studies, here are some possible reasons that
could be related to his character:
In 1912, Prof. Austin Craig wrote down what
Fr. Antonio Obach had told him. He said that
Rizal already wrote a letter of retraction in
order to marry Josephine Bracken. Jose
Rizal fell in love with Josephine and wanted
to marry her under the laws of the church
but he was required to sign a profession of
faith and to write retraction, which had to be
approved by the Bishop of Cebu. Even
though "Spanish law had established civil
marriage in the Philippines," Prof. Craig
wrote, the local government had not
provided any way for people to avail
themselves of the right..."
 What reasons that could be? In some
studies, here are some possible reasons that
could be related to his character:
The last is to clear his stand on religion
This is the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
that he carved at age 14 during his days in
Ateneo. It was requested by Fr. Lleonart, his
professor, and was carved by Rizal from
batikulin wood by just using a pen knife. Prior
to his march towards execution on December
30, 1896, Rizal kissed this image as it was
presented by Fr. Luis Viza in his cell. Rizal’s
hate for the church is not to the church as a
whole but only with those friars who uses the
church to oppress people. His faith in the
religion was actually intact up to the last
minutes of his life.
 Arguments against the Retraction

1. The Retraction letter is not authentic.

2. Josephine Bracken remains unmarried.
3. The aftermath of the retraction points
to a different direction.
Here are some of the major
arguments why on the other
hand, the retraction of Jose
Rizal is considered forgery:

First, the handwriting of the document was studied

by. By Dr. Ricardo R. Pascual of the University of the
Philippines after the document was found in 1935.
He said it was a one man document. He means that
all the writings, including the body of the retraction
document, the signature of Jose Rizal, and the
signature of the witnesses were all written by only
one person.
Here are some of the major
arguments why on the other
hand, the retraction of Jose
Rizal is considered forgery:

Second, 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.
• In both reproductions, there were conflicting
versions of the text. Add to this the date of the
signing was very clear in the original Spanish
document which Rizal supposedly signed. The
date was “December 29, 1890.”
• Later, another supposedly original document
surfaced, it bears the date “December 29,
189C”. The number “0” was evidently altered to
make it look like a letter C. Then still later,
another supposedly original version came up. It
has the date “December 29, 1896”. This time,
the “0” became a “6”.
• According to the scholars who studied the
document, there are differences in the four
copies that were found.
• The significant differences between the "original"
and the Manila newspapers texts of the
retraction on the one hand and the text s of the
copies of Jesuits Fr. Balaguer and Fr. Pio Pi on
the other hand are noted this way.
• First, the words "mi cualidad" (with "u")
which appear in the original and the
newspaper texts did not appear the same in
the Jesuits’ copies who have "mi calidad"
(without "u").
• Second, in the Jesuits’ copies of the
retraction there is no word "Catolica" after
the first "Iglesias" which are found in the
original and the newspaper texts.
• Third, the Jesuits’ copies of the retraction
add before the third "Iglesias" the word
"misma" . that is not found in the original
and the newspaper texts of the retraction.
• Fourth, , 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.
• Fifth, with regard to paragraphing which
immediately strikes the eye of the critical
reader, Fr. Balaguer’s text does not begin
the second paragraph until the fifth
sentences while the original and the
newspaper copies start the second
paragraph immediately with the second
sentences.
• Sixth, and the last is 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 and it was only after twenty years in a
notarized document that he added these
witnesses which resulted to more questions to its
authenticity. This is due to the claims that Fr.
Balaguer had presented an exact copy of the text
at that time and that they were no witnesses who
signed the document of retraction.
Third, there are many stories that did not fit well even after
the retraction.

a. The document was

not made in public until
1935. Even when the
family members would
like to see it. It was said
to be lost.
Third, there are many stories that did not fit well even after
the retraction.

b. That Rizal was still

executed even after the
retraction. Although
many have insight that
the affairs of the
government was
different from the affairs
of the church.
Third, there are many stories that did not fit well even after
the retraction.

c. That Rizal’s burial was still

kept in secret outside the inner
wall of the Paco Cemetery.
Such burials are meant for
those who died as traitors.
Since he already retracted
supposed to be buried
properly and not just dumped
into a hole without a name. His
burial was not recorded on that
day Dec 30.
Third, there are many stories that did not fit well even after
the retraction.

d. There is no public
record of the marriage
contract of Josephine
Bracken to Rizal which
was supposed to have
been permitted since
he already retracted.
Third, there are many stories that did not fit well even after
the retraction.

e. There are historians who criticized the existence of

retraction because it would not have fitted to Rizal’s
character. His writings, his actions in the last hours minutes
of his life did not reflect any possibility of conversion They
point out that the retraction was formulated in a very difficult
and exceptional situation and that even Rizal’s last poem -
My last Farewell” is expressive in this statement:

I'll go where there are no slaves, tyrants or hangmen

Where faith does not kill and where God alone does reign.
Farewell, parents, brothers, beloved by me,
Friends of my childhood, in the home distressed;
Give thanks that now I rest from the wearisome day;
Third, there are many stories that did not fit well even after
the retraction.

f. There is also the story of a confession of a

forger. A man named Antonio K. Abad tells on how
on August 13, 1901 at a party at his house in
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.
• Those who strongly believed the faking of the
Rizal retraction document, reported that the
forger of Rizal’s signature was Roman Roque,
the man who also forged the signature of
Urbano Lacuna, which was used to capture
Aguinaldo.
• Others would like to believe that the
purported retraction of Rizal was
invented by the friars to deflect the
heroism of Rizal which was centered
on the friar abuses.
Did the national hero really retract
his anti-Catholic ideas?
Will that retraction
make him less of a
hero?
Austin Coates, British author and historian:
“Before God, he (Dr. Rizal) had nothing to retract.”
And from Dr. Jose Rizal himself, I quote: “I go
where there are no slaves, no hangmen, no
oppressors… where faith does not slay… where He
who reigns is God.”
 CONCLUSION

Let the Retraction Document, the "original" retraction

document and other “documents” pertaining to Rizal’s case ,
i.e. the burial certificate, the signature of the Prayer Book, and
other retraction documents found in the same bundle with
that of Dr. Rizal’s be subjected to an independent unbiased,
scientific analysis for further investigation
Look for another eyewitness account of the
night and morning of that day, that could
prove or disprove the retraction or the
testimony of Fr. Balaguer
Retraction is more on the courage to accept
that he has faults in his struggles with the
church before. Any retraction would not
change his conviction nor his stand to fight for
the right of the Filipinos and fight for equality.
 Whatever the case may be, whether Rizal died a
Catholic will not nullify his works.

Rizal will always be 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” (J. P. Rizal)
If Rizal really retracted, what are the
effects of it to the history and to the
people who believes in him with
integrity?

Why was this controversy needs to

be clarified? What is its significance
to the youth today?

How would you describe Rizal?

SOURCES:

Books:

Coates,A. (1992).Rizal-Filipino Nationalist & Patriot. Solidaridad Publishing.

Garcia, R. (1964). The Great Debate: The Rizal Retraction. R.P Garcia Publishing

Guerero, L. (2007). The First Filipino. Manila. Guerrero Publishing.

Kalaw,T. (1956). Philippine Masonry: Its Origin, Development and Vicissitudes Up to

Present. McCullough.

(2011). Political & Historical Writings of Rizal. National Historical Commission of the

Philippines.
Websites:

Analysis Rizal's Retraction. Retrieved from http://www.joserizal.ph/rt03.html

Camacho. (2013). Retraction controversy. Retrieved from

http://joseprotasiorizal.blogspot.com/2013/09/retraction-controversy.html#

Chua. (2016). Retraction ni Jose Rizal: Mga bagong dokumento at pananaw. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/artandculture/594027/
retraction n-ni-jose-rizal-mga-bagong-dokumento-at-pananaw/story/
Nidoy. (2013). Jose Rizal’s retraction: the controversy. Retrieved from
http://primacyofreason.blogspot.com/2013/06/jose-rizals-retraction-
controversy.html
THANK YOU!