Right or Wrong? (The Power and The Glory p.161-183).

What does having money mean to the priest? The priest although he is a priest, is also human. Humans tend to have an ambition towards money because all of the advantages and luxuries it brings. However, a priest is not supposed to think that way. At least that is what I have learned in mass. At the beginning of the chapter the priest seems to be trapped on whether or not he needs money. It is obvious that he needs money to survive, but he is taking the money away from people who need it even more. He establishes that he will be charging one peso fifty per child that gets baptized. “ ‘On peso, father. We are very poor.’ ‘One peso fifty.’ A voice from years back said firmly into his ear: they don’t value what they don’t pay for. It was the old priest he had succeeded at Concepcion who had explained to him…” (p.167). In this quotation a poor woman is trying to convince the priest of lowering the price of the baptisms. I believe it is absurd the way he thinks about the stuff he needs, and he does not realize the people of that village needs that money even more!

Nevertheless, the priest then comes to his senses and gives all the money he receives to a schoolteacher. I think it is very important to notice that although this priest is a “whiskey priest” he is still trying to do what is best for the people and not for him. I find it really interesting that in the only village he is received with excitement and without fear, he immediately took advantage and began charging for his “services”. It is not fair that a priest thinks that way; he should be thanking everyone in the village for being so welcoming with him.