The Power and the Glory: Part 3, Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

The lieutenant enters the hut, asking the whisky priest if he has finished. The lieutenant expects the priest will be surprised to see him and is shocked (and impressed) that he is not. The whisky priest thanks the lieutenant for allowing him time with the “gringo” criminal before entering the hut. The lieutenant responds by saying he is not a barbarian. He also warns the priest that the hut is surrounded, so there is no use attempting to escape. The priest promises him that he is done with trying to escape.

The whisky priest asks if the lieutenant plans to shoot him on the spot. The lieutenant once again says that he is not a barbarian and instead plans to try the priest for treason before executing him. Then, the priest tells the lieutenant that they have met twice before; once when the lieutenant let him go, the other when the lieutenant came to Maria’s village. The lieutenant recalls the meeting and asks the priest if he really has a child. The priest confirms that he does and refers to himself as a “bad priest.”

Then, the whisky priest performs a card trick for the lieutenant, which he says he used to do for the guilds (shows meant to raise money for the church). The lieutenant scoffs at the priest and tells him he remembers the guilds well; to him, they were nothing more than ways to extract money from the poor to increase the church’s riches. The whisky priest agrees with the lieutenant’s assessment, though not fully. He also tells the lieutenant that he sensed the lieutenant was a good man when they first met in prison.

When the weather clears, the whisky priest and the lieutenant exit the hut they are sitting in. Outside, the mestizo waits for the priest and tries to act as though he did not betray him. Then, he asks for the priest’s blessing. Instead, the priest offers to pray on the mestizo’s behalf, exhausted from dealing with him. Ultimately, the priest does not have the energy to hate the mestizo. However, he is happy the mestizo will not be present when he dies.

The whisky priest rides with the lieutenant and his men back to the capital. On the way, the lieutenant engages the priest in philosophical debates about class, religion, and the afterlife. The whisky priest expresses his views honestly, as does the lieutenant, though they vehemently disagree with each other on every point. While the lieutenant does not share a worldview with the priest, he gradually comes to respect him. Although he cannot set the priest free, the lieutenant offers him a favor before his death. The priest asks if he can confess his sins to Padre José before he is killed. To his surprise, the lieutenant agrees to his request.

Eventually, the lieutenant and the whisky priest reach their destination. Luis sees them arrive and excitedly calls out to the lieutenant, wondering whether he has finally captured the priest. The lieutenant attempts to nod and smile at Luis in response but cannot bring himself to do it. While he disagrees with the priest’s worldview, he also realizes that his own beliefs have left him in a state of despair and feeling as though he has done the wrong thing.