Rizal’s family opposed the marriage of Jose Rizal and Josephine Bracken for several reasons:
- They suspected Josephine Bracken was a spy sent by the Spanish authorities. This suspicion arose because of her foreign origin and the tense political context surrounding Rizal, who was under Spanish colonial scrutiny. Rizal’s sisters and other family members were wary and distrustful of her motives.
- Josephine Bracken was a foreigner and non-Catholic, which made her less acceptable to the deeply Catholic Rizal family. They were concerned about religious differences and social acceptance.
- There was also opposition from Rizal’s mother, who feared that Rizal could not provide Josephine with an adequate standard of living in exile. The relationship was considered scandalous by the strict Catholic community, since Rizal and Josephine lived as husband and wife without official church recognition for some time.
- Attempts by Rizal to marry Josephine faced challenges, including opposition from church officials due to Rizal's political writings and Masonic affiliations, further complicating acceptance of their union.
In summary, the Rizal family's opposition was grounded in distrust of Josephine’s background and allegiance, religious and cultural differences, and concerns over Rizal’s capacity to support her properly under the difficult political and social conditions they faced.
