Site of the First Mass Father Bernard studied all the Pigafetta’s maps, which

place in Mazau off the southern tip of the larger island of

Antonio Pigafetta Leyte, a check with the modern maps will show that this
jives with Limasawa and not Masao or Butuan.
The first Catholic Mass in the PH was held on March 31,
1521 EVIDENCE FOR LIMASAWA
Eastern Sunday 1. The evidence of Albo’s Log book
2. The Evidence of Pigafetta
*Father Pedro de Valderrama
a. Pigafetta’s testimony regarding the route
Located at the Southern Leyte b. The evidence of Pigafetta’s map
c. The two native kings
popularly known as the birthplace of the church in the d. The seven days at “Mazaua”
Philippines e. An argument from omission
Holy First Mass marked the birth of Roman Catholicism 3. Summary of the evidence of Albo and Pigafetta
in the Philippines 4. Confirmatory evidence from the Legazpi Expedition

CONTRVERSIES BETWEEN LIMASAWA AND

MASAO/BUTUAN
EVIDENCE FOR MASAO
Masao 1. The name of the place
1872: A monument to commemorate the site of the first 2. The route from Homonhon
mass on the Philippines was erected in Butuan 3. The latitude position
4. The geographical features
1953: The People in Butuan asked the Philippine a. The bonfire
Historical Committee to rehabilitate the monument or b. The balanghai
place a marker on the site. c. House
On the basis of this objection the monument was re d. Abundance of gold
erected but the marble slab atting it was te site of the e. A developed settlement
first mass was removed
Zaide identified Masao in Butuan as the location of the
first mass. The basis Zaide’s claim is the diary of
Antonio Pigafetta, chronicle of Magellan’s voyage
Limasawa
Jaime de Veyra stated that the first mass was celebrated Retraction Letter of Rizal
in Limasawa not in Butuan - July 31- Left Dapitan
Historian Pablo Pastells stating by the footnote to - August 6- arrived in Manila
Francisco Colin’s Labor Evangelica that Magellan did - September 3- Left Manila for Spain
not go to Butuan but from LImsaswa to Cebu - September 7- stopped over in Singapore
- September 30- Left for Spain
Francisco Albo (pilot of Magellan’s flagship does not - October 3- ship arrived in Barcelona
mention the first mass ut he writes that they erected a - October 6- jailed at Montjuich Castle; 8:00 pm
cross on a mountain which overlooked three islands the sailed for Manila
west and the southwest. - November 3- arrived in Manila
James Robertson agreed with Pastells in a footnote that - November 20- preliminary investigation began
“Mazaua” was actually LImasawa Bago siya mamatay: Disyembre 29, 1896
IN the authentic account of Pigafetta the port was not in - Maraming bisita
Butuan but an island named Mazua (Masawa) - Bumisita ang mga propesor nya dati
- Nakipag usap tugnkol sa relihiyon
 - Ssabi ni Rev. Bernardino Nozaleda, nun niya - Sa kopya ni Fr. Balaguer may salitang misma
sinulat ang liham ng retraksyon bago sa pangatlong Iglesias na wala naman sa
- Rev. Bernardino Nozaleda- Archibishop noon ng “original copy”
Maynila - Sa kopya ni Fr. Balaguer di nag sisimula ang
pangalawang paragraph bago sa panglimang
APAT NA BERSYON NG SULAT
pangungusap.
- La Voz Espanola, December 30, 1896 - Sa “original copy” naman ay nagsimula ang
- Bersyon ni Fr. Balaguer, January 1897 pangalawang paragraph pagkatapos ng
- “original” text galling sa archdiocesan achives pangalawang pangungusap
on May 18, 1935 - Sa “original copy” mayroon lamang na 4 na
- El Imparcial noong araw na namatay si Rizal’s comma ngunit sa kopya ni Fr. Balaguer may 11
(short formula) - Magkaiba ang mga saksi sa parehang kopya.

FR. BALAGUER
- Barcelona, Spain, on February 14, 1897 The first text was published in La Voz Espanola
- Lumabas makalipas ang 14 taon and Diaro de Manila on the very day of Rizal’s
- Sinabi niya kay Fr. Pio Pi nung 1910 na execution, December 30, 1896
nakatanggap siya ng kopya ng retrakskyon na
sulat ni Rizal at may pirma niya The second text appeared in Barcelona, Spain on
- Di nya rin alam kung may gumaya lang sa sulat February 14, 1897 in the fortnightly magazine La
ni Rizal Juventud
- Natanggap niya daw ang kopya noong gabing
namatay si Rizal The Original text was discovered in the
- Pindala niya kay Fr. Pio Pi upang husgahan o archdiocesan archives on May 18, 1935 (Fr.
suriin kung si Rizal nga ba may sulat nito Manuel Garcia)
- Hindi rin sinabi ni Pi kung siya nga o hindi
The fourth text appeared in El Imparcial on the
LA VOZ ESPANOLA day after Rizal’s execution. It is the short formula of
- Sila ang nakapagsabing nabasa at Nakita nga the retraction
nila ang ORIHINAL na kopya ng retraksyon
- Pinadala DAW sa Arsobispo ito
- Sinabi nila ito kahit pati ang pamilya ni Rizal ay “If Rizal retracted, he wouldnothave been executed
hindi naman nakita ang Retraksyon . But he was executed, therefore, Rizal did not
retract.”
Dagdag kontrobersiya
The earliest account was published in Spain 1897; it
- Pinadala ito sa Secretary of Chancery, Rev.
was found in chapter 17 of a book called La
Thomas Gonzales FEijoo, at tuluyan nang
Masonizacion de Filipinas, Rizal y su Orba,
Nawala
printed by Tipografica Catolica of Barcelona. The
ARCHDEOCEAN ARCHIVIST FR. MANUEL author was thought to have been Fr. Pastells.
GARCIA, C.M.
………………………….
- Natagpuan ang nawalang kopya
- Mas nabuahy ang isyu dahil iba ito sa kopya na
meron ag Arsobispo at mg Jesuits
ORIGINAL COPY VS. FR. BALAGUER
- Ang “original copy” ang salitang mis
cualidades at sa kopya ni Fr. Balaguer mi
calidad
- Mayroong Catholica pagkatapos ng unang
Iglesia sa “Original copy”
 Jesuit's In 1938, Rafael Palma once again proved his literary talent. He
won the first prize in the national contest on the biography of
LA MASONIZACION DE FILIPINAS -
Rizal conducted by Commonwealth government.
RIZAL Y SU OBRA
I. Critical Examination of the Booklet Released by
7 am Dec 29:
the Jesuits:
JUDGE DOMINGUEZ notified Rizal of the death
•The narrative by the Jesuits is anonymous.
sentence
•The narrative is written in a puerile manner. It reads
Father Simo (diplomat of society), carried the
like a story designed for children.
instructions of the Archbishop to the Jesuits
•The narrative has a lot of inaccuracies:
•The narrative contains a portion of details and
9:00 am, Dec 29 :
exaggerations
Father Rosell took the place of Fr. Mata and Fr.
•The narrative does not mention that the document of
Viza
retraction was signed by Rizal with witnesses
10:00 am: Fr. Vilaclara and Fr. Balaguer, conversed
II. OTHER PUBLICATIONS
with him, gave him a medal of the Virgin
Fr. March replaced the two priests afterwards
•Murio el Dr. Rizal Cristianamente-Reconstitucion de
Lunch:Don Manuel Luengo (civil governor of
las Ultimas Horas de su Vida-Estudio Historico (Did
Manila), and Fr. Faura (director of Manila
Doctor Rizal Die as a Christian?-Reconstruction of
Observatory) visited
the Last Hours of His Life-An Historical Study) by
Rizal's mother, w/ Trinidad, arrives
Don Gonzalo Ma. Pinana, 1920
10:00 pm
* reproduces the testimony of persons who are
Formula of Retraction was sent to the chapel
involved in the conversion and retraction of Rizal
11:30 pm
*Sources of evidences used:
Rizal signed the letter of retraction and then slept
1.What was published in local press and in Spain
Rizal asked for pen & paper to write the letters for
about Rizal's Retraction
Blumentritt, for his family, for Paciano...
2.What was published in magazines, history books,
read his retraction to the Jesuit fathers, Judge
and other printed matter
Advocate, chief of the picket, and Adjutant of the
3.The notarial minutes duly authenticated of the
Plaza, and three artillery forces
declarations given by persons who visited Rizal in the
chapel or who intervened in the act of his retraction
5:30 am
and conversion
Rizal ate breakfast w/ the officers Fr. Viza (App.1)
Fr. Pio Pi (App.2)
6:00 am Fr. Silvino Lopez Tunon (App.3)
Josephine came with Rizal's sister Archbishop Bernandino Nozaleda (App.4)
Gen. Rafel Dominguez (App. 6)
Fiscal Gaspar Castano (App.7)
7:00 am, Dec 30, 1896 Rev. Fr. Rosell (App.8)
Jose Rizal was shot Rev. Fr. Vicente Balaguer (App.9)
in Bagumbayan Luis Taviel de Andrade (App. 13)
Fr. Tomas Feijoo ((App. 14)

CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF *copy of proceedings of Rizal's execution (App. 5)

RIZAL'S ALLEGED RETRACTION *death certificates (App. 10, 11, & 12): Juan Fresno
(supposed witness to the document of retraction),
Rafael Palma was a Filipino politician, Rizalian, reporter, writer, Eloy Moure (supposed witness to the document of
educator and a famous mason in Philippines. He also became the retraction) and Antonio Diaz (Military Chief of Fort
fourth President of the University of the Philippines, The Santiago)
“Builder President”
Wrote in La Independencia, the newspaper that General Antonio
Luna established. He wrote articles advocating revolutionary III. Coetaneous Acts in Accordance
ideals under the names Dapit Hapon, Hapon, Robert Paul and with the Belief of Rizal's Retraction
R.P. Villa. 1.secrecy of the document
 2.denied petitions Rizal's Family for the copy of the  - Father Balaguer handed out the retraction
document of retraction and the marriage certificate documents to Father Pi
3.secrecy of burial  - After having a copy for their archives, Fr. Pi then
4.no masses were said for his soul or funeral held by gave the document to the Archbishop the next day
Catholics Silvino Lopez Tunon
5.Rizal's indecent burial- buried in the ground  - He learned from one of the Jesuit Fathers that Rizal
without any cross or stone to mark his grave received Sacraments of Penance and Communion and
6.Rizal's name was written on a special page wherein was married to Josephine after having written and
appear those buried by special orders signed the retraction document
7.no moral motive for the conversion Archbishop Nozaleda
 - Rizal made slight variations in his retraction from
IV. Why would Rizal renounce his religious ideas the proposed text by Fr. Pi
and his glory - Reasons why retraction can't be  - Fr. Pi gave the document to the Archbishop then
believed? handed it to the Secretary of the Archbishopric
“The Archbishop was interested in his conversion for Gaspar Castano
political motives, and the Jesuits lent themselves as  - Few days after the death of Rizal, Castano saw and
his argument.” read Rizal’s retraction paper wherein the later
 Filipino historian and educator declared himself a Catholic
 professor emeritus of history at the University of the Father Rosell
Philippines  - On Dec 30, 1896, Rosell saw the retraction paper in
died on January 7, 1979 Ateneo
president of the Philippine Historical Association in Luis Taviel de Andrade
1962  - Heard that in the morning of Rizal’s execution,
 recipient of the Cultural Heritage Award of the married Josephine
Philippines in 1969.  - Upon arriving at the door, saw Rizal in an attitude
of praying then Rizal came out after kissing the statue
HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY of the Sacred Heart
- Certain conditions in delving among old documents  - Doctor Rizal died as a Christian
 - Genuineness/authenticity of the documents Gonzalez Feijoo
 - Accuracy of the writer  - The retraction document was handed to him for
 - Author’s truthfulness and good faith safekeeping in the archives of the Secretary’s office
 - The retraction remained in the archives in his
RETRACTION custody until May 26, 1899 before he had to turn over
- Documents about retraction came from: everything it to his successor Presbiter Ignacio
Ratified and notarized declarations Ampuero
Accounts from the newspapers that time B. ARGUMENTS
Three eye-witnesses Are the documents genuine?
Father Balaguer Are the documents’ writers accurate?
 - Fr Balaguer left Rizal’s cell, accompanied by Are the authors truthful and of good faith?
Josephine and a sister of Rizal, with the retraction
 - Delivered the document to Fr. Pio who deliver it to Arguments of Mr. Palma
Archbishop Nozaleda who deliver it to Sec. Gonzalez Counter argument of Mr Zafra
Feijoo
Captain Rafael Dominguez ARGUMENTS
 Notes contains an hour by hour record of Rizal’s last P: 1. The retraction information was published late
24 hours that could be unauthenticated.
Father Viza Z: 1. There were others who published and confirmed
 Rizal wrote and signed of his own handwriting, in Rizal’s retraction a few years after his death. An
own presence of Viza, the document of retraction on example would be Father Pio Pi. S.J. who published
the night of Dec 26, 1896 La Muerte Cristiana del Dr. Rizal.
Father Pio Pi 2. The others fell silent because of the insignificance
of Rizal’s retraction.
3. In the desire for historical truth in much later years, 4. The arrangements for the disposal of Rizal’s body
people began the search of Rizals’ retraction and were made by the government authorities. It is
different versions of duly notarized documents. decided as such because the body might be used for
P: 2. The notarized documents and narratives of demonstration.
witnesses were of ecclesiastics and their friends that The genuineness or authenticity of the retraction
will automatically not contradict the other. document
P: 3. Taviel de Andrade’s testimony to be a mere 1. Proved to be authentic according to the Professor
hearsay. of Anthropology, University of the Philippines and
Z: 1. Taviel de Adrade worked closely with Rizal curator of the University of the Philippines Museum
with him having to observe Rizal closely. of Archeology and Ethnology in a written account in
2. Taviel de Andrade also stated that “Doctor Rizal the Philippines Herald on December 29, 1938.
died as a Christian ratifying thereby the retraction of Zafra’s Conclusion
his errors which he made in the chapel”. Rizal never hated the whole church but the persons in
3. The supposed hearsay testimony of Andrade was the church that did hideous acts. A fact is that Rizal
not of the retraction but the canonical marriage of even created a character in his novel that represents a
Rizal to Josephine Bracken. good priest, Padre Florentino.
4. Andrade’s information came from fellow officers. Rizal did retract and not a “pious fraud”.
P: 4.) The “coetaneous acts” that undermine the belief Dr. Beyer’s Remarks at the Faculty Club
that Rizal retracted: Symposium Held at Diliman on March 10, 1950
a.The document of retraction was kept secret Dr. Beyer examined the document of Rizal’s
b.The request of the Rizal family to have the original retraction twice.
or a copy was both denied. o First: shortly after the document was found by
c.Rizal’s burial was kept secret. someone looking through the marriage records in
d.No masses or funeral was held by the Catholics. the Archbishop’s file
e.He was not buried in the Catholic cemetery of Paco : He was asked by Fr. Fletcher , secretary of
but in the ground. Archbishop O’ Doherty, to make an examination of
f.There was no entry in the book of burials that the document whether or not it was genuine for his
Rizal’s body was buried on the page of December 30 personal information
and it appears on a special page where special orders  : the folder that had been found in the records was
of authorities are indicated. of the usual Spanish catalan paper containing a
series of documents about ½ inch thick, legal
1. The retraction document was seen by Fathers documents bound together
Balaguer, Pio Pi, Viza, Rosell, Feijoo, Tunon,  : the binding seemed to be quite the original binding
Archbishop Nozaleda, Captain Dominguez and that had not been disturbed for decades and had
Justice Castano. been put there in the beginning.
2. Trining’s statement in 1913 about the family not : there were contained documents relating to the
seeing the document was a mere “vagaries of marriage of Josephine Bracken.
memory.” Trining’s states that they were promised by  >>>Has been filed in the marriage file which
the Jesuits to let them see the retraction document contained 3 o 4 letters from Rizal
during the requiem offered by the Jesuits on behalf of He was not satisfied for the 3-4 other letters signed
Rizal. by Rizal he had to give a genuine opinion on the
a.The Jesuits no longer had the original document of writing until he had other letters and writings of
retraction. Rizal to compare with the document
b.The family’s need to see the document was of no He examined it in comparison with probably 150
purpose because the copy of the retraction document other letters and documents in Rizal’s Handwriting
was published in the newspapers. His opinion
3. The chaplain of the cemetery confirmed the burial  : every word on that sheet of paper was written by
in a report submitted to Archbishop Nozaleda on Dec. Rizal except the signatures of the witnesses below
30, 1896. Father Silvino Lopez Tunon explains that  : The document is in his normal handwriting
the body of Doctor Rizal received ecclesiastical  : the signature is normal
burial.”  : no one can write his name five times exactly the
same
 : there is always difference in the form The narrative does not mention the document of
two important things to remember when examining retraction was signed by Rizal with witnesses, but
handwriting nevertheless it appears signed not only by Rizal but
 a man in writing puts a lot of unconscious by two witnesses.
characteristic which flow out of his hand 3
there are little tricks and curves
 a man’s signature varies a great deal from day to RIZAL'S
day, month to month and year to year, and liable to LAST HOURS:
change, and so on DEC 29 & 30
it is impossible to forge any other man’s writing in a 11
way that cannot be detected After Dusk:
 you cannot imitate 3 or 4 lines of writing without Fr. Balaguer returns
getting a lot of your own tricks into it Palma’s representation of the past as “…bias and
 you cannot copy all of the original writer’s own deep-seated prejudice…” Rizal did return to the
tricks accurately enough Catholic Church and this assertion has historical
evidence. The declarations made by Palma were
Observation on the document of Retraction of Dr. based on a misunderstanding of Rizal.
Jose Rizal 8
by : Dr. Jose del Rosario A. DOCUMENTS
1.The execution and writing movement in capital presented by: Group 9 X4A PI100 Summer 09-10
letters INLCUDING THE DIFFERENT Jessamine Carla Bautista, Kirby Dela Cruz, Gely
VARIETIES used as in the letter D,J,R, I, P, V, S, Ann Dela Paz, Benex Dayto, Norma Lazarte,
C, M, E, are all in natural form of letter used by Dr. Gliceryl Mae Manlangit
Rizal 12
2.The small letters h, p, d, r, o, g, I, j, a are all of the V. What if the retraction document is authentic?
handwriting of Rizal 2
3.The slant of writing is irregular and nearly vertical b. Marriage contract
in the writing of the Ultimo Adios because the The certificate of the canonical marriage of
paper used was too small, so the difference in slant Josephine Bracken with Rizal has never been
between the Ultimo adios and the normal was not a produced notwithstanding the demands of the
motive for doubting the genuineness of this writing family of Rizal.
4.All the other characteristics like the short ending Such historical inaccuracies referred by Mr. Palma
strokes show nothing to argue against the are not found in the Jesuit Narrative, thus
genuineness of the document confirming that the author did not himself
RIZAL's investigate the real authorship of the narrative.
RETRACTION - “No Documents, No History”
1. This statement damages the credibility of an c.Doubts on Father Balaguer's influence to Rizal?
ecclesiastic. Don Santiago Mataix from Heraldo de Madrid,
2. Lack of evidence talked with Rizal abour "studies, frolics of infancy,
3. Lying for the sake of friendship? and boys' stories..."
4. Gaspar Castano, Judge of the Real Audiencia in NICOLAS ZAFRA
Manila at the time of Rizal’s execution will be JOSE PALMA
questioned of his credibility where for the sake of Omission of certain details in a document is per se
friendship with the ecclesiastics will lie about not a valid cause for rejecting the document.
Rizal’s retraction. a.What would he gain if he was converted?
Palma's Heaven?
THE HISTORICITY OF RIZAL'S Although Rizal believed in God, he did not believe
RETRACTION in heaven, as a result of long study and meditation.
Zafra's Image of Sacred Heart- carved by Rizal when he
- one must study his/her character, reputation, was still studying in Ateneo, was brought to him by
background, interests, prejudices and sense of Fr. Miguel Saderra Mata and Fr. Luis Viza
values. 10
Rizal rested Writing of the letter of retraction
- Palma did not question genuineness, Zafra presentation created by: Jesamine Carla Bautista
assumed authentic 7
It would stain his clean record – and subject him to OTHER
the remorse of having become, at the last hour, a discussion between the Jesuits and Rizal
renegade of his own convictions. b.What harm could it bring to him if he was
•La Muerte Cristiana del Dr. Rizal, 1907 converted?
confessed for the third time, prayed the rosary, read 6
the psalm and Kempis, communed, and asked to be 5
given a mass 1:30 am, Dec 30 Prayed and meditated, confessed to
Containing some puerile matters does not invalidate Fr. Vilaclara
the documents. If document is genuine, the identity of the author is
presented by: Group 9, PI 100 X4A, Summer 09-10 not that important.
Jessamine Carla Bautista, Benex Dayto, Kirby Dela
Cruz, Gely Ann Dela Paz, Norma Lazarte, Gliceryl
Mae Manlangit
Father Balaguer performed their marriage

The narrative is composed in such a puerile manner

that reads like a story intended for children.
1. The narrative is anonymous.
If, from the conversion of Rizal, we pass to other
parts of the booklet, we would see that it does not
deserve credence because the facts it narrates have
not been conscientiously investigated.
video courtesy of "Bayaning Third World, 2000"
Fathers Vilaclara, Balaguer Viza, and Tillot
remained with him for the night
- For Father Balaguer and Captain Dominguez
reasonable level of accuracy
- For Father Viza vagaries of memories
a. Rizal's Handwriting and Signatures
If it could be proven that the text as well as the
signature of Rizal is genuine and authentic, the
document would prove Rizal’s abjuration of
masonry but not his conversion. It would also prove
that if Rizal abjured his religious ideas, he did not
abjure his political ideas.
9
Father Balaguer was a simple missionary who
might have sufficient intelligence to convert pagans
and ignorant persons but not to change the ideas of
Rizal on matters which Rizal had investigated and
studied more profoundly than many priests. Rizal
was conscious of his intellectual superiority over
many of his former professors, and to pretend that
Father Balaguer converted him with arguments of
the old school is certainly an insult to Rizal’s
intelligence and character.
Rested and meditated, confessed again
4