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On July 7, 1892 Rizal was summoned to
Malacanan.
Governor Despujol ask him if he still wanted
to go back to Hongkong. Rizal replied in the
affirmative.
When they arrived from Hongkong the
Governor-General produced some handbills
which were found in Lucia’s pillows.
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The incriminatory handbills were printed
copies of an anti-friar article entitled, “Pobres
Frailes (Poor Friars)” under the authorship of
Father Jacinto and bore the imprint of
“Imprenta de los Amigos Manila.”
This article was a satire against the rich
dominicans who amassed fabulous wealth
contrary to their vow of poverty.
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Rizal had published books and articles abroad
which showed disloyalty to Spain and which
were “frankly anti-Catholic” and “imprudently
anti-friar”.
A few hours after his arrival in Manila “there was
found in one of the packages . . . A bundle of
handbills entitled “Pobres Frailes” in which the
patient and humble generosity of Filipinos is
satirized, and which accusation is published
against the customs of the religious orders.”
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His novel El Filibusterismo was dedicated to
the memory of three “traitors” (Burgos,
Gomez, Zamora), and on the title page he
wrote that in view of the vices and errors of
the Spanish administration, “the only
salvation for the Philippines was separation
from the mother country.”
“The end which he pursues in his efforts and
writings is to tear from the loyal Filipino
breasts the treasures of our holy Catholic
faith.”
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The ship which brought Rizal to Dapitan also
carried a letter by Fr. Pablo Pastells, Superior
of the Jesuit Society in the Philippines to Fr.
Antonio Obach, Jesuit missionary of Dapitan.
Father Pastells informed the missionary that
Rizal could live in the Jesuit mission house on
the following conditions:
 That Rizal publicly retract his errors concerning
religion, and make statements that were clearly
pro-Spanish and against revolution.
 That he perform the church rites and make
general confession of his past life.
 That henceforth he conduct himself in an
exemplary manner as a Spanish subject and a man
of religion.
• Rizal did not agree with these conditions.
Consequently, he lived in the house of the
commandant, Captain Carnicero.
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It started when Fr. Pastells sent a book by Sarda
to Rizal, with an advice that the latter (Rizal)
should desist from his foolishness in trying to
view religion from the prism of individual
judgment and self-esteem.
This interesting debate between two brilliant
polemists ended inconclusively. Rizal could not
be convinced by Pastells’ arguments; thus he
lived in Dapitan beyond the pale of his Mother
Church.
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Rizal led and exemplary life, fruitful of
achievements and idyllic in serenity. The
members of his family took turns in visiting
him in order to assuage his loneliness in
Dapitan.
He built his own house by the seashore,
surrounded by a garden of fruit trees. He had
also another house for his school boys and a
hospital for his patients.
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All his available time he devoted to the
practice of medicine; his artistic, literary,
educational, linguistic and scientific pursuits;
to his agricultural and business activities; to
certain civic projects; and to his extensive
correspondence with Blumentrit, Joest, Rost,
Meyer, Knuttel, Kheil, and other scientists of
Europe.
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Rizal conducted his school at his home in
Talisay, near Dapitan, where he had his farm
and hospital.
His favorite rendezvous with his boys was
under a Talisay tree, after which the place was
named.
In honor of this tree, he wrote a poem
entitled Himmo A Talisay for his pupils to
sing.
The death of Leonor Rivera on August 28, 1893
left a poignant void in his heart. He needed
somebody to cheer him up in his lonely exile.
 In God’s own time, this somebody came to
Dapitan, like a sunbeam to dispel his melancholy
mood.
 She was a pretty Irish girl of sweet eighteen,
“slender, a chestnut blonde, with blue eyes,
dressed with elegant simplicity, with an
atmosphere of light gayety.”
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She was born in Hongkong, of Irish parents,
on October 3, 1876. Her mother died in
childbirth and she was adopted by an
american engineer Mr. Taufer, who later
became blind.
Josephine arrived in Dapitan in February 1895
with blind Mr. Taufer.
Rizal and Josephine fell in love with each
other at first sight.
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After a whirlwind romance of one month,
they agreed to marry. But father Obach, the
parish priest of Dapitan, refused to marry
them without the permission of the bishop of
Cebu.
Mr. Taufer flared up in violent rage and
returned to Hongkong alone. Josephine
stayed in Manila with Rizal’s family.
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Later she returned to Dapitan, since no priest
would marry them, Rizal and Josephine held
hands together and marry themselves before
the eyes of God.
They lived as man and wife.
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In the early part of 1896, Rizal was extremely
happy because Josephine was expecting a
baby. Unfortunately, he played a prank on
her, frightening her so that she prematurely
gave birth to an 8 month baby boy, who lived
only for 3 hours. This lost son of Rizal was
named Francisco, in honor of Don Francisco.