The Shoes of the Fisherman Page #2

Well, I was shocked.

Were you ill-treated

during your confinement?

Not for a long time now.

More recently, I've been

working in heavy industry.

To that extent, then, you did

submit yourself to the system?

Insofar, Mr. Faber, as

any system provides...

...bread, work and dignity, I am

prepared to cooperate with it.

These things are good in themselves,

whether they exist in Rome or in Siberia.

And bread, work and dignity

do exist in Siberia.

Were you permitted to practice

your ministry as a priest?

No, I... I practiced it without

permission, among my fellow prisoners.

Do you see any hope for the

day when Christian faith...

...specifically, the Roman Catholic faith

may be practiced in Marxist countries?

I have no inside information...

...as to how the kingdom of God

is going to be established.

Well, that's enough. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

I think, Eminence, you may

have caught yourself a Tartar.

I think we may have caught a Christian.

Oh, thank you.

The most Reverend Kiril Lakota,

Metropolitan Archbishop of Lvov.

Our brother Kiril.

Twenty years, and God has

given him back to us.

- Sit down, sit down.

- Thank you, Holiness.

- You are well, strong?

- I am very well, Holiness.

- You had a good journey?

- Very good.

You were properly received here?

Your rooms are comfortable?

Oh, I'm treated like a prince.

As, indeed, you are.

Now we announce it.

Our brother Kiril is

created cardinal priest...

in the title of St. Athanasius.

Your Holiness...

...I beg you to dispense

me from this honor.

You do not know me.

You cannot know what the

years have done to me.

But why? It is the highest

honor we can bestow.

You have served the faith. Defended it.

I do not wish to dispute authority.

But I can be of no use to you here.

That is for us to decide.

In any future dealings with the

Kremlin, you may be invaluable.

We have arranged for you to work

here in our Secretariat of State.

Excellency, you must take

your place with us now.

I beg, Your Holiness...

...to give me a simple mission

where I can be with simple men.

I think we need to be private

a while with Brother Kiril.

There is a legend about you that once

you were asked to deny the faith.

And they tied up seven

priests and shot them.

Shot them before your eyes.

And still you would not deny the faith.

Is that story true?

I try not to look back on

that or other days, Holiness.

God is with you, my brother.

I believe that God has sent you.

Trust us to make the best use of you.

But first, you must still be honored.

Kneel.

You are created cardinal priest

in the title of St. Athanasius.

- Lydia. Lydia.

- Excuse me, madame.

Oh, there you are.

- Marchesa.

- Hello, Mr. Faber.

Do you have a cigarette?

I was telling this young woman she

should settle down and get married.

Don't you agree, Mr. Faber?

I don't presume to give

advice to young women.

They very seldom take it, anyway.

You are very discreet.

A necessary virtue.

Rome's a very small town.

And it's full of gossip.

Lydia worries about me, George.

You're very lucky to have

such a solicitous friend.

I am an old-fashioned woman, Mr. Faber.

I believe in life, love and

the pursuit of happiness.

But you have to know the rules of the game.

You mustn't underrate my husband, Marchesa.

He knows all the rules.

Dr. Faber.

Mario, get some drinks or something.

I'm sorry to be late, but half

Rome seems to have scarlet fever.

Oh, don't worry. I'm

well-washed and disinfected.

How are you?

Oh, I'm fine.

- I came with Mario.

- Yes, I saw.

He's very handsome. Don't

you think so, George?

Yes, he's very handsome.

How old is he?

Well, I think you ought to

ask him yourself, Ruth.

I'm sure that Marchesa would be

glad to give you an introduction.

Oh, no.

Whatever else I may be, I'm

a realist about my age.

Excuse me, Marchesa.

George.

Marchesa.

Chiara.

You see, she's really awfully mean to him.

- You're very witty tonight.

- Thank you.

I didn't mean it as a compliment.

You mean, you don't approve of me?

I don't, Ruth, when you're

unreasonably jealous.

I'm unreasonably jealous because

jealousy makes me unreasonable.

- Your Eminence.

- May I come in?

Please do.

- Am I interrupting something?

- Not at all.

My congratulations.

Thank you.

- May I have your coat?

- Please.

What a surprise.

This calls for a celebration.

May I offer you a drink?

Oh, that would be nice.

Frascati.

What...? What is that?

I found it in the Vatican Museum.

This is a vegetable.

- Only a thousand years young.

- Oh, really?

But this is lovely here, this fish.

- More than 200 million years old.

- No?

Father, are you sure you are

getting the best medical care?

The doctors, they don't know anything.

They're like auto mechanics.

- Why don't you sit down.

- Oh, no, don't be silly.

- Sorry for the mess.

- Thank you.

So your hearing is set for tomorrow, huh?

Ten-thirty. Did you have a

chance to read my book?

Yes, I did.

Well, I'm not going to die from the truth.

I found very little of the Christian

faith as I know it, in your book.

For 20 years, that faith

alone kept me alive.

Go on.

I found it...

...speculative, dangerous...

...and full of...

- Heresy

- It...

It challenges the faith.

For instance, Jesus Christ speaks

of the redemption of the soul.

I find not one mention of the

word "soul" in your writings.

But it's there, only under another name!

Why change a name if

you're not afraid of it?

To express in modern terms...

reality and truth more clearly.

Well, Father, if you truly believe that...

...why did you remain a priest?

- Are you accusing me of dishonesty?

- I'm not accusing you of anything.

That is for you to answer.

But are you sure you are

honest with yourself?

I'm under a death sentence. I

cannot afford to be otherwise.

- May I offer you another drink?

- No. No, thank you.

You know, David, for many men, belief

is a place to crawl for safety.

Of course, they will fear and accuse you.

Your writings are a danger to their safety.

I'm not afraid of being accused.

I'm only afraid of being silenced.

You know, even God has not spoken His

last word about His own creation.

Would you like to hear some Shostakovich?

That would be fine.

Eminence, you are destroying

me before the commission does.

Oh, David, that was not my intention.

No, as a matter of fact, after

I read your book last night...

...I couldn't sleep.

I saw a brilliant mind reaching out

to the last frontiers of thought.

A place where I wouldn't venture.

I came to wish you well tomorrow.

I will say my mass for you.

Thank you.

This...

...is Father Telemond.

So this is a commission,

and not a tribunal.

Its object is to examine the

content of your works...

...to see if they conform to

fundamental Christian doctrine.

You, yourself, are not on trial.

And I beg you to believe your presence

here is no reflection on your reputation.

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