Rizal in Hong Kong

Ophthalmologist Business Card of Doctor Jose Rizal from Hong Kong End of 19 Century

Martyr

During his execution, a doctor tried to read Rizal’s heartbeat and blood pressure, the result was normal! Did he not feel afraid or frightened?! Or has he really been preparing for that a long time.

Following Rizal’s life and writings, it seems Jose Rizal really knew where his fate would end. He was really an architect, he has drawn where he was going, He was really an eye-doctor, he kinda saw what was happening.

Jose Rizal’s Son

Did Jose Rizal have a son? Did the genius hero have an heir? Dr. Jose Rizal was a freaking genius; he must have an heir so that his special genes and thousand of talents will continue from generation to generation.

“Unfortunately, Rizal and Josephine were not destined to have a child. One day in early March 1896, Rizal played a practical joke on Josephine, which frightened her terribly. As a result of her great fright, she gave birth prematurely to an eight-month baby boy.

The baby was very weak and was gasping for breath. Seeing the baby’s condition, Rizal immediately baptized him Francisco in honor of his father. He did everything he could to save the life of his infant son, but in vain. All his knowledge and skill as a physician could not save little Francisco. Sorrowfully, Rizal saw his child die three hours after birth.

Josephine Bracken

Did Jose Rizal really marry Josephine Bracken? Scholars say that there were no written accounts of the marriage between Rizal and Josephine, but Josephine claims that Rizal actually married him a day before his execution.

Some even says Josephine was a spy of the Spanish government.

One thing is for sure, Jose Rizal loved Josephine. He wrote some poems about her and his love for her. I think these controversies about Josephine Bracken are unreasonable. Every hero deserves a lover that is without a question.

Jose Rizal's Retraction

This has been the greatest controversy and most talked about and most debated about Rizal. Below is Rizal’s retraction letter originally written in Spanish translated into English. However the said retraction has some sorts of copy issues…quote issues and formula issues. Whether Jose Rizal has retracted or not, that’s still not proven.

I declare myself a catholic and in this Religion in which I was born and educated I wish to live and die.

El Filibusterismo - The Reign of Greed

El Filibusterismo

The second novel of Rizal, the continuation of Noli me Tangere, It was first published in 1891 in Ghent, Belgium, also written in Spanish, and soon been translated. El Filibusterismo has an English alternate title, The Reign of Greed, is a deeper depiction of what the first novel has symbolized and is about revenge and revolution. This novel was dedicated to the three-martyr-priest, GOMBURZA. Rizal however has written his dedication in memory of the three priests with their age and the date of their execution all wrongly.

Noli me Tangere

Jose Rizal’s first novel, Noli me Tangere, means “don't touch me” or “touch me not” is the Latin version of words spoken, according to John 20:17, by Jesus to Mary Magdalene when she recognizes him after his resurrection. The book was first published in 1887 in Berlin, Germany, originally written in Spanish but later been translated to different languages and made copies distributed around the world.

The title was controversial, and the novel itself created so much controversy that only a few days after his arrival in the Philippines, Jose Rizal was summoned the greatest enemy of the state in the 19th century. They even called him, a freemason, a sorcerer, a damned soul and evil. The novel depicted the Spanish abuse government to the Philippines.

Many characters in the Noli personify Rizal. Like Ibarra, Pilosopong Tasyo and Elias. But the last part portrays Rizal execution as if he already knew he’d be executed…