Priest (1994) Movie Script
We feel early retirement
will be the most suitable thing for you.
Stay on at St. Mary's for a few months.
Stay 'til January.
It's time to move on,
old son.
It's time to move on.
l was planning
to replace him in the new year,
but in the light of the wind of it,
I decided to give him the push now.
There's a young priest
called Greg Pilkington.
Down south at the moment. Wants to come
up here, do his bit for the inner city.
- What's he like ?
- He's a wee bit more orthodox than you.
Mind you, Colonel Gaddafi'd be
a wee bit more orthodox than you.
Yes ?
Oh !
Put him through.
Hello. Yes.
Fine.
Yes, I've got that.
Uh-huh.
- Oh, come in, Father.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello, Father.
- Why did you do it ?
- Because he sacked me.
- Well, we've all got to go eventually.
- It was the way he did it.
I gave it my life. ln return,
I got a cup of tea, a biscuit...
and "It's time to move on, old son."
Oh, he looked up
from what he was writin'.
"It's time to move on,
old son."
Hi. Sorry I wasn't here
to meet you.
- Matthew Thomas.
- Greg Pilkington.
- Uh, Maria Kerrigan.
- Hello.
Hello.
- So, uh, tea ?
- Well, that would be nice.
Right.
Sitting Bull.
Nobility,
even in defeat.
So, uh,
she's our housekeeper ?
Yeah.
It's an article of faith-- isn't it--
somewhere between transubstantiation...
and papal infallibility:
Housekeepers must be ugly.
- Sorry.
Nice word:
scapegoat.
It dates back
to an old Jewish custom.
They used to invest all the sins
of the tribe into a goat.
Then kick it up the backside
so it escaped into the hills
taking all the sins with it.
And we've got
a scapegoat today.
It's that mythical beast
called society.
Drug addiction;
alcoholism;
gambling; prostitution;
violence.
They're not
our sins anymore.
They're not the fault
of the individual anymore.
They're society's fault.
- Well, I'm sorry,
I don't understand that.
What did you think ?
lnteresting.
You didn't like it.
I found it offensive.
You expect less of the people
because they live in a poor parish.
I find that offensive.
Patronizing.
Really ?
- Yes.
- Thanks.
- You didn't buy any drinks.
Matthew.
The creation of
mankind only started on the sixth day.
It hasn't stopped yet.
We're taller than we were
a thousand years ago.
We're fitter, faster.
We live longer.
We're better educated.
More informed.
So, creation...
is an ongoing process.
And if you interfere
with it,
aren't you spitting
in the face of God ?
If you exploit
your work force,
- don't you spit in the face of God ?
- You do.
If you kill and maim,
throw people out of their homes,
turn your back on the elderly,
if you shut down schools
and hospitals,
force people out
on the dole--
ln fact,
if you do anything...
to prevent one single human being
reaching their full potential,
aren't you interfering
in creation...
- and spitting in the face of God ?
- Yes.
That's what I believe.
That's my truth.
That's what made me
become a priest,
and makes me remain a priest.
The peace of the Lord
be with you always.
And also with you.
Let us offer each other
the sign of peace.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you, son.
Peace be with you.
Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you.
Peace be with you, Father.
- Peace be with you, Maggie.
- Peace be with you, Father.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you, Father.
I know what you're thinkin':
Any minute now, he'll take
his pants off.
Peace be with you.
It wasn't a sermon.
It was a party political broadcast
on behalf of the Labour Party.
- There's social sin
and there's personal sin.
- It's just sickening !
- I think we should put
more emphasis on the social.
- There's just sin.
Matthew, you can't change the
rules just because they don't
suit you; There's just sin.
Are you judging me ?
For God's sake,
get rid of her.
I was in South America
for four years.
ln the village
I was in,
you had to have a woman,
otherwise you were ignored.
So I got one,
fast.
Where is she now ?
She's still there.
- She served her purpose ?
- Well, that's what
you wanna hear, isn't it ?
So, yeah...
I dumped her.
You're very certain of yourself,
aren't you, Greg ?
- Well, I'm not.
- Yes !
- A few months in this parish,
you'll be a lot less certain.
- A few years--
- No, I've looked around
at other priests--
A few years and you'll be
utterly confused. A few years--
Those middle-aged trendy lefties
jumping up with excitement
every time a factory closed...
- or a war breaks out !
- A few years more and you might
learn a little bit of humility.
Spiritually empty, fastening
onto other people's misery,
fighting other people's fights !
Anything to fill the emptiness inside !
To hell with that !
We're priests. We're not bloody
social workers. We're priests !
Sacraments;
reconciliation;
moral guidance;
that's our job.
Moral guidance.
For God's sake, Matthew.
Moral guidance from a man
with a bit on the side.
If you're gonna judge,
you should know all the facts.
- We love each other.
He's asked me to marry him.
That means him leavin' the priesthood,
so I've said "No."
Oh, not because I'm a martyr
to the faith.
Because one day he might regret
it, and I don't want to see that
look in his eyes if he does.
Anything else
you should know ?
Oh, yeah.
I seduced him.
He didn't seduce me.
I've got a few bob
stashed away...
and I'm in a pension scheme in work,
so we won't be destitute
when he pops his clogs.
Anything else you want to know, I'll be
out there washin' your pots and pans,
takin' a scrubbin' brush
to your underpants.
Okay ?
I'm sorry.
Right.
Can I ask you
to be discreet ?
Of course.
I was thinking of doing
some home visits.
Counterproductive.
I disagree.
What the bloody hell
do ya think you're doin' ?
Nope.
You put it out there.
Holy water.
Hello. ls this a Catholic home
by any chance ?
Piss off !
Hello ?
- Hello ?
- Are you Catholic ?
- Are you Catholic ?
- Who is it ?
- Get down. Oh, look, no one's in, mate.
Come on.
- Hello.
- Hello.
Do come in.
Thank you.
- Hi.
- Hello.
- Please, sit down.
Thanks.
We're Jehovah Witnesses
actually.
Through this holy anointing,
may the Lord in His love--
- Through this holy anointing,
may the Lord in His love-- Sorry.
- Put him in here.
Through this holy anointing,
may the Lord in His love and mercy
help you with the grace...
of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
- May the Lord who frees you from
sin, save you and raise you up.
- Relatives stay here, please.
- Nurse, you can--
- That's my Dad.
I need to go in with him.
Let's all leave him here.
It'll be all right.
So, the Lord's my Shepherd,
then ?
- Yeah.
- And something more personal ?
- Did he have a favorite song ?
- Yeah.
He's gettin' cremated.
Oh, yeah.
It was
"Great Balls Of Fire."
- Two pints of lager.
You'll do yourself an injury.
- Hey, Fr. Greg !
- Oi.
Fr. Greg ! Fr. Greg !
Fr. Greg ! Fr. Greg !
- Come on, Father, give us a song.
- Fr. Greg ! Fr. Greg ! Fr. Greg !
A song ! Come on, Father,
give us a song !
Give us a song, Father.
Give us a song.
Uh... could I say,
could I say something instead ?
About tomorrow.
I don't want to put
a damper on things.
I know that people like
to take communion at a funeral,
and some of you might
feel that you can't.
ln the morning, I'll be in the
confessional just before we start,
and I promise
it won't get heavy.
- Or even now in the backyard
if you'd like.
- No way.
- Not in the backyard.
- Yes, well, I--
- I have put a damper
on things, haven't I ?
- No, you, come on, Father.
Come on. Hey, Bob.
Bob, go on and give us a song then.
Bobby ! Bobby !
Bobby ! Bobby ! Bobby !
Lovely. Go on, son.
He was a bastard, Father.
Never a day went by
without me wishin' him dead.
- But now he's gone, you miss him.
- I miss him.
I miss the bastard.
Will you absolve me,
Father ?
- There's nothing to absolve.
- Oh, please, Father ?
God the Father of mercies, through
the death and resurrection of His Son...
has reconciled the world to Himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us...
- for the forgiveness of sins.
- Good night, Father.
Matthew ?
Paper, mate ?
Here ya are, love.
A pint of bitter,
please.
Thank you.
Are you a Catholic ?
Takes one
to know one.
Bye.
Come in.
You, uh, you switched
the light off in the hall.
Yeah.
Yeah, well, uh...
I always keep it on.
"At my window a little light
will keep burning.
All may come in.
The arms of a friend are waiting."
Tammy Wynette ?
It's, um...
John the 23rd, actually.
Do you wanna talk ?
I'm a bit tired.
Okay.
Good night.
Good night.
It's doin' me head in,
this predestination business.
Honest to God, it is.
And Judas and all that, yeah.
I mean, he redeemed us, didn't he ?
Judas, not Christ.
All Christ had to do was go
to the cross and-- bang, that's it.
He's in Heaven and we all worship
the ground He walks on.
Poor old Judas, he's got
to betray Him, then hang himself,
then go down in history
as a right dirty bastard.
Now, that's sacrifice,
ya know what I mean ?
But God made him,
do ya know what I mean ?
Judas, Saddam, Adolph and Joe,
He made 'em.
Now, that's a bit tight on
the human race. You know what I mean ?
but it's even tighter
on them, isn't it ?
I mean, could you imagine them
queuing up to be born
and God turnin' 'round saying,
"Listen, Saddam, I'm sorry
to have to tell you this,
but you're gonna be a tyrant.
You're gonna gas the Kurds
and destroy lraq."
-Well, he'd say, "No, ta, I'll go to the
back of the queue if it's all right ?"
-Hi.
Well, wouldn't you ?
Hey !
- Somethin' wrong ?
- Uh, no.
No ? Sure ?
- Good morning.
- Good morning, Father.
- And how many do you smoke ?
- About ten.
- A day ?
- Yeah.
- Well, how do you pay for them ?
- I use me dinner money.
- What ? So you don't eat ?
- I rob Lisa Unsworth's butties.
Well,
that's got to stop.
It will ! She brings cheese and onion
now and she knows I can't stand 'em.
Well, suppose someone
robbed your car ?
- I haven't got one.
- Well, suppose you had ?
- I'd get a weed on. Yeah.
- Exactly.
I'd get a... "weed on" too.
- You haven't got a car.
- Well, Fr. Matthew's ?
- That won't get robbed,
though, will it ?
- Because he's a priest ?
Because it's crap.
Through the ministry of the church,
may God give you pardon and peace.
And I absolve you from your sins. ln
the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
That's it, Lisa.
There are others waiting.
He makes me do things.
- Who ?
- My dad.
What sort of things ?
All sorts.
Sex ?
Does your mother know ?
You must tell her.
Tell him
it's got to stop.
Tell him you've seen me
and I said it's got to stop.
Promise ?
And you'll come back
and see me ?
Ahhh.
- The Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The Body of Christ.
- Amen.
Amen.
The Body of Christ.
The Body of Christ.
- Father ?
- Yeah ?
Keep your nose
out of my business.
You shouldn't
have come here.
I came here
to see you.
Are we going to
see each other again ?
Look...
phone me.
Take it.
Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned.
May the Lord be in your heart
and help you to confess
your sins with true sorrow.
What did she say ?
I can't
tell you that.
She's my daughter.
I can't break the seal
of the confessional. You know that.
A man once paid
for the right
to commit incest.
Do you know
who sold him that right ?
Pope Alexander Vl.
lncest is evil.
lncest is human.
- It's the most natural thing
in the world.
- The most unnatural.
Of course,
you're the expert,
aren't you, Father ?
You've never been
with a woman,
let alone fathered a child,
but you're the bloody expert.
You ask any man--
any proper man-- you ask him,
when does he stop pattin'
his daughter's bum ?
When she's 12 ?
When she's 14 ?
And why does
he stop pattin' it ?
'Cause she doesn't like it ?
'Cause he doesn't like it ?
Or... 'cause he does like it,
but, uh...
where's it gonna stop, huh ?
I've dedicated my life
to the study of incest...
and there's nothing anyone
can tell me about it.
- Least of all you.
- I can tell you it's a sin.
It's one of the gravest sins of all.
Can I have your permission
to talk to someone about this ?
There's help available...
- and therapy.
- I don't need help.
I don't need therapy.
I'm not your textbook case.
I'm no sexual inadequate.
I've just seen through
all the bullshit, that's all.
lnhuman, is it ?
Unthinkable ?
So why go to all the trouble
of making laws against it ?
Why does every society in the world
put a taboo around it ?
I'll tell you why.
It's the one thing...
we'd all like to do.
Deep down.
- ln here.
And what does Lisa think ?
All right, okay.
Quiet for a minute.
Listen, please.
Listen.
Can anybody tell me what
this song is really about ?
- Shaggin', Father.
Wrong, no. Can anybody
give me a more sensible answer to this ?
It's about...
relationships.
Yes, right, absolutely.
It is about relationships.
What is the most essential
part of a relationship ?
- Love, Father.
- Absolutely right. Love.
- Passionate commitment from
one human being to another.
Get Miss Shaughnessy.
It's all right, Lisa.
It's okay. It's okay. It's all right.
Get Miss Shaughnessy now !
Okay. Okay, Lisa.
Shh. Shh.
Lisa, can I have your
permission to talk to your mother...
- about what you told me ?
- No.
- ls there anyone else
you'd like me to talk to ?
- No.
You must come
and see me again.
Do you promise ?
- Here we are, chief.
- You promised last time.
Look at me.
Look at me !
Promise.
Come on, Chicken.
Thanks very much, Fr. Greg.
Will you come in for a cup of tea ?
Yes, thanks.
- Thank you.
- Lise.
- Ta.
It could be an adolescent thing ?
Apparently it happens
to kids of her age.
Lisa !
- Hello, Father.
- Hello.
Fr. Greg brought her home.
- Do you want a cup of tea, love ?
- Yeah. Thanks, love.
Hey.
You okay ?
Yeah.
So... what brought it on ?
I don't know.
And where were you ?
- ln class.
- Class ?
You all right now ?
That's a girl.
- There ya go, Phil.
- Thanks, love.
- Maybe you shouldn't leave her
on her own.
- Oh, we don't.
If I'm not with her,
Phil is.
Fr. Greg, did you get
a new cartridge ?
- Sorry ?
- For the photocopier ?
I've got 300 Housing Action
sheets to do.
Bye.
Bye, then.
Thanks again.
You all right ?
Yes.
I can't go into details.
If I intervene,
I could stop someone's suffering,
but that means--
Breaking the seal
of the confessional, yeah.
I know what
you're going through.
What would you do ?
I'd drop a hint.
Um, Lisa Unsworth
doesn't look too good.
It's these fits,
they get her down.
Do you think
it's that ?
- Or do you think
it might be something else ?
- From the Parish team listed below.
Hello. St. Mary's.
Fr. Greg speaking.
It's Sister Kevin here.
That young girl you mentioned,
- there is something else.
- Oh ?
There's a big lump of a bully
standing in front of me,
and she's been stealing
Lisa's packed lunch.
Right. Well--
- Thank you for letting me know.
- Thank you.
Good-bye.
- Right, Fr. Greg,
I'll get this over to Brian.
- Okay.
Hello.
Social Services. Social Services.
- I need to speak to someone
about a child at risk.
- Hold on, please.
Hello.
Can I help you ? Can I help you ?
- No.
- Yeah, ta-ta, Phil.
- Ta-ta, Chris. See ya.
- Yeah ?
- It's got to stop.
Look, she's taking fits
because of what you're doin'.
Piss off !
All right ?
They used to ask a question
when we were in seminary.
- It was a sort of standard question.
A man tells you in confession
that he's poisoned the altar wine.
Do you still go out
and say Mass ?
Oh, thanks.
No, I had no problem
with that.
I'd go out and say Mass,
drink the wine.
There's a bit of the martyr
in all of us.
But when it's
not you suffering,
when it's someone
else suffering,
and you know you could stop it
just by speaking out--
Geronimo !
Give us a cup of coffee. Go ahead.
- Bugger off !
- There it is.
- Just leave my flask.
Leave my flask ! Don't touch that.
- Come on.
- What's wrong with ya ?
- Just beat it !
Come on,
give us a swig.
Not very nice, is it, eh ?
Not very Christian !
He wasn't human enough,
the Son of God.
He had certainty.
Heaven, everlasting life,
He knew it all with absolute certainty.
Well, give me that, and, fine,
no problem, you can crucify me as well.
All the agonies of the world,
no bloody problem whatsoever...
because I'd be certain
that God exists.
But I'm not certain.
All I've got is faith.
Then something evil
comes along,
grinning,
sickening evil,
and faith just
runs away in terror.
Do you want to come back
to my place ?
The day before He suffered,
He took bread
in His sacred hands,
and looking up to Heaven,
to You, His almighty Father,
He gave You
thanks and praise.
He broke the bread,
gave it to His disciples and said,
"Take this...
all of you and eat it.
This is My body...
which will be given up
for you."
When supper was ended,
He took the cup.
Again, He gave You
thanks and praise.
Gave the cup
to His disciples and said,
"Take this, all of you,
and drink from it.
This is the cup
of My blood,
the blood of the new
and everlasting covenant.
It will shed for you
and for all,
so that sins
may be forgiven.
Do this...
in memory of Me."
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
Body of Christ.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
Who was he ?
No idea.
And you couldn't
give him communion ?
No.
I never denied
anyone communion.
They had more right to receive it
than I had to give it.
Have you always
been celibate ?
But I'm not proud of it.
It's a gift from God.
He gave me
the gift of celibacy.
He gave you
certainty of vocation.
Two totally
different gifts.
I want both.
Ah, now,
that's being greedy.
Sitting in my room,
sweating.
I turn to him for help.
I see a naked man...
utterly desirable.
I turn to him for help
and he just makes it worse.
Up there in my room...
that's my Gethsemane.
I understand humanity then;
every sin, every compulsion.
I understand it all.
Saliva, racing pulse,
adrenaline;
the ecstasy
before the fall.
And, Matthew--
What I should say is, Matthew,
I can't smile and hug...
and preach the beauty
of creation,
because inside here there's just
sin and sickness and evil and--
Whoa.
I was going to get out,
Greg,
when I was your age.
But it would've broken
my mother's heart.
So I waited.
By the time she died...
it was too late.
There was nothing else
I could do.
Get out now, Greg,
while you still have
your health and strength.
Love who you want,
when you want.
Get out.
I can't get out.
God wants me
to be a priest.
I don't think it,
I don't just... believe it.
I know it.
I'll pray for you.
And what about
them new flats they built, eh ?
You remember them, don't you ?
I know what you're gonna say, Tommy.
They rent them in no time
at all. It's houses they want...
with a front
and a back garden.
- That is what they want.
- Yeah, you're right.
Those flats are what they wanted.
And they rent them
in no time at all !
Look, what I'm saying
is housing isn't the answer on its own.
There's a whole load of other stuff.
I mean, jobs for a start.
How's Lisa ?
Um-- Uh, well, she's fine.
Uh, she's with her dad.
Just a minute, let's get
one thing quite straight, ehh--
Before you put 'em in decent
houses you gotta get 'em a
decent education, decent jobs...
- and decent God knows what !
- That is not what I'm saying, Tommy.
What're you gonna do with us then ?
Maroon us all on a desert island until
you've got everything just there ?
You can't just put 'em
in a house with hot and cold water
and say, "There you go.
That's my bit."
I'm talking about values.
I'm talking about changing attitudes.
- God, give me patience !
- Changing attitudes takes...
a bit of money and it takes education.
I'm sorry, I can't go on with this.
There you are.
It must've been
something you said.
Do something !
Don't just hang there, you smug,
idle bastard ! Do something !
Feminists and liberals,
that's all you need, isn't it ?
Ooh ! Early finish,
eh, Philly ?
I'm gonna tell someone.
That's what you'd do.
She's a 14-year-old girl.
You wouldn't see her suffer.
You'd say, you'd say,
"This girl is me.
This girl is all-suffering humanity.
For this I came."
You wouldn't give a damn
about the church and its rules
and its regulations.
The secrecy of confession--
How can that be good...
when it allows evil
to thrive ?
You'd speak out !
You'd speak out.
I know you'd speak out.
-
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses...
- as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
- Hiya.
- And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
- Mmm.
But you could speak out.
You were the Son of God, for God's sake.
You could make the rules.
You were the Son of God. I'm not !
I'm just a priest. I'm a,
I'm a, tuppence, ha'penny priest...
- and I can't take on
That would be pride.
That would be arrogance.
They'd, they'd crucify me.
Our Father
who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses...
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
I look around for an example.
I'm in the depths of despair.
I look around for an example,
and all there is is you.
But you perform miracles.
You change water into wine.
You raise the dead.
You, you cured the sick.
What kind of example is that ?
How could you possibly know despair ?
"Oh, well, I'm feeling a bit low
today. I think I'll, I'll
raise somebody from the dead."
How could you, with that kind of power,
know what I'm going through right now ?
Lisa !
No, no.
- No, no, no.
- What are you doin' ?
What're you doin', Phil ?
What're you doin' ?
What're you doin' ?
What're you doin' ? What're you doin' ?
- You animal, you animal,
you animal, you animal !
Get down them stairs now !
Get down ! Get down them stairs now !
-Maggie !
- You animal ! You animal !
Listen to me, Maggie !
- It's Phil ! Listen !
- Oh, God ! Oh, God !
- Maggie ! It's me !
- Oh, God ! You're an animal !
You're an animal !
Our Father who art in heaven,
- Maggie !
- hallowed be Thy name.
- Listen to me !
- Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth...
- Calm down !
- as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses...
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
- Get out !
- Yeah, right !
Get out !
Get out of our house !
Get out, get out, get out, get out.
Lisa, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Sorry.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry, sorry.
Careful.
And this is the eighth:
- "Jesus Meets the Sorrowing Women."
You can see
the women crying because...
Jesus is in such
a pitiful state.
Jesus doesn't want their tears.
He's saying to them,
"Weep not for me,
but for thy children."
The prayer
we usually say here goes,
- "My Jesus, laden with sorrows,
I weep for the offenses
I have committed."
You knew.
You knew.
What kinda man are ya ?
The ninth is, uh...
"Our Lord Falls
for the Third Time."
I hope you burn in hell.
- That's a good one.
Hi.
Well, what did you expect ?
You treated me like a bloody leper !
And for God's sake,
grow up, Greg !
I love you.
- Shit !
- Oh, God !
Dates of birth ?
Twentieth of September,
Occupation ?
What's your job ?
Priest.
Catholic ?
Yeah.
You little devil !
Guilty.
- How long have you been a priest ?
How long have you been a priest ?
It's in your interest
to talk to me;
put your side
of the story.
Greg ?
Shit !
Greg. Greg ?
- Aaah !
- What've you done !
- God ! Don't touch me !
- It's all right.
- Hang on.
Oh, God ! Oh, God !
- Oh !
- It had slipped out.
Jesus. Jesus.
Oh.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome.
Why didn't you tell me ?
I tried. I couldn't.
What're you gonna do ?
We'll say Mass together.
We'll quote John, Chapter Eight:
"Let him who is without sin
cast the first stone."
- I can't do that.
- Oh, you've gotta do it.
No, you see, I can't.
I've just taken 24 paracetamol.
- All done.
- Yes ?
- Good news. He'll live.
- That's good news ?
Compassion, ladies and gentlemen.
You sin, you go to a priest,
you expect compassion.
If you expect it from him,
shouldn't he expect it from you ?
Compassion,
forgiveness, understanding.
Has the Pope said
anything about this ?
He's got the right to some privacy !
What's Matthew
been saying ?
Well, he's been
very supportive.
He thinks... being gay
has made me a good priest;
human, compassionate.
He thinks that all that's happened
recently has made me a better one;
more human...
more compassionate.
Go out and commit mass murder,
he'd want you canonized.
When you say you want
to carry on serving God--
Well, that's good.
The best way for you to serve God
is to disappear.
The best way for you to serve God
is to piss off out of my diocese.
ls that clear ?
Yes.
Good.
Here, I brought you some grapes.
Thank you.
Betty and George Hunt ask
our prayers for Betty's sister...
who's recovering
from an operation.
Jean Parkinson gave birth
two days ago, but the baby's...
not all that well,
and so we remember Jean and her
baby daughter in our prayers.
Charles and Ruth ask for our prayers
for their son, John,
who's in hospital
after a road accident.
And of course, Katy Bull asks
for our continuing prayers
for her husband, Kevin.
For these people and all
of our ill and suffering,
we ask God's help as we
remember them in our prayers.
- Lord, hear us.
- You've forgotten somebody.
Father ?
Fr. Greg...
who's recovering in hospital.
Yes.
Sorry.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Hi.
- Greg, you've got a visitor. Right.
- Thank you.
I'm sorry.
When you get better,
we can see each other
again, yeah ?
I don't think
it's a good idea.
I'm sorry.
God bless.
Yeah, you too.
So, what now ?
Well, I've told ya.
We say Mass together.
Look, I really appreciate it,
Matthew, but I can't.
- You've got to do it.
- Well, what about the Bishop ?
Oh, bugger the Bishop.
- Don't take that literally !
Something wrong, Sean ?
- Oh, no, Father.
- Good.
- Saying Mass together ?
- Yeah.
You won't need me then ?
You're not
absolutely essential, no.
You're leaving ?
- The Bishop's told me to.
- It's our parish !
I won't be your cause, Matthew.
I won't be your crusade.
ls that how you see it ?
- Can I see Lisa, please ?
- No.
- Lisa, I'm so sorry.
- I'm closing the door now, Father.
- Please forgive me.
- I don't want to close it in your face.
- Forgive me, Lisa.
- But I will if I have to.
Will you go now, Father ?
- Forgive me.
- Will you go ?
- Hello.
- Yes ?
Fr. Greg Pilkington.
- Pardon ?
- Side door.
So, you've hurt your neck,
have you ?
No, I'm a dedicated
follower of fashion.
Thank you.
Dinner at 7:30.
Dead pig.
-
Do you think God gives a damn ?
War. Famine. Disaster.
Millions slaughtering
each other.
With all these things on his mind,
do you really think God gives a damn...
about what men do
with their dicks ?
Do you ever doubt
in the existence of God ?
I do. It's not war,
famine and disa-- I mean, the--
These things make me angry,
yeah, but they don't make me doubt Him.
- But when I look at the church today...
and see careerists
and hypocrites...
and...
Pharisees thriving...
in positions of power,
then... I doubt
the existence of God.
How could He
let this happen ?
That judge--
What's he called ?
Denning.
He said,
he'd rather see innocent men
rot in prison...
than for the British legal system
to be ridiculed.
He put pomp and ceremony,
the cap and gown,
before the principle itself.
That's what
we're doin' now.
Churches, cathedrals,
bishops, popes.
All the trappings of power.
We care more about that
than the thing itself.
The teachings of Christ,
love and compassion...
for all mankind.
All mankind.
- Men, women,
black, white,
old, young,
gay, straight.
-
All right, up your end a bit.
- Watch the back, Billy.
- All right, go back if you want.
Yeah, yeah.
Careful.
Take it easy.
My car !
They've taken my friggin' car !
It's just one
of the trappings of power
that you despise so much, Matthew.
Along with the roof over your head,
the food in your belly,
and the clothes on your back,
you bloody hypocrite !
Hello.
Dominus tecum.
Um, et cum spiritu tuo.
Tota die pluit.
Eh-- Yes. Yes.
Scio te penitus.
Te es pustula
in corpore Christi.
Pustula vivens
spirans monstruosa.
lam iamque
in pus et cruorem...
et foetorem eruptura.
You've lost me, I'm afraid.
I said,
I know all about you.
You're a boil
on the body of Christ.
A monstrous,
living, breathing boil,
ready to erupt at any moment
into pus...
and blood and stench.
I think I preferred it
in Latin.
You'll be paid a pound
for every Mass you say,
and you're not to go out
after dark.
Fine.
Benedic, Dominus...
nos et haec tua dona.
Do any of you read the Notes
and Queries page in The Guardian ?
Look, I know you
don't want me here.
But in a way,
hasn't God sent me ?
- You've broken the vow
of celibacy, that's all.
- Bollocks !
So you should demand to be treated
the same as any other priest.
- Heterosexual, homosexual,
it doesn't make any difference.
- Utter bollocks !
You've broken a man-made rule,
that's all.
It's there for the protection
of property to keep it away
from the widows of priests.
- Christ was celibate.
- It's there for the mobility of labor.
- No wife, no kids,
so you can kick a priest...
- Christ was celibate.
-from one end of the earth to the other.
-Christ was celibate !
Look, Matthew,
the church gives us everything:
money, food, shelter, respect.
And all she asks
in return is celibacy.
Christ gave his life.
All we're asked for is celibacy
and we can't even manage that.
- Christ didn't ask us to be celibate.
It's manmade.
- Solemn vows !
- It's a manmade thing.
- "Do you solemnly swear ?"
That's our currency, Matthew:
Solemn vows.
And we debase them because
we can't even stick to them ourselves.
What's his name ?
Graham.
- Do you love him ?
- I despise him.
Satan comes in many forms.
This is the man who gave you his body.
How dare you talk
like that ?
ln the name of God, Greg,
you gotta ask yourself--
Now, look at me,
look at me when I'm talkin' to ya !
To call another human being
Satan, I mean--
What kind of religion
is that ?
What kind of sick,
twisted brainwash...
have you been through ?
His sole purpose in life is to tempt you
into sin, is that what you're sayin' ?
You're Christ
and he's just the bloody serpent.
ls that what you're sayin',
you arrogant prick ?
I think I love him.
Yes.
Do you want him ?
Yes.
All the time ?
A lot of the time.
And is that sinful ?
Sick.
So... to itch for a man
is sick;
to want to scratch that itch,
to want to make love
to another man, that's sinful ?
Yes.
And to want to go on scratching,
to live with another man--
Well, that's permanent sin.
That's evil.
That's "depart from me,
ye cursed" stuff, right ?
Yes.
ls there any sense...
any intellect, any...
common humanity
in that kind of bullshit ?
What're you laughin' at ?
- You laughin' at me ?
- Yes.
Don't patronize me, Greg.
I patronize you ?
I live it, Matthew.
You think you can just walk in here and
spout some glib Guardian reader crap,
and bang, all's right with my world;
I'm reconciled to my nature.
Cue the uplifting music.
I--
Who's the arrogant prick now ?
What's he doin' now ?
I want you
to say Mass with me.
- I can't.
I want this door
left open.
- I beg your pardon !
- Matthew...
he's chaperoning us.
I don't believe it !
Jesus !
Give it to me, big boy !
How-How was it for you ?
You owe it to them.
To confront,
to challenge, to teach.
I can't.
Come over on Sunday.
Say Mass with me.
I can't.
Big Chief Sittin' Bull
wouldn't hide himself away.
He'd have reservations.
I'll see you.
- Good luck.
- If you don't hear from me
in three days,
send out a search party.
Well ?
Abi et futue te ipsum,
sordide senex.
Yeah.
Go and look that one up,
you old bastard.
Okay ?
Yeah.
There ya are.
There's the bum boy.
Tsk-tsk-tsk !
Shh ! Shh, shh, shh.
Sit down, please.
Would you please
sit down ?
As you can see, Fr. Greg's
here with us today--
I'm sorry, Father, but this...
is out of order.
- This is definitely out of order !
- Why ?
Why ? Have you Jeremy Beadle
stashed somewhere ? Have ya ? Eh ?
- Because this a joke.
This is a laughingstock.
- Yeah.
You, you are making a laughingstock
of my faith. You know that ?
Come on, Charley. Hey, Euan, come on.
We're going out of here.
Come on, get movin'.
- Will you tell me why ?
- Oh, for God sake, Father !
You shouldn't need telling, should you ?
Come on, get out of here !
Hey, I-- I am supposed
to have respect for that !
Hey ! Oh, yeah !
I am supposed to take communion
from that !
Oh, aye ! Hey, you're doolally,
do you know that ? Come on !
Okay.
If you don't like it...
if you can't give this man
compassion...
- then go.
I don't want ya
sittin' here !
If you're too English...
too anally retentive...
- too embarrassed to make a scene.
If you object
to this man's presence, then go.
Go ! Go on ! Go !
It's in the Bible.
The Bible ! Do you read the Bible,
you, you pervert ?
It's there
in black and white !
"You shall not lie
with a male as with a woman.
It is an abomination !"
"ln my Father's house
there are many mansions."
- We're all sinners. All of us.
- Excuse me.
That's why Christ
went to the cross.
"And the Lord rained upon Sodom
and Gomorrah brimstone and fire !"
"Let him who is without
sin among you cast the first stone."
"Keep my statutes
and my laws...
and do none of these
abominations !"
"Judge not...
that you be not judged."
Gaagh !
"Lord, how often shall
my brother sin against me...
- You know what the Holy Father
says about it. You know !
- and I forgive him ?
- as many as seven times ?
- I don't suppose you listen
to the Pope either, do ya ?
Jesus said to him,
'I do not say seven times...
but 70 times seven."'
"And Lot's wife looked back
and was turned into a pillar of salt."
Who was the first to see him
when he was risen ?
Mary Magdalene,
a prostitute.
Jesus wept !
How dare you turn your back
on this man !
How dare you do this...
and call yourselves
Catholics ?
Will you say something ?
I'm here to ask
your forgiveness.
The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ...
the love of God and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
- This is my body
which will be given up for you.
Through him, with him in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours,
Almighty Father, for ever and ever.
Amen.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you.
This is the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world.
Happy are those
who are called to His supper.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
The body of Christ.
The body of Christ.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
will be the most suitable thing for you.
Stay on at St. Mary's for a few months.
Stay 'til January.
It's time to move on,
old son.
It's time to move on.
l was planning
to replace him in the new year,
but in the light of the wind of it,
I decided to give him the push now.
There's a young priest
called Greg Pilkington.
Down south at the moment. Wants to come
up here, do his bit for the inner city.
- What's he like ?
- He's a wee bit more orthodox than you.
Mind you, Colonel Gaddafi'd be
a wee bit more orthodox than you.
Yes ?
Oh !
Put him through.
Hello. Yes.
Fine.
Yes, I've got that.
Uh-huh.
- Oh, come in, Father.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello, Father.
- Why did you do it ?
- Because he sacked me.
- Well, we've all got to go eventually.
- It was the way he did it.
I gave it my life. ln return,
I got a cup of tea, a biscuit...
and "It's time to move on, old son."
Oh, he looked up
from what he was writin'.
"It's time to move on,
old son."
Hi. Sorry I wasn't here
to meet you.
- Matthew Thomas.
- Greg Pilkington.
- Uh, Maria Kerrigan.
- Hello.
Hello.
- So, uh, tea ?
- Well, that would be nice.
Right.
Sitting Bull.
Nobility,
even in defeat.
So, uh,
she's our housekeeper ?
Yeah.
It's an article of faith-- isn't it--
somewhere between transubstantiation...
and papal infallibility:
Housekeepers must be ugly.
- Sorry.
Nice word:
scapegoat.
It dates back
to an old Jewish custom.
They used to invest all the sins
of the tribe into a goat.
Then kick it up the backside
so it escaped into the hills
taking all the sins with it.
And we've got
a scapegoat today.
It's that mythical beast
called society.
Drug addiction;
alcoholism;
gambling; prostitution;
violence.
They're not
our sins anymore.
They're not the fault
of the individual anymore.
They're society's fault.
- Well, I'm sorry,
I don't understand that.
What did you think ?
lnteresting.
You didn't like it.
I found it offensive.
You expect less of the people
because they live in a poor parish.
I find that offensive.
Patronizing.
Really ?
- Yes.
- Thanks.
- You didn't buy any drinks.
Matthew.
The creation of
mankind only started on the sixth day.
It hasn't stopped yet.
We're taller than we were
a thousand years ago.
We're fitter, faster.
We live longer.
We're better educated.
More informed.
So, creation...
is an ongoing process.
And if you interfere
with it,
aren't you spitting
in the face of God ?
If you exploit
your work force,
- don't you spit in the face of God ?
- You do.
If you kill and maim,
throw people out of their homes,
turn your back on the elderly,
if you shut down schools
and hospitals,
force people out
on the dole--
ln fact,
if you do anything...
to prevent one single human being
reaching their full potential,
aren't you interfering
in creation...
- and spitting in the face of God ?
- Yes.
That's what I believe.
That's my truth.
That's what made me
become a priest,
and makes me remain a priest.
The peace of the Lord
be with you always.
And also with you.
Let us offer each other
the sign of peace.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you, son.
Peace be with you.
Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you.
Peace be with you, Father.
- Peace be with you, Maggie.
- Peace be with you, Father.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you, Father.
I know what you're thinkin':
Any minute now, he'll take
his pants off.
Peace be with you.
It wasn't a sermon.
It was a party political broadcast
on behalf of the Labour Party.
- There's social sin
and there's personal sin.
- It's just sickening !
- I think we should put
more emphasis on the social.
- There's just sin.
Matthew, you can't change the
rules just because they don't
suit you; There's just sin.
Are you judging me ?
For God's sake,
get rid of her.
I was in South America
for four years.
ln the village
I was in,
you had to have a woman,
otherwise you were ignored.
So I got one,
fast.
Where is she now ?
She's still there.
- She served her purpose ?
- Well, that's what
you wanna hear, isn't it ?
So, yeah...
I dumped her.
You're very certain of yourself,
aren't you, Greg ?
- Well, I'm not.
- Yes !
- A few months in this parish,
you'll be a lot less certain.
- A few years--
- No, I've looked around
at other priests--
A few years and you'll be
utterly confused. A few years--
Those middle-aged trendy lefties
jumping up with excitement
every time a factory closed...
- or a war breaks out !
- A few years more and you might
learn a little bit of humility.
Spiritually empty, fastening
onto other people's misery,
fighting other people's fights !
Anything to fill the emptiness inside !
To hell with that !
We're priests. We're not bloody
social workers. We're priests !
Sacraments;
reconciliation;
moral guidance;
that's our job.
Moral guidance.
For God's sake, Matthew.
Moral guidance from a man
with a bit on the side.
If you're gonna judge,
you should know all the facts.
- We love each other.
He's asked me to marry him.
That means him leavin' the priesthood,
so I've said "No."
Oh, not because I'm a martyr
to the faith.
Because one day he might regret
it, and I don't want to see that
look in his eyes if he does.
Anything else
you should know ?
Oh, yeah.
I seduced him.
He didn't seduce me.
I've got a few bob
stashed away...
and I'm in a pension scheme in work,
so we won't be destitute
when he pops his clogs.
Anything else you want to know, I'll be
out there washin' your pots and pans,
takin' a scrubbin' brush
to your underpants.
Okay ?
I'm sorry.
Right.
Can I ask you
to be discreet ?
Of course.
I was thinking of doing
some home visits.
Counterproductive.
I disagree.
What the bloody hell
do ya think you're doin' ?
Nope.
You put it out there.
Holy water.
Hello. ls this a Catholic home
by any chance ?
Piss off !
Hello ?
- Hello ?
- Are you Catholic ?
- Are you Catholic ?
- Who is it ?
- Get down. Oh, look, no one's in, mate.
Come on.
- Hello.
- Hello.
Do come in.
Thank you.
- Hi.
- Hello.
- Please, sit down.
Thanks.
We're Jehovah Witnesses
actually.
Through this holy anointing,
may the Lord in His love--
- Through this holy anointing,
may the Lord in His love-- Sorry.
- Put him in here.
Through this holy anointing,
may the Lord in His love and mercy
help you with the grace...
of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
- May the Lord who frees you from
sin, save you and raise you up.
- Relatives stay here, please.
- Nurse, you can--
- That's my Dad.
I need to go in with him.
Let's all leave him here.
It'll be all right.
So, the Lord's my Shepherd,
then ?
- Yeah.
- And something more personal ?
- Did he have a favorite song ?
- Yeah.
He's gettin' cremated.
Oh, yeah.
It was
"Great Balls Of Fire."
- Two pints of lager.
You'll do yourself an injury.
- Hey, Fr. Greg !
- Oi.
Fr. Greg ! Fr. Greg !
Fr. Greg ! Fr. Greg !
- Come on, Father, give us a song.
- Fr. Greg ! Fr. Greg ! Fr. Greg !
A song ! Come on, Father,
give us a song !
Give us a song, Father.
Give us a song.
Uh... could I say,
could I say something instead ?
About tomorrow.
I don't want to put
a damper on things.
I know that people like
to take communion at a funeral,
and some of you might
feel that you can't.
ln the morning, I'll be in the
confessional just before we start,
and I promise
it won't get heavy.
- Or even now in the backyard
if you'd like.
- No way.
- Not in the backyard.
- Yes, well, I--
- I have put a damper
on things, haven't I ?
- No, you, come on, Father.
Come on. Hey, Bob.
Bob, go on and give us a song then.
Bobby ! Bobby !
Bobby ! Bobby ! Bobby !
Lovely. Go on, son.
He was a bastard, Father.
Never a day went by
without me wishin' him dead.
- But now he's gone, you miss him.
- I miss him.
I miss the bastard.
Will you absolve me,
Father ?
- There's nothing to absolve.
- Oh, please, Father ?
God the Father of mercies, through
the death and resurrection of His Son...
has reconciled the world to Himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us...
- for the forgiveness of sins.
- Good night, Father.
Matthew ?
Paper, mate ?
Here ya are, love.
A pint of bitter,
please.
Thank you.
Are you a Catholic ?
Takes one
to know one.
Bye.
Come in.
You, uh, you switched
the light off in the hall.
Yeah.
Yeah, well, uh...
I always keep it on.
"At my window a little light
will keep burning.
All may come in.
The arms of a friend are waiting."
Tammy Wynette ?
It's, um...
John the 23rd, actually.
Do you wanna talk ?
I'm a bit tired.
Okay.
Good night.
Good night.
It's doin' me head in,
this predestination business.
Honest to God, it is.
And Judas and all that, yeah.
I mean, he redeemed us, didn't he ?
Judas, not Christ.
All Christ had to do was go
to the cross and-- bang, that's it.
He's in Heaven and we all worship
the ground He walks on.
Poor old Judas, he's got
to betray Him, then hang himself,
then go down in history
as a right dirty bastard.
Now, that's sacrifice,
ya know what I mean ?
But God made him,
do ya know what I mean ?
Judas, Saddam, Adolph and Joe,
He made 'em.
Now, that's a bit tight on
the human race. You know what I mean ?
but it's even tighter
on them, isn't it ?
I mean, could you imagine them
queuing up to be born
and God turnin' 'round saying,
"Listen, Saddam, I'm sorry
to have to tell you this,
but you're gonna be a tyrant.
You're gonna gas the Kurds
and destroy lraq."
-Well, he'd say, "No, ta, I'll go to the
back of the queue if it's all right ?"
-Hi.
Well, wouldn't you ?
Hey !
- Somethin' wrong ?
- Uh, no.
No ? Sure ?
- Good morning.
- Good morning, Father.
- And how many do you smoke ?
- About ten.
- A day ?
- Yeah.
- Well, how do you pay for them ?
- I use me dinner money.
- What ? So you don't eat ?
- I rob Lisa Unsworth's butties.
Well,
that's got to stop.
It will ! She brings cheese and onion
now and she knows I can't stand 'em.
Well, suppose someone
robbed your car ?
- I haven't got one.
- Well, suppose you had ?
- I'd get a weed on. Yeah.
- Exactly.
I'd get a... "weed on" too.
- You haven't got a car.
- Well, Fr. Matthew's ?
- That won't get robbed,
though, will it ?
- Because he's a priest ?
Because it's crap.
Through the ministry of the church,
may God give you pardon and peace.
And I absolve you from your sins. ln
the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
That's it, Lisa.
There are others waiting.
He makes me do things.
- Who ?
- My dad.
What sort of things ?
All sorts.
Sex ?
Does your mother know ?
You must tell her.
Tell him
it's got to stop.
Tell him you've seen me
and I said it's got to stop.
Promise ?
And you'll come back
and see me ?
Ahhh.
- The Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The Body of Christ.
- Amen.
Amen.
The Body of Christ.
The Body of Christ.
- Father ?
- Yeah ?
Keep your nose
out of my business.
You shouldn't
have come here.
I came here
to see you.
Are we going to
see each other again ?
Look...
phone me.
Take it.
Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned.
May the Lord be in your heart
and help you to confess
your sins with true sorrow.
What did she say ?
I can't
tell you that.
She's my daughter.
I can't break the seal
of the confessional. You know that.
A man once paid
for the right
to commit incest.
Do you know
who sold him that right ?
Pope Alexander Vl.
lncest is evil.
lncest is human.
- It's the most natural thing
in the world.
- The most unnatural.
Of course,
you're the expert,
aren't you, Father ?
You've never been
with a woman,
let alone fathered a child,
but you're the bloody expert.
You ask any man--
any proper man-- you ask him,
when does he stop pattin'
his daughter's bum ?
When she's 12 ?
When she's 14 ?
And why does
he stop pattin' it ?
'Cause she doesn't like it ?
'Cause he doesn't like it ?
Or... 'cause he does like it,
but, uh...
where's it gonna stop, huh ?
I've dedicated my life
to the study of incest...
and there's nothing anyone
can tell me about it.
- Least of all you.
- I can tell you it's a sin.
It's one of the gravest sins of all.
Can I have your permission
to talk to someone about this ?
There's help available...
- and therapy.
- I don't need help.
I don't need therapy.
I'm not your textbook case.
I'm no sexual inadequate.
I've just seen through
all the bullshit, that's all.
lnhuman, is it ?
Unthinkable ?
So why go to all the trouble
of making laws against it ?
Why does every society in the world
put a taboo around it ?
I'll tell you why.
It's the one thing...
we'd all like to do.
Deep down.
- ln here.
And what does Lisa think ?
All right, okay.
Quiet for a minute.
Listen, please.
Listen.
Can anybody tell me what
this song is really about ?
- Shaggin', Father.
Wrong, no. Can anybody
give me a more sensible answer to this ?
It's about...
relationships.
Yes, right, absolutely.
It is about relationships.
What is the most essential
part of a relationship ?
- Love, Father.
- Absolutely right. Love.
- Passionate commitment from
one human being to another.
Get Miss Shaughnessy.
It's all right, Lisa.
It's okay. It's okay. It's all right.
Get Miss Shaughnessy now !
Okay. Okay, Lisa.
Shh. Shh.
Lisa, can I have your
permission to talk to your mother...
- about what you told me ?
- No.
- ls there anyone else
you'd like me to talk to ?
- No.
You must come
and see me again.
Do you promise ?
- Here we are, chief.
- You promised last time.
Look at me.
Look at me !
Promise.
Come on, Chicken.
Thanks very much, Fr. Greg.
Will you come in for a cup of tea ?
Yes, thanks.
- Thank you.
- Lise.
- Ta.
It could be an adolescent thing ?
Apparently it happens
to kids of her age.
Lisa !
- Hello, Father.
- Hello.
Fr. Greg brought her home.
- Do you want a cup of tea, love ?
- Yeah. Thanks, love.
Hey.
You okay ?
Yeah.
So... what brought it on ?
I don't know.
And where were you ?
- ln class.
- Class ?
You all right now ?
That's a girl.
- There ya go, Phil.
- Thanks, love.
- Maybe you shouldn't leave her
on her own.
- Oh, we don't.
If I'm not with her,
Phil is.
Fr. Greg, did you get
a new cartridge ?
- Sorry ?
- For the photocopier ?
I've got 300 Housing Action
sheets to do.
Bye.
Bye, then.
Thanks again.
You all right ?
Yes.
I can't go into details.
If I intervene,
I could stop someone's suffering,
but that means--
Breaking the seal
of the confessional, yeah.
I know what
you're going through.
What would you do ?
I'd drop a hint.
Um, Lisa Unsworth
doesn't look too good.
It's these fits,
they get her down.
Do you think
it's that ?
- Or do you think
it might be something else ?
- From the Parish team listed below.
Hello. St. Mary's.
Fr. Greg speaking.
It's Sister Kevin here.
That young girl you mentioned,
- there is something else.
- Oh ?
There's a big lump of a bully
standing in front of me,
and she's been stealing
Lisa's packed lunch.
Right. Well--
- Thank you for letting me know.
- Thank you.
Good-bye.
- Right, Fr. Greg,
I'll get this over to Brian.
- Okay.
Hello.
Social Services. Social Services.
- I need to speak to someone
about a child at risk.
- Hold on, please.
Hello.
Can I help you ? Can I help you ?
- No.
- Yeah, ta-ta, Phil.
- Ta-ta, Chris. See ya.
- Yeah ?
- It's got to stop.
Look, she's taking fits
because of what you're doin'.
Piss off !
All right ?
They used to ask a question
when we were in seminary.
- It was a sort of standard question.
A man tells you in confession
that he's poisoned the altar wine.
Do you still go out
and say Mass ?
Oh, thanks.
No, I had no problem
with that.
I'd go out and say Mass,
drink the wine.
There's a bit of the martyr
in all of us.
But when it's
not you suffering,
when it's someone
else suffering,
and you know you could stop it
just by speaking out--
Geronimo !
Give us a cup of coffee. Go ahead.
- Bugger off !
- There it is.
- Just leave my flask.
Leave my flask ! Don't touch that.
- Come on.
- What's wrong with ya ?
- Just beat it !
Come on,
give us a swig.
Not very nice, is it, eh ?
Not very Christian !
He wasn't human enough,
the Son of God.
He had certainty.
Heaven, everlasting life,
He knew it all with absolute certainty.
Well, give me that, and, fine,
no problem, you can crucify me as well.
All the agonies of the world,
no bloody problem whatsoever...
because I'd be certain
that God exists.
But I'm not certain.
All I've got is faith.
Then something evil
comes along,
grinning,
sickening evil,
and faith just
runs away in terror.
Do you want to come back
to my place ?
The day before He suffered,
He took bread
in His sacred hands,
and looking up to Heaven,
to You, His almighty Father,
He gave You
thanks and praise.
He broke the bread,
gave it to His disciples and said,
"Take this...
all of you and eat it.
This is My body...
which will be given up
for you."
When supper was ended,
He took the cup.
Again, He gave You
thanks and praise.
Gave the cup
to His disciples and said,
"Take this, all of you,
and drink from it.
This is the cup
of My blood,
the blood of the new
and everlasting covenant.
It will shed for you
and for all,
so that sins
may be forgiven.
Do this...
in memory of Me."
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
Body of Christ.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
- Body of Christ.
- Amen.
Who was he ?
No idea.
And you couldn't
give him communion ?
No.
I never denied
anyone communion.
They had more right to receive it
than I had to give it.
Have you always
been celibate ?
But I'm not proud of it.
It's a gift from God.
He gave me
the gift of celibacy.
He gave you
certainty of vocation.
Two totally
different gifts.
I want both.
Ah, now,
that's being greedy.
Sitting in my room,
sweating.
I turn to him for help.
I see a naked man...
utterly desirable.
I turn to him for help
and he just makes it worse.
Up there in my room...
that's my Gethsemane.
I understand humanity then;
every sin, every compulsion.
I understand it all.
Saliva, racing pulse,
adrenaline;
the ecstasy
before the fall.
And, Matthew--
What I should say is, Matthew,
I can't smile and hug...
and preach the beauty
of creation,
because inside here there's just
sin and sickness and evil and--
Whoa.
I was going to get out,
Greg,
when I was your age.
But it would've broken
my mother's heart.
So I waited.
By the time she died...
it was too late.
There was nothing else
I could do.
Get out now, Greg,
while you still have
your health and strength.
Love who you want,
when you want.
Get out.
I can't get out.
God wants me
to be a priest.
I don't think it,
I don't just... believe it.
I know it.
I'll pray for you.
And what about
them new flats they built, eh ?
You remember them, don't you ?
I know what you're gonna say, Tommy.
They rent them in no time
at all. It's houses they want...
with a front
and a back garden.
- That is what they want.
- Yeah, you're right.
Those flats are what they wanted.
And they rent them
in no time at all !
Look, what I'm saying
is housing isn't the answer on its own.
There's a whole load of other stuff.
I mean, jobs for a start.
How's Lisa ?
Um-- Uh, well, she's fine.
Uh, she's with her dad.
Just a minute, let's get
one thing quite straight, ehh--
Before you put 'em in decent
houses you gotta get 'em a
decent education, decent jobs...
- and decent God knows what !
- That is not what I'm saying, Tommy.
What're you gonna do with us then ?
Maroon us all on a desert island until
you've got everything just there ?
You can't just put 'em
in a house with hot and cold water
and say, "There you go.
That's my bit."
I'm talking about values.
I'm talking about changing attitudes.
- God, give me patience !
- Changing attitudes takes...
a bit of money and it takes education.
I'm sorry, I can't go on with this.
There you are.
It must've been
something you said.
Do something !
Don't just hang there, you smug,
idle bastard ! Do something !
Feminists and liberals,
that's all you need, isn't it ?
Ooh ! Early finish,
eh, Philly ?
I'm gonna tell someone.
That's what you'd do.
She's a 14-year-old girl.
You wouldn't see her suffer.
You'd say, you'd say,
"This girl is me.
This girl is all-suffering humanity.
For this I came."
You wouldn't give a damn
about the church and its rules
and its regulations.
The secrecy of confession--
How can that be good...
when it allows evil
to thrive ?
You'd speak out !
You'd speak out.
I know you'd speak out.
-
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses...
- as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
- Hiya.
- And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
- Mmm.
But you could speak out.
You were the Son of God, for God's sake.
You could make the rules.
You were the Son of God. I'm not !
I'm just a priest. I'm a,
I'm a, tuppence, ha'penny priest...
- and I can't take on
That would be pride.
That would be arrogance.
They'd, they'd crucify me.
Our Father
who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses...
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
I look around for an example.
I'm in the depths of despair.
I look around for an example,
and all there is is you.
But you perform miracles.
You change water into wine.
You raise the dead.
You, you cured the sick.
What kind of example is that ?
How could you possibly know despair ?
"Oh, well, I'm feeling a bit low
today. I think I'll, I'll
raise somebody from the dead."
How could you, with that kind of power,
know what I'm going through right now ?
Lisa !
No, no.
- No, no, no.
- What are you doin' ?
What're you doin', Phil ?
What're you doin' ?
What're you doin' ?
What're you doin' ? What're you doin' ?
- You animal, you animal,
you animal, you animal !
Get down them stairs now !
Get down ! Get down them stairs now !
-Maggie !
- You animal ! You animal !
Listen to me, Maggie !
- It's Phil ! Listen !
- Oh, God ! Oh, God !
- Maggie ! It's me !
- Oh, God ! You're an animal !
You're an animal !
Our Father who art in heaven,
- Maggie !
- hallowed be Thy name.
- Listen to me !
- Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth...
- Calm down !
- as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses...
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil. Amen.
- Get out !
- Yeah, right !
Get out !
Get out of our house !
Get out, get out, get out, get out.
Lisa, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
Sorry.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry, sorry.
Careful.
And this is the eighth:
- "Jesus Meets the Sorrowing Women."
You can see
the women crying because...
Jesus is in such
a pitiful state.
Jesus doesn't want their tears.
He's saying to them,
"Weep not for me,
but for thy children."
The prayer
we usually say here goes,
- "My Jesus, laden with sorrows,
I weep for the offenses
I have committed."
You knew.
You knew.
What kinda man are ya ?
The ninth is, uh...
"Our Lord Falls
for the Third Time."
I hope you burn in hell.
- That's a good one.
Hi.
Well, what did you expect ?
You treated me like a bloody leper !
And for God's sake,
grow up, Greg !
I love you.
- Shit !
- Oh, God !
Dates of birth ?
Twentieth of September,
Occupation ?
What's your job ?
Priest.
Catholic ?
Yeah.
You little devil !
Guilty.
- How long have you been a priest ?
How long have you been a priest ?
It's in your interest
to talk to me;
put your side
of the story.
Greg ?
Shit !
Greg. Greg ?
- Aaah !
- What've you done !
- God ! Don't touch me !
- It's all right.
- Hang on.
Oh, God ! Oh, God !
- Oh !
- It had slipped out.
Jesus. Jesus.
Oh.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome.
Why didn't you tell me ?
I tried. I couldn't.
What're you gonna do ?
We'll say Mass together.
We'll quote John, Chapter Eight:
"Let him who is without sin
cast the first stone."
- I can't do that.
- Oh, you've gotta do it.
No, you see, I can't.
I've just taken 24 paracetamol.
- All done.
- Yes ?
- Good news. He'll live.
- That's good news ?
Compassion, ladies and gentlemen.
You sin, you go to a priest,
you expect compassion.
If you expect it from him,
shouldn't he expect it from you ?
Compassion,
forgiveness, understanding.
Has the Pope said
anything about this ?
He's got the right to some privacy !
What's Matthew
been saying ?
Well, he's been
very supportive.
He thinks... being gay
has made me a good priest;
human, compassionate.
He thinks that all that's happened
recently has made me a better one;
more human...
more compassionate.
Go out and commit mass murder,
he'd want you canonized.
When you say you want
to carry on serving God--
Well, that's good.
The best way for you to serve God
is to disappear.
The best way for you to serve God
is to piss off out of my diocese.
ls that clear ?
Yes.
Good.
Here, I brought you some grapes.
Thank you.
Betty and George Hunt ask
our prayers for Betty's sister...
who's recovering
from an operation.
Jean Parkinson gave birth
two days ago, but the baby's...
not all that well,
and so we remember Jean and her
baby daughter in our prayers.
Charles and Ruth ask for our prayers
for their son, John,
who's in hospital
after a road accident.
And of course, Katy Bull asks
for our continuing prayers
for her husband, Kevin.
For these people and all
of our ill and suffering,
we ask God's help as we
remember them in our prayers.
- Lord, hear us.
- You've forgotten somebody.
Father ?
Fr. Greg...
who's recovering in hospital.
Yes.
Sorry.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Hi.
- Greg, you've got a visitor. Right.
- Thank you.
I'm sorry.
When you get better,
we can see each other
again, yeah ?
I don't think
it's a good idea.
I'm sorry.
God bless.
Yeah, you too.
So, what now ?
Well, I've told ya.
We say Mass together.
Look, I really appreciate it,
Matthew, but I can't.
- You've got to do it.
- Well, what about the Bishop ?
Oh, bugger the Bishop.
- Don't take that literally !
Something wrong, Sean ?
- Oh, no, Father.
- Good.
- Saying Mass together ?
- Yeah.
You won't need me then ?
You're not
absolutely essential, no.
You're leaving ?
- The Bishop's told me to.
- It's our parish !
I won't be your cause, Matthew.
I won't be your crusade.
ls that how you see it ?
- Can I see Lisa, please ?
- No.
- Lisa, I'm so sorry.
- I'm closing the door now, Father.
- Please forgive me.
- I don't want to close it in your face.
- Forgive me, Lisa.
- But I will if I have to.
Will you go now, Father ?
- Forgive me.
- Will you go ?
- Hello.
- Yes ?
Fr. Greg Pilkington.
- Pardon ?
- Side door.
So, you've hurt your neck,
have you ?
No, I'm a dedicated
follower of fashion.
Thank you.
Dinner at 7:30.
Dead pig.
-
Do you think God gives a damn ?
War. Famine. Disaster.
Millions slaughtering
each other.
With all these things on his mind,
do you really think God gives a damn...
about what men do
with their dicks ?
Do you ever doubt
in the existence of God ?
I do. It's not war,
famine and disa-- I mean, the--
These things make me angry,
yeah, but they don't make me doubt Him.
- But when I look at the church today...
and see careerists
and hypocrites...
and...
Pharisees thriving...
in positions of power,
then... I doubt
the existence of God.
How could He
let this happen ?
That judge--
What's he called ?
Denning.
He said,
he'd rather see innocent men
rot in prison...
than for the British legal system
to be ridiculed.
He put pomp and ceremony,
the cap and gown,
before the principle itself.
That's what
we're doin' now.
Churches, cathedrals,
bishops, popes.
All the trappings of power.
We care more about that
than the thing itself.
The teachings of Christ,
love and compassion...
for all mankind.
All mankind.
- Men, women,
black, white,
old, young,
gay, straight.
-
All right, up your end a bit.
- Watch the back, Billy.
- All right, go back if you want.
Yeah, yeah.
Careful.
Take it easy.
My car !
They've taken my friggin' car !
It's just one
of the trappings of power
that you despise so much, Matthew.
Along with the roof over your head,
the food in your belly,
and the clothes on your back,
you bloody hypocrite !
Hello.
Dominus tecum.
Um, et cum spiritu tuo.
Tota die pluit.
Eh-- Yes. Yes.
Scio te penitus.
Te es pustula
in corpore Christi.
Pustula vivens
spirans monstruosa.
lam iamque
in pus et cruorem...
et foetorem eruptura.
You've lost me, I'm afraid.
I said,
I know all about you.
You're a boil
on the body of Christ.
A monstrous,
living, breathing boil,
ready to erupt at any moment
into pus...
and blood and stench.
I think I preferred it
in Latin.
You'll be paid a pound
for every Mass you say,
and you're not to go out
after dark.
Fine.
Benedic, Dominus...
nos et haec tua dona.
Do any of you read the Notes
and Queries page in The Guardian ?
Look, I know you
don't want me here.
But in a way,
hasn't God sent me ?
- You've broken the vow
of celibacy, that's all.
- Bollocks !
So you should demand to be treated
the same as any other priest.
- Heterosexual, homosexual,
it doesn't make any difference.
- Utter bollocks !
You've broken a man-made rule,
that's all.
It's there for the protection
of property to keep it away
from the widows of priests.
- Christ was celibate.
- It's there for the mobility of labor.
- No wife, no kids,
so you can kick a priest...
- Christ was celibate.
-from one end of the earth to the other.
-Christ was celibate !
Look, Matthew,
the church gives us everything:
money, food, shelter, respect.
And all she asks
in return is celibacy.
Christ gave his life.
All we're asked for is celibacy
and we can't even manage that.
- Christ didn't ask us to be celibate.
It's manmade.
- Solemn vows !
- It's a manmade thing.
- "Do you solemnly swear ?"
That's our currency, Matthew:
Solemn vows.
And we debase them because
we can't even stick to them ourselves.
What's his name ?
Graham.
- Do you love him ?
- I despise him.
Satan comes in many forms.
This is the man who gave you his body.
How dare you talk
like that ?
ln the name of God, Greg,
you gotta ask yourself--
Now, look at me,
look at me when I'm talkin' to ya !
To call another human being
Satan, I mean--
What kind of religion
is that ?
What kind of sick,
twisted brainwash...
have you been through ?
His sole purpose in life is to tempt you
into sin, is that what you're sayin' ?
You're Christ
and he's just the bloody serpent.
ls that what you're sayin',
you arrogant prick ?
I think I love him.
Yes.
Do you want him ?
Yes.
All the time ?
A lot of the time.
And is that sinful ?
Sick.
So... to itch for a man
is sick;
to want to scratch that itch,
to want to make love
to another man, that's sinful ?
Yes.
And to want to go on scratching,
to live with another man--
Well, that's permanent sin.
That's evil.
That's "depart from me,
ye cursed" stuff, right ?
Yes.
ls there any sense...
any intellect, any...
common humanity
in that kind of bullshit ?
What're you laughin' at ?
- You laughin' at me ?
- Yes.
Don't patronize me, Greg.
I patronize you ?
I live it, Matthew.
You think you can just walk in here and
spout some glib Guardian reader crap,
and bang, all's right with my world;
I'm reconciled to my nature.
Cue the uplifting music.
I--
Who's the arrogant prick now ?
What's he doin' now ?
I want you
to say Mass with me.
- I can't.
I want this door
left open.
- I beg your pardon !
- Matthew...
he's chaperoning us.
I don't believe it !
Jesus !
Give it to me, big boy !
How-How was it for you ?
You owe it to them.
To confront,
to challenge, to teach.
I can't.
Come over on Sunday.
Say Mass with me.
I can't.
Big Chief Sittin' Bull
wouldn't hide himself away.
He'd have reservations.
I'll see you.
- Good luck.
- If you don't hear from me
in three days,
send out a search party.
Well ?
Abi et futue te ipsum,
sordide senex.
Yeah.
Go and look that one up,
you old bastard.
Okay ?
Yeah.
There ya are.
There's the bum boy.
Tsk-tsk-tsk !
Shh ! Shh, shh, shh.
Sit down, please.
Would you please
sit down ?
As you can see, Fr. Greg's
here with us today--
I'm sorry, Father, but this...
is out of order.
- This is definitely out of order !
- Why ?
Why ? Have you Jeremy Beadle
stashed somewhere ? Have ya ? Eh ?
- Because this a joke.
This is a laughingstock.
- Yeah.
You, you are making a laughingstock
of my faith. You know that ?
Come on, Charley. Hey, Euan, come on.
We're going out of here.
Come on, get movin'.
- Will you tell me why ?
- Oh, for God sake, Father !
You shouldn't need telling, should you ?
Come on, get out of here !
Hey, I-- I am supposed
to have respect for that !
Hey ! Oh, yeah !
I am supposed to take communion
from that !
Oh, aye ! Hey, you're doolally,
do you know that ? Come on !
Okay.
If you don't like it...
if you can't give this man
compassion...
- then go.
I don't want ya
sittin' here !
If you're too English...
too anally retentive...
- too embarrassed to make a scene.
If you object
to this man's presence, then go.
Go ! Go on ! Go !
It's in the Bible.
The Bible ! Do you read the Bible,
you, you pervert ?
It's there
in black and white !
"You shall not lie
with a male as with a woman.
It is an abomination !"
"ln my Father's house
there are many mansions."
- We're all sinners. All of us.
- Excuse me.
That's why Christ
went to the cross.
"And the Lord rained upon Sodom
and Gomorrah brimstone and fire !"
"Let him who is without
sin among you cast the first stone."
"Keep my statutes
and my laws...
and do none of these
abominations !"
"Judge not...
that you be not judged."
Gaagh !
"Lord, how often shall
my brother sin against me...
- You know what the Holy Father
says about it. You know !
- and I forgive him ?
- as many as seven times ?
- I don't suppose you listen
to the Pope either, do ya ?
Jesus said to him,
'I do not say seven times...
but 70 times seven."'
"And Lot's wife looked back
and was turned into a pillar of salt."
Who was the first to see him
when he was risen ?
Mary Magdalene,
a prostitute.
Jesus wept !
How dare you turn your back
on this man !
How dare you do this...
and call yourselves
Catholics ?
Will you say something ?
I'm here to ask
your forgiveness.
The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ...
the love of God and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
And also with you.
- This is my body
which will be given up for you.
Through him, with him in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours,
Almighty Father, for ever and ever.
Amen.
- Peace be with you.
- Peace be with you.
This is the Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world.
Happy are those
who are called to His supper.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.
The body of Christ.
The body of Christ.
- The body of Christ.
- Amen.