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    Retraction

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    reginealcaya011
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    Retraction

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    reginealcaya011
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    Retraction reviewer

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    8 views12 pages

    Retraction

    Uploaded by

    reginealcaya011
    Retraction reviewer

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 12

    Rizal’s Retraction

    (GE-HIST)

    INSTRUCTOR: MARIA DIVINA M. BETI, MPA


    DEPT. OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
    UNIVERSITY OF THE VISAYAS
    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.
    Rizal’s novels:
     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 document, 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
     There are four iterations of the texts of this retraction: the first was
    published in La Voz Española 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
    the anonymous writer who was later on revealed to be Fr. 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 one


    eyewitness account of the writing of the document exists – that of the
    Jesuit friar Fr. 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.
     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.
    Reference:

     Candelaria, John Lee P., Alporha, Veronica C. (2018). Readings in


    Philippine History. Rex Book Store, Inc.

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