Untitled

• José Rizal, the Philippine national hero, was sentenced to death by a court-martial for alleged rebellion, sedition, and conspiracy against the Spanish colonial government in the Philippines


  December 26, 1896
• Retraction


  Document in which Rizal retracted and denounced the anti-Catholic and anti-friar opinions expressed in his writings, particularly in his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo
• Rizal wrote and signed the "Retraction" or "Retractación"


  December 29, 1896
• In the retraction, Rizal declared his recognition of the Catholic Church as the only true religion and condemned the dissemination of his earlier anti-Catholic writings
• Rizal expressed his desire to be reconciled with the Church and to receive the Sacraments before his execution
• José Rizal was executed by firing squad at Bagumbayan (now Rizal Park) in Manila, at the age of 35


  December 30, 1896
• The authenticity and sincerity of Rizal's retraction have been debated by historians and scholars
• Perspectives on Rizal's retraction

  • Genuine act of repentance and reconciliation with the Church
  • Coerced or written under duress, as Rizal was facing imminent execution
• Regardless of the circumstances, Rizal's retraction had a significant impact on his legacy and his standing within the Catholic Church in the Philippines
• Magellan's expedition sighted the Marianas Islands


  March 16, 1521
• They landed on the uninhabited island of Homonhon (at 10°N latitude), which Magellan named "Islands of Saint Lazarus"


  March 17, 1521
• The expedition left Homonhon, sailing towards the west-southwest, passing by the islands of Leyte ("Cenalo"), Hinunangan, Hibuson, and Albarien

  March 25, 1521
• They anchored off the island of Limasawa (called "Mazaua" by Pigafetta, at 9°40'N latitude), where they saw a light the previous night


  March 28, 1521 (Holy Thursday)
• The first Catholic Mass in the Philippines was celebrated on Limasawa island, attended by the kings of Limasawa and Butuan


  March 31, 1521 (Easter Sunday)
• The expedition left Limasawa, guided by the king of Limasawa, towards Cebu, passing by several islands including Bohol and the Camotes group


  April 4, 1521
• They arrived in Cebu

  April 7, 1521
• The controversy arises from conflicting interpretations of the primary sources (accounts by Pigafetta and Albo) and the lack of explicit mention of Butuan's distinct geography (river) in Pigafetta's account of the first Mass event
• Perspectives on the location of the first Catholic Mass in the Philippines

  • Butuan
  • Limasawa
• For centuries, Butuan was believed to be the site of the first Mass celebrated during the Magellan expedition in 1521
• In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, scholars re-examined the available evidence more closely, and Pigafetta's detailed account and latitude details pointed to the island of Limasawa as being more likely the true site of the first Mass
• An eyewitness account from 2011 by a Spanish sergeant named Federico Moreno provided an alternative perspective, stating that Rizal refused to sign a pre-written retraction presented by priests and instead wrote his own document hours before his execution
• The debate continues between the Butuan and Limasawa claims, with both sides presenting evidence from historical sources and scholarly interpretations to make their case for the authentic location of this seminal event in Philippine historical and religious origins