The Reluctant Saint Page #2

God bless you, my friend.

Alms for St. Francis!

Alms for St. Francis!

Alms for St. Francis!

Hey! Look what l found!

Hey!

Leave it alone!

Hey!

Leave it alone!

That belongs to the monastery!

Leave it alone!

Stop!

That's enough!

Let him go!

Let's go!

Hey, boys!

How do l look?

Well done, my brothers.

Well done.

lt's good to see that Christian charity

isn't dead in the world.

Father Raspi, it was such

a rewarding experience.

Now we know what

you mean by true humility.

Praise the Lord for that.

Take them to Brother Leo.

Who is it?

Who are you?

What are you--

Your cassock...

Your sandals!

The donkey!

What happened?

Oh, Mother of Mercy.

l tell you, Father,

this man has demoralized

the entire monastery!

He's got to go back

where he came from!

Father, l beg you!

Be a little more patient!

What could Giuseppe do?

There are alleys in Lecce

where the devil himself would not go.

We should thank God

he came back alive!

Our friars have been begging

in the streets of Lecce

for three centuries, Father.

They've always been welcomed -

and respected.

Then why not Giuseppe?!

Because he's a magnet for trouble!

What other explanation is there?

Where is it?

What?

The donkey!

You sold it, didn't you?

- No, l didn't!

- Don't lie!

You sold it in Lecce!

What did you do

with the money?

l don't know.

l told you before -

l don't know what happened

to that donkey.

Have you been to confession?

Yes...this morning.

Who did you go to?

- Not Father Raspi.

- No.

He'll never forgive you.

You're stupid! You know that?

Everybody says so.

All the friars!

l've got this,

but you've got a crack here.

You don't belong here.

You get to work everywhere -

in the kitchen, in the garden,

here in this beautiful cloister.

And me?

A stable boy shoveling dung all day.

l would love to work in the stables.

l think it's wonderful.

Oh, how stupid you really are.

And if it wasn't for your uncle

l'd be here doing your job

and you'd be in the stables

with the donkeys, where you belong!

Look!

A swallows' nest!

And you better get rid of it!

That statue is 200 years old.

Look.

Stupid! Take them down!

No.

lt's too young; it can't fly.

l don't think the Madonna will mind.

Giuseppe!

Come up here at once!

Come in.

For you, Father Guardian.

Thank you, Father.

Come in, Giuseppe.

This letter just came.

lt is from your mother.

She needs you...

Your father died last night.

And so he is gone.

For all of his faults,

he was a good man.

You know something, Giuseppe?

He loved you

more than he loved me.

Would you believe it?

My life is easier now.

Your father was

a wonderful man to love,

but not to live with.

There comes a time when living

is more important than loving.

When he was alive

l could not sleep

from wondering where he was.

Now l know.

And l know where you are.

Are you happy at Martina?

Yes.

How handsome you are

in your brown robes.

You opened their eyes

at the funeral.

They learned their lesson today.

- Who?

- The whole town.

For years they said

you'd turn into a drunken slob

like your father.

But today we show them.

lf only my brother

could have been there too.

Father Guardian.

l have a letter for you...

from Uncle Giovanni.

No!

No, they can't!

l won't let them!

They can't do this to me!

What is it?

They have thrown you out!

They don't want you back

because you are an idiot.

You have been nothing but trouble

since the day you got there.

Since the day you were born!

What have you done this time?

Tell me...

Answer.

l broke a statue.

For breaking a little statue

they throw you out like a dog?

lt wasn't little, it was big.

lt was bigger than you.

lt was...

And over 200 years old.

Two hundred!

An old piece of junk.

And for this they wreck

a human life?

We will see about this.

A fine brother l've got.

Come on.

Come on.

Stop it.

Tell the Father Guardian

his sister is here.

No women allowed.

Mama, they are singing vespers.

lt's sacrilege.

Come on!

Giovanni!

Giovanni!

Ah, there you are.

Shhh...

You're in the presence

of the Blessed Sacrament.

We will talk outside.

No! Here!

Giuseppe.

Who knows the heart

of a mother better than God?

Giuseppe, come here!

My son, your nephew,

flesh of your flesh -

what have you done to him?

- Francesca.

- What sin did he commit?

Murder, blasphemy, adultery?

Why did you throw him out?

Francesca, l didn't--

Who do you think you are?

The Pope?!

You, of all people.

My son broke a statue!

And what about you, Giovanni?

Remember Giancarlo's saloon

on your 18th birthday?

You broke every glass, every bottle,

every chair in the place!

Shall l go on, Father Guardian?

Remember all those

poor people--

Out! That's enough!

What about Giuseppe?

Does he stay?

We will discuss it in my office.

Stay and sing with your brothers.

Gobbo!

Things were different

when l was in charge here.

You look wonderful.

You think so?

Like a private gardener!

Oh, yeah?

How is it in back?

Oh, it doesn't show at all.

How are things in the kitchen?

See for yourself.

No more callouses,

no dirty fingernails,

and the best of food.

l'm happy for you.

You're jealous

because l took away your job.

No! You are wrong!

l'm happy here.

l have my home, my family.

Home? A pig stye?

You're in trouble again.

You know who's coming tomorrow?

No.

The Vicar General

of the Franciscan Order -

Bishop Durso himself -

to make his annual inspection.

ls that true?

You know what that means?

lt means the stable had better

be clean or out you go.

And this time

running home to mama won't help.

l've been too busy.

l will try to catch up tonight.

lt's too late now.

lt's hopeless.

Hopeless!

The stalls are filthy.

There's nothing for goats

and donkeys to live in.

Please, leave me alone.

l don't want to be thrown out again.

Please, l have to work.

What's this doing on the ground?

There's a place for the harness.

lt's supposed to hang on the wall.

Gobbo!

Get out of here!

Get out!

Get out of here!

Get out of here!

Forgive me.

Forgive me.

l shouldn't have done that.

The finest wine in ltaly.

Don't forget me at Christmas time.

This will be our greatest harvest.

The friars in Sicily

grow a fatter olive.

Let me show you

our lemon groves.

Are we near the stables?

Your Excellency, you haven't seen the

strawberries or the vegetable garden.

Later, later.

The wine press?

Take me to the stables.

This way, Your Excellency.

Not very tidy, l must say.

Who is in charge here?

Brother Giuseppe, my nephew.

Who's that?

A pig, Your Excellency.

Yes, of course.

Hard at work, l see.

Allow me, Your Excellency.

Wake up!

How do you

explain all this, Giuseppe?

Well?!

No...

Yes.

Show me!

They were late, Your Excellency.

l almost lost their mother.

She has been sick all week.

What man of you, having 100 sheep

and losing one of them

does not leave the 99 in the desert

and go after that

which is lost until he finds it?

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