The Mission Page #3

I can't see any difference

between this plantation and my own.

That is the difference.

This plantation is theirs.

This is another difference.

A runaway slave. Bought by

a Spanish settler from a slave trader.

I see. Is that lawful?

Supply and demand is the law of trade.

- And the law of souls?

- What's a few cuts on the back...

...compared with what you offer them?

Torments of hell? Imprisoned souls?

Think of that, Your Eminence.

Father Ibaye, shall we continue?

What was your income last year?

Last year, 120,000 escudos.

And how was it distributed?

It is shared among them equally.

This is a community.

Yes, there is a French radical group

that teaches that doctrine.

Your Eminence, it was the doctrine

of the early Christians.

Well, I am inexpressibly impressed

by your achievement, Father.

- And will that save us?

- I hope it may, Father.

The court of Portugal is atheistic,

but you and I are Christian Catholics.

- And you serve a Christian king.

- Come, I also serve a Catholic king.

You serve the Marquis of Pombal,

who is hostile to the church...

...and rules your king.

I suggest we advise your king to postpone

the transfer of the mission territories...

...until Portugal guarantees

their survival.

And I suggest we do this

in the hope of heaven...

...through the intercession

of our merciful Redeemer.

In my opinion, the work of the

missions is the work of the devil.

They teach contempt for lawful profit,

and they disobey the king's authority.

The paramount vow of a Jesuit

is a vow of obedience.

Then let them obey.

Tell them, Your Eminence.

Am I disturbing you?

I fear I have bad tidings

from the Marquis of Pombal.

Between ourselves, I should like

to express my personal regret.

He is determined to destroy

the power of the church.

And your Christian community

is commercially competitive.

Yes. Its very prosperous.

Isn't that precisely why

you want to take it over?

You should've achieved a noble failure

if you wanted the state's approval.

There's nothing we like better

than a noble failure.

Its deeply reassuring

to a trading nation such as my own.

You're not going to read it?

I don't need to read it

to know what it contains.

So, what will you do?

As my conscience dictates.

What else?

He's been in there five hours.

Come with me to my mission

in San Carlos.

There are so many distractions here.

Its hard to see anything clearly.

I think that, there, your prayers

might meet with better fortune.

I think, there, God would tell you

what it would be good to do.

And he'd give you the strength

and the grace to do it...

...whatever it costs you.

The Garden of Eden.

Its a trifle overgrown.

Though I knew, in Europe, states were

tearing at the authority of the church...

... and though I knew that to

preserve itself there...

... the church must show

its authority over the Jesuits here...

... I had to wonder whether these

Indians would not have preferred...

... that the sea and wind

had not brought any of us to them.

They say they don't understand

what you mean.

They want you to speak more clearly.

What do you want them to do?

They must leave the mission.

They say the mission is their home.

They must learn to submit

to the will of God.

Tell them.

They say it was the will of God...

...that they left the jungle

and built the mission.

They don't understand

why God has changed his mind.

I cannot hope

to understand God's reasons.

He says, how does he know

you know God's will?

He thinks you speak not for God,

but for Portugal.

I do not personally speak for God,

but I speak for the church...

...which is God's instrument on earth.

- He says, speak to the king of Portugal.

- I have. He will not listen.

He said he is also a king.

He also will not listen.

He says they were wrong

ever to have trusted us.

- They're going to fight.

- You must persuade them not to fight.

I have failed to persuade you

to fight on their behalf.

If they do fight, it is absolutely

imperative that no one of you...

...should even seemed

to have encouraged them to do so.

And therefore, all of you will return

with me to Asuncin tomorrow.

If anyone should disobey this,

he will be excommunicated.

Cut off. Cast out.

Why must they fight?

- Why can't they return to the jungle?

- Because this is their home.

Did you know this was going

to be your decision?

- Yes.

- Then why did you come, Your Eminence?

To persuade you not to resist the

transfer of the mission territories.

If the Jesuits

resist the Portuguese...

...the Jesuit order

will be expelled from Portugal.

And if Portugal, then Spain,

France, Italy... Who knows?

If your order is to survive at all...

...the missions here

must be sacrificed.

What were they saying?

They said the devil

lives in the forest.

- They want to stay here.

- And what did you say?

I said ld stay with them.

I want to renounce

my vows of obedience.

Get out.

- I want to explain...

- Get out. I won't listen to you.

Just you?

No. Its Ralph and John too.

What do you want, captain,

an honorable death?

They want to live, Father.

They say that God has left them,

he's deserted them.

Has he?

- You shouldn't have become a priest.

- But I am, and they need me.

Then help them as a priest!

If you die with blood on your hands,

you betray everything we've done.

You promised your life to God.

And God is love!

Weren't you supposed

to be on guard last night?

Look what happened!

Get back there with the others.

They've taken three guns,

gunpowder, pistols...

...and I don't know what else.

Father, lve come

to ask you to bless me.

No.

If you're right,

you'll have God's blessing.

If you're wrong,

my blessing won't mean anything.

If might is right...

...then love has no place

in the world.

It may be so.

But I don't have the strength

to live in a world like that.

I can't bless you.

Down there. Down there.

Bring up both cannons.

Quickly. Quickly.

The other cannon as well.

Indians! Turn around!

Turn around! Face them!

Fire!

We'll have to move the cannon.

Move this cannon. Move it.

And that one.

Over there. Shoot the priest.

Get him!

- None of us wants to do this.

- Lm not interested. Get in position.

Row.

After him! Faster!

Don't let the priest get away!

After him!

Look out! The falls! Halt!

Back! Back! Halt!

Go back!

And you have the effrontery to tell me

that this slaughter was necessary?

I did what I had to do.

Given the legitimate purpose,

which you sanctioned...

...I would have to say, yes.

In truth, yes.

You had no alternative, Your Eminence.

We must work in the world.

The world is thus.

No, Seor Hontar...

...thus have we made the world.

Thus have I made it.

So, Your Holiness...

... now your priests are dead,

and I am left alive.

But, in truth, it is I who am dead,

and they who live.

For, as always, Your Holiness...

... the spirit of the dead

will survive...

... in the memory of the living.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote