Leave the stuff alone.
lt's hot!
Giuseppe!
Throw it back to me, will you?
Giuseppe!
Why do you let them
do this to you?
l know it's nothing.
With you it's always nothing.
Everything is a joke with you.
School's a joke, life's a joke.
Giuseppe, you're 20 years old.
You're a man!
That's a serious matter.
ln the name of God,
what's going to happen to you?
Giuseppe, you're a cross
l can't bear anymore.
l want to talk to your father.
No.
l know he's working.
Well, let's go
to his place of business.
Out!
Come on, get out.
Get out!
Out!
Take me now.
Strike me dead.
Two men in the house
and l have to do everything!
My fault.
l should have fixed the door,
but l had more
important things to do.
You show her this.
She'll be better.
l have to see a man about a job.
Mama?
Milk the goat.
And then you can unload Nino.
And after that you can clean
up the mess in the house.
What's that?
- Diploma.
- Diploma?
Graduating in April.
You?
The dunce of the class.
Whose idea was this?
Ah, l see.
Where is he?
l have a special diploma for him.
l graduate him right through the roof!
Giuseppe, Giuseppe...
You think l kept you in school
all these years
for this piece of paper?
You think it didn't break my heart
to see you a grown man
among school boys?
But at least l knew where you were.
A place to go everyday
where the sisters would look after you.
Now...
What will l do with you?
What will you do with yourself?
l can work, as a carpenter,
like Papa.
Carpenter!
He hasn't driven a nail
in three months!
lf you could be a carpenter
or a shoemaker or a blacksmith,
l'd be the happiest
mother in the world.
But you can't, Giuseppe.
You can't!
You understand?
There you are, my friend...
Like Nino you'll tug and strain
until the end of your days.
Expect the worse,
then you won't be disappointed.
Now go. Unload Nino.
Nino...
Look...
Diploma.
No more school.
We are going to work.
Giuseppe, 50 pennies a day,
and you are singing?
Huh?
Fifty pennies a day,
and you are singing?
Look!
Look.
Listen.
You've had too much sun
on your head!
The Baron!
ldiot.
Stupid imbecile.
Look what you've done!
My vines.
l'll kill you!
Giuseppe.
The bailiff has come at last.
He's taking the house
to clear my debts.
Baron Marco.
The Baron?
Here at our house?
You're crazy.
l...
l ruined his vineyards.
Giuseppe!
Giuseppe!
Are you there, my son?
l just remembered something.
l have to see
a man about a job.
Giuseppe.
Giuseppe, we've been waiting for you.
What have you done?
Oh, not again. Not now.
ls Baron Marco here?
Baron Marco...
He never had such a character.
Come inside.
You don't recognize me, do you?
How could you?
The last time l saw you
l held you in my arms
and baptized you.
Uncle Giovanni.
Father Guardian Giovanni.
He's just been
appointed Father Guardian
of the monastery at Martina.
This is Father Raspi...
My nephew, Giuseppe.
He hurt himself
in the service of God.
Sit down, sit down.
The wine, pour it.
Cut some more cheese.
Cut some more cheese!
Come on.
Eat, drink.
This is your house.
That's enough, thank you.
Oh, please, please, Father Raspi.
He is so nervous.
Can you blame him?
Never have we had such
distinguished guests
under this humble roof.
My own brother -
a Prince of the church.
Thank you, Almighty God,
for answering
a poor woman's prayers.
Francesca, please.
l am only a Doctor of the Order.
We have just come from Rome
where even Bishops
are as common as cats.
Don't be so modest.
You are just like Giuseppe.
Hard-working, reliable, intelligent.
Ask Sister Nunziata.
She will tell you.
My son was the
brightest student in the liceo,
graduating three months
ahead of the others.
Would you like to see his diploma?
No, Francesca, l believe you.
l am not sure that this young man
would fit into monastic life.
How can you say that?
Talk to him.
Give him a chance.
Perhaps my sister is right.
This is a serious matter.
We must not be too hasty.
Giuseppe.
Giuseppe!
Giuseppe, come here!
Giuseppe...
Come here.
Sit down, my son.
Sit down.
Have you ever
considered Holy Orders?
Priest.
We had something else
in mind, Francesca.
Something like a lay brother.
We can always use
a good carpenter,
a mason, gardeners, laborers.
Whatever we must do
in the service of Christ.
l'm sure that there is
a place for you at Martina.
Agreed?
Let the young man
decide for himself.
ldiot!
What do you want?
To be under my feet all day?
Stuffing your belly,
never bringing a cent into the house?
ls that what you want?
Losing one job after another
like your worthless father?
No wonder they
make fun of you,
because you are
a brainless idiot!
These Holy men of God
offer you the chance of a lifetime
and you don't want it.
Why? Why in God's name?
Mama, you know l can't do
any of those things.
l'm not a carpenter, l'm not a mason--
But at least try.
l've tried a hundred times.
l can't do it. l know it.
Senora, perhaps Giuseppe
knows his limitations.
Monastic life is hard, very hard.
The discipline is severe.
But Father--
There you are, Francesca.
lt was Giuseppe's decision to make
and he has made it.
Mama!
Mama!
Giuseppe, my son.
What is it, Mama?
These attacks...
l didn't want to
worry you with them,
but l'm not long
for this world, my son.
Giuseppe, what's to become
of you after l'm gone?
Who's to take care of you?
Mama, don't worry. l'll find a way.
- Promise me, son.
- Anything.
Go to the monastery
with your Uncle
and live the life of a Holy Man.
What more can a mother
ask of her boy -
to know that God
watches over him,
protecting him from
the wickedness of the world.
Promise, Giuseppe.
l promise, anything.
Anything, Mother.
Francesca, perhaps you
had better rest a while.
Rest?
We are going to eat,
drink, celebrate.
This is the happiest day of my life.
Come on.
Your sister is
a remarkable woman, Father.
lf she were a man
she would be a Bishop.
She'd be the Pope.
Pride goeth before the fall.
You're not going to a ball;
you're going begging.
Father Raspi is waiting,
Your Eminence.
Where is he?
Up by the gate.
Charity and love
are capital virtues, Brother Giuseppe...
But my favorite virtue
is promptness.
Well, my brothers,
the time has come.
As l told you, today you will
begin a new spiritual experience.
You will go down
into the villages and beg.
l see there are still some doubts.
Coming from good families,
which some of you do,
it's only natural.
ls it lawful to beg?
ls it moral?
ls it good for the soul?
Well, the great St. Francis
has given us the answers.
And he tells us that it
is indeed lawful
and moral and good to solicit
alms for the monastery...
for humility's sake...
and as an antidote
against the poison of vanity.
The poison of vanity...
Fill the baskets, my brothers,
and God be with you.
One more thing...
Remember we have our own garden.
No vegetables, please.
God bless you, my friend.
Alms for St. Francis!
Alms for St. Francis!
Alms for St. Francis!
Hey! Look what l found!
Hey!
Leave it alone!
Hey!
Leave it alone!
That belongs to the monastery!
Leave it alone!
Stop!
That's enough!
Let him go!
Let's go!
Hey, boys!
How do l look?
Well done, my brothers.
Well done.
lt's good to see that Christian charity
isn't dead in the world.
Father Raspi, it was such
a rewarding experience.
Now we know what
you mean by true humility.
Praise the Lord for that.
Take them to Brother Leo.
Who is it?
Who are you?
What are you--
Your cassock...
Your sandals!
The donkey!
What happened?
Oh, Mother of Mercy.
l tell you, Father,
this man has demoralized
the entire monastery!
He's got to go back
where he came from!
Father, l beg you!
Be a little more patient!
What could Giuseppe do?
There are alleys in Lecce
where the devil himself would not go.
We should thank God
he came back alive!
Our friars have been begging
in the streets of Lecce
for three centuries, Father.
They've always been welcomed -
and respected.
Then why not Giuseppe?!
Because he's a magnet for trouble!
What other explanation is there?
Where is it?
What?
The donkey!
You sold it, didn't you?
- No, l didn't!
- Don't lie!
You sold it in Lecce!
What did you do
with the money?
l don't know.
l told you before -
l don't know what happened
to that donkey.
Have you been to confession?
Yes...this morning.
Who did you go to?
- Not Father Raspi.
- No.
He'll never forgive you.
You're stupid! You know that?
Everybody says so.
All the friars!
l've got this,
but you've got a crack here.
You don't belong here.
You get to work everywhere -
in the kitchen, in the garden,
here in this beautiful cloister.
And me?
A stable boy shoveling dung all day.
l would love to work in the stables.
l think it's wonderful.
Oh, how stupid you really are.
And if it wasn't for your uncle
l'd be here doing your job
and you'd be in the stables
with the donkeys, where you belong!
Look!
A swallows' nest!
And you better get rid of it!
That statue is 200 years old.
Look.
Stupid! Take them down!
No.
lt's too young; it can't fly.
l don't think the Madonna will mind.
Giuseppe!
Come up here at once!
Come in.
For you, Father Guardian.
Thank you, Father.
Come in, Giuseppe.
This letter just came.
lt is from your mother.
She needs you...
Your father died last night.
And so he is gone.
For all of his faults,
he was a good man.
You know something, Giuseppe?
He loved you
more than he loved me.
Would you believe it?
My life is easier now.
Your father was
a wonderful man to love,
but not to live with.
There comes a time when living
is more important than loving.
When he was alive
l could not sleep
from wondering where he was.
Now l know.
And l know where you are.
Are you happy at Martina?
Yes.
How handsome you are
in your brown robes.
You opened their eyes
at the funeral.
They learned their lesson today.
- Who?
- The whole town.
For years they said
you'd turn into a drunken slob
like your father.
But today we show them.
lf only my brother
could have been there too.
Father Guardian.
l have a letter for you...
from Uncle Giovanni.
No!
No, they can't!
l won't let them!
They can't do this to me!
What is it?
They have thrown you out!
They don't want you back
because you are an idiot.
You have been nothing but trouble
since the day you got there.
Since the day you were born!
What have you done this time?
Tell me...
Answer.
l broke a statue.
For breaking a little statue
they throw you out like a dog?
lt wasn't little, it was big.
lt was bigger than you.
lt was...
And over 200 years old.
Two hundred!
An old piece of junk.
And for this they wreck
a human life?
We will see about this.
A fine brother l've got.
Come on.
Come on.
Stop it.
Tell the Father Guardian
his sister is here.
No women allowed.
Mama, they are singing vespers.
lt's sacrilege.
Come on!
Giovanni!
Giovanni!
Ah, there you are.
Shhh...
You're in the presence
of the Blessed Sacrament.
We will talk outside.
No! Here!
Giuseppe.
Who knows the heart
of a mother better than God?
Giuseppe, come here!
My son, your nephew,
flesh of your flesh -
what have you done to him?
- Francesca.
- What sin did he commit?
Murder, blasphemy, adultery?
Why did you throw him out?
Francesca, l didn't--
Who do you think you are?
The Pope?!
You, of all people.
My son broke a statue!
And what about you, Giovanni?
Remember Giancarlo's saloon
on your 18th birthday?
You broke every glass, every bottle,
every chair in the place!
Shall l go on, Father Guardian?
Remember all those
poor people--
Out! That's enough!
What about Giuseppe?
Does he stay?
We will discuss it in my office.
Stay and sing with your brothers.
Gobbo!
Things were different
when l was in charge here.
You look wonderful.
You think so?
Like a private gardener!
Oh, yeah?
How is it in back?
Oh, it doesn't show at all.
How are things in the kitchen?
See for yourself.
No more callouses,
no dirty fingernails,
and the best of food.
l'm happy for you.
You're jealous
because l took away your job.
No! You are wrong!
l'm happy here.
l have my home, my family.
Home? A pig stye?
You're in trouble again.
You know who's coming tomorrow?
No.
The Vicar General
of the Franciscan Order -
Bishop Durso himself -
to make his annual inspection.
ls that true?
You know what that means?
lt means the stable had better
be clean or out you go.
And this time
running home to mama won't help.
l've been too busy.
l will try to catch up tonight.
lt's too late now.
lt's hopeless.
Hopeless!
The stalls are filthy.
There's nothing for goats
and donkeys to live in.
Please, leave me alone.
l don't want to be thrown out again.
Please, l have to work.
What's this doing on the ground?
There's a place for the harness.
lt's supposed to hang on the wall.
Gobbo!
Get out of here!
Get out!
Get out of here!
Get out of here!
Forgive me.
Forgive me.
l shouldn't have done that.
The finest wine in ltaly.
Don't forget me at Christmas time.
This will be our greatest harvest.
The friars in Sicily
grow a fatter olive.
Let me show you
our lemon groves.
Are we near the stables?
Your Excellency, you haven't seen the
strawberries or the vegetable garden.
Later, later.
The wine press?
Take me to the stables.
This way, Your Excellency.
Not very tidy, l must say.
Who is in charge here?
Brother Giuseppe, my nephew.
Who's that?
A pig, Your Excellency.
Yes, of course.
Hard at work, l see.
Allow me, Your Excellency.
Wake up!
How do you
explain all this, Giuseppe?
Well?!
No...
Yes.
Show me!
They were late, Your Excellency.
l almost lost their mother.
She has been sick all week.
What man of you, having 100 sheep
and losing one of them
does not leave the 99 in the desert
and go after that
which is lost until he finds it?
St. Luke.
St. Luke?
Yes.
This is the kind of young man
we need in our order.
A true son of St. Francis.
Good work, my son.
And let it be a lesson to all of us.
First things come first.
And l see Brother Giuseppe
is quite busy here.
Help him to clean up the stable.
l love the smell of manure.
When l was a boy,
we were very poor
but we had a little farm.
There were two donkeys,
a cow, and a little horse...
lf we accept the traditional
and the scriptural dictates
of the decalogue
of the supremacy of the Father,
then we must ask ourselves -
does the glorification
of the son for his Father
prove inequality in our consideration
of the Blessed Trinity?
And we must further ask ourselves -
is this a supererogation
of the Holy Ghost
or the answer to these seeming
paradoxes of the Blessed Trinity?
Let us consult the Bishop of Hippo,
St. Augustine himself,
who says...
''Truly let them beware, lest the Holy
Spirit be thought greater than both,
because he glorifies the Son,
whom the Father glorifies.
While it is not written that he himself
is glorified either by
the Father or the Son...''
Beautiful.
Very beautiful, Giuseppe.
l used to sing that song in Calabria.
Very pleasant here now.
May l join you?
Yes. l get you a stool.
Oh, no, no. No ceremony.
Here.
Thank you.
Sit down.
Sit down.
Give me a chestnut.
They are hot, Your Excellency.
How are the lambs?
They are sleeping.
l gave them names.
Oh?
One is called Geronimo,
and the other one Bartolomeo.
Beautiful night.
Look at those stars.
Have you ever noticed...
the longer you look,
the more stars come out.
Yes, l wonder why.
Brother Orlando would certainly
have an explanation.
Oh, yes.
Brother Orlando, he knows everything.
l just heard him
try to explain the Trinity.
Now it's more of a mystery than ever.
Always troubled me, the Trinity.
Giuseppe, l could never
really understand it.
Just took it on faith.
How about you?
Does it trouble you?
No.
There are three persons in one God.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
all in one.
Yes, but that's for a child.
But it's small comfort to a Bishop
who's supposed to know theology.
l'm a peasant, Giuseppe,
just like you -
a practical man.
So l understand only what l feel,
not what l see.
Look.
One blanket...
and one, two, three folds.
Three folds in one blanket.
Three persons in one God,
like the Trinity.
Brilliant, Giuseppe.
Simply brilliant.
Sit down. Let's talk some more.
- Are you cold?
- Oh, no. Thank you.
You know, it seems to me,
the more you study,
the less you know.
Because when l was
young like you
everything was so clear, so simple.
But now...
things you understand
in your heart and soul
are so, so difficult to explain.
The Trinity, free will, first cause.
Maybe you can help me.
Me?
You, probably more than anyone.
You mind my being here, Giuseppe?
Oh, no, no.
Well, then let's have
some chestnuts and talk.
And one night
when my parents were sleeping,
l took my father's tape measure
and put the donkey
right in the middle
of the two stacks of hay.
And did the donkey starve to death?
No! Nino ate both of them.
Oh, heavens, l'd better
get back to my room
before Father Raspi
comes looking for me.
Well, Giuseppe,
l don't know about you,
but it's been a most
enjoyable night for me.
Oh, for me it was too.
l'm afraid l talked too much.
We both did...
Like two nuns in the kitchen.
But l feel better now.
Have you ever thought
of the priesthood, Giuseppe?
No.
l'm too...
l can hardly read and write.
Reading and writing -
any fool can do that.
The sacred calling
is for a favored few.
lt comes from God.
Think about it.
Oh, thank you for the chestnuts.
Thank you.
l'm sure the Minister General in Rome
will be very happy
with my report on Martina.
- God Bless you, Your Excellency.
- Brother Orlando!
Yes, Your Excellency.
Congratulations on your brilliant analysis
of the Trinity last night.
Thank you, Your Excellency.
With your permission,
l'd like to send you
a new thesis l'm writing -
an interpretation
of the Arian Heresies.
By all means, of course.
And now, Brother Orlando,
l'd like you to do
something for me.
lt would be an honor, Your Excellency.
You know Brother Giuseppe?
The stable boy.
He is a brilliant young man.
What do you wish me to do?
- Tutor him.
- Tutor him?
- For what?
- The priesthood.
But Your Excellency, l don't think--
Then don't.
Simply do as l say.
Giuseppe deserves a chance.
See that he gets it.
And l charge you
with the responsibility.
Goodbye, my brothers!
Recite the 14th chapter,
our First Epistle to the Corinthians.
What man of you,
having 100 sheep
and losing one them--
No! Look again!
l said Corinthians.
There is more to scripture
than the Gospel of St. Luke.
But l like St. Luke.
That's beside the point!
You have got to know
the entire Bible.
Now, the 1 4th chapter
of the First Epistle to the Corinthians.
St. John. Chapter 5, verse 1 4.
What man of you, having 100 sheep
and losing one of them,
does not leave
the 99 in the desert--
No!
No! Not Luke again!
Don't you listen?
l said John! John! John!
John? l wasn't--
Of course you weren't!
You are stupid, hopeless!
lt is a waste of time.
l have done
everything humanly possible -
even neglected my own studies.
l have to pass an examination too.
lt's not easy, is it, Giuseppe?
Poor Brother Orlando.
The New Testament...
What's difficult about this?
lt's not difficult, it's...
l forget it as soon as l hear it.
You know, Brother Giuseppe,
this is only an examination
for the subdiaconate.
lf you pass this hurdle,
then after a year of intense study
you will be examined
again for the priesthood.
Oh, it's a long and difficult road.
But if you must fail,
then fail like a man.
Bishop Durso says
you will become a priest,
and we must respect his intuition.
But it's not the failing--
Then what?
l...
l don't want to leave here.
l'd like to stay
with the animals in the stable.
There will always be
a place for you here, Giuseppe.
- Even if l fail?
- Even if you fail.
Giuseppe!
Giuseppe!
Bishop Nicola is ready
to begin the examinations
for the subdiaconates.
Your names will be called
in alphabetical order.
Brother Victorio Archangelo.
Brother Giuseppe Desa.
Giuseppe, l'll say a prayer for you.
Don't waste a prayer on me;
say one for yourself.
Brother Giuseppe...
The knowledge of the Four Gospels
is the keystone of our faith.
As a candidate for this subdiaconate
you are expected
to know them thoroughly.
Recite then, if you please...
the 1 5th chapter of St. Luke.
- St. Luke?
- St. Luke.
The 1 5th chapter?
Don't you know it, Brother Giuseppe?
Yes, yes.
Recite it, please.
Now the publicans and sinners
were drawing near
to him to listen to him.
And the Pharisees
and the scribes murmured, saying,
''This man welcomes sinners
and eats with them.''
But he spoke to them
this parable, saying...
''What man of you, having 100
sheep and losing one of them,
does not leave the 99 in the desert
and go after that which is lost?''
And when he has found it
he lays it upon his shoulder, rejoicing.
And on coming home he calls together
his friends and neighbors, saying,
''Rejoice with me,
because l have found
my sheep that was lost.''
l say to you that even so
there will be joy in Heaven
over the one sinner who repents,
more than over the 99 just
with no need of repentance.''
Sherry?
Yes.
l knew you'd like it
so l added a little more.
But don't tell Brother Cook!
Has my work in the kitchen
been satisfactory?
Yes, yes. Keep it up.
Humility is a virtue too, Giuseppe.
There are worse things than failure.
Welcome back, my son.
l didn't fail.
You...you passed?
l failed.
l failed.
Canon Law.
Aquinas.
Epistemology and Ethics.
These are the most troublesome...
at least l found them so.
And this - the most important of all...
The Ordinary of the Mass.
You have a whole year
to prepare yourself,
with the best instructors in the order.
l'll miss the stables.
The gobbo will look after the animals.
Uncle Giovanni...
Couldn't l stay in the stables?
No.
- l will work hard.
- No, Giuseppe.
Just to stay--
Obedience, Giuseppe,
is the first rule.
Pray, Giuseppe.
Pray for help.
l don't envy you, Brother Giuseppe.
l don't pretend
to understand you either.
But l wish you well.
The senseless man
seeks in vain for wisdom.
Proverbs 1 4.
True.
But the fear of the Lord
is training for wisdom...
and humility goes before honors.
Proverbs 1 5.
You!
So, you've come to gloat.
You might at least
wait until l move my things.
l'm sorry.
Sorry?
Glad, that's what you are.
Drive me back
to the stinking stable!
You, a priest,
then l should be a Bishop -
the Pope even!
l'm not a priest yet.
And you never will be!
May l put my books down?
My arms are tired.
l don't care what you do
with your stupid books.
My Madonna!
You stole her!
Keep her.
She didn't do me any good.
All those prayers...
And for what?
Back to the stable.
She's beautiful.
No, Gobbo!
She belongs to the stables.
No, no, no!
l will say this
about Brother Giuseppe...
- He tried.
- He studied hard.
But l don't think he learned
the first thing about Canon Law.
Or Latin.
Let's not be hasty
in our judgment.
Remember what
happened at Brindisi.
Brindisi was elementary.
ln Naples he'll be competing
with the best scholars in ltaly.
We're asking for a miracle.
Shall we pray for one?
Did you hear?
Did you hear?
What?
The examiner -
do you know who it is?
The Bishop, isn't it?
The Archbishop.
The Archbishop of Naples?
The new one.
They say he's
very stern and severe.
Brother Giuseppe!
l knew you'd be here some day.
Your Excellency.
How are the lambs?
Oh, they are sheep now,
Your Excellency.
Oh, yes, of course.
Has it been that long?
And the studies -
they've been hard?
But mostly, l miss the stables.
That's where l really belong.
l shouldn't be here.
Let me be
the judge of that, Giuseppe.
There will be many
lost sheep to care for.
l've already
examined this young man.
He passes.
l'm not so sure about the others.
Mama.
ln the name of God,
did they throw him out again?
Get out, you!
Get out!
Mama, wait!
- You vagabond!
- l'm a priest!
You, a priest?
Yes...
Look.
l'm Father Giuseppe.
Giuseppe...my son.
My son...Father Giuseppe.
- ls it true?
- He's here?
Sleeping.
Father Giuseppe has had
a long journey,
all the way from Naples.
l brought my goat to be blessed.
My cow, she's dried up.
Patience, patience.
My son will take care
of all your needs.
He won't forget his people.
But when can we see him?
Mama!
He's awake.
Coming, Father!
What is it, my son?
Mama, my cassock.
Yes, it's ready.
Here it is, Father -
your cassock.
You have visitors.
He slept in my bed last night.
lmagine, a priest in my bed.
To have a priest for a son...
what a blessing.
There was always something
special about Giuseppe.
Maybe the others couldn't see it,
but l knew all the time.
Good morning.
Good morning, Father.
Good morning, my son.
You have visitors.
- No.
- No!
You must go.
Come on.
One day, St. Francis
was meditating on his death.
ln a state of disorder...
A miracle!
l saw it with my own eyes!
What are you talking about?
lt's Father Giuseppe!
He's down in the stables.
l saw him!
We're all happy
about Father Giuseppe's ordination,
but let's not get hysterical.
But he's up in the air!
And so are you.
Stop this raving
and try to speak coherently.
l am trying, Father Raspi,
but he's up in the air,
flying around in the stable.
Are you crazy or are you drunk?
l tell you l saw him.
He's flying around like,
like an angel.
Of course, just like an angel.
Stay with him until he calms down.
No, l am not crazy!
l'm not drunk!
l'm telling the truth!
As God, as my judge...
Father Giuseppe!
Father Giuseppe!
Help me, Father, help me.
Have mercy on a poor hunchback!
Please, Father, please!
What is it?
What can l do for you?
Please, get rid of it -
this curse on my back.
Please, Father.
Gobbo...l can't.
l can't. l'm only a priest.
No, you're a saint. You can fly!
You can do anything.
Take him out!
No. No!
Father Giuseppe's a saint,
he's a saint!
He's a saint!
A saint!
What's the matter with him?
Flying around the stable,
like an angel.
Oh, no, no...
Like a donkey.
Welcome home, Giuseppe.
Archbishop Durso forwarded
your Holy Orders.
You are very fortunate to have
a patron in such a high office.
And tomorrow morning,
you celebrate your first Mass
here at Martina.
And we will all be there
to share your joy.
My mistakes.
You'll have no trouble.
Come, Father.
You're just in time for dinner.
Giuseppe!
Congratulations, Giuseppe!
Aren't you excited?
Aren't you excited?
ln case you forget.
Thank you.
How l envy you.
Next year,
you will be standing right here
and l will be your altar boy.
Oh, l hope so.
lt doesn't feel right.
No wonder. lt's on backwards.
Hurry, hurry.
We'll be late.
Open the gate!
Open the gate!
Open!
Open the gate!
No women!
Follow me.
No women!
Father Giuseppe!
Father Giuseppe!
Stop it!
Quiet!
Get back to your homes.
This is a monastery!
What do you want
with Father Giuseppe?
We want to be healed!
He can fly!
Yes, he can fly.
l saw him.
Don't believe this imbecile's story.
He cannot fly...
any more than l can,
or you or you or you.
Get back home
and behave like sensible Christians.
lf you want miracles,
pray for them
in your own churches.
We have no magicians here,
no flying monks.
And you! Go back to the stables
where you belong!
But he flies!
l saw him!
Liar!
Everybody, go home!
Father Giuseppe's flying!
He's flying!
He was flying in the air!
He did fly!
His feet were five feet
off the ground!
He was flying.
And when l looked up,
Father Giuseppe was,
And when l looked up,
Father Giuseppe was,
oh, l would say,
two feet off the floor.
Thank you, Brother Tomas.
Brother Leo.
l saw exactly the same thing,
except that in my opinion
Father Giuseppe rose much higher...
At least five feet.
Thank you, Brother Leo.
Brother Alfredo.
He levitated exactly 1 9 inches -
no more and no less.
Because when l heard
that the Vicar General
was coming
from Naples to investigate,
l took the trouble to measure it.
Thank you, Brother Alfredo.
Brother Orlando.
l assisted at Father Giuseppe's Mass.
l kneeled directly behind him.
There can be no denying what l saw.
He flew to the very top of the altar -
at least 1 5 feet.
Thank you, Brother Orlando.
Brother--
Thank you, Father.
l think we have heard
enough from the brothers.
lf we wait long enough
l am sure we will hear
that Father Giuseppe
ascended into heaven.
Brothers, this is not a laughing matter.
ln fact, it is more serious
than l imagined.
That is why
we asked you here, Your Excellency.
Before we bother the Holy Father
with our parochial problems,
l suggest we try
to clean up the matter ourselves.
Exactly.
Father Giuseppe.
Father Giuseppe.
Giuseppe.
Giuseppe.
Giuseppe!
Father Giuseppe,
how was your health as a boy?
Health?
Were you often sick?
Yes.
There's a great deal of malaria
down here in Calabria and Apulia.
Were you ever afflicted with it?
Yes.
Half the people of Cupertino had it.
Then you should know something
about the ravages of the disease.
They say it often
affects their reasoning.
lsn't that so?
Ah, yes.
A boy in my class, Franco,
he had it...
but he is dead now.
But it didn't happen to you?
No.
We requested these records
from the parish in Cupertino.
You weren't a very good student,
were you?
No.
Without intending
any cruelty, Father Giuseppe,
that would indicate you were
a very bad student.
Why were you so backward?
Does your mind
sometimes wander?
Yes.
Doesn't this condition worry you?
Haven't you ever seen
a doctor about it?
No.
Think about it, Father Giuseppe...
Do you remember
sustaining a serious injury?
Did you ever fall and hurt yourself?
Oh, yes, yes.
Did you ever fall on your head?
Oh, yes, many times.
Heredity sometimes affects
our character, Father Giuseppe.
Was your mother ever sick,
seriously sick, so that her judgment
was impaired?
My mother was never sick
a day in her life.
She's strong in mind and body.
Your father?
He was a good man.
Wouldn't you say
he drank to excess?
lsn't it possible
that it affected his mind?
My father was a wonderful man.
He wanted to know about things -
to understand.
He studied poetry, music.
He understood dogs.
This strange power of yours -
how long have you had it?
A year.
And does it frighten you?
No.
But do you think
the Blessed Mother
is responsible
for these...levitations?
Yes.
Can other things
cause you to levitate?
Other things?
Holy things.
Yeah, Holy things.
What Holy things?
The Holy Mass.
Oh, yes. We know about that.
What else?
Can you exercise this power at will?
There are so many
Holy Men here...
You should be able to fly to Rome.
Could you levitate up to there...
if we asked you?
Please, try.
Thank you, Father Giuseppe.
l'm sure that this phenomenon
is a temporary thing...
and will pass away.
Be that as it may,
there can be no doubt
that here we have
a case of divine intervention.
No!
l'm sorry, but l must disagree
with my distinguished brothers.
l mean no disobedience,
your Excellency,
and l speak with no personal malice.
My feelings in this matter
go much deeper than that.
This man has deceived you.
Father Raspi...
That's a grave charge.
l do not make it lightly,
Your Excellency.
This man makes
a mockery of the priesthood.
1 9 inches..
2 feet, 3 feet...
5 feet - and finally 1 5 feet!
Now clearly, someone is wrong.
Or all of them.
Why is there such
conflicting testimony?
Why is there
such wide disagreement?
There may be disagreement
on how high he flew,
but there is no doubt
that everyone saw him fly.
Did they?
Did they?
Or did they imagine
they saw Father Giuseppe levitate?
What do you mean?
They were all bewitched by this man,
all bewitched!
No!
He couldn't have bewitched us!
He had his back to us.
l repeat - bewitched!
The same as the lndian rope trick.
Hundreds, even thousands,
duped into seeing a man
climb a rope suspended in midair.
A trick.
The fakir's art!
The devil's genius!
Even his ordination was a lie -
and was obtained
not through grace...
but through the intervention
of the devil.
Father Raspi!
l charge that Lucifer himself
is working through this young man!
What are you suggesting?
Possession.
Oh, no, no.
Diabolic possession.
Father Giuseppe
possessed by the devil?
You cannot be serious.
Possession is a serious matter,
Your Excellency.
l do not take it lightly.
l understand your feelings
about keeping this in the family.
But it is my considered judgment
that this sorcery is not
a parochial matter!
l believe it should be reported
to the inquisitorial court in Rome.
But a scandal?
There must be some other way.
There is another way, there is.
The prescription of the church
in matters of possession
is very clear.
Exorcism.
Come now, Father Raspi,
we are not inquisitors.
Look at him.
Do you really believe
that there is a devil
lurking inside that humble man?
There was once
a Lucifer in heaven.
Must we go through
with this, Your Excellency?
lt's either that or Rome.
Before we proceed
we must get his permission.
Father Giuseppe.
Father Giuseppe.
With your indulgence,
Your Excellency,
we'll get his permission later,
when he's with us again.
Very well, Father Raspi.
Purge the devil out of him
and clear this matter up
once and for all.
From Your wrath...
Deliver us, O Lord.
From sudden
and unprovided death...
Deliver us, O Lord.
From the snares of the devil...
Deliver us, O Lord.
From anger and hate
and all evil intentions...
Deliver us, O Lord.
From the lightning
and the tempest...
Deliver us, O Lord.
- From perpetual death..
- Deliver us, O Lord.
Through the mystery of
Your Holy lncarnation...
Deliver us, O Lord.
- Through Your coming...
- Deliver us, O Lord.
Through Your nativity...
Deliver us, O Lord.
Through Your Baptism
and Holy Fasting...
Deliver us, O Lord.
Through Your cross
and passion...
Deliver us, O Lord.
Through Your death and burial...
Deliver us, O Lord.
Through Your Holy Resurrection...
Deliver us, O Lord.
Through Your Admirable Ascencion...
Deliver us, O Lord.
Through the coming of
the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete...
Deliver us, O Lord.
ln the day of judgment...
Deliver us, O Lord.
You will please kneel down.
Father, the chains.
lf it is the devil
who gives you wings,
the chains will
prevent you from flying.
Father Giuseppe.
Father Giuseppe,
what are they doing to you?
lt's for my own good, little brother.
Father Raspi is driving out the devil.
The devil? You?
Oh, no, you're a saint.
He's a saint.
Take this blasphemous fool
out of here.
Oh, no, no. One moment!
The Madonna.
lt's Father Giuseppe's.
Take him out.
Amen.
As of this moment, you are free.
You're no longer
possessed by the devil.
Now, let us leave Father Giuseppe
alone with his penance.
Father Raspi...
The chains...
No, Father Leo, the chains
will remain until morning.
Father Raspi.