Rizal's retraction

[Rodel Ramos]

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Rizal’s retraction, an unfinished debate

Compiled by Rodel J. Ramos

 

Philippine history has been distorted many times mainly for the vested interest of our colonizers and those among us who willingly and unwillingly connived out of threat, coercion or selfish motive.

The Spaniards made us believe they came to Christianize when in fact it was to exploit our rich natural resources most especially gold, extract taxes and enslave our people. They kept us ignorant for nearly 400 years and banned controversial books such as the Noli Me Tangere (The Social Cancer) and the El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed) written by Dr. Jose Rizal exposing the abuses of the Friars and the Spanish authority.

The Americans lied to us many times too. They pretended to help in our liberation against the Spanish tyrant. When President Emilio Aguinaldo’s army had won almost all of the provinces, Admiral Dewey appeared in Manila Bay to claim victory. Then he refused to honor his word. That started the Filipino American War were hundreds of thousands of our countrymen were killed. The Americans have to bring to our shores their best commanding officers like Gen. Otis, Merritt, and Lawton with their most modern weapons at that time to force our brave soldiers into submission. Yet our history books never mentioned these atrocities, the Americans having control of our media, publications and school curriculum.

A people with a distorted history have the same fate as those who have no sense of history. Both are condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past. Today if we hear some of our people feel ashamed of their race and wishing they were Americans or Canadians, it is because of their ignorance of our true history.

Significance of retraction

            Another distortion was the lie that Rizal, the most noble of Filipinos retracted from Freemasonry. This issue has been debated in many forums and a subject of volumes of books.

            Why is Rizal’s retraction important? If the noblest of all Filipinos can betray his own cause, it renders useless all his writings and great deeds. It also cast doubt on the character and honor of the rest of us Filipinos. If today, many of us have no faith in our own people, it is because of frauds like this.

Evidence

            The Friars who saw Rizal in his prison cell at Intramuros claim to have obtained a signed retraction. However, no document was presented to the public until 1935, 39 years after the execution of Dr. Jose Rizal that a document was discovered in the archives of Archbishop of Manila.

            Such paper was dated Manila, 29 de Diciembre 1890. Rizal was in Madrid writing the El Filibusterismo at that time. He was shot in December 30, 1896.

            In Dr. Jose Hernandez and Ricardo Bassig’s copyrighted books about Rizal, the photo copy of the “retraction” were dated 1890. In the San Beda College pamphlet entitled, “I adjure Masonry”, the 0 was cut into half to appear as 6. In Fr. Jesus Cavanna’s book, Rizal’s Unfading Glory, and Dr. Gregorio Zaide’s Philippine History for High Schools, the dates were changed into 1896 but of different density.

            Rafael Palma in his book Pride of the Malay Race argues that Rizal did not recant and the Jesuits and the Spanish Regime knew that.

            Why they asked, did Rizal fail to tell his fond and pious mother that he had returned to her faith? It would have given her such great joy and consolation!

            Why did not the Jesuits try to save his life, putting his conversion beyond doubt and showing off their prize?

            Why was his body not handed over to his family, and instead secretly buried? Why it was not buried in consecrated ground, the Catholic cemetery? Why was his death entered on a special page of the register between an unidentified man and a suicide, both of whom must have been supposed to die impenitent and unshriven?

            Why was there no requiem Masses said for the repose of his soul? Why a copy of the retraction was not furnished his family despite their request?

            Why was the certificate of marriage between Rizal and Josephine Bracken similarly withheld, and why was it not been produced to this date? How odd that the original of the retraction should be found only thirty years after?

            How curious that the working of the handwritten document should differ from the versions first published by the press by Retana and by the Jesuits! Why did Retana fail to mention that the retraction had been signed before two witnesses? Why the Jesuit pamphlet was left unsigned? The pamphlet is shot through with demonstrable errors about Rizal’s life – why not about his last hours?

            There was no moral motive for the conversion. The extraordinary or abnormal acts of a person are always due to some reason or rational motive.

            Fr. Cavanna comment on Rizal’s Holograph said, “---clearly, is doctored and the doctoring job is so crude it is the work of a tyke. The whole text of the San Beda copy was badly traced to justify the thickening of the figures in the dateline in which the “C” in the San Beda pamphlet reproduction has been made into a ‘6’ ---. So it is now understandable why the ‘0’ in Hernandez’s book was made into a ‘C’ and the ‘C’ easily transformed into a ‘6’ of course, after the long and tedious process of retracing ---.”

            Fr. Cavanna and Prof. Carlos Da Silva made a “bold claim in 1960 the NBI revealed that findings made on Photostats of Dr. Jose Rizal’s retraction by Angel H. Gaffud, NBI document examiner, show that the document is genuine---“

            In August 12, 1961 NBI Director Jose Lukban, in the Philippines Free Press said that “---No such document was ever submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation for laboratory examination and study---“

            It is said that in forgery cases, it is not enough that the forgery alone be exposed. Somehow, it becomes imperative that the forger be likewise exposed and/or identified, if at all possible. Runes and Buenafe, in their investigative work, did these on historical documents, succeeded in both where others before them failed.

Rizal’s character

            Rizal could not have gained anything by his retraction. Masons who retracted before his death were executed. He died with a clear conscience and a strong faith in God. His Last Farewell quotes “I go to where there are no slaves, no hangmen, no oppressors, where faith does not slaw, where he who reigns is God.”

            Gen. Jose Alejandrino who lived with him in Europe said in his book Price of Freedom: Rizal’s honesty, ingenuity, will power, constancy and patriotism were unquestionable. Rizal could not tolerate hypocrisy. He disdained all persons who do not act in accordance with the principles which they preach. He said, “I swear upon my honor that I will consecrate my entire life, my energies, my intelligence and even my blood for our country.” He has a high sense of proportion and justice.

What is Masonry?

            Was there anything evil or unlawful about Masonry that Rizal must retract being a member? What is there to retract?

            Mauro Baradi in an article, Filipino Masons in the Struggle for Freedom said, “Freemasonry is a nonsectarian institution erected to God which preaches and practices the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Men. It is neither a religion nor has it a religion. The three great tenets are Brotherly love, Relief, and Truth. Its past is lost in the midst of time because it has associated with ancient mysteries and as in the case of religion, contributed much to the great movements that propelled civilization.

            History records them not merely participants but leaders, pioneers, martyrs, heroes, liberators, and nation builders. Its motto is: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.” Freemasonry stands out as seekers of truth, the foundation of every virtue. “Masonry is engaged in her crusade – against ignorance, intolerance, fanaticism, superstition, uncharitable ness, and error. She does not sail with the trade-winds, but meets and must overcome many opposing currents.

            The principles of Freemasonry do not run counter with that of the Christian religion which preaches Faith, Hope and Charity. In fact Freemasonry welcomes all religions in its rank as long as they believe that God is the supreme architect of the universe.

            It is not a secret society as alleged by many. Only their rituals and passwords are secrets and anybody is welcome to know it by being a member.

            Some of the illustrious names in the Philippine Masonry are: Dr. Jose Rizal, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Gen. Emilio Jacinto, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Mariano Ponce, Apolinario Mabini, Andres Bonifacio, Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo, Gen. Antonio and Juan Luna, Pres. Manuel Quezon, Pres. Manuel Roxas, Justice Jose Abad Santos, Senator Quintin Paredes, Senator Camilo Osias, Gen. Arthur MacArthur, Jacobo Zobel, Gov. Gen. Francis Harrison, and many others. Without them, our history as a nation cannot be written and would not be as colorful.

            They worked for the reforms and independence of the Philippines from Spain, the separation of the Church and State; organized the Katipunan which won our independence from Spain; most missions for the Philippine Independence from the United States were headed by Masons with the collaboration of their fellow American Masons. As early as 1916 Senator James Charke, a Mason introduced an amendment to the Philippine Bill which would grant independence to the Philippines within a few years. It was approved by the U.S. senate, but was defeated in the House of Representatives by a slim margin.

            Several Catholic Priests such as Fr. Raymundo Rodriguez and Fr. Elpidio T. Quinto joined Freemasonry.

Rizal’s belief in Christ

            Rizal said of Christ on Christmas day to Blumentritt: “--- A grand genius has been born who preached truth and love, who suffered because of his mission, but on account of his sufferings, the world has become better if not saved. Let us celebrate the anniversary of the birth of a Divine Man!” He wrote to his mother Teodora Alonso that Jesus was the first one to proclaim and annunciate the equality and dignity of man.

 

Motive of the Church

            The Friars whose abuses were exposed in Rizal’s novels plotted the execution of Rizal. They worked for the change of Governor General when Gov. Blanco who was himself a Mason refused to punish Rizal and instead send him to serve as a doctor in the Cuban War. It was in Cuba where he was arrested after a change of administration and returned for trial. Rizal showed his disdain of the Friars in his books which triggered their desire for revenge.

Rizal a hero

            Whatever happened, whether he retracted or not, he awakened the conscience of the Filipino more than any other and his contribution to our nationhood cannot be denied?

            Austin Coates, author of Rizal – Filipino Nationalist and Patriot described Rizal as a contemporary of Tagore and a forerunner of Gandhi. The Spanish philosopher Unamuno described Rizal as a Tagalog Christ. In Asia he stands with Sun Yat-sin, Gandhi and Tagore, as one who molded the thinking of the continent. In the harmony of religious faith and scientific knowledge which his life demonstrates he stand in Asia for what Renan and Teilhard stand for in the West, with the difference that Rizal was killed for what he believed.

Lessons of history

            We search for the truth in our history not to blame anyone but to restore the honor of the victims of injustice, to bring back the faith of our people to their own and above all so that future attempts to malign our race can be avoided.