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Retraction of Rizal

The document discusses the retraction of Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero. It notes that a Jesuit priest named Fr. Vicente Balaguer claimed that Rizal renounced freemasonry and returned to the Catholic faith on his deathbed. However, scholars are skeptical of this story since Rizal's burial did not follow Catholic rites and the original retraction letter was never produced. Critics argue the retraction was fabricated to undermine Rizal's legacy as a critic of the Spanish colonial regime and the Catholic Church.

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BRUNO, REYNALDO JR
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898 views

Retraction of Rizal

The document discusses the retraction of Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero. It notes that a Jesuit priest named Fr. Vicente Balaguer claimed that Rizal renounced freemasonry and returned to the Catholic faith on his deathbed. However, scholars are skeptical of this story since Rizal's burial did not follow Catholic rites and the original retraction letter was never produced. Critics argue the retraction was fabricated to undermine Rizal's legacy as a critic of the Spanish colonial regime and the Catholic Church.

Uploaded by

BRUNO, REYNALDO JR
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Retraction

of Rizal
Introduction
Retraction of Rizal By Fr. Vicente Balaguer and Rafael Palma Fr. Vicente Balaguer was born in Alicante, Spain, on January
19, 1851. He joined the Society of Jesus on July 30, 1890 and went to the Philippines in 1894. Moreover, he was one of the
Jesuit priests who visited Rizal’s last hours in Fort Santiago and claimed that he managed to persuade Rizal to denounce
masonry and return to the Catholic fold. In 1917 when he had returned to Spain, an affidavit executed that proves he was who
solemnized the marriage of Jose Rizal and Josephine Bracken. Rafael Palma was born on October 24, 1874. He was a Filipino
politician, lawyer, writer, educator and a famous freemason. Additionally, he became the fourth President of the University of
the Philippines. He was later elected as senator under the Nacionalista Party, consistently representing the 4th District, in both
the 1916 and 1919 senatorial polls. Furthermore, he was the author of Biografia de Rizal, a work on the life of the national
hero which won a literary contest in 1938 sponsored by the Commonwealth Government. The story of Rizal’s alleged
retraction is found in chapter 32 and 33 with his analysis in the latter chapter. As we all know Jose Rizal is one of the
significant people in our Philippine History that made a great contribution to our country especially in the coming of the
Philippine Revolution. Rizal is known for his nationalism and he is against the leadership and
influence of the Spaniards. He wrote 2 novels, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, to
rebel against the injustices done by the Spaniards in the Philippines.
Arguments
 So why do they want to retract? well, they wanted Rizal to retract because the writings of Jose Rizal made a greater impact
wherein, he exposed the conditions of the Philippines, particularly the actions of the friars and the colonial officials, so the
friars wanted to hide that fact. They wanted Jose Rizal to say that everything he said and wrote aren’t true, this is of course
to basically obtain their status.
 If Rizal had really retracted then he would have been given the sacraments that was mentioned while ago. It means he
would go back to his catholic faith. So, why is his body not handled in a catholic manner in the sense that he would be
given some blessings, hold a mass, be buried in a catholic cemetery, so all of those did not happen. That is why scholars are
skeptical about the retraction of Jose Rizal, Kasi sinasabi ng mga prayle nga the only reason that they wanted the Rizal to
retract so that they can administer the catholic sacraments. So, this mean, this should have been accomplished. Because if
Rizal really retracted and went back to his catholic faith then the manner of his death / execution should be really
administered by the necessary sacraments. But it was not, nothing was given to Rizal in his death. Rizal’s burial is kept
secret.
 3rd argument, the original letter was not shown to the public. The only thing that were published are the copies of the letter
but the original letter itself was not shown. If an original document is not shown to the public then it undermines the
credibility. Like it weakens the truth that Rizal retract because the original copy is not there. Because no matter how much
you state that there is really a letter and you can’t provide any real letter then your stand is not strong and your credibility is
weak
Primary Source

 The Retraction Document - This is the alleged document that contained Rizal's
retraction. It is said to have been signed by Rizal on December 29, 1896, a day
before his execution. However, the document's authenticity has been questioned
by some scholars.
 The Account of Father Balaguer - Father Mariano Gil Balaguer was the Jesuit
priest who allegedly received Rizal's retraction. In his account, Balaguer
described how Rizal made the retraction in his presence and signed the document.
 The Writings of Rizal - Rizal's works, particularly his novels "Noli Me Tangere"
and "El Filibusterismo," contain criticisms of the Catholic Church in the
Philippines. Some historians argue that these writings are evidence that Rizal did
not retract his views.
Secondary Source
 The Rizal Retraction and Other Cases of Historical Forgery" by Ambeth R. Ocampo -
Ocampo is a Filipino historian and author who has written extensively on Rizal. In this
article, he discusses the controversy surrounding the retraction document and argues that it
is a forgery.
 "Rizal's Unfading Glory and the Authenticity of His Retraction" by Fr. Jose Arcilla, S.J. -
Fr. Arcilla is a Jesuit priest and historian who has written about Rizal and the Philippine
Revolution. In this article, he defends the authenticity of Rizal's retraction and argues that it
should not diminish Rizal's legacy.
 "Rizal's Retraction: An Unwritten Chapter" by John N. Schumacher, S.J. - Fr. Schumacher
was a Jesuit priest and historian who specialized in Philippine history. In this article, he
examines the evidence for and against the authenticity of Rizal's retraction and concludes
that the evidence is inconclusive.

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