Flame Pillar of Rizal

3 Marriage Proposals

As many saying and belief in many articles that Rizal proposed marriage only to two women (Leonor Rivera and Josephine Bracken) he loved, opinion as they were, it just a wrong guess to conclude.

Not two but THREE women offered his marriage proposal with different reasons and results.

Leonor Rivera, one of his greatest love, was the first but failed owing to the bad news brought to Rizal on the early part of December 1890. That his lifetime girfriend will be married an Englishman, unwillingly, chosen for her by his ill mother. A thirteen years secret relationship that put to end without knowing the real circumstances they were. In short, an immortal "Romeo and Juliet" scent in their last breath of love - lasting forever.

Before the bad news, Rizal never take opportunity to drown his heart to every women in Europe even a million miles away and rare communication at all because of his pure heart lived forever for Leonor, and willingly to marry her whenever the troubles no more and lifetime tasks never will be.

Perhaps, it's was his promise for her to marry an ideal woman.

Second proposal was Nellie Boustead, after Rizal's down-hearted with Leonor, gradually lived in heartwave again.

For the information to everybody especially to the young Filipina out there, according to Rizal, Nellie was an ideal of real Filipina (a modern Filipina that would suit), virtuous; intelligent; and full of life.

But how about a real man, who doesn't change his mind and a victim of wrong chances, like Rizal?

As a result, Rizal was failed again in their love affair because Nellie was a devout Protestant; the mother of Nellie was never like Rizal for their love affair; the minimal financial status of Rizal; and the news that Rizal was a heretic. (It was discussed this part earlier in "Rizal was not a Playboy").

The third and last one was Josephine Bracken when Rizal exiled at Dapitan.

It's the one of the controversial issue regarding his marriage to Josephine. If he truly married Josephine, he returned back to Catholic, and also until his death he would have a decent burial. It was Rizal who insisted to avoid retraction (withdraw his religious errors and return to Catholic faith) until his trial that never remove his universality of mind and soul. So, he backed down the church wedding to become legal. Nevertheless, he declared himself married to Josephine in private rites or common-law marriage. It could be that they united themselves before the Heaven as husband and wife.

Josephine Bracken, the woman who shall be with him 'til his last days on earth.

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