Mike Watt
Theology Test
Mr. Sciuto
The
It is my belief that both Fr. Paul and Fr. Rodrigo are men of faith and showed their faith by disobeying the papal order and by their actions afterwards. Both disobeyed the papal order and chose to stay with the natives giving up their lives. They are showing that faith is a free human response as they are independently choosing to do what they think is right instead of following orders from the Papal Delegate. They both depended on grace from God to help them and be with them. They showed how faith was a virtue as they achieved moral excellence by doing what they believed to be the right thing to do. They believed that staying was the just thing to do. They had fortitude and temperance as they made this prudent decision.
Also the priests sought to understand the Natives and saw that it was unjust to make the natives leave the mission. Both men did what they believed to be right in the face of danger showing them to be models of faith. They both showed the aspect that faith is certain because both men were certain that they were doing the right thing by staying their. They were taking a big risk as they paid for it with their lives and were also excommunicated from the church because they chose to stay with the natives. However, in the end, the Papal Delegate believed that Fr. Rodrigo and Fr. Paul were the ones who did the right thing and that they were fully alive while he was not.
Fr. Rodrigo had great faith and gave his life to defend the natives. He also had realistic faith as he knew that there was nothing else to do besides fight to defend them, unlike Father Paul. Rodrigo started to feel attached to these natives and did everything he could to help them. He had a tough choice in the end as he chose to help the children and as a result could not set off the trap as there is not always a right thing to do and have faith in making that decision. Father Rodrigo tried to always do what he believed to be the right thing to do and is therefore a man of faith. He stands up to be a person of moral virtue by staying with the natives. Fr. Rodrigo goes through an entire transformation through the movie as he originally captured and killed the tribe, and now after his conversion, gives up his life to save the tribe as he has came out of the darkness into the light.
Father
Paul also has faith. He has absolute faith that God is about love and therefore
chooses not to fight but to just love and care for the Natives, unlike Father
Rodrigo who fights. He has absolute faith of God and does not fear death at the
end of the movie when he walks toward the people shooting at him. He
illustrates complete courage and trust in God through his choice of staying,
but not fighting against anybody. He willingly gives up his life for God. Fr.
Paul is more idealistic in his faith as he hopes that there can just be loving in the world and that it will prevail without
fighting for it. Fr. Paul does not become a nihilist and sticks to his beliefs
through all. In choosing his death, he stands up to be a person of moral
virtue.