The author, Morris West, spent long years as a journalist in the Vatican and became familiar with the traditions of the Catholic Church at its apex. This familiarity shows in the novel where a Devil’s Advocate (advocatus diaboli) is appointed to look into a person proposed for sainthood. It used to be an official position within the Catholic Church: one who “argued against the canonisation (sainthood) of a candidate in order to uncover any character flaws or misrepresentation of the evidence favouring canonisation.” Since then it has become an idiomatic expression for anyone who takes a contrary position in an argument, in order to clarify and strengthen it.
Shoba, Hemjit, Arundhaty
The novel’s opening line is: “It was his profession to prepare other men for death; it shocked him to be so unready for his own.” Blaise Meredith has only a year to live, and he senses his life thus far, spent in the dusty archives of the Vatican has been largely wasted, without human contact, or the achievement of doing good for others.
Geetha with an aitch, and one without
Cardinal Marotta sensing a crisis in the life of Monsignor Blaise (blaise = hardened clay) Meredith says: “What I have to say to you, Monsignor, is probably a presumption. I am not your confessor. I cannot look into your conscience; but I believe you have reached a crisis. You, like many of us here in Rome, are a professional priest — a career churchman. … Suddenly you have discovered it is not enough. … Part of the problem is that you and I and others like us have been removed too long from pastoral duty. We have lost touch with the people who keep us in touch with God.”
Priya serving coffee
This dryness overtaking one’s life can happen to any of us, and then it’s time to reflect: are we achieving our true potential?
Thommo, Priya, Pamela, Geetha, Geeta
Cardinal Marotta continues: “There is no passion in your life, my son. You have never loved a woman, nor hated a man, nor pitied a child. You have withdrawn yourself too long and you are a stranger in the human family. You have asked nothing and given nothing. You have never known the dignity of need nor gratitude for a suffering shared. This is your sickness. This is the cross you have fashioned for your own shoulders …. A man who cannot love his fellows cannot love God either.”
Priya and the delicious chocolate cake
Blaise Meredith is given an assignment which cures all that: gives him human contact, puts him in touch with real problems; confronts him with uncomfortable situations where there are no clear sinners, no clear saints; and helps him make mistakes toward resolving the human problems of the assorted characters he will meet on the way toward examining the sainthood, or otherwise, of Giacomo Nerone. He changes profoundly as a result.
Priya beaming with joy on her birthday
The session was also notable for being the occasion when Priya treated us royally for her birthday celebration: cake, sandwiches, veg cutlets, and bhaji with a superb service of tea and coffee. We presented her with a spray of white day lilies and red gerbera flowers, and sang for her, not only the birthday song, but Pretty, Pretty Priya the song from the 1970 film, which was a Hemjit special.
Priya with flowers, Hemjit, Geetha, Geeta, Pamela, Thommo
Here is a pic of us at the end of the lively session, not a bit fatigued by the open-ended discussions, which were somewhat longer than usual.
Joe, Hemjit, Thommo (seated), Geeta, Shoba, Pamela, Geetha, Arundhaty, Priya (standing)
