Power and The Glory Comparing the whiskey priest and Jesus Christ
Comparing the Whiskey Priest and Jesus Religion, most recognizably Catholicism, is an extremely important theme throughout Graham Greenes novel The Power and The Glory. Greene often uses comparisons with Jesus to describe the whiskey priest and his plight. Although some would argue that it would be difficult to compare the two because of the sins of the whiskey priest we can see this parallel throughout the novel. While Jesus was hunted by the Romans and eventually crucified in fulfillment of scriptures laid out by earlier prophets, the whiskey priest is in hiding from the Communists and their police force. In similar fashion, a small but visible band of Mexican peasants are delighted to see the priest and receive his blessing, however there is also a portion that is frightened of the priest and the burden that comes along with housing him. In trying to evade his relentless pursuers, the whiskey priest often seeks help from the locals, those that are still faithful welcome him with open arms. Some of the villagers see the whiskey priest as a saint and hold him in the highest regard, much like Christ was seen by his disciples and others that followed his teachings. Since the priest often feels unworthy of his mission, he feels guilty and therefore is sometimes discouraged when the peasants ask for his blessing.