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CHAPTER 9 - Retraction Controversy of Rizal
CHAPTER 9 - Retraction Controversy of Rizal
M e de cla r o ca t ol ic a y en e s t a R el ig i on en q ue n ac i y
me ed uq ue q uiero v iv ir y morir.
M e r e tr ac t o d e t od o c or a zo n d e c u an t o en m i s
pal ab ra s, es c r i to s, inp r es o s y c o nd u c t a ha h ab id o
c o nt r ar i o a m i c ua lid ad d e hij o d e l a I gl e si a Ca t ol ic a .
Cr e o y p r of es o c u an t o ell a en se ña y m e so m en t o a
c ua n to el la m and a . Ab om in o d e l a M as on ar i a, c o m o
en i gm a qu e es d e la I g le si a, y c o m o S oc i ed a d
p r oh ib id a p or la I gl e si a . P u e d e el P r el ad o Di oc e sa no ,
c o m o A u t or id a d S up er i o r Ec l es i as t ic a h ac e r p u b l ic a
es t a ma nif as t ac i on esp o n ta ne a m i a p ar a re p a r ar el
es c a nd a l o q u e m i s ac t o s hay an p od id o c au sa r y
p ara q ue Dios y los homb ers me p erd onen .
Jose Rizal
Jef e d el P iq uete Ayud ante d e P laza
Juan del Fresno Eloy Moure
I d e cl a r e m ys el f a c a th ol i c an d in th i s R el i gi on in
whic h I was b orn and ed uc ated I wish to liv e and d ie.
I re t r ac t wit h a ll my he a r t w h a te v e r i n my
wo r d s , w ri ti n gs , p ub l i c ati on s a nd c o n d u ct h as
b ee n c o nt r a r y t o m y c h a r a ct e r a s s on of th e
Ca th ol ic C hu r c h . I b el i ev e and I c onf es s w ha t ev er
sh e t ea ch es a nd I sub m i t t o w ha t ev e r sh e d e ma nd s .
I ab o mi na t e M a s o n ry , as t he en e my w h i c h is o f th e
Chu rc h, and a s a S oc ie t y p r oh ib i te d b y th e C hu rc h .
Th e Di o c e s a n P r el a te m ay, a s th e S u p e r i or
Eccl es i as t ic al Au th o r it y, m a ke p u b li c th is
sp on ta n eo us ma nif e s ta t i on of mi ne in o rd er t o
re p a i r th e s c a nd al wh ic h my a c t s m ay h av e c a us ed
and so that God and p eop le may p ard on me.
Jose Rizal
" T h i s r e t r a ctio n w a s s i g n e d t o g e th er w i t h D r . R i za l b y S e ñ o r
F r e s n o , Ch i e f o f t h e P i c k et, an d S e ñ o r M o u r e , A d j u tant o f t h e
P l aza." - F a th e r B a la gu er
T h i s s e r ve s to s u p p le me nt th e o r i g i nal.
• F r . P i c l a i m s th a t Fr . Ba la g ue r t r a ns cr ib ed f r om a b r i e f f or m u la
cr e a t e d b y F r . P i a n d p r e v i o us ly s a n c tio ne d b y t h e A r c h b i sho p.
• F r . B a l a g uer a ck n ow le d ged i n a le tte r to F r . P i i n 1 9 1 0 th a t h e h a d
s e n t R i z a l t h e s h or t f or m u la t h a t Fr . P i h a d w r i tt en ; n e ve r th ele ss , h e
co n tr ad i cts h i m s e l f b y s a y i n g th a t th e " e x a ct" co p y ca m e f r o m th e
A r c h b i sho p.
• Fr . B a l a g ue r on ly p e n n ed on e cop y , a n d i t w a s th e o n e th a t w a s
i n clu d ed i n h i s f i r s t n a r r ative o f R i z a l 's r e tr a cti ons .
Whe re did Fr. Bal ague r’s " e x act " co py came f ro m?
• T h e "e x a c t c o p y " a c c o r d i n g t o F r . B a l a g u e r m a y b e j u s t f r o m t h e
A r c h b i s ho p .
• " e x a c t" b e c a u s e h e w as t au g h t t o be l ie v e t h at i t w a s t h e c opy
t h at m o s t a c c u r a t e l y r e p r e s e n t e d t h e o r i g i n a l
⚬ opposed to Fr. Pi's, which had "changes" done
• F r . P i ' s v e r s i o n w a s " s h o r t e r " t h a n t h e A r c h b i sho p ' s b e c a u s e i t
r e m ov e d s o m e s e n t e n c e s f r o m t h e f o r m e r i n o r d e r t o s e c u r e
R i z a l 's s i g n a t u r e
• F r . P i cl a im s t h a t Riz a l re j e c t e d t he l e ngt hy s t a t e me nt ,
f o r ci n g F r . Ba l a g u e r t o r e ci t e h i s a b b r e v i a t e d f o r m u l a t i on.
• R iz a l a l l eg edl y t y ped do wn wh a t wa s s po ken t o h i m , b u t h e
i n s i s t ed o n a d d i n g t h e wo r d s
⚬ "in whic h I wa s b o r n a nd e d uc a t e d " : s u p e r f l u o us
⚬ "[ Ma s o nry] " a s t he a d ve rs a ry t ha t is o f t he Chur c h, " :
d i r ect l y a t o d d s wi t h h i s p h i l o s op h y
• A s s u m ptio n: R iz al ' s in cl u s io n o f t h e wo r ds wa s t h e
r ep et i t i o n o f t h e s e n t e n ce s i n cl u d e d i n t h e o r i g i n a l b u t
missing in Fr. Pi's brief formula.
• " E x a c t" c o p y w a s g i v e n t o t he m i li t a ry s o ld i e rs m a n n i n g Fo r t
S a n t i ag o t o p e r s uad e t h e m a b o u t R i z a l 's r e t r acti on
⚬ C a p t . Do m i ng uez s t a t e d t ha t R i z a l re a d a lo ud hi s re t ra c t i o n
⚬ h i s c o p y o f t h e r e t r act io n p r o v e d h i m w r o n g b e c a u se i t h a s t h e
s a m e w o r d i n g a s Fr . Ba l a g u er's c o p y b u t o m i t s t h e p h r a s e
" C a t o l ic a, " w h i c h i s i n c o r r ect i n t h e o r i g i n al
• Da p i t a n R e t ra c t i on : R i z a l h a d p u b l i s h ed a r e t r acti on i n D a p i t an
a b o u t t w o ye a r s p r i o r t o h i s d e a t h s e n t enc e
⚬ Jo s e p h i ne Br a c k e n t r a v el ed t o D a p i t an i n 1 8 95 w i t h h e r
a d o p t iv e fa t h e r t o b e t r e a ted b y D r . R i z a l fo r h i s b l i n d n e ss
⚬ R i z a l f e ll i n lo v e wi t h J o s e p hi ne a nd d e s i r e d t o we d he r i n a
c a no ni c a l c e re m o ny , b u t h e w a s fo r c e d t o w r i t e a r e t r ac tio n
a n d s i g n a d e c l a rati on o f fa i t h , b o t h o f w h i c h n e e d e d t h e
Bi s h o p o f C e b u 's a p p r o v al .
• Riza l crea t ed a f orm of re t ra ct i on t h a t n e e de d t o be
a ccept ed by t h e Bish op of Cebu in order f or h im t o w ed
J oseph in e.
• Fr. An t on io Oba ch t ol d h i s f ri e n d P rof . A u s t in Cra i g a bou t
t h is even t , a n d P rof essor Cra ig recorded w h a t t h e priest h a d
sa id in 1 91 2 :