Position paper 2 - The Retraction of Rizal PDF

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GED103: THE RETRACTION OF RIZALPhilippines' National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, put so much effort into writing his books about the wrongdoings of the Spaniards. Through his works, he indicated that he was against the Spanish colonial governance and the manners that the Catholic religious practice by ...

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GED103: THE RETRACTION OF RIZAL

Philippines' National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, put so much effort into writing his books about the wrongdoings of the Spaniards. Through his works, he indicated that he was against the Spanish colonial governance and the manners that the Catholic religious practice by the friars in the Philippines. However, these works of the martyr remarkably awakened the minds of Filipino people that made him the perfect example of a nationalistic patriot and known as the National Hero of the country. It was the 30th of December year 1896 when history began. A man wholeheartedly risked his life to fight against the oppression of the Spaniards. However, there seems to have no end to the debate whether Dr. Jose Rizal signed the retraction or not before he was executed in Bagumbayan. Some accounts prove Rizal retracted, and some say that the document found was forged and unauthentic. Through analyzing the primary sources, I believe that Dr. Jose Rizal stood up against the Spaniards and the practices of the Church until his last breath; thus, he did not sign the retraction at all. In Rizal's Unfading Glory, Father Balaguer testified the events that happened the night before Rizal's execution. That night, the Jesuits put so much effort into bringing Rizal back to the Catholic Church, wherein Father Balaguer later gave Rizal a formula of retraction, which Rizal did not sign for it was too long. Instead, he ordered Father Balaguer to jot down the words he would dictate, making him the main witness of the retraction. However, there are still doubts about the document's authenticity and allegedly believed that it was forged. Knowing Dr. Rizal, he is true to his words, and there is no reason for his sudden retraction. In addition, in "The Abjuration," published by El Imparcial, Rizal admitted that his only sin is pride. He believed that he was doing something great without getting something in return, making it a factor that his sudden retraction is not valid. After thirty-nine years, the claimed "original copy" of the retraction was found in the Archdiocesan Archives. Archbishop Nozaleda gave Dr. Ricardo Pascual permission to examine the document and later concluded that the paper presented was a forgery. According to Dr. Pascual, there are differences in the forms and characteristics of writing the letters, indicating that the found document was forged and may have been

written or reproduced by somebody else. Furthermore, one of the pieces of evidence that proves Rizal did not retract is the term that he was to be wed to Josephine Bracken. There was no evidence of a marriage certificate nor public records to prove that he is married to Josephine Bracken. And if ever they were united, the family of Rizal would have known about this. However, the family of Rizal was seeking the original document of the retraction as they do not believe that Rizal signed it. With the pieces of evidence analyzed and presented, I stand my point that Dr. Jose P. Rizal did not retract and he resisted the oppression of the Spaniards. As has been taught in schools, Dr. Jose Rizal has a strong stance and is fixated on the thought that he would die for his country and fellowmen. All of Rizal's works are evidence that proves his bravery in exposing the Spanish governance and the practices of the Catholic church in the Philippines. Rizal would not abandon and retract all of his works that took most of his time and hard work in exchange for a tremendous amount of money. He fought for what he thought was suitable for the country and the beloved Filipinos until his last breath.

References: 

Garcia, R. P. (1964). The great debate: The Rizal retraction, pp. 9-19, 31-43. Quezon City, Philippines: R.P. Garcia

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Cavanna, J. M. (n.d.) The unfading glory: Documentary history of the conversion of Jose Rizal [s.n.], pp. 1-52.

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Pascual R. (1950). Rizal beyond the grave: A reiteration of the greatness of the martyr of Bagumbayan, pp. 7-36. Manila, Philippines: Luzon Publishing.

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Santos, T. (2011). Rizal’s Retraction: Truth vs Myth. The Varsitarian. Retrieved January 2, 2022, from https://varsitarian.net/news/20111004/rizals_retraction_truth_vs_myth....