Summary
In a turbulent region of Mexico, the Catholic Church has been prohibited by law, forcing its clergy into hiding under the threat of execution. Despite the crackdown, a lone priest continues to travel discreetly between villages, performing religious duties and offering Mass. Driven by revolutionary zeal and a deep-seated hatred of the clergy, a young police lieutenant persuades his superior to authorize a manhunt for the priest, whom the state deems a traitor.
The Hunt Begins
In the police station, two photographs are displayed side by side. One depicts an American bank robber, infamous for killing several Texas lawmen; the other shows the elusive priest. The irony of their juxtaposition escapes notice, especially that of the lieutenant, who is singularly focused on capturing the cleric. Meanwhile, as the officer gains the green light to pursue the priest, unbeknownst to him, the priest is already in a nearby village, hoping to reach a boat bound for Vera Cruz and safety.
A Call to Duty
Just before he can board the vessel, the priest learns that an Indian woman is gravely ill and in need of last rites, miles inland. True to his vocation, he sets off on a mule to perform his religious duty, aware that this may cost him his chance of escape. In the vicinity is another priest, Father José, who, unlike him, has renounced his vows and taken a wife, escaping the authorities' notice as a result. Father José’s renunciation leaves him disgraced in the eyes of the Church, but it ensures his safety from persecution.
Flight and Reflection
After fulfilling his duty, the priest returns to the coast and seeks shelter in a banana warehouse, aided by the English plantation manager. The next morning, he sets out to find refuge inland, evading both the police and the radical Red Shirts. As he journeys, the priest reflects on his life, feeling himself to be an inadequate representative of his faith. Known as a "whiskey priest," he struggles with alcoholism and has fathered a child in a moment of weakness, yet remains committed to his clerical duties, not out of a desire for martyrdom but because he knows no other life.
Encounters with the Past
After twelve hours of arduous travel, he arrives in the village where his former lover and their child reside. The woman offers him a place to stay for the night, and the next morning, he conducts Mass for the villagers. His past sins inadvertently provide him a cover when the police arrive; his lover claims him as her husband, and their daughter recognizes him as her father, allowing him to evade capture. However, the police adopt a ruthless tactic, taking hostages from every village and executing one if the priest is not found in a set time, pressuring the villagers to betray him.
New Allies and Betrayals
After narrowly escaping, the priest encounters a mestizo who joins him on his journey. The mestizo soon realizes the priest is the fugitive, yet promises not to betray him, though the priest fears the reward of seven hundred pesos will prove too tempting for the impoverished man.
Captured by Weakness
Upon reaching a town, the priest's own vices lead him into trouble. Desperate for alcohol, he illegally procures a drink, a dangerous act in itself. This indiscretion exposes him to the revolutionary Red Shirts, who pursue and ultimately capture him. Fortunately, the police do not recognize him, but his lack of funds results in his imprisonment to work off his fine.
An Unexpected Ally
The lieutenant, fervently searching for the priest, unknowingly aids him. Observing the ragged...
(This entire section contains 872 words.)
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old man laboring in the jail, he engages in conversation, and the priest claims to be a homeless vagrant. Moved by the man's plight, the lieutenant releases him and gifts him five pesos. The priest resumes his flight, traveling through the countryside in search of temporary refuge. His path crosses with an Indian woman, who, in broken Spanish, communicates her child's distress. On investigation, the priest discovers the child has been shot, likely by the American bandit.
Back to the Beginning
After providing comfort to the injured child, the priest continues his escape, crossing into a neighboring state where a German plantation owner offers him sanctuary. Planning to seek guidance from his bishop in the city, his plans are thwarted when the mestizo reappears, claiming the dying American bandit requests the priest’s presence. Despite suspecting a trap, the priest answers the call, knowing the bandit lies within the state from which he fled, where the police await his arrival.
Final Capture and Endurance
Upon the bandit’s death, the authorities swiftly arrest the priest, transporting him back to the state's capital for a trial, where he is convicted of treason and sentenced to execution. The lieutenant, conflicted by his duty and a sense of pity, attempts to arrange for Father José to hear the priest’s last confession, but fear of repercussions keeps Father José away. The priest faces execution without the Church’s final sacraments. However, the lieutenant’s efforts to eradicate the Church’s influence are in vain; the very day of the priest’s execution, a new priest quietly enters the town, continuing the Church's enduring presence.
