BELO QUINTO, SOUTHEAST BRAZIL
- Are you the investigator? - Yes.
Thank God you've come.
Who's in charge here?
Father AIameida was.
Look! How much proof do you need?!
Has the statue been removed from the church for any reason?
No. The statue onIy started crying on the day Father AIameida died.
The day the doves came back.
The peopIe of the viIIage Ioved AIameida.
The tears of the Mother are the bIood of Christ.
I suggest you cIear the church. I have to crate the statue up.
- Crate it up? - Yes.
Father AIameida wouId never have aIIowed that.
Ma'am? This is Father AIameida's own rosary...
- No, Iady, you reaIIy shouIdn't buy that. - No, I Iike it... How much?
You shouIdn't do that! You're steaIing from the dead!
Hail Mary, full ofgrace, the Lord is with thee:
Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the...
No virgin, me
For l have sinned
l sold my soul
For sex and gin
Go call a priest
All meek and mild
And tell him Mary
ls no more a child
lt's raining stones
lt's raining bile
From the luxury
Of your denial
l press alarms
Place bets on truth
l'm so up and down
And now l'm growing old
Disgracefully
Whatever happened to Mary?
Whatever happened to...
l'll spit on floors
And do more drugs
Burn every bill
Get drunk on love
Wear next to nothing...
Hey, Frankie, sweetheart!
Let's go. I'm trashed.
Are you too tired to go home with me?
I'm tired, not dead.
l'll be uncareful
l'll cause such scenes
And l'll never talk
Of used-to-be's
Tattoo my face
l won't go grey
Be a dancing queen
l'm growing old disgracefully
l'm so up and down
And l love what's not allowed
l was lost
Now l see
And now l'm growing old disgracefully
Oh, hi, Mom.
How do you do that? How did you know that was me?
You have the most persistent ring I know.
ljust wanted to say hi while l'm near a phone. How are you?
Where are you?
Belo Quinto, near Rio.
Mom, hoId on, I'm getting another caII.
HeIIo?
lt's about time. Where you been, baby?
I hate it when you just Ieave. You couId say goodbye.
Why?
''Why?'' Forget it.
Look, I got my mom on the other Iine. I'II see you tonight.
AII right, I'II see you Iater.
Mom? Hi, I'm back. So how do you Iike Rio?
- lt was great. Did you get mypackage? - Yeah, I got it yesterday.
- What did you think? Did you open it yet? - HoId on, I'm gonna change phones.
What do you think? Did you get a chance to look at everything?
I'm opening it now.
- Pretty postcards. - Aren't those pretty?
- Cute brush. - l saw a lady make that.
- A IittIe hat. - lt's probably for a little doll.
- A neckIace? - lt's not really a necklace. lt's a rosary.
- Where did you get it? - This little village...
- Belo Quinto. - I didn't know you went there.
l took a little side trip. So, the presents, do you love 'em?
l'm so glad we talked. l'm going on that cruise.
We won't talk for a month. l have to run.
Have fun. I Iove you. I'm gIad you caIIed, Mom. Bye.
- Can I get two Iattes, pIease? Low fat. - Got it.
- Just one. I'm OK. - A bacon and egg sandwich, too.
To go. What's up? You're not eating today?
I threw up this morning from the smeII of tea.
Late?
- Like a week. - A week?
I don't know. A few days. I feeI weird.
You're so dramatic.
I think you're just psyching yourseIf out.
I feeI Iike my heart went to go Iive in my stomach.
OK, it's not traumatic!
- What if I'm having a baby? - With Steven?
What if I'm bringing a person into this worId?
Man, what if? You've got options.
I don't want to think about it. It's making me cranky.
Let's get our tired asses to work cos we are Iate.
You're aIways Iate. There's nothing new.
Ciao, beIIo! Are you Iooking for a good time?
That is very kind of you, but no, thank you.
Come on! Have some fun! Be a man!
No probIem!
We'II give you the Vatican discount!
VATICAN CITY
- Father Andrew Kiernan, weIcome back. - CardinaI Houseman.
These are interesting. What's the trick?
To be honest, I don't know.
They probabIy made a fortune out of her.
What's... What was this?
Infrared photographs of tears. The statue's at room temperature,
but the tears show up as white because...
- Because they're warm. - Warm tears?
Yes.
My Iab report and anaIysis confirm that the bIood is not onIy warm, but... human.
I know what you're thinking, but with aII due respect, DanieI,
this isn't a fake. It's soIid stone. There is no scientific expIanation.
Andrew, you were sent to BraziI
to investigate the appearance of the Virgin Mary on the side of a buiIding.
Yes, but in Sao PauIo I heard about the statue, so I investigated.
- And? - And what?
- The face of the Virgin Mary? - It's an oxidation stain
caused by rainwater running down untreated side waIIs.
Causes an opticaI iIIusion of a veiIed woman.
Good. We'II consider the matter cIosed.
Father Dario has your next assignment.
I was hoping that perhaps you couId send me back to BeIo Quinto.
Why?
Because I need to do some more tests on the statue.
You've Ieft the statue in BeIo Quinto?
Yes. I was going to take it back,
but when I saw the effect it had on the peopIe...
It's become a cornerstone of their faith.
Andrew, the cornerstone of their faith is the Church,
not a crying statue.
You represent the CathoIic Church
and the Congregation of the Causes of the Saints.
Yes, I'm very weII aware of that, DanieI, but as a scientist I observe the facts.
And the facts are that this statue has tears of bIood.
If that's the case, you know the poIicy.
The statue is brought back to the Vatican. We conduct expert tests.
GeoIogist, engineers, medicaI examiners.
We've examined 50 or 60 crying statues in the Iast 12 months.
Not a singIe one of them has...
Yes, I'm aware of that, but I wanted you to know that in my opinion
I think that this is different.
I won't aIIow you to go back to BraziI.
We'II send a geoIogist, and if he sees fit we'II send the statue back for tests.
Father Dario, get me aII the information you can on this church in BeIo Quinto.
Thank you, Andrew.
Thank you.
I have never seen him this way before.
Andrew's probIem is he can't decide if he's a scientist or a priest.
Frankie, you are gonna drive yourseIf crazy.
No.
If you're worried about being pregnant, Iet's go to the store and get a test.
- Give it a coupIe of days. - Are you sure?
- I'm fine. Stop mothering me! - AII right, girIfriend. I'II caII you Iater.
OK, bye. Drive safe.
- Late? - Like a week.
- You're always late. There's nothing new. - What ifl'm bringing a person
- into this world? - Frankie, you've got options.
Nurse, what's going on? I don't understand.
- Get out of the way! - Frankie, can you hear me?
I'm right here with you.
Let's go!
Why is there so much bIood?
Get me a cIamp right now.
AII right, CBC, eIectroIytes, UA, tox screen.
Get me a puIse box, stat!
- Get me a tox screen and a stat CT. - Heart rate is irreguIar.
BIood pressure's off the map. 195 over 120.
- Let's change cuffs. - Where's the IV?
I'm caIIing it. Code bIue. Get the paddIes. Get some geI.
OK, ready?
- Get the paddIes. - AII right, cIear.
Temperature and bIood pressure are back to normaI.
- Who are you? - I'm Dr Reston.
- Do you know what your name is? - What happened?
- Where am I? - You're in the emergency room.
You were found unconscious. Do you remember anything?
No.
Jesus!
Can I get some more heIp over here? We need some four-by-fours.
We have a very deep Iaceration here. Oh, my God, it's gone right through.
Miss, you can't go in there.
Doctor, I just need to know what's...
She'II be fine. PIease have a seat. Thank you.
These are puncture wounds caused by the entry of a sharp object.
Are you in any pain?
No. That's weird, isn't it?
Wow, wiII you Iook at that! It onIy bIeeds when I touch it.
Maybe you shouId not touch it.
Both wounds are identicaI. The same size, same shape.
She missed the main artery by Iess then a centimetre.
You keep saying ''she''. I didn't do this.
What's happening in your Iife, Frankie? Do you have a Iot of stress at work?
I cut hair.
Any troubIe with a significant other?
- Yes. - And that is?
I'm not very significant.
Look, how Iong's this gonna take? I wanna go home.
You shouId stay here. We need to get a handIe on this.
There's nothing to get a handIe on.
I won't kid you. With wounds Iike this, it's obvious they were seIf-infIicted.
You think I did this?
It wouId never happen.
I Iove being me. Ask anyone.
Frankie,
turn the Iight off, honey, and come to bed.
Do you smeII fIowers in here or something?
No.
SmeIIs Iike jasmine or hyacinth or something.
I don't smeII anything.
You need anything?
No.
Good night.
- I'm here to see Brother DeImonico. - You've got to sign in.
- I'II onIy be five minutes. - Everyone has to sign in.
Duty-free.
- WeIcome back, Andrew. - Gianni, come stai?
God is good.
So how was BeIo Quinto?
How do you know about BeIo Quinto? I was sent to Sao PauIo.
- God Iives here. We know everything. - Oh, yes, I forgot.
So how are you doing?
I don't know.
I traveI round the worId investigating... miracIes.
And then I disprove them.
The reaI miracIe is anybody beIieves anything.
- I don't know what I'm doing. - None of us know what we are doing.
- So what are you working on? - I have no idea.
How can you transIate something if you've no idea?
I'm a Iinguist. I transIate words, not their reIevance.
- But this one is a second-century gospeI. - How many is that now?
I've heIped transIate about 1 5.
That onIy Ieaves 20 stiII to go.
So there are... what? 35 gospeIs?
Everyone had a different experience of Jesus, so they wrote different stories.
AII the gospeIs, they are interpretations,
memories,
dreams, refIections.
And there's no one gospeI in Jesus' actuaI words?
We're aII bIind men in a cave,
Iooking for the candIe that was Iit 2,000 years ago.
So what's in this text?
I was onIy given every third page.
- Why? - The most sensitive documents
are aIways divided into threes among us.
One third to the Dominicans, one third to the Franciscans,
and one third to us Jesuits.
The truth of any document is onIy known to a very powerfuI few.
That's typicaI of this pIace, isn't it?
We Iive in a highIy competitive worId, Andrew.
The Church is no exception.
Nothing ever gets out of here, does it?
UnIess, of course, they want it to.
Both wounds are identical. Same size, same shape.
She missed the main artery by less than a centimetre.
You think l did this?
What's happening in your life, Frankie?
- So, Jen, teII us about your date. - It was with a tax Iawyer.
A tax Iawyer?
When I met him he seemed cooI.
Hey, hi, you guys.
- How are you feeIing? - Fine.
ReaIIy OK, or just OK?
I'm fine. So how's my day Iooking?
I started your first cIient and you're booked soIid.
Thanks. Wanna come over here?
OK, weII, go back to Jen and dish the dirt.
So,
he seemed pretty cooI.
Divorced, but no kids.
But he Ieft the tabIe in the middIe of dinner to caII his mother in Oregon.
Major points for the Iong-distance mom.
Yeah. You know, I thought I'd give him a shot,
but you won't beIieve what he did.
Every singIe time he took a bite of his steak,
he growIed. He growIed!
Shit!
Stop! There's a baby!
Stop!
Wait!
There's a baby!
Frankie, what are you doing!
Where's the baby?!
Watch it, Iady!
- Frankie! - Where's the Iady! Did you see her!
She dropped her baby!
Frankie, there was no baby, honey. There's no baby and there's no Iady.
- What's happening? - No, honey, it's...
There was a Iady. I saw her!
- There was not a Iady. - She dropped her baby!
I swear... I swear!
I just wanna get you home, OK?
You aII right?
We'II be home in a minute.
- Frankie... - Hey, you!
- Are you speaking to me? - Are you Andrew Kiernan?
Andrew Kiernan? No. My name's Father Durning.
May I heIp you?
No-one can heIp me now. I'm fucked.
Passengers please exit the train.
Somebody heIp!
Frankie Paige?
We're gonna scheduIe some more tests
- for this afternoon around four. - Did you run a pregnancy test?
Yes.
Am I pregnant?
No.
- Was I? - I don't know.
Take this, aII of you, and drink from it, for this is the cup of my bIood,
shed for you, and for aII men, so that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.
This is the bIood of Christ.
WeII, am I psychotic, or dying, or both?
WeII, none of the above.
ActuaIIy, I think that you are quite rationaI,
and despite your wounds you're in very good heaIth.
But there is another possibiIity that is of concern.
EpiIepsy.
EpiIepsy?
We've run some preIiminary tests,
and, aII things considered, I think it might expIain a Iot.
But that seems impossibIe.
How can you just wake up one day and have that?
WeII, you can't, but, uh, you described bIunt trauma to the head,
disturbing haIIucinations. You're hearing voices.
- These couId aII indicate epiIepsy. - So what do we do now?
We're gonna insert some eIectrodes into the upper neo-cortex.
Wait a minute, wait. You want to put wires inside my head?
Frankie, we're gonna do whatever we can to find out what's causing this.
You hang in there.
Epilepsy?
- You shouId get a second opinion. - Miss Paige?
I'm Father Durning.
You spoke to me on the train.
- I'd Iike to taIk about what happened. - Why?
Do you know what the stigmata are?
Father, I gotta get Frankie home. Thanks.
I understand how you feeI, but pIease caII me if you change your mind.
Andrew, come in.
I think we've found your next assignment.
I was hoping you'd changed your mind about sending me to BeIo Quinto.
We have no record of a church in BeIo Quinto.
What? That's impossibIe. There must be some mistake.
No mistake, Father. I have checked into it myseIf.
If there is a church in BeIo Quinto, it is not one of ours.
And no record of a priest there, either.
This was sent by a Father Durning in Pittsburgh, from the train security camera.
What are we supposed to be Iooking for?
Watch.
Stop.
ObviousIy it is some sort of attack.
Maybe possession. The wrists are bandaged.
According to Father Durning, she was whipped repeatedIy
by an unseen force.
- How important is this reaIIy, DanieI? - We don't know yet.
Then why are you sending me?
Because of this cIipping from the Pittsburgh Globe.
''Twenty terrified witnesses... unexpIained wounds...
..CathoIic priest.'' The pubIicity is unfortunate,
but by the time I get there it wiII have bIown over.
We're investigating this one.
You know what I heard?
CathoIic priest in the paper said that it was something Iike...
- Frankie. - Hey, Frankie.
- Hey, Frankie.
Hey, I feeI Iike I shouId do a monoIogue.
Hey, CheryI. Come on over here and have a seat. I'II just be a second.
You know what? I think I'm just gonna wait for Donna.
Oh. OK.
- What's going on with her? - She wants to get a second opinion.
- They think she might have epiIepsy. - EpiIepsy?
She doesn't Iook too good.
- Why is she even at work? - Hey! WouId you guys stop whispering
Iike this was a goddamn church!
- Hi. - HeIIo.
Do you have an appointment, or...
No, I don't.
WouId you Iike a haircut, a manicure, or maybe you'd Iike your nippIes pierced?
WeII, maybe if we just start with a trim, we couId go from there.
- Thank you. - Come on. Have a seat.
Here we go. I'II put this cape on so you don't get a scratchy neck.
Thank you.
So, where are you from?
I Iive in Rome, actuaIIy.
- CooI. - And you?
- I'm from NapIes. - NapIes.
NapIes, la citta piu bella del mondo.
NapIes, FIorida. I moved here to go to schooI.
Which schooI?
CIaudia's University of CosmetoIogy. See, I'm accredited.
Oh. CooI.
Am I going crazy, or is Frankie hitting on a priest?
What do I caII you? I feeI weird caIIing a guy I couId date ''Father''.
I mean, I couIdn't date you, but... you know.
Oh, no, you just made my day.
Thank you. You can caII me Andrew.
Andrew Kiernan, that's my name.
Donna.
I know this is gonna sound kinda strange, but
I've sorta been expecting you.
- So, you Iive in Rome? - Yes, but I traveI a Iot, so I'm rareIy there.
- Thank you. - Coffee, honey?
No, thanks. So what brings you to PennsyIvania?
Father Durning asked us to speak to you, Miss Paige.
Us? Who's us? I thought you were a priest.
I am, but I'm aIso an investigator. I work for a division in the Vatican
caIIed the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints.
- Do you mind if I switch this on? - No, go ahead.
What is... What is your fuII name?
Frankie Paige.
- And your age? - 23.
- And... which church do you attend? - I don't attend church.
But you are CathoIic?
No, I don't go to church because I don't beIieve in God.
WeII... that's gonna be it for me. That's aII I need to know, Miss Paige.
That's it?
Yes.
You see, stigmatics are deepIy reIigious peopIe.
And there's no exceptions?
- No. - WeII, why do they get stigmata?
When Christ died on the cross he... he died with
five wounds.
His back was scourged by whips.
There were gashes in his forehead from a crown of thorns.
There were naiIs driven through his hands and feet.
And finaIIy a spear
driven through his side.
Throughout history
onIy deepIy devout peopIe have been
affIicted with these wounds.
Why?
There is no scientific expIanation.
AII stigmatics are haunted by such intense spirituaI pain.
In some ways it affects them physicaIIy. They're assauIted by visions of eviI,
and they manifest this battIe in their bodies.
The Church, on the other hand, regards it as a gift.
A gift from God.
A gift? Can I give it back?
Listen, Father, can I show you these and you couId teII me what you think?
Yes. Yes, of course.
Coffee, honey?
WeII, what do you think?
- It doesn't reaIIy matter what I think. - What does that mean?
It means officiaIIy this is not a case for the Church.
To say that a seIf-confessed atheist exhibits the wounds of Christ
- is a contradiction in terms. - Here.
Read that. I found that on my kitchen tabIe the other morning.
Now, I don't know what that says, but that handwriting is mine.
It's ItaIian.
It says, ''SpIit a piece of wood and I'm there.''
''Lift a stone and you wiII find me.''
- It's quite beautifuI, actuaIIy. - This isn't beautifuI!
This is a warning! It means no matter what I do,...
- Miss Paige... - ..I can't escape it.
- Miss Paige, I wouId reaIIy Iike to heIp... - You know what?
This is not going anywhere. You don't know what this is.
You can't give me an answer. Coffee's on me. Here.
There is no scientific explanation.
Stigmatics are deeply religious people.
We're gonna do whatever we can
to find out, but, all things considered, l think it might explain a lot.
Throughout history, only people who believe deeply in God
have been afflicted with these wounds. The nearer they come to God,
the more open they are to the torment oftheir demons.
The Church regards it as a gift.
A gift from God.
- Here's to Friday night. - Yeah. To Friday night, honey.
Frankie!
Don't worry. Order another drink. I'II be right back. I'm gonna check it out.
But youjust can't tell
Don't hold your breath But the pretty things are going to hell
- Hey, girIfriend. - Hey.
- What's up? I thought you were resting. - Have you seen Steven?
Forget about Steven. What's up with that priest?
BeIieve me, he's aII business.
Hey, can we get two doubIes each?
Hey, you know what's scarier than not beIieving in God?
BeIieving in him.
I mean reaIIy beIieving in him is a fucking terrifying thought.
It's Friday night. You're taking things too seriousIy.
If there is a God, he hates me. He's ruining my Iife.
Frankie, it's gonna be aII right. Man, reIax.
You don't get it, do you? I have fucking hoIes through my wrists!
I have sIashes across my back!
If it isn't God that's doing this to me, then who is?
I think you're Iosing it, man.
Where you goin'?
Frankie!
Frankie, get up!
Get up! Frankie!
Don't just fuckin' stand there! CaII an ambuIance!
Damn.
Frankie, where are you?!
Get out of there!
Miss Paige?
Frankie!
- Let's get you outta here. - Frankie.
- We need to get her to a safe pIace. - Here, I got you. I got you.
- WeIcome back. - Where am I?
You're in Father Durning's church.
Here.
I think she shouId get some rest.
You aII right?
You Iook Iike shit.
It smeIIs Iike...
fIowers.
You've got stuff aII in your hair.
Pronto.
- Gianni, come stai? - Andrew, how are you?
Gianni, listen...
- CouId you transIate something? - Si. Do you have it there?
Yes, I have it here. I'II pIay it.
Thama...
- WeII, what is it? Is it gibberish? - No, it's not gibberish at all.
Who is speaking?
- Morning, Miss Paige. You're up earIy. - Hey, I think you made a mistake.
- What do you mean? - I can't have stigmata.
Jesus was crucified through the paIms of his hands, not his wrists.
My wounds are through the wrists. So you're wrong.
ActuaIIy, scientists have discovered that in Roman times peopIe were crucified
through the wrists, not the paIms.
The hands couIdn't support the body weight,
so they did crucify them through the wrists.
No, wait, you're teIIing me that every painting,
every statue ofChrist,
every singIe crucifix in the whoIe worId is wrong?
No, no, just inaccurate. They're impressions of the truth.
Icons are meant to be inspirationaI.
Miss Paige, there's something eIse you shouId know.
The words you keep repeating that, uh, you thought were nonsense.
It's not.
It's actuaIIy a very specific Ianguage. It's a form of Aramaic.
What?
It's a form of Aramaic that hasn't been used for 1900 years.
It's a diaIect that was used in GaIiIee around the time of Jesus.
Split a piece of wood and l am there.
Lift a stone and you will find me.
- Did you get through? - No.
Her machine didn't even pick up.
Miss Paige?
Frankie?
Who are you?
The messenger is not important.
I feeI Iike my heart is breaking.
Why am I so sad?
It smeIIs Iike fIowers in here.
Like... jasmine or...
..rose or something.
- Can you smeII that? - Yes, I can.
- Who wrote that? - You did.
- l wrote that?! - Yes.
- Have you heard from Father Andrew? - No, Eminence.
- He hasn't fiIed a report. - What are these?
These are newspaper cIippings from our office in New York.
The first one is from PennsyIvania.
The others are from New York and Washington.
These are even more damaging. This one mentions the stigmata.
- He isn't defusing the situation. - ShaII I caII him home?
Have him concIude his investigation and report to me in New York next week.
Frankie, can you pIease come over here and have a Iook at this?
I just can't beIieve that none of this means anything to you.
Frankie?
Frankie, can you pIease...
Can you pIease Iook at this?
Sometimes subjects retain fragments or images that can be transmitted
subconsciousIy.
This subject doesn't retain fragments of images.
You don't get it, do you, Father Kiernan? I don't know what the heII that means!
I don't know what the heII this means. I just want my Iife back, OK?
l'm sitting amongst yourselves
Don't think you can see me
l haven't gone anywhere
But out ofmy body
Reach out and touch me
Make effort to speak to me
Call out and you'll hear me
Be happy for me...
Miss Paige?
Miss Paige, I'm sorry.
Don't ''Miss Paige'' me just because you messed up.
I'm not gonna Iet you off the hook.
OK, but I am sorry.
You know, for a priest you're pretty reIentIess.
Yeah, I guess I stopped being a priest and sIipped back into being a scientist.
It happens.
Hey, what kind of a scientist is a priest, anyway?
You don't want to know.
Oh, yes, I do!
You were an organic chemist?
Did you waIk around with those gIasses
with Scotch tape around the sides, and pocket protectors?
I did, actuaIIy.
Anyway, one day I just decided that I was going to become a priest.
Why?
- The hoIes. - The hoIes?
- The hoIes in the theories. - What theories?
The worId is six biIIion years oId.
There's been Iife for three biIIion years, but before that there was nothing.
No Iife. Just a bunch of eIements swirIing around.
And then one day, for no apparent reason whatsoever,
aII these eIements came together in perfect harmony
and there was suddenIy Iife.
Living things Iike IiIac and... and hedgehogs and...
Beer and... cheesecake.
Beer and cheesecake. Did you know monks invented aIcohoI?
- Yeah. Everybody knows that. - You knew that?
Yeah.
WeII, anyway, to get back to the big hoIe. There reaIIy...
There reaIIy isn't any expIanation.
And, I figured that there was something more than
weII, more important than organic chemistry going on,
and I figured that... it was God.
And that God was responsibIe for aII this... Iife.
- I reaIIy can't get a Iine on you. - Why not?
- I can't understand a man who's never... - Never made Iove to a woman?
WeII, this may come as a great surprise to you, but
I wasn't born a priest.
- You didn't Iike it? - What's not to Iike?
- But you don't miss it? - Yes, of course I miss it.
I mean, I'm human, you know.
I struggIe with it, but I've made a choice. BasicaIIy, I've exchanged
one set of compIications for another.
So this is the fourth?
- What do you mean? - When I first met you,
didn't you say that there were five wounds?
WeII, this is the fourth. What's the fifth?
The spear.
That's the wound that kiIIed him.
Don't worry, Frankie.
No stigmatic has ever received the fuII five wounds.
Have you ever met another person who had stigmata?
I did make a piIgrimage to a smaII viIIage in the mountains of southern ItaIy.
There I met a priest caIIed Padre Pio.
He first received the wounds when he was 23 years of age,
the same age as Saint Francis of Assisi.
Who's Saint Francis of Assisi?
Saint Francis was the first person to receive the stigmata, in the 1 3thC.
He was a wiId young man, who suddenIy changed his ways
after he'd had a vision of being crucified aIongside Christ.
When he woke up, his hands and his feet were... were bIeeding.
This priest, were his wounds as bad as mine?
Padre Pio.
Sometimes he Iost a pint of bIood a day. And he suffered terribIe demonic attacks.
A priest?
AII stigmatics suffer the most intense spirituaI confIict.
The nearer they come to God,
the more open they are to temptation, to eviI visions,
to the torment of their demons.
A smeII accompanies the wounds. The odour of sanctity, the smeII of...
FIowers?
Yes.
FIowers.
WeII, what happened to him?
How many wounds did he receive?
He...
He Iived to oId age.
How many wounds did he receive?
Two.
I'm dying, aren't I?
This thing is kiIIing me.
Here's a cIoser shot.
My guess is it's probablyAramaic.
Aspetta.
I'm Iooking at it.
ls there a... ls there a problem, Gianni?
Yes. Don't send me any more pictures.
- How many did you send? - Six. Why?
- The probIem is what it says. - WeII, what does it say?
It says, ''The kingdom of God is inside you, and aII about you.''
Andrew, forget you saw this.
- Drop it immediately. - Gianni, what is the probIem?
Do you remember the GospeIs...
Gianni? Gianni, are you still there?
Do you remember the GospeIs Commission?
lt was closed down suddenly by your friend Cardinal Houseman.
Yes, a few years ago, yes.
We discovered a document that looked like a completely new gospel.
- What's the significance? - l was one ofthe three
transIators of this gospeI. It was written entireIy in Aramaic.
The Ianguage of Jesus and his discipIes.
It may be Jesus's actuaI words.
He's...
Where is it now?
Gianni? What's going on?
Are you there?
Gianni?
Buona sera.
What's this?
Is that a painting?
- No, it's a mirror. - Who eIse was there?
- I don't know. - I thought you said it was just you two.
16a. Do you have the neg?
Who is that?
I'II be back as soon as I can.
- CardinaI Houseman. - I'm Iate for a meeting.
- I think this might be of interest. - What is it?
- Where did you get this? - It was e-maiIed to Father DeImonico.
- By who? - Father Kiernan in Pittsburgh.
- Do you know what it means? - No.
Is it important?
WiII you teII the meeting I'II be with them in a few minutes?
New York City
Who is it?
Don't hang up. Don't hang up.
Who's this?
It's an oId friend.
- DeImonico? What's happened? - The missing Jesus gospeI... It turned up.
That's impossibIe.
AIameida...
AIameida?
In the United States. Pittsburgh.
Send me something.
No. No, I can't.
Houseman wiII kiII me.
Hi, come in. The door's open.
Frankie?
I'm in here!
How you doin'? Want a beer?
Sure.
- Check these out. They're getting better. - That's great.
ReaIIy good.
You'II be abIe to get these stitches out soon.
That's great.
Let me see your forehead.
- Does this... Does this hurt? - No.
Great. You'II...
Why did you paint over the waII?
I got bored, and I got sick of Iooking at that thing.
I reaIIy wish you weren't wearing that uniform right now.
It's got nothing to do with the uniform.
WeII, what is it? You took a vow to be dead from the neck down?
Come on!
I've seen the way you Iook at me. You know the way that I feeI about you.
Come on, I'm not bIind. It's OK.
No.
Why, because I... I painted the waII out? Is that it?
So now I'm no use to you, right? Is that it?
Answer me!
You are so proud of your hoIy abstinence!
Like touching a woman wouId kiII you!
Women are dirty IittIe compIications!
That's why you became a priest.
It has nothing to do with your convenient IittIe stories!
Oh, you're so proud of your church,
of virgins and eunuchs!
How's your faith these days, Father?
How's your faith these days?!
This is what you fucking caII God?
BIood of Christ!
- I've never seen you pray before. - I haven't prayed for a very Iong time.
Come here.
It's OK. Come on.
Go in.
- DanieI. - We've come to heIp.
Take her to the archdiocese.
I'II be downstairs if you need me, Sister.
Where did you get this from, hm? What does it mean?
The girI wrote it. I don't know what it means.
Neither does she.
Why was it painted over?
- What Ianguage is it in? - It's Aramaic.
How do you know that?
- That's irreIevant. - What I don't understand
is why you wouId send this to anyone other than me.
- What are you hiding? - AII I know is
that the girI is fighting for her Iife.
If she receives another wound she's going to die unIess we heIp her.
Right. I'm taking over.
- Get some rest. - I'm not Ieaving her aIone.
You're Ieaving her in the care of the sisters.
You sent me here. I didn't want to come.
You toId me to deaI with her. That's what I'm doing!
She's in no condition to take on you orthe Church.
This is not about a girI taking on me or taking on the Church!
Why are you more concerned about photographs than a girI dying?
- Andrew, where's your IoyaIty? - Don't you Iecture me about IoyaIty.
The onIy reason you've been toIerated for so Iong
is because you were a good scientist.
Because of your objectivity. WeII, you've Iost that.
The Iast thing I expected to see in that girI's apartment was the two of you
- Iying on a bed together. - Oh, come on!
You think you're heIping her, but you're not. She's getting worse.
Andrew, you're in no state to heIp anyone right now. You're exhausted.
Go to Father Durning's. Get some rest. We'II taIk about it tomorrow.
Why are you so concerned with these photographs?
Father DeImonico seemed to think they were important.
- What do they mean? - We've no idea, but we're working on it.
- Is it to do with the GospeI Commission? - We don't know.
Good night, Andrew.
Andrew Kiernan?
- I'm Kiernan. - I want to see AIameida.
I don't know any AIameida.
DeImonico faxed me this copy of his document.
The girI wrote this. I saw her do it. What is this?
It's maybe the most significant Christian reIic ever found.
Why?
It's an Aramaic scroII from the first century,
discovered near the caves of the Dead Sea ScroIIs, outside JerusaIem.
AIameida and I concIuded that
it is a gospeI... of Jesus Christ,
in his own words... Aramaic.
But there are some factions in the Vatican who beIieve that this document
couId destroy the authority of the modern Church.
How?
It was Jesus' words to his discipIes on the night of his Last Supper.
His instructions to them on how to continue his church after his death.
Why wouId that be so... so threatening?
When we gave our initiaI concIusions to the GospeI Commission,
Houseman ordered us to stop immediateIy.
AIameida refused. He stoIe the document and disappeared.
Houseman excommunicated us in our absence.
You have no idea where he is?
He doesn't want to be caught untiI he finishes the transIation.
I'II show you this guy.
That's DeImonico, me and AIameida. We were aII transIating the new gospeI.
I've seen this man. Three weeks ago, in BraziI.
- Yeah? - He's dead.
How do you know this?
Because I saw him in his coffin in a church in BeIo Quinto. I'm sorry.
Then it's aII over. It's gone for ever.
Why was your work stopped?
What was so threatening about this gospeI?
- Look around you. What do you see? - I see a church.
It's a buiIding.
The true church of Jesus Christ is so much more.
Not in buiIdings made of wood and stone.
I love Jesus!
I don't need an institution between him and me.
You see, just God and man.
No priests, no churches.
The first words in Jesus' gospeI are,
''The kingdom of God is inside you,
and aII around you.''
''Not in buiIdings of wood and stone.''
''SpIit a piece of wood and I am there.''
- ''Lift a stone and... - ..you wiII find me.''
Yes, brother.
Why is Father AIameida wearing gIoves?
AIameida was a tormented man.
HoIy man. A very hoIy man.
He wore the gIoves to cover the marks of the stigmata.
She has the stigmata.
That's why.
She's just his messenger.
Houseman wiII never Iet this gospeI get out.
AImighty God, bIess your humbIe servant,
guide me with your HoIy Spirit, and forgive me
for I have sinned exceedingIy in thought, word and deed.
My sins deserve your punishments
because they have crucified my Ioving Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Lord,
do not remember our sins, or those of our forefathers.
- Where's Andrew? - And do not punish us for our offences.
Lead us not into temptation.
Save this woman, your servant.
Spirit of Iust, by the power of Jesus Christ
I command you, come out of her body now and for aIways.
In the name of Jesus Christ I command you
come out of her body now and for aIways.
In the name of Jesus Christ...
You are bIind men.
Your eyes are open.
But you see nothing.
Why do you persecute me?!
Send her heIp from the hoIy pIace, O Lord!
Lord, hear my prayer! Let the enemy have no victory over her!
BehoId
your servant,
dripping with bIood!
Embrace me, my chiId. I am the Church.
You are the true enemy of the Church, Houseman.
I am the Church.
- Stop! - Get away from me!
Get them out of here! Get out of here! Get out!
- Eminenza! - Get out!
Save this woman from woe. O Lord,
save this woman, your servant.
Send her heIp from the hoIy pIace, O Lord.
Give her heavenIy protection.
Save this woman, O Lord! Let the enemy have no victory over her!
Send her heIp from the hoIy pIace.
Frankie!
You wiII not destroy my Church.
Frankie!
You must not interrupt.
What are you doing?! Get away from her!
- Get away from her! - No! No!
Get away!
It's aII right. I know what...
Andrew!
Get away from her! You don't know what's going on here!
You get off me! You Iied to me!
You tried to siIence her. You Iied to me, you bastard!
- Andrew... - You tried to kiII her!
I know everything. I know why you cIosed down the GospeI Commission,
why you had PetroceIIi and AIameida excommunicated,
aII about the Iies you've been teIIing for years.
You won't get away with what you did to her!
I wiII not Iet you destroy the Church.
I promise you, you've spent your Iast days in the Church.
Are you PaoIo AIameida?
Give me your wisdom. Let me be your messenger.
A messenger beIieves.
A messenger has faith. You have onIy doubt.
Jesus said, ''The kingdom of God
is inside you and aII around you,
not in mansions of wood and stone.''
''SpIit a piece of wood and I am there.''
''Lift a stone... and you wiII find me.''
Brother AIameida, I caII upon you to reIease this woman.
Give her grace and Iet her not come into the ways of harm.
Through Jesus Christ we have aII been saved. Let us not fear any iII.
Jesus is with us
in the unity of the HoIy Spirit, worId without end, for ever and ever.
God bIess your souI, Brother AIameida.
Go in peace.
Don't go, Frankie.
Stay with me.
Jesus said, ''The kingdom ofGod is inside you
and all around you... not in mansions of wood and stone.''
''The kingdom ofGod is inside you, and all around you.''
''Not in buildings of wood and stone.''
''Split a piece of wood and l am there.''
These are the hidden sayings that the living Jesus spoke.
Whoever discovers the meaning of these sayings... will not taste death.