Book Review: THE POWER AND THE GLORY by Graham Greene

The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

No wonder this is called one of the greatest Catholic novels. Set in Tabasco, Mexico during the 1930's, written in 1940, it was controversial enough to merit condemnation by the Vatican, prompting the author to write: "The price of liberty is eternal vigilance."

Reading the book, one can see why it caused such a stir in Rome. It would have been banned had not the future Pope/Saint Paul VI spoken in its defense. The uproar lay in its realistic portrayal of human weakness in one who is supposed to be Christ's earthly representative.

The protagonist is as fallen as they come: a "whiskey priest," an alcoholic who has literally fathered a child. (Not that rare an occurrence in the Philippines - especially in Pampanga, as journalist Aries Rufo pointed out.)

Extremely aware of how contemptible he has become, this unnamed priest is on the run from the authorities in a time when the government was stamping out religion, shooting priests, and killing those who harbor these fugitives.

Who is worthy of salvation? Is it the pious churchgoer who never misses a day at mass, the innocent girl during her First Communion? Or is it the drunk, the adulterer, the child thief? The sinless, or the sinful?

One reads this Graham Greene novel with brow furrowed. This is meaty indeed, for at its core is the message that salvation and grace are to be found even in the most fallen of God's children. That He moves through even the most corrupt of people, in patterns we may not see. And it is fascinating to go over the narrative and dissect the book for the details, as Graham Greene doesn't hand the meaning to the reader on a silver platter. The realization comes from close reading, of seemingly mundane bits of conversation. Every page, every phrase, is necessary and engineered. And we realize at the end that the sinner - priest has touched each life that encountered his, bestowing grace despite his weakness.

Yes, the priest falls short of what is expected of him. But he continuously goes out of his way to administer sacraments to those who ask for them, even putting his life at risk. He escapes peril twice, and has every opportunity to escape it forever by leaving the country, but duty compels him to offer his all a third time. And it cannot fail to move even the hardest of hearts, because what we read about is Faith translated into concrete acts of love for fellow men: even those who would betray us. Like Christ loved Judas.

"It was too easy to die for what was good or beautiful... it needed a God to die for the half-hearted and the corrupt."

Not only for religious/spiritual folks, this book has a lot to teach us about the meaning of fidelity to a cause: persevering in one's calling despite not seeing a happy ending. What. A. Book!

If you liked Shusaku Endo's SILENCE, you will LOOOOOOVE The Power and The Glory.

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