Jose Rizal
Santos, Carlos Gerard B. 1SS14/B2
2012140355 Prof . Cruz Writing Task 2
To many Filipinos, Dr. Jose Rizal’s life had been an open book, but his works and sacrifices seems not to achieve independence for his country and countrymen but still admired and remembered up to this day. His life was full of controversies and unanswered issues about his works and beliefs. One of them was the issue of his supposed retraction. Retraction is defined as to withdraw a promise, statement or opinion.(Miriam Webster, 1999 p520). It was said that he refuted his writing against the teachings and practices of Catholic Church, returned to the Catholic faith, and abominated masonry, but there seemed to be a discrepancy in the documents linked to his retraction.
Rizal’s alleged retraction was declared to be true by the friars who were with him before his execution. During the last 24 hours before Rizal will be executed, Jesuits came in and out together with other visitors, including members of his own family. That night Rizal wrote out a retraction based on the formula of Father Pi and signed it about 11:30 pm. The retraction contains two significant points: First: the rejection of Masonry (“I abominate Masonry”) and Second: a repudiation of “anything in my words, writings, publications, and conduct that has been contrary to my character as a son of the Catholic Church.”(Dr Eugene Hessel, Rizal’s Retraction: A Note on the debate, 1965). Father Visa, one of the Jesuit priests who visited Rizal, testified that, “Rizal wrote and signed in his own handwriting in my presence the document of retraction.” His testimony was later on notarized on May 22, 1916. There were also circumstantial evidences pertaining to Rizal’s retraction, for instance, his marriage to Josephine Bracken. Father Balaguer, another Jesuit priest who visited Rizal, claimed that he officiated the marriage of Rizal to Josephine Bracken subsequent to Rizal’s returning faith to the Roman Catholic,
2012140355 Prof . Cruz Writing Task 2
To many Filipinos, Dr. Jose Rizal’s life had been an open book, but his works and sacrifices seems not to achieve independence for his country and countrymen but still admired and remembered up to this day. His life was full of controversies and unanswered issues about his works and beliefs. One of them was the issue of his supposed retraction. Retraction is defined as to withdraw a promise, statement or opinion.(Miriam Webster, 1999 p520). It was said that he refuted his writing against the teachings and practices of Catholic Church, returned to the Catholic faith, and abominated masonry, but there seemed to be a discrepancy in the documents linked to his retraction.
Rizal’s alleged retraction was declared to be true by the friars who were with him before his execution. During the last 24 hours before Rizal will be executed, Jesuits came in and out together with other visitors, including members of his own family. That night Rizal wrote out a retraction based on the formula of Father Pi and signed it about 11:30 pm. The retraction contains two significant points: First: the rejection of Masonry (“I abominate Masonry”) and Second: a repudiation of “anything in my words, writings, publications, and conduct that has been contrary to my character as a son of the Catholic Church.”(Dr Eugene Hessel, Rizal’s Retraction: A Note on the debate, 1965). Father Visa, one of the Jesuit priests who visited Rizal, testified that, “Rizal wrote and signed in his own handwriting in my presence the document of retraction.” His testimony was later on notarized on May 22, 1916. There were also circumstantial evidences pertaining to Rizal’s retraction, for instance, his marriage to Josephine Bracken. Father Balaguer, another Jesuit priest who visited Rizal, claimed that he officiated the marriage of Rizal to Josephine Bracken subsequent to Rizal’s returning faith to the Roman Catholic,
References: http://Prezi.com/shhle8xeor7y/rizals-retraction/ http://Joserizal.nhcp.gov.ph/Reflections/retraction.htm