[k-list] ALK: Rizal's Retraction
Andro Camiling
The late Senator/Atty. Francisco "Soc" Rodrigo once delivered a speech
in a symposium sponsored by the San Beda College of Law and the same
college published it in "I Absurd Masonry" that Rizal did not retract
his political beliefs or his love of country. What Rizal retracted was
Masonry, "as an enemy that it is of the Church". He said that there
are three kinds of evidence which proved that Rizal made a retraction.
These are: (1) best evidence (2) direct evidence (3) circumstantial
evidence.
(1) The best evidence is the document itself. The question is, is the document
genuine and authentic?
The document which was written in Rizal's own handwriting was examined
and analyzed by experts and found out to be genuine and authentic. Some
of these prominent people/experts were:
Dr. Jose del Rosario, a Catholic and from Ateneo
Professor Otley Beyer, a non-Catholic and not from Ateneo
Don Teodoro Kalaw, a non-Catholic but a Mason
Dr. Bantug
Dr. Leoncio Lopez Rizal
Austin Craig, non-Catholic, well-known historian and an authority on the
life of Rizal.
The document was exhibited on June 19, 1935 and thousands of photostatic
and offset copies have been distributed thereby affording the people to
examine the potographs of the document and Soc Rodrigo said that he has to
see yet or hear any valid ground presented by anybody to doubt the genuineness
of the document.
(2) Direct Evidence - Testimony of Witnesses
Declarations of persons who were actually present at the event. Notarial
statements of the following people are on file:
Father Viza
Fr. Pio Pi
Fr. Silvino Lopez Tunon
Archbishop Bernardo Nozaleda
Gen. Rafael Dominguez
Fiscal Gaspar Castano
Fr. Rosell
Fr. Vicente Balaguer
Luis Taviel Andrade - defense counsel of Rizal, in whom Rizal reposed
full confidence
Fr. Tomas Feijeo
(3) Circumstantial Evidence
Nobody questioned the veracity of the retraction after the full text of the
retraction was published in all local newspapers on the very next day after
Rizal's execution. Rizal's retraction was published together with the
retraction of Francsco Rojas, Ramon Padilla, Luis Villareal, Moises Salvador,
Jose Dizon, Antonio Salazar, Geronimo Cristobal Medina and General Antonio
Luna.
Another direct and circumstantial evidence is the declaration of Josephine
Bracken and Rizal's farewell dedication, in his handwriting, in the book
entitled, "Imitation of Christ" by Kempis. The dedication reads, "To my dear
and unhappy wife". The fact that Rizal called her (Josephine) wife shows that
they were married and they were married canonically by a priest indicates
that Rizal retracted Masonry.
Rizal also gave very Catholic books (Imitation of Christ and Anchor of
Salvation) to his sisters, Josefa and Trinidad, respectively, before his
execution.
Another circumstantial evidence of Rizal's conversion is the Burial
Certificate of Rizal which states that Rizal was given, quote, Cristiana
Sepultura which was synomymous then with "Catholic Burial."
He was also given a crucifix by a priest before he faced the firing
squad and kissed the crucifix. Such an act showed Rizal's Catholicity
in his last moments.
Thanks for reading.
Andro
At 06:48 PM 1/8/99 -0500, Manolo Gatbonton wrote:
>Hi Jet,
>
> I'm afraid he did write the document. I have to dig some document to
>find Rizal's Masonic history. That's the document the church was
>referring to when they say he recanted before he was executed.
>
>
>Yanapamu,
>
>Manolo
>
>
>Patrick and Jet Figueroa wrote:
>
>> I don't believe that Rizal really wrote that document.
>>
>> Jet
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