SOC SCI 101 – Readings in Philippine History

ANALYSIS OF RIZAL’S RETRACTION

 According to some, Jose Rizal, who was assassinated by the Spanish colonialists 120 years ago, December 30,
1896, became a hero for his writings to destroy the idea of colonialism and free our minds to form the nation —
the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo and his essays on La Solidaridad, which question the beliefs that blind
us, especially following the wishes of the friars as messengers of God.

 But, hours before he was shot, Rizal signed a document stating that he was a Catholic and that he was retracting
all his writings against the church. The document became known as the retraction, “The Retraction.” Because of
her conversion to the church, Josephine Bracken, her last love, married them.

 According to some, Rizal became more prominent in recognizing his errors against faith. But for many, it is
inconceivable that at the last moment of his life he would retract his writings, the cause of his own heroism. It
was as if he had thrown away his heroism.

The testimony of Father Vicente Balaguer

 Although the alleged retraction document was found in 1935, doubts continued. Especially in the event's unique
eyewitness account — written by Jesuit Father Vicente Balaguer. How- ever, the resplendent Rizal suddenly
woke up several times, four times confessing, unanimous, agreeing and even posting. Odd for some, including
me.

 I am one of those historians who does not believe in retraction. And for me, “Retraction Controversy” is never
over.

 Only one can dispute this, I say — if there will be another eyewitness account of the evening and morning that
may prove or disprove the retraction or the testimony of Father Balaguer.

The testimony of Cuerpo de Vigilancia

 On 4 August 2016, Commissioner Rene R. Escalante, the OIC of the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines, read a “Professorial Chair Lecture on Rizal Studies” entitled “Re-examining the Last 24 Hours of Rizal
Using Spy Reports” De La Salle University.

 In the documents of the Spanish spy called Cuerpo de Vigilancia, a report written on the day of Rizal's death can
be found by Federico Moreno, recounting a statement made to him by an agent of Cuerpo de Vigilancia, a guard
in the Rizal cell, therefore, an “additional independent eyewitness account.”

 According to the statement, Rizal wrote a paper he heard of the retraction. Also mentioned were two Jesuit
priests who entered Rizal's prison — Father Jose Vilaclara and Father Estanislao March, and two others, Juan del
Fresno and Eloy Moure. Here are some parts of the essay that have been translated into English from the
Spanish language:

“Most Illustrious Sir, the agent of the Cuerpo de Vigilancia stationed in Fort Santiago to report on the events during
the [illegible] day in prison of the accused Jose Rizal, informs me on this date of the following:

“At 7:50 yesterday morning, Jose Rizal entered death row accompanied by his counsel, Señor Taviel de Andrade, and
the Jesuit priest Vilaclara. At the urgings of the former and moments after entering, he was served a light breakfast. At
approximately 9, the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure, asked Rizal if he wanted anything. He replied that at the
moment he only wanted a prayer book which was brought to him shortly by Father March.

“Señor Andrade left death row at 10 and Rizal spoke for a long while with the Jesuit fathers, March and Vilaclara,
regarding religious matters, it seems. It appears that these two presented him with a prepared retraction on his life and
deeds that he refused to sign. They argued about the matter until 12:30 when Rizal ate some poached egg and a little
chicken. Afterwards he asked to leave to write and wrote for a long time by himself.

“At 3 in the afternoon, Father March entered the chapel and Rizal handed him what he had written. Immediately the
chief of the firing squad, Señor del Fresno and the Assistant of the Plaza, Señor Maure, were informed. They entered
death row and together with Rizal signed the document that the accused had written. It seems this was the retraction.”
SOC SCI 101 – Readings in Philippine History

 It can be seen that the two mentioned officials, Juan del Fresno and Eloy Moure, were the only ones who signed
the document of the retraction of the witnesses' stand. The guard also mentions that before taking Rizal to
Luneta, he married Josephine Bracken:

“At 5 this morning of the 30th, the lover of Rizal arrived at the prison …dressed in mourning. Only the former
entered the chapel, followed by a military chaplain whose name I cannot ascertain. Donning his formal clothes and aided
by a soldier of the artillery, the nuptials of Rizal and the woman who had been his lover were performed at the point of
death (in articulo mortis). After embracing him she left, flooded with tears.”

Not surprisingly, Moreno noted, everyone who went into the cell that night, never once mentioned that Father Balaguer
had entered. Meaning that Father Balaguer was not there, he could have been a secondary source and only interviewed
Father Vilaclara and Father March to formulate his testimony.

I strongly believe that there is no reason for the guard or Moreno to lie in particular and they made the record at that
very moment.

What Rizal wrote in his copy of “Imitations of Christ”

 Recently, a copy of the "De La Imitacion de Cristo" written by Thomas á Kempis was sent to the Director of the
National Museum of the Philippines, Jeremy Barns. This is the exact copy that Rizal gave to Josephine Bracken
during his last visit here on the day of his death. He wrote, "To my dear and unhappy wife, Josephine, December
30th, 1896, Jose Rizal."

 Except for what he called Josephine, his wife, which may refer to the legality of their marriage, the very book he
gave to the last woman he loved was a book about imitating the path of Christ. He died a Christian.

“Suffer the moon to keep watch, tranquil and suave, over me:
Suffer the dawn its flying lights to release:
Suffer the wind to lament in murmurous and grave manner:
And should a bird drift down and alight on my CROSS,
Suffer the bird to intone its canticle of peace.

“…And when my grave is wholly unremembered

And unlocated (no CROSS upon it, no stone there plain):
Let the site be wracked by the plow and cracked by the spade
And let my ashes, before they vanish to nothing,
As dust be formed a part of your carpet again.”

 Looking at it, Rizal wants to be given a Christian burial, just in case, a Catholic Christian died.

 So with the light of new exterior documents and new interpretations, Jose Rizal could have retracted. This can
be true of retraction. There is a reason why he wrote the document.

 But does it really matter if it's true? Can a man change his life and do something throughout his life with the
courage and courage of a role he signed on the day of his death???