This film deals with sexual abuse contains some scenes of a sexual nature and discriminatory language
BELL TOLLS
There's Father.
CLAMOUR OF VOICES
BELL TOLLS AND CHILDREN SHOUT
Aagh!
A-a-a-aagh!
SMASHING WOOD AND SPLINTERING GLASS
SCRAPING
There's a young priest called Greg Pilkington.
He's down south at the moment.
Wants to come and do his bit for the inner city(!)
What's he like? A wee bit more orthodox than you.
But Colonel Gaddafi's more orthodox than you.
PHONE RINGS
Yes?
Put him through.
A-hah! Hello.
Yes.
Fine.
I've got that, uh-huh.
DOORBELL
Oh, come in, Father. Hello.
ALL: Hello, Father.
EXCITED CHATTER
'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.
In return, I got a cup of tea and a biscuit
and, "It's time to move on, old son."
Oh, he looked up from what he was writing.
"It's time to move on, old son."
GULLS CRY
How much is that?
Four pounds, please.
Give me fifty change.
Right.
Thank you.
Ready?
TAXI STARTS UP
Well, I hope you'll be happy here.
Go mbeannai Dia dhibh, a athair. Ta failte romhat chun an pharoiste.
What a waste of a life.
I'll pray for you.
DOOR CLOSES
Morning, Father.
Morning. How are you? Fine.
Keeping warm? Yeah. Good. Bye. See you later.
INAUDIBLE
SHIP'S HOOTER BLOWS
Yes! Goal!
Welcome to St Mary's, Father.
Oh, thank you. Ewbank and Fairweather, funeral directors.
Oh. Please come in.
We pay commission - £10 a corpse.
Twelve pound fifty in the summer.
FOOTSTEPS
Sorry I wasn't here to meet you. Matthew Thomas. Greg Pilkington.
Um...Maria Kerrigan. Hello.
Hello.
So...tea?
Well...that would be nice.
Right.
Sitting Bull.
Nobility - even in defeat.
So...
she's our housekeeper?
Yeah.
It's an article of faith, isn't it?
Coming between transubstantiation and papal infallibility -
housekeepers must be ugly.
Sorry.
ORGAN PLAYS
Nice word -
"scapegoat".
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 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 any more.
They're not the fault
of the individual any more.
BABY CRIES
They're Society's fault(!) Well, I'm sorry. I don't understand that.
What did you think?
Interesting.
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.
Patronising.
Really?
BACKING TRACK PLAYS
And there's a guard
And a sad old padre...
AUDIENCE BARRACK Arm in arm we'll walk at daybreak...
..Again...
I'll touch the green, green grass of home
CRIES OF "MORE!"
# Yes, they'll all come out to see me
# In the shade of the old oak tree
# As they lay me
# 'Neath the green, green grass
# Of home. #
WHISTLING AND CHEERING
'Undignified?!'
Yes.
Thanks.
You didn't get a round in.
KNOCKING
Matthew...
RADIO 4: 'The forecast for the next 24 hours...'
Come on! You're too slow. Grrr! You're too slow!
CHURCH BELLS RING
GRUNTS OF EFFORT
Come on, come on! Fifty-five!
Fifty-six!
No!
Course it's crap. God knows everything, right? Past, present and future? Right.
So...
even before Judas was born, God knew he was gonna take the 30 pieces of silver, kiss Christ
and burn in Hell. He still had free will.
No, he did not. God knows the future. You can't prove God wrong, can you?
Right, just imagine...
Judas turning round and saying, "Nah, it's not Him. Nothing like Him."
God'd throw a wobbler.
"He's got to die and save humanity. Kiss Him, you bastard, kiss Him!"
Yeah, whatever you say, Charlie.
RADIO 4: '..Was charged £72 for a ten-minute talk with a bank manager.
'The bank summoned him for going £200 over his overdraft limit.
'A spokesman for the bank said the charge could not have been £72...'
NEWS BROADCAST CONTINUES
Did you order this?
Yes.
What, every day?
Is it a problem?
Two papers is an extravagance. Have you finished? I haven't touched it.
I despise Rupert Murdoch.
Well, he speaks very highly of you.
Milk? Thank you.
THEY PLAY A CHILEAN FOLK TUNE
MAN SINGS IN SPANISH
INAUDIBLE
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 workforce,
don't you spit in the face of God?
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...
In fact, if you do anything
to prevent one single human being reaching their full potential,
aren't you interfering with creation and spitting in the face of God?
That's what I believe. That's MY truth.
That's what made me become a priest.
And makes me remain a priest.
ALL: Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.
The peace of the Lord be with you always. ALL: And also with you.
Let us offer each other the sign of peace.
CHILEAN BAND PLAYS SLOW MUSIC
ALL SAY, "PEACE BE WITH YOU" TO EACH OTHER
Peace be with you.
Peace be with you, Maggie. Peace be with you, Father.
Peace be with you. I know what you're thinking.
< Any minute now,
he'll have his kecks off.
Peace be with you.
It wasn't a sermon, it was a Labour party political broadcast!
There's social sin and personal sin. I emphasise the social. There's just sin.
Matthew, you can't change the rules because they don't suit you. There's just sin.
Are you judging ME?
For God's sake, get rid of her.
CLOCK TICKS LOUDLY
THUNDER RUMBLES
I was in South America for four years.
In 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.
That's what you want to hear, isn't it? So, yeah. I dumped her.
You're very certain of yourself,
aren't you, Greg?
I'm not. Yes. A few months in this parish and you'll be a lot less so.
A few years... Other priests... ..you'll be utterly confused.
A few more... Middle-aged lefties getting excited
every time a factory closes... ..you might learn a bit of humility.
..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?
A judge should know all the facts.
We love each other. He's asked me to marry him.
That means him leaving the priesthood so I've said no.
Not that I'm a martyr to the faith.
But, 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 I won't be destitute when he pops his clogs.
Anything else you wanna know, I'll be washing your pots and pans.
Taking a scrubbing brush to your underpants.
OK?
I'm sorry.
Right.
GENTLE KNOCK
DOOR OPENS
Can I ask you to be discreet?
Of course.
I was thinking of doing some home visits.
Counterproductive.
I disagree.
CHILDREN SHOUT
MAN: What do you think you're doing?
DOGS BARK
No. Put it out, it's dangerous.
Oh, shut up!
SIREN DROWNS VOICES
TRICKLING
ZIPPING
Holy water.
Hello. Is this a Catholic home, by any chance? Piss off!
WOMAN: Gobshite, that's all you are!
Shut up! You'll always be gobshite! Me mother warned me about you.
Gobshite! Shut up! Don't even think of coming back, gobshite! I won't.
Next time, you'll get the biggest shock of your life! Gobshite! Shut up.
Beg your pardon, Father.
Do you know them? Mr and Mrs Gobshite.
CHILD: Gobshite! You tell him.
CHILD: Gobshite! You get out!
You tell him!
BARKING
Hello?
< Hello?
Are you Catholic?
BARKING AND HOWLING
Who is it?
Are you Catholic? Who is it?
Are you a Catholic?
DOG IS BESIDE ITSELF
BARKING DROWNS REPLY
ROCK MUSIC PLAYS LOUDLY
Hello. Hello.
Do come in.
Thank you.
MUSIC POUNDS THROUGH WALL
Hello. Please, sit down.
Thanks.
We're Jehovah's Witnesses, actually.
Through this holy anointing...
Through this holy anointing may the Lord in His mercy... Sorry.
..May the Lord in His mercy...and the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up. Amen.
Nurse, take care of these relatives!
MONITOR BLEEPS
He'll be all right. Come on.
BLEEPING FALTERS
UNINTERRUPTED BLEEP
So, The Lord's My Shepherd, then.
(Yeah.)
And something personal. Did he have a favourite song? Yeah.
He's getting cremated. Oh, yeah.
It was Great Balls Of Fire.
ELECTRIC ORGAN PLAYS SOFTLY
# You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain
# Boom-boom-boom-boom! Too much lovin' drives a man insane
# You broke my will But what a thrill
ALL: # Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!
# I laughed at love cos I thought it was funny
# You came along and mo-o-oved me, honey... #
ALL: Ooh!
# I changed my mind This girl is fine
# Goodness gracious, great balls of fire! #
Hey! That's enough of that!
Can anyone whistle?
Get him on the coffin and show him how to do it!
Can anyone whistle, cos he can't bleedin' sing!
Ooh!
I thought you'd dropped one, an' all!
Here, I had!
Father Greg!
Oi! Father Greg! Father Greg!
THEY CHANT: Father Greg! Father Greg! Father Greg!
CHEERING
Give us a song!
Come on, Father,
give us a song!
No, really.
ALL: Go on!
Er...could I SAY something instead?
Ah! About tomorrow.
Not to put a damper on things -
people like to take communion at a funeral and some of you may feel you can't.
Tomorrow, I'll be in the confessional before we start.
It won't get heavy. Or even now, in the back yard, if you'd like.
ALL: No way!
I HAVE put a damper on things, haven't I?
No, you haven't, Father, come on. Bob, Bob, give us a song, eh?
CHANTING: Bobby! Bobby!
# The road is lo-o-ong
# With many a winding turn
# That leads us
# To who knows where?
# Who knows where? #
SHRIEKS OF LAUGHTER
He was a bastard, Father.
Never a day went by without me wishing him dead.
And now he's gone, you miss him. I miss him.
I miss the bastard.
Will you absolve me, Father? There's nothing to absolve. Please, Father.
God, the Father of mercies, by the death and resurrection of His Son,
has sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins...
ALL HUM # For you stole Trevelyan's corn
# So the young might see the morn
# Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay
# Low lie the fields of Athenry
# Where once we watched the small, free birds fly... #
Goodnight, Father.
# ..Our love was on the wing
# We had dreams and songs to sing
# It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry
# By a lonely prison wall
# I heard a young man calling
# Nothing matters, Mary, when you're free
# Against the famine and the crown
# I rebelled; they ran me down
# Now you must raise our child with dignity
SONG ECHOES ON: # Low lie the fields of Athenry
# Where once we watched the small, free birds fly
# Our love was on the wing
# We had dreams and songs to sing... #
< LAUGHTER
# ..It's so lonely round the fields of Athenry
# So lonely round the fields of Athenry. #
OWL HOOTS
DANCE MUSIC PLAYS
Paper, mate? >
SIREN WAILS
POUNDING DANCE MUSIC
Pint of bitter, please.
# Touch me now
# I need your body
# See me round
# Watching you
# Touch me now
# I need your body
# See me round
# Watching you
# Touch me now I want your body
# See me round watching you
# Touch me now
# I need your body
# See me round watching you... #
SCOTTISH: Are you a Catholic?
Takes one to know one.
Bye.
DOOR OPENS
DOOR SHUTS
Bye.
WINDOW OPENS
SHOP ALARM BELL RINGS
GENTLE KNOCK
Come in.
NEARBY RADIO PLAYS: "Sailing By"
You switched the light off in the hall. Yeah.
Yeah, well...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, er...John 23rd, actually.
Do you want to talk?
I'm a bit tired.
OK.
Goodnight. Goodnight.
Predestination's doing me head in.
Honest to God. Yeah? Judas and all that.
I mean, he redeemed us, didn't he? Judas, not Christ.
All Christ had to do was go to the cross and He's in Heaven. And we worship Him.
Poor old Judas has to betray Him, hang himself,
then go down in history as a dirty bastard - THAT'S sacrifice!
But God made 'em. Know what I mean? Judas, Saddam, Adolf. He made 'em.
That's a bit tight on the human race, but even tighter on them, isn't it?
Imagine them queuing to be born and God saying,
"Listen, Saddam, I'm sorry to tell you, but you're gonna be a tyrant,
"gas the Kurds and destroy Iraq."
He'd say, "No, ta."
Hi.
Wouldn't you? >
< Hey! Something wrong?
Er...no.
< CHATTING AND LAUGHING
Ssh!
Good morning.
Morning, Father.
And how many do you smoke? About ten.
A day? Yeah.
How do you pay for them? I use me dinner money.
So you don't eat?
I rob Lisa Unsworth's butties.
Well, that's got to stop.
It will. She brings cheese and onion and I can't stand them.
SUBDUED CHATTER
Suppose someone robbed YOUR car.
I haven't got one. 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, Father Matthew's. That won't get robbed.
Because he's a priest? Because it's crap. Oh.
My s...s...
s...
My s...
s...
s...s...
My...
si...
s...s...s...
CHATTER
May God give you pardon and peace.
And I absolve you from your sins,
in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
That's it, Lisa.
There are others waiting.
He makes me do things.
Who? Me 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.
ORGAN BEGINS "AVE MARIA"
Promise?
You'll come back and see me?
CONGREGATION SINGS:
# ..Fills all our desire
# Ave
# Ave Maria
# Ave
# Ave Maria... #
Aah!
# We pray to God's glory
# May His Kingdom come
# And to God's virgin mother
# An endless "Ave"
# Ave
# Ave Maria
# Ave
# Ave Maria
# We pray for our mother... #
The body of Christ. Amen.
# ..The land of our birth... #
The body of Christ. Amen. The body of Christ. Amen.
# ..Ave Maria
# Ave
# Ave Maria
# In grief and temptation... #
The body of Christ. Amen.
# ..Ave... #
The body of Christ.
# Ave, ave Maria... #
The body of Christ.
# I'm just an ordinary duck You'll see me in the street
# Wandering round Liverpool
# With wellies on me feet
# I live just up by Scotty Road
# I think that you'll agree
# There's not much there to look at, But...it's home, sweet home to me
# Me name is Googy, Googy
# I never have much luck
# I don't care, I'm happy, I'm...
# Googy, the Liverpool duck... #
Father. Yeah?
Keep your nose out of my business.
# ..The other half, the Blues It's murder on a Sat'day night
# If either of them lose
# The Liver Bird's a mate of mine He went to our old school
# So when you see him, think of me
# When you're in Liverpool
# Me name is Googy, Googy
# I never had much luck I don't care
# I'm happy, I'm...
# Googy, the Liverpool... I come from Liverpool... Googy... #
You shouldn't have come here.
I came here to see you.
Are we gonna see each other again?
Look...
PAPER RUSTLES
Phone me.
Take it.
Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
May the Lord 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 paid 24,000 pieces of silver for the right to commit incest.
You know who sold him that right?
Pope Alexander VI.
Incest is evil.
Incest is human,
the most natural thing in the world. The most UNNATURAL.
Of course, you're the expert, aren't you, Father?
Never been with a woman, let alone fathered a child,
but you're the bloody expert.
Well, you ask any man - any PROPER man. You ask him,
when does he stop patting his daughter's bum? When she's 12?
When she's 14?
And why does he stop patting it?
Cos she doesn't like it? Cos HE doesn't like it?
Or...cos he DOES like it, but, er...where's he gonna stop?
Hmm?
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.
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 the bullshit, that's all. Inhuman, is it?
Unthinkable? So why go to all the trouble of making laws against it?
Why does every society in the world taboo it? I'll tell you why.
It's the one thing we'd all like to do,
deep down.
In here.
And what does Lisa think?
CHILDREN CHATTER
MUSIC: "Anyone Who Had A Heart" by Dusty Springfield
Right, OK - quiet for a minute.
Listen, please. Listen.
Can anyone tell me what this song's about? Shagging, Father.
HILARITY
Wrong. Can anybody give me
a more sensible answer? Yes? It's about re...relationships.
CHILDREN GROAN Absolutely. But what is the most essential part of a relationship?
Love, Father.
Absolutely right. Love. Passionate commitment from one human being to another.
RECORD: # You couldn't have a heart
# And hurt me like you've hurt me and be so untrue... #
Miss Shaughnessy.
It's all right, Lisa. It's OK. It's all right.
Get Miss Shaughnessy!
It's OK, Lisa. Ssh.
Lisa, will you let me talk to your mother about what you told me? No.
Is there anyone else you'd like me to talk to?
No.
You must come and see me again.
Do you promise?
You promised last time.
Look at me. Look at me.
Promise.
Come on, chick. Thanks, Father Greg. Come in for a cup of tea. Thanks.
Here you go, Father. Lisa. Ta.
It could be an adolescence thing. It happens to kids of her age.
Everything all right? Lisa!
Hello, Father. Hello.
Father Greg brought her home. Cup of tea, love? Yeah, please, love.
Hey, you OK? Yeah.
So, what brought it on? Don't know.
Where were you? (Class.)
Class?
You all right, now?
That's a girl.
There you go, Phil. Thanks, love.
Maybe you shouldn't leave her alone. We don't. If I'm not here, Phil is.
Father 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.
PHONE DIAL SPINS
When I was a kid, I threw myself in the docks at home.
I'd wet myself and I wanted to hide it.
So I runs home to my mum and dad and told them two boys had pushed me in.
Of course, they wanted a description.
I described two boys I'd seen earlier.
And they went out looking for them.
I was absolutely terrified.
It's like, "Please God, don't let us find them!"
BELLS PLAY WESTMINSTER CHIMES
I'd better go.
I'll see you.
HISSING
STEADY TONE
STATIC HISSING
TONE
You all right?
Yes.
MONOTONOUS TONE CONTINUES
HISSING
TONE
MONOTONOUS, INTENSE, PIERCING TONE
I can't go into details. If I intervene, I could stop someone 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?
'Anyone interested to know more,'
contacts from the parish team
listed below.
PHONE RINGS
St Mary's. Father Greg speaking.
'It's Sister Kevin here. That young girl you mentioned.
'There IS something else.' Oh.
A big lump of a bully in front of me has been stealing Lisa's lunch.
Right.
Well, thank you for letting me know.
'Thank you.' Goodbye.
Right, Father Greg. I'll get this over to Brian.
OK.
HE STABS BUTTONS
RINGING TONE
'Hello. Social Services.
'Social Services.'
I need to speak to someone about a child at risk. 'Hold on, please.'
MAN: 'Hello. Can I help you?
'Can I help you?' No.
OK. Goodnight.
Yeah? It's got to stop.
Look, she's taking fits because of what you're doing.
Piss off!
Right?
They used to ask a question in seminary.
It was a sort of standard question.
"A man tells you in confession he's poisoned the altar wine. Do you still go out and say Mass?"
Oh, thanks.
GULLS CRY
I had no problem with that.
I'd go out and say Mass. Drink the wine.
There's a bit of 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! Gi's a cup of coffee.
Bugger off! Leave my flask. Leave my flask!
What's wrong with ya?
Just beat it.
Gi's a swig.
Not very nice, is it, eh?
Not very Christian!
Wa-a-a-aaaagh!
BUOY BELL RINGS
He wasn't human enough.
The Son of God.
He had certainty.
Heaven. Everlasting life. He knew it all, with absolute certainty.
Give me that and fine - 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?
# Praise to the Holiest in the height
# And in the depth be praise... #
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."
BELL TINKLES
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 be shed for all..."
# Touch me now. Touch me...touch me... #
"..So that sins
"may be forgiven.
"Do this in memory of me."
The body of Christ.
The body of Christ. Amen.
The body of Christ. >
The body of Christ.
The body of Christ. Amen.
The body of Christ.
BELL TOLLS
The 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?
Well, 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.
Now that's being greedy.
I sit 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...
I should say, "Matthew, I can't smile and hug and preach the beauty of creation
"because inside here there's just sin and sickness and evil..."
(Oh, God!)
I was going to get out, Greg, when I was your age.
But it would have 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.
What about them new flats? I know what you're going to say, Tommy.
They wrecked them. It's houses they want, with a garden. That's what they want.
Yeah, the flats aren't what they want. They wrecked them in no time!
But housing isn't the answer on its own.
There's other stuff - jobs, for a start.
How's Lisa?
Um...she's fine. She's with her dad. Just a minute. >
So before decent houses, you've gotta give them a decent education, decent jobs and God knows what?
No, Tommy. What are you going to do with us?
Put us on a desert island till it's all perfect? You can't just put them in a house
and say, "That's my bit." I'm talking about values and changing attitudes.
That takes money, education... I never heard such patronising cobblers... healthcare, housing...
I'm sorry, I can't go on with this.
Must have 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!
Calm down.
GENERAL CHATTER
Early finish, Philly.
I'll tell someone. That's what You'd do. She's 14. You wouldn't see her suffer.
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's rules and regulations.
How is the secrecy of confession good, if it allows evil to thrive?
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...'
Hiya.
'..Those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.'
You COULD speak out. As the Son of God, You could make the rules.
You were the Son of God. I'm not. I'm just a priest,
I'm a tuppence-ha'penny priest,
and I can't take on 2,000 years of history!
That would be pride. That would be arrogance. They'd crucify me...
Our Father, who art in Heaven...
SMOKE ALARM BEEPS 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven...
'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 for an example, in the depths of despair.
I look for an example and all there is is YOU.
But you performed miracles. You changed water into wine.
You raised the dead. You cured the sick. What kind of example is that?
You couldn't possibly know despair.
"I'm feeling low, I'll raise somebody from the dead."
How can You know what I'm going through right now?
ALARM BEEPS INSISTENTLY
Lisa!
Oh!
BEEPING STOPS
RHYTHMIC CREAKING
WHIMPERING
No.
No. No.
What are you doing?
What are you doing, Phil?
What are you doing?
What are you doing? You animal,
you animal, you animal...
BLOWS
Get up!
Get down them stairs, now! Down!
Get down!
SHE SCREAMS Down the stairs, now! You animal!
You animal!
Listen to me! Listen! God! Oh, God!
THUMPING
'Oh, God! You're an animal!
You're an animal!'
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.'
Get out! Yeah? GET OUT! GET OUT!
GET O-O-OUT!
Get out, get out, get out, get out.
Lisa, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
MRS UNSWORTH SOBS
'I'm sorry.
'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.'
SHE SOBS
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.
But 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 offences I have committed..."
You knew.
WHISPERING
YOU knew.
What kind of man are you?
The ninth is, um...
..Our Lord falls for the third time.
I hope you burn in Hell.
HER FOOTSTEPS SLOWLY RECEDE
DOOR OPENS
DOOR BANGS
DOG BARKS IN DISTANCE
LAUGHING
No. What? No, I don't know that one.
Haven't you ever...? It's a good one, though.
BANTER AND LAUGHTER CONTINUES
SAXOPHONE PLAYS UPSTAIRS
FOOTSTEPS
KNOCKING
Hi.
What did you expect? You treated me like a bloody leper!
For God's sake, grow up, Greg!
A SINGLE BELL TOLLS
A SECOND BELL BEGINS TO TOLL
INAUDIBLE
A THIRD BELL STARTS
GULLS CRY PLAINTIVELY
I love you.
RADIO SQUAWKS
I do love you, Greg.
Shit!
(Oh, God.)
Date of birth. 20 September,
1964.
Occupation?
What's your job?
PHONE RINGS INSISTENTLY SOMEWHERE
Priest.
Catholic?
(Yes.)
You little devil!
# When you walk through a storm
# Hold your head up high
# And don't be afraid
# Of the dark... #
Guilty.
How long have you been a priest?
It's in your interest to talk to me. Put your side of the story.
# ..The sweet, silver song of a lark
# Walk on through the wind
# Walk on through the rain
# Though your dreams be tossed
# And blown
# Walk on, walk on
# With hope in your heart
# And you'll never walk alone
# You'll never walk alone
# Walk on through the wind
# Walk on through the rain
# Though your dreams be tossed and blown
# Walk on
with hope in your heart... #
# And you'll never walk alone... #
KNOCKING
Greg?
# ..You'll never walk alone. #
Aagh!
What have you done? Don't touch me!
Aagh, frigging Ada! Hang on.
Aagh!
CRUNCH
O-o-ow!
Frigging Ada!
Oh, God!
OH, GOD!
Oh! Oh!
Oh!
It had slipped out. Jesus!
Jesus Christ!
Oh!
Thanks.
You're welcome.
Why didn't you tell me?
I tried.
I couldn't.
What are you going to 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. We've gotta do it!
You see, I can't. I've just taken 24 paracetamol.
'Shit!'
TELEPHONE PLAYS: "Amazing Grace"
'Yes?' Good news. He'll live.
That's GOOD news?
Compassion, ladies and gentlemen.
You sin. You go to a priest. You expect compassion from him.
Shouldn't HE expect it from YOU?
Compassion, forgiveness, understanding.
REPORTERS SHOUT
People have a right
to privacy!
What's Matthew been saying?
He's been very supportive.
He thinks being gay has made me a good priest.
Human.
Compassionate.
He thinks all that's happened recently has made me a better one.
More human. More compassionate.
Commit mass murder and he'd want you canonised.
Now, you say you want to carry on serving God.
Well, that's good.
The best way for you to serve God is to disappear. To piss off out of my diocese. Is that clear?
Yes.
Good.
Here. I brought you some grapes.
Thank you.
..Betty's sister, recovering from an operation.
Jean Parkinson's baby is not all that well, so we remember them in our prayers.
Charles and Ruth ask our prayers for John, in hospital after an accident.
And, of course, Katie Bow asks our continuing prayers for Kevin.
For all who are ill and suffering we ask God's help,
as we remember them in our prayers.
Lord, hear us. You've forgotten somebody. Oh, have I?
Father Greg...is recovering in hospital.
Yes.
Sorry.
Lord, hear us.
ALL: Lord, graciously hear us.
Hi.
Greg, you've got a visitor.
Thank you.
SIRENS WAIL OUTSIDE
I'm sorry.
I don't think you should come here.
NURSE: He's here. >
Hello, Charlie.
All right?
You never told me you were queer.
You never asked.
We did everything together.
We got in the shower together. You were perfectly safe.
You might find this extraordinary, but you never really turned me on.
Sorry!
You'd best go.
Yeah.
God bless.
Yeah, you too.
MARIA MURMURS SOLICITOUSLY
No, I'm fine. Really. OK.
So...what now?
Well, I've told you. We say Mass together.
I really appreciate it, Matthew, but I can't.
You've got to do it. What about the bishop? Oh, bugger the bishop!
Don't take that literally!
Something wrong, Sean? No, Father. Good.
You 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 a cause, Matthew - your crusade. Is 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.
Forgive me, Lisa. Will you go now, Father?
Forgive me. Go.
SIRENS WAIL
LAMB BLEATS
Hello. Yes?
Father Greg Pilkington.
Pardon? Side door.
You've hurt your neck, have you?
No. I'm a dedicated follower of fashion(!)
HOLLOW FOOTSTEPS ON BARE STAIRS
BELL-LIKE CHIMING
Thank you.
Dinner at 7.30.
Dead pig.
RAIN BEATS ON WINDOW
LAMB BLEATS
'Do you think God gives a damn?'
War. Famine. Disaster.
Millions slaughtering each other.
With all these things on His mind, do you think God gives a damn about what men do with their dicks?
Do you ever doubt the existence of God?
I do. It's not war, famine and disaster.
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 the pomp and ceremony - the cap and gown - before the principle itself.
That's what we're doing, 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.
< VOICES AND ROARING ENGINE
< Steady!
< Yeah, all right. All right.
< Take it easy.
'It's just one of the trappings of power you despise.'
With your house, your food and your clothes, you bloody hypocrite!
Hello.
Dominus tecum.
Er...et cum spiritu tuo.
DISTANT BELL TOLLS
Tota die pluit.
Er...yes.
Yes.
Scie te penitus.
Tu es pustula in corpore Christi. >
Pustula vivens,
spirans,
monstrosa,
iam iamque in pus et cruorem et foetorem irruptura.
Um...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.
Benedicat dominus
nos sed haec tua dona.
Do 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?
DOORBELL
You only broke the vow of celibacy. Bollocks!
You should be treated the same as any other priest, heterosexual, homosexual... Utter bollocks!
You broke a man-made rule, made to protect property,
to keep it away from the widows of priests.
Christ was celibate. Mobile labour. No family - you can kick a priest anywhere. Christ was celibate.
The Church gives us everything - money, food, shelter, respect.
All She asks in return is celibacy.
Christ gave His life. We're asked for celibacy and we can't even manage that.
Christ didn't ask us to be celibate, it's man-made. Solemn vows.
"Do you solemnly swear?" That's our currency - solemn vows.
We debase them because we can't stick to them.
What's his name?
Graham.
THUNDER RUMBLES
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?!
In God's name, Greg, ask yourself... Look at me when I'm talking to you!
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 to sin - is that what you're saying?
You're Christ and he's just the bloody serpent?
Is that what you're saying, 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 - make love to another man - that's sinful?
Yes.
And to want to LIVE with another man - that's permanent sin? That's evil?
That's, "Depart from me, ye cursed" stuff, right? Yes.
Is there any sense...
any intellect, any...
..common humanity in that kind of bullshit?
What are you laughing at?
Are you laughing at me?
Yes.
Don't patronise me, Greg.
I patronise YOU?
I live it, Matthew.
You think you can come 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?
DOOR OPENS
What's he doing now?
I want you to say Mass with me.
I can't.
DOOR OPENS
I want this door left open.
I beg your pardon(?) Matthew!
(He's chaperoning us.)
MATTHEW LAUGHS HELPLESSLY
I don't believe it!
SNORING
GREG AND MATTHEW PANT AND MOAN
RHYTHMIC CREAKING
VOICES RISE IN FRENZY
Give it to me, big boy!
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 Sitting Bull wouldn't hide himself away.
He'd have reservations.
I'll see you.
Good luck! If you don't hear in three days, send out a search party.
Well?
Abe et futue te ipsum sordide senex.
Yeah - go and look that one up, you old bastard!
ORGAN PLAYS INTRODUCTION
CONGREGATION SINGS:
# Let's all join together
in communion sweet
# Walk, walk in the light
# And love one another till our Saviour we meet
# Walk, walk in the light
# Walk in the light... #
OK?
(Yeah.)
# ..Walk in the light
# Walk in the light of the Lord
# The Spirit lives... #
It's the bum boy.
# ..Walk, walk in the light... #
WHISPERING
WOMAN GASPS
TUTTING
WOMAN: Devil!
MAN: The state of that!
SHUSHING
MALICIOUS LAUGHTER
UNMUFFLED BUT INAUDIBLE REMARKS
THE SINGING PETERS OUT BUT THE ORGAN CONTINUES
THE CHURCH IS FULL OF TALKING AND WHISPERING
ORGAN STOPS AND PEOPLE SHUSH EACH OTHER
Sit down, please.
Would you please sit down?
As you can see, Father Greg's with us today.
Sorry, Father, >
but this is out of order.
This is DEFINITELY out of order.
Why? WHY?
Have you got Jeremy Beadle stashed somewhere? Eh?
Because this is a joke. This is a laughing stock. YOU...
YOU are making a laughing stock
of MY faith, do you know that?
Come on, Charley, Euan, we're going. Get moving.
Will you tell me why? Oh, for God's sake, Father!
Come on.
You shouldn't need telling!
Come on, get out of here.
Don't!
I am supposed to have RESPECT for THAT!
Eh? Oh, yeah(!)
I am supposed to take communion from THAT!
Oh, aye! You're doolally, d'ya know that? Come on.
Let's get out of here. >
OK.
TOMMY KEEPS SHOUTING
If you don't like it...
SHOUTING RECEDES
If you can't give this man compassion...
then go.
THUDS AS PEOPLE STAND UP
I don't want you sitting here if you're too English,
too anally retentive, too embarrassed to make a scene.
< Let's go.
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 pervert?
It's there, in black and white.
"You shall not lie with the male as with a woman. It is an abomination."
"In my Father's house there are many mansions."
We're all sinners. All of us. 'Scuse me.
That's why Christ went to the cross.
"The Lord rained on Gomorrah brimstone and fire."
"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."
"Keep my statutes and my laws and do NONE of these ABOMINATIONS."
"Judge not...
"that YOU be not judged."
Yah! "Lord...
"how often shall my brother sin against me...?"
You know what the Holy Father says about it. You don't listen to the Pope, either!
"'I do not say seven times, but seventy times seven.'"
"Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt."
Who was the first to see Him 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!
WHISPERING AND SHUSHING
Will you say something?
SHUSHING
I'm here to ask your forgiveness.
WHISPERS
The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. ALL: And also with you.
This is my body, which will be given up for you.
BELL RINGS
MATTHEW AND GREG: ..With Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honour is Yours,
Almighty Father, forever and ever.
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.'
ORGAN IS PLAYING QUIETLY
The body of Christ.
The body of Christ. Amen.
The body of Christ.
Amen.
The body of Christ.
The body of Christ. Amen.
The body of Christ.
The body of Christ. Amen.
The body of Christ.
The body of Christ. Amen.
PIANO PLAYS: "You'll Never Walk Alone"