POSITION

PAPER

Topic: Jose Rizal’s Retraction: Did he?

Or Did he not?

Prepared by:
Isabella Francesca Echalar
Kc Lyn Bustillo
Nyna Claire Gange
BSBA-1A
 A MAN OF ONE WORD HAS NO ENOUGH REASON FOR SUDDEN
RETRACTION

It was on December 30, 1896 when the history began, a man who has been a doctor,
an artist, a writer, a genius, and a martyr was killed. He is a man who willingly risked his life
to fight against the Spanish cruelty. Through his work of art, his two famous novels the Noli
Me Tangere and El Filibustirismo, awaken the minds of every Filipino. He has been the
epitome of nationalistic patriotism. He is no other than Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado Y
Alonzo Realonda. His perspective and his intellect has been a great inspiration to his
countrymen. On the contrary there are controversies about Rizal’s life that left us hanging
flummoxed, and until now it is still debated by great historians. This issue is about Jose
Rizal’s so called “retraction”.

According to Father Balaguer’s “Act of Faith Hope and Charity”, on the night before
Rizal’s execution at ten in the evening, Jesuits exerted much effort into bringing back Rizal to
the Catholic Church. Father Balaguer gave him the long formula of retraction which had been
written by order of the Prelate but Rizal did not sign it for it was too long. Rizal asked Father
Balaguer to jot down what he will dictate. And that was Rizal’s retraction document which is
considered the chief witness to the reality of the retraction. However, there are doubts of its
authenticity and there is an allegation that the retraction document was a forgery. Rizal is a
man who is true to his words and there is no enough reason for sudden retraction. Here are
the following assertions bring about the testimonies that Rizal did not retract before his
execution.

First, the original document of retraction found by Fr. Manuel A. Gracia at the
Catholic hierarchy’s archive in Manila was never shown to the public, only reproductions of
it. Even Jose Rizal’s family did not saw it because it was said to be lost. Could the Jesuits be
this irresponsible to not know the value of the paper? It was after thirty-nine years when the
original copy was found in the archdiocesan archives. Ricardo Pascual Ph. D who was given
permission by the Archbishop Nozaleda to examine the document and later concluded in his
book, “Rizal beyond the Grave” that the documents presented was a forgery. The common
rebuttal of this argument was either Father Balaguer or Father Pi had made errors in
reproducing another copy of the original. In 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”. It is so
obvious that the document was forged.

Actually, there is the confession of the forger. It was Roman Roque, the man who
also forged the signature of Urbano Lacuna, which was used to capture Aguinaldo. The
mastermind, he says, in both Lacuna’s and Rizal’s signature forging was Lazaro Segovia.
They were approached by Spanish friars during the final day of the Filipino-American war to
forge Rizal’s signature. This story was revealed by Antonio K. Abad, who heard the tale from
Roman Roque himself, them being neighbours and there is also a letter dated November 10,
1936 from Lorenzo Ador Dionisio, former provincial secretary of Nueva Ecija, who was also
present when Roque told his story and confirms it.

Second assertion, Rizal’s behavior as a whole during his last days at Fort Santiago
and during the last 24 hours in particular is consistent. Whether written during the last 24
hours or somewhat earlier, Rizal’s Ultimo Adios does not suggest any change in Rizal’s
thought. The letters which Rizal wrote during his last hours do not indicate conversion or
even religious turmoil. Furthermore, in the deepest sense of the word Rizal was already a
“believer.” He will not just simply neglect all the writing he conceived with his hard work,
the writings that brought him to the point of being executed.

Third evidence as to Rizal did not retract is that when Father Balaguer came to terms
that he married Jose and Josephine, after Jose had signed the retraction paper, however, there
were no marriage certificate or public record shown that could prove Father Balaguer’s
statements. Considering the time it would take for the three priests (Fr. Jose Vilaclara, Fr.
Estanislao March, and Fr. Vicente Balaguer) to negotiate the expanse of the walk to give
spiritual care to the condemned Dr. Jose Rizal, why is it that only Fr. Balaguer could describe
a wedding? Fr. Vicente Balaguer claimed that he performed the canonical marriage between
6:00–6:15 AM of December 30, 1896 in the presence of one of the Rizal sisters. The Rizal
family denied that any of the Rizal sisters were there that fateful morning. Dr. Jose Rizal was
martyred at 7:03 AM yet nobody had reported seeing Ms. Josephine Bracken in the vicinity
of Fort Santiago in the morning of the execution. Also remember that Dr. Jose Rizal wrote a
short and final note to his parents dated December 30, 1896 at 6:00 in the morning, with no
mention of an occurred or intended retraction and marriage.

Besides in his last poem “Mi Ultimo Adios” if Rizal really was married to Josephine
Bracken why he did only stated her as a sweet stranger? And didn’t write as his sweet wife?
Also according to his poem which expresses “'Adiós', I go where there are no slaves, no
hangmen or oppressors, where faith does not kill” It is evident that his referring to the
Catholic Church, it is clear that there is bitterness behind those phrases.

Furthermore, in Josephine Bracken’s matrimony to Vicente Abad, the Church

Register of Marriages kept at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Hong Kong made no
reference that Josephine was a “Rizal” by marriage, or that she was the widow of Jose Rizal.
In the legal register of Hong Kong, Josephine used the last name “Bracken” instead of
“Rizal” to be married to Vicente Abad.

Lastly, why would Rizal retract when he knows for a fact that even if he signs the
retraction paper he would still be executed? There is no effort was made to save Rizal from
the death penalty after his signing of the retraction. Additionally, if Rizal really died as a
catholic, why did they bury him outside of the Paco cemetery wherein Fr. Burgos had been
positioned, which is evidently the cemetery for anti-Catholic Church? Also, the record of his
burial was not placed on the page for entries of December 30 but on a special page where at
least one other admitted non-penitent is recorded. And the worst part is, he have been buried
without any coffin! Wouldn’t it be Ironic? If Jesuits wants to prove that Rizal himself had
retracted why did they buried him collectively where heretics are laid? They didn’t even
offered a mass in church for Rizal.

In conclusion, Rizal was fixated of the thought that he would die for the love of his
country. Let us look at the character of this man. Rizal was mature enough to make right
decisions. Numerous of his works was all about the cruelty of Spaniards. All of those include
friars, all of those submit directly to the Catholic Church. Just think about it, would Rizal just
simply abandon all his work of art that took most of his time and hard work in just an
exchange of a great sum of money and an estate if he retracts? The answer is NO. It would
be like vomiting of what you just had eaten and swallow it again. We can see right through
his works that Rizal is a man of one word, he had never distorted his thoughts and never will
be. His character speaks so loud that is why a lot of Filipino including us does not believe
that he wrote and sign a retraction paper. He is truly a great hero who courted death to prove
to those who deny his patriotism that he knows how to die for his duty and his beliefs. Until
his last breath, he is still fights for what he think is right, he fights for our freedom, he fights
for his beloved countrymen.