Daens Page #7

Mr President, I wish to speak.

Ask the pope!

Let him talk. Respect your priests.

Mister Daens, you have

seen who your friends are.

My dear parishioners, it is our great regret

that we have to ban the writings

by the Daens brothers for all of you.

Or we will lose our eternal soul.

Dear parishioners,

let us pray that this ban

imposed by our dear bishop

may lead our lost

sheep back to the right trail.

Nette is ill!

We need money urgently, Adolf.

Your allowance is enough for food,

but it can't support a party.

We'll have to get

organized like the socialists,

with our own bakery, own weaving mill

and even a savings bank so

people get paid, even when ill.

Pieter, that's not the problem now.

I got orders.

The pope wants me to resign.

That's impossible!

All these people fought for you and voted for you.

These people fought for a cause,

like you and I, not for a person.

My superiors force me to silence

but that doesn't ruin the cause.

Without you it will, you know it.

Pier, want some more?

Friends, I just met the socialists.

Their cooperative needs 20 people immediately.

Jan will tell you more.

Comrades, we'll pay 10 francs and soup.

But we have soup.

But not 10 francs. Come let's go.

Women take the flags!

No! No flags!

Those who want it, can work for

the socialists, but not as Daensists.

No Christian flag over there.

Religion doesn't butter our bread.

My son lost his job because I spoke to you.

We mustn't forget the

socialists are our enemies.

We'll vote for you again.

Why do you say that, Father?

The socialists are workers like us.

Who beats us up?

The directors, the Bucks.

The bishops give you a hard time.

Why do you stay with them?

Why do you obey them?

Just you, trying to get us out of the sh*t.

Why can't you stand their divergency?

We must endure more.

Nette...

do not abandon our Lord.

If you don't abandon us.

Nette, hey, don't worry.

He is a priest forever.

How would you know?

- I don't get you.

You can see he's trying to save his skin.

That's not true.

Nette, wait!

Your Daens is a bastard. You hear?

Without us he is nothing. A nobody.

Damn it! Nette, I love you.

No, don't be afraid.

Our dear director of missions

has chosen him specially for me.

Which tribe does he belong to?

- He's a Baluba, Sire, from Kassai.

Sire, isn't he dangerous?

Don't fear. He's gentle, sociable.

Is he baptized?

- Yes, of course.

A better catholic than some whites.

By the way, Monseigneur,

have they finally put

an end to the Aalst scandal?

What about that priest?

- Mr Woeste knows, sire.

We have proposed a solution.

It's up to him to give the answer.

Well, Mr Woeste?

- It is not a real solution, sire.

Father Daens demands that his seat

be transferred to another Christian democrat.

It's out of the question.

Daens has to leave unconditionally.

The Christian democrats

spread the bed for socialism,

and since the Church doesn't act

efficiently, I will make the necessary moves.

Perfect, Mr Woeste.

Daens come on out if you dare!

- Come along to the cemetery.

The pit is ready.

Look, priest of the devil.

Look, what'll happen to you.

Step outside, priest!

So, we can hang you.

Are you scared, bastard?

Black crow, where are you?

Adolf Daens! Coward!

Show your faces, cowards!

We want your brother, printer.

Father Daens!

Come on, you coward.

To the printer's! Yes, go!

Burn the "Workman"!

The Bucks are attacking

the Daens'. They'll destroy everything.

Father, the Bucks!

- The Bucks? They're everywhere.

Better come with me!

What's going on?

- The Bucks.

They've been at your

brother's too. But nobody got hurt.

What is Pier going to do?

But Father!

Come on, Pier.

Why are you still here?

It's not so bad.

Pieter, listen to me

and don't talk back for once.

Stillemans will find me something.

Try to save whatever you can.

I'm pulling out.

Do it for Louise and the children.

"Autumn!

Under high, big trees

in a very dark wood,

where hardly anybody ever comes,

you'll find acorns spread on the moss.

Many clever young animals really like these acorns

for the fair when winter comes."

Our Father, who art in heaven

hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom

come. Thy will be done on earth and

in heaven. Give us our daily bread.

Our Father, who art in heaven...

- Your miracle won't work!

Let's go steak some beets.

- I'm coming, I'm hungry.

Father Daens? As abbot of this

convent, I must tell you that you are here

upon Monseigneur Stillemans' request.

You are lucky that we

respect the duty of obedience.

Don't forget that.

By the way...

Don't get any illusions about your flock here.

They are beyond your reach.

The only thing expected from you,

is that you read from the Bible,

because they can't read anymore.

You can start right away. The book is

open at the first letter to the Corinthians.

Our Father, who art in heaven

hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth

and in heaven.

Give us our daily bread.

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name...

My task is to spread God's Word,

but these men don't need it:

they are with God!

We're talking about you, not them!

Without the Church you are lost.

This was your last chance!

The Church has no

place for you anymore!

You are no longer a priest!

He didn't confess before he died.

He's a sinner, I can't bury

him. You know that very well.

Must we bury him like a dog?

This is a child, Father! - He's a thief,

everyone knows that. Age has nothing to do with it.

Who's that child?

It's Jefke, Father.

He was hungry.

He wanted to pinch

the meat from the wild animals.

Have his parents been told?

- He's got none.

He won't bury him.

Come, let me do it.

- You are no longer a priest.

You can't even wear the cloth.

What are you doing?

- Like you say...

Priesthood, Ponnet,

has nothing to do with an outfit.

Don't do it!

That's blasphemy! Adolf!

Our Father, who art in heaven...

Don't follow him.

It's a mortal sin.

The Church will destroy

you, like all heretics.

Friends, may be the

death of this innocent child,

murdered, by egotism and misery,

always remind us that, in this

turbulent struggle, there's only one enemy:

those who will exploit you;

and only one ally; those who are

suffering beside you and with you.

We'll call our first one Jefke.

Adolf Daens died in 1907

after a 2nd term in parliament.

He was buried on Monday at 9 a.m.

Only poor people were present,

women with black scarves, workers,

strikers and a silent crowd...

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