The "original" discovered by Fr. Manuel Garcia, C.M.

on May 18, 1935

Me declaro catolica y en esta Religion en que naci y me eduque quiero vivir y morir.

Me retracto de todo corazon de cuanto en mis palabras, escritos, inpresos y conducta ha habido
contrario a mi cualidad de hijo de la Iglesia Catolica. Creo y profeso cuanto ella enseña y me
somento a cuanto ella manda. Abomino de la Masonaria, como enigma que es de la Iglesia, y
como Sociedad prohibida por la Iglesia. Puede el Prelado Diocesano, como Autoridad Superior
Eclesiastica hacer publica esta manifastacion espontanea mia para reparar el escandalo que
mis actos hayan podido causar y para que Dios y los hombers me perdonen.

Manila 29 de Deciembre de 1896

Jose Rizal

The document of the retraction of Jose Rizal, too, is being hotly debated as to its authenticity.

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.
But the original document was never shown to the public, only reproductions of it.

Many historians arguing whether Rizal retracted from what he had stated about the
Catholic Church or not. From Rizal’s statement: "I retract with all my heart whatever in my words,
writings, publications and conduct have been contrary to my character as a son of the Catholic
Church.", some says that this document is a forgery and the other are asserting that it’s authentic
and Rizal was the only who wrote and signed the retraction paper. There are arguments found that
depend the both claims. But the only thing is, even Rizal retracted or not, the knowledge he
inculcated to us will not change.
One of the most intriguing of all was the issues of Jose Rizal was his alleged retraction
which was all about his reversion to the Catholic Faith and all other issues linked to it such as his
marriage to Josephine Bracken. That issue was claimed to be true by the Roman Catholic
defenders but asserted to be deceptive by anti-retractonists. They claim that the retraction
document is a forgery, but handwriting experts concluded a long time ago that it is genuine.
Rafael Palma’s opus on Rizal, titled “Biografia de Rizal” is so anti-Catholic that the Church
successfully opposed its publication using government funds. In an article authored by Romberto
Poulo, Rizal’s affiliation in Masonry was accounted to have caused drastic change to his
religious ideas. It was in the moment Rizal set foot on European soil when he was exposed to a
great deal of distinctions between what was happening to his country, the discriminations,
abuses, partialities, injustices, and some other things made to cause sufferings to his
countrymen, and what was the actual scene of the European nations. He observed that Europe
was a lot more different compared to the Philippines in terms of way of life, attitudes towards
Roman Catholicism, and most importantly, the freedom all the citizens enjoy.

The exact copy had been received by Fr. Balaguer in the evening immediately preceding
Rizal's execution. Jose Rizal with the addition of the names of the witnesses taken from the texts
of the retraction in the Manila newspapers. Fr. Pi's copy of Rizal's retraction has the same text as
that of Fr. Balaguer's "exact" copy but follows the paragraphing of the texts of Rizal's retraction
in the Manila newspapers. In order to marry Josephine, Rizal wrote with the help of a priest a
form of retraction to be approved by the Bishop of Cebu. This incident was revealed by Fr.
Antonio Obach to his friend Prof. Austin Craig who wrote down in 1912 what the priest had told
him; "The document (the retraction), inclosed with the priest's letter, was ready for the mail when
Rizal came hurrying I to reclaim it." Rizal realized (perhaps, rather late) that he had written and
given to a priest what the friars had been trying by all means to get from him.
Surely whether Rizal died a Catholic or an apostate adds or detracts nothing from his
greatness as a Filipino. It is because of what he did and what he was that we revere Rizal.
Catholic or Mason, Rizal is still 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”