Padre Florentino (Major Character)

A secular Filipino priest. Pressured by his mother, he became a priest even though he was in love. After his former sweetheart married a worthless man, he devoted himself to his priestly duties and the study of natural sciences. He prefers to live alone on his family's remote seaside property than to maintain the position of curate, which suggests his strong character in avoiding the temptations of a prestigious position and high income. Through his words to the dying Simoun, he reaffirms Rizal's stance that liberation must be achieved not through bloody revolution but through peaceful reforms.