Did Rizal Retracted? Pi's Statement

On the eve of the day when Dr. Rizal was put in the chapel, that is, on December the twenty-eight, I received the commission, which Archbishop Nozaleda entrusted to the Jesuit Fathers, for the spiritual care of the convict. We accept it most eagerly, not only because it came from the venerable Prelate, but especially because of its object was to reconcile with God and with the Church, and to save the soul of him who had our very distinguished and dear pupil. Rizal had always preserved for us, the Jesuits, a special esteem and affection even after his enstrangement from the Church and had rendered us good service....  

1. What underlying theme can be inferred from the Jesuit Fathers’ eagerness to accept the commission regarding Dr. Rizal?

• Their desire for political influence in the community.

• Their commitment to spiritual reconciliation and salvation.

  
  

• Their intent to publicly honor Dr. Rizal’s achievements.

  
  

• Their belief in the necessity of enforcing Church doctrine.

  
  

 Even though I myself, who had not been acquainted personally with Rizal, did not visit him. All the Fathers who remained with him during his stay in the chapel or who accompanied him to Bagumbayan, the place of the execution, went there at my request or with my knowledge, and they kept me informed of all the happenings…

2. What does Fr. Pio Pi’s choice to not visit Dr. Rizal suggest about his role in the situation?

• He was indifferent to Rizal’s fate.

  
  

•  He prioritized delegation and communication over personal involvement.

  
  

• He lacked the authority to intervene in Rizal's case.

  
  

• He had strong objections to the actions of the Jesuit Fathers.

  
  

In regard to conversion, at the beginning not a little difficulty was found in convincing and persuading him. A long discussion, to which he maintained principally with Father Balaguer, became necessary in order to revive in that oul the faith of old and his Christian sentiments. At last, Be surrendered so willingly and so completely, and the Proof, of religiousness and piety were such and so many thay with much less, the most exacting person would have been satisfied. He was right indeed when he said, wondering a the change wrought in himself, that he was the Rizal of some time ago, but another entirely different…

3. What does the transformation of Rizal, as described in the excerpt, suggest about the nature of his conversion?

•  It was a superficial change motivated by influence.

  
  

• It lacked any significant emotional or spiritual impact.

• It was a result of pressure rather than personal belief.

  
  

• It involved a deep and genuine revival of his faith and sentiments.

  
  

When the retraction was to be subscribed to, he found certain objections in the form of the composition Presented by Father Balaguer, the one sent by the Archbishop. The one which I had made was shorter although conclusive, and this pleased him. Nevertheless, to make it appear more of his own and spontaneous, he wished to introduce some little modifications. He wrote it entirely in his own hand and signed it with a steady hand... Beneath Rizal’s signature, the Chief of the Picket, Juan del Fresno, and the Adjutant of the Plaza, Eloy Moure, also signed as witnesses.

4. What does Rizal’s decision to introduce modifications to the retraction document reveal about his attitude towards the act of retraction?

• He sought to personalize the retraction to reflect his genuine feelings.

  
  

• He was unwilling to take full responsibility for his beliefs.

  
  

• He was motivated by a desire to please the authorities.

  
  

• He preferred a more elaborate and complex expression of his thoughts.

  
  

Not satisfied with signing so explicit an adjuration, Rizal himself, without pressure from anyone, took into his hands his own document and knelt down before the altar of the chapel. Aloud and slowly, and even with a certain solemnity, he read his own retraction... 

5. What does Rizal’s act of reading his own retraction aloud before the altar indicate about his emotional state at that moment?

• He felt compelled by external pressure to comply.

  
  

• He was indifferent to the significance of the retraction.

  
  

• He experienced a sense of personal conviction and solemnity in the act.

• He sought validation from the witnesses present.