Apparently it’s one of the Apocryphal Gospels.
If Judas doesn’t betray him, Christ wouldn’t rise from the dead.
Christ tells Judas to betray him.
Evil is necessary so that good exists.
That’s precisely what the Cainites defend.
That mirror reflects your fears.
Giacomo...
They look for objects that did harm to Christ.
-I don’t have it. -Take it from her.
-Why don’t you come with me? -I don't want you to go.
The suffering of God is the most powerful of energies.
Whoever has those 30 coins will have in his possession
a weapon more powerful that the very Arc of the Covenant.
30 COINS
You all know why we’re here, that's right?
A few days ago Elena's veterinary clinic...
You all know Elena.
The clinic suffered some damage which, regrettably ended...
I think by accident... In a fire.
Apparently, well, some of us... Well...
Many of us were there that night.
We don’t want to point the finger at anyone or look for culprits.
Just the opposite. We want to look ahead and find solutions.
So...
If you’ve come here it’s because, in some way...
you feel involved. That’s what matters.
I see that people want to help and to get back to normal as soon as possible.
I want to say that I’m very sorry about what happened.
I have never harmed anyone in my life.
But what happened that night wasn’t normal.
I was at home having supper, and no matter how much I think about it,
I have no idea how I could end up doing something like that.
I want to ask Elena to forgive me,
and to tell her I want to help in any way.
Very good. Thank you, Consuelo, I’ll tell her.
That’s precisely what I wanted to propose.
A little collection.
Well... With everyone giving what they can or want to.
Just a little. And as there are a lot of us,
maybe we can manage to pay for the most expensive things:
the furniture, the repainting...
Money isn’t going to fix what’s going on here.
This is insane and it’s time someone said so.
The cow that gave birth to a child,
the mad woman who killed her husband and hanged him from the stairs...
-The girl who disappeared... -The man who was run over.
-And the one in the chemist’s. -And all in less than a year.
I understand what you’re saying, Jesús, but right now we’re talking about Elena.
Well, if she hadn’t been hanging around all day with the priest,
what happened to her wouldn’t have happened.
The priest is the culprit.
All this has happened since he came to the town.
And what a coincidence, he hasn’t come today.
-Why hasn’t he come? -I called him, but he didn't answer.
Yeah, sure, and I believe you.
-I called him! -They didn’t tell us the truth.
No one told us he’d been in prison.
That's true!
Merche...
We’ve already talked about that. I can’t get rid of that man.
I can't get rid of him, it isn’t up to the town council.
-It’s up to the... -The Diocese, I know, Paco.
But the people are entitled to have a normal priest. Yes or no?
Of course they are!
-Very good! -Your wife is right!
Please, silence.
If we all join together, if we get signatures
and take them to Segovia, I’m sure they’ll do something.
They have to listen to us.
Who agrees that we should write a letter to the bishop
asking for a change in the parish?
-I do! -I do!
I'm in!
-Are you angry? -No, why would I be angry?
You’ve got me into a fucking mess, but anyway...
It’s not a mess, just the opposite. Look at them.
They were going around with their heads low, and now...
-Now they’re furious. -That’s better than feeling guilty.
Yes, it’s fucking great, no one is guilty of anything
because we’ve blamed the priest for everything,
and we don’t know... We don’t know if he’s fucking guilty.
Paco, think about this.
Now it’s the town who’s asking, it’s not you. Do you understand?
You’re free of all responsibility.
-Is the town asking, or is it you? -What’s that supposed to mean?
That when you want something, and you don’t get it one way,
you get it another,
because you’ve been hell bent on going after the priest since he got here.
We explain it to him directly,
and then he can take the decision to leave.
Fuck.
Keep on knocking.
Please kids, sit down and be quiet. Put your seatbelts on.
-Who is on your team? -Italia 90: world champion.
ROME, 1990
Always with the catenaccio.
But what catenaccio are you on about? We have Baggio, he's pure fantasy.
One question, guys.
How did we end up here? This right here.
Ten years ago I left my town to come to Rome.
My first idea was to join the Red Brigades.
-Seriously, Sandro? -They threw me out and I asked why.
And they said, "Have you ever seen a fat terrorist?"
So I became a priest.
Come on!
-You're kidding! -The Red Brigades? Come on!
-What about you? -Me?
I want to destroy the devil’s hosts.
No, no, I’m serious.
Rome is full of priests,
but in Spain no one thinks about those things anymore.
I thought that Spain was still the land of inquisitors.
Just the opposite. There are no vocations.
Now the priests come from South America. You know that, you're from Spain, right?
I only lived there until I was seven.
People... Listen to this. People...
don’t believe in anything anymore.
That’s the devil’s great success,
persuading the world that he doesn’t exist.
That he’s just an old wives’ tale, something from the past.
Let me confess something. I feel him inside me.
Especially after three glasses of wine.
I want to find God, but it seems impossible.
He’s very far away, up there somewhere.
But the devil, you’re right, the devil is here, near us.
And who knows, if we manage to catch him,
perhaps God will pay us some attention.
But that’s frightening.
-I’m not afraid. -Are you sure?
That’s easy to prove.
Give me your hand.
Slowly.
What about you? Do you dare?
And you two want to face the devil,
when you don’t dare even jab yourselves with a fork?
What about you?
Are you afraid?
I’ve got...
a problem.
The thing is...
fear encourages me.
We are now approaching Rome Fiumicino Airport.
Good morning.
If you stick to the vaccination schedule, you shouldn’t have problems.
But is bluetongue disease serious?
Not so much for cows, but it is for sheep and goats.
But don’t worry, if we do it right, nothing will happen.
-Thank you so much, Miss Elena. -Mrs.
That’s right, excuse me. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...
It’s all right.
Here.
What’s this for?
What do you think? For your trouble.
No, Curro, no, your monthly payment covers this.
It doesn’t matter. Take it, please.
Thank you.
Well, Curro... See you.
-Bye. -Bye.
-What do I owe you? -Nothing, forget about it.
-Why? -Just because, it’s all right.
We’re very sorry about what happened to you.
“What happened to me”?
-But it was you! -Us?
I saw you there, putting out a fire that you’d started yourself.
-That isn’t how it is, Elena. -Then tell me how it is.
-We went there to help. -Look how she’s getting.
-And I’m giving it to her for nothing! -How can you be so rude to Remedios?
Especially when she doesn’t want to charge you! That’s no way to behave.
What I want is that you leave me in peace. That’s enough for me.
There was a misfortune, that’s what it was,
and we’re doing everything possible to fix it. That’s all.
There's no need to play the victim here.
Keep the change.
-Ma’am. -How's everything?
-How did the operation go? -It all went very well.
Sole is fed up being in the hospital for so long, but she’s happy
-and looking forward to getting home. -I'm glad to hear that.
Tell her I was asking for her.
Don’t worry, I’ll do that. Ma’am...
-Yes? -Thank you for everything.
If you ever need anything, you just have to call me.
-Where’s Roque? -Roque is with his girlfriend.
He doesn’t leave her side for a minute.
Fuck, Elena, it’s about time! You’ve finally appeared.
I’ve been trying to talk to you for days,
but you’re not answering my calls. Where were you?
-At home. -I was really worried.
I heard all about what happened.
It was insane, wasn’t it? Who would do a thing like that?
So this is your girlfriend.
As there was nothing else...
Does that offer still stand?
Are you not going to kiss me?
ROMA, ITALY, 1990
Whatever they say,
you must continue with your prayers with a firm voice.
There's no need to shout, but you should let them feel there is a superior power
that it is speaking through you.
Prayer is like a wall that defends us from their words.
-Excuse me, Father. -Yes?
Wouldn’t it be interesting to listen to them?
-Excuse me? -If, in some way,
the devil is communicating with us through this woman,
wouldn’t it be better to listen to him, to learn from him,
and accumulate as much information as possible?
The more we know about the enemy, the easier it will be to fight him.
-What’s your name? -Vergara, Fr. Vergara.
What your companion Fr. Vergara is proposing
is exactly what you should never feel tempted to do.
Who do you think you are?
Do you think you can talk to him and emerge unharmed?
Do you think you are more intelligent than the devil himself?
No. Nor do I feel more intelligent than you,
and yet it is undeniable that we are having a conversation.
Apologize immediately to your companions,
because pride is the greatest of sins, and the Evil One knows that.
If you ever have the misfortune to meet with him,
which I doubt because the devil doesn’t waste his time,
it won’t take him more than a few seconds to do away with you.
Do you understand?
What I don’t understand, Father, with all respect,
is that, after centuries of fighting evil,
our only weapon is this text, this book.
An incomprehensible, sterile litany.
The devil has to be very stupid to retreat before that.
Get out of this class, Mr. Vergara. Get out.
What have you done?
That was incredible.
When you left, he completely lost control.
He wouldn’t stop talking about you.
And all the time the woman was laughing non-stop.
-I’m not going to apologize. -Good. He wants to expel you.
No one can confront their enemy if they don’t know him.
Did you do it just to get his attention, or...
Or is there something more?
I came here to learn, not to get good grades.
-In Italian, please. -Sorry.
Tonight at 10:00, come to this address.
There's something I want to show you.
Perfect timing.
Are you curious?
Come on in.
What is this?
What’s this man doing here? Are you insane, or what?
It was him who asked me for help.
How long has he been chained up?
-Two months. -Two months?
And how is he alive?
I look after him.
I clean him and I bring him food every day.
I record all our sessions, like you were saying.
In this storeroom I’ve learned more
than in all the years we’ve been at the seminary.
Do you think it’s real?
Judge for yourself.
Fr. Vergara.
What an honor to have you with us.
Did you tell him my name?
What’s he doing here? It’s isn’t good for him.
I don’t think he can take it.
Fabio, please, tell your friend not to insult me with his medieval procedures.
Sandro...
What is this?
I thought that we had got past this stage.
I understand the chains, but this is a humiliation I will not allow.
How do I know you’re not insane,
and just another sick man who needs psychiatric attention?
Will you give me a cigarette?
When you were twelve, you accidentally killed your dog with a stone,
and you hid him in the back garden.
Your mother thought that your father had lost him.
They argued,
and you’ve never forgiven yourself.
When you masturbate, you think of a girl from secondary school
who never said a word to you, Sonia.
Poor thing, just imagine her,
covered in semen every day of her life, and never knowing it.
Enough! This is bullshit.
Yes, it’s best if you go.
Fabio, your friends are boring me.
Vergara, come on, let's go.
Wait. One thing.
If you’re so powerful, why don’t you destroy these chains?
Sandro...
Maybe you prefer to burn us with the fire that comes out of your mouth?
Fire coming out of my mouth.
A classic.
Do you really want me to do it?
-The prison. - Regina Coeli. Right here?
Manuel. I remember you! The Spanish priest.
I won a lot of money with your fight.
The iron fist.
I'm here to see Sandro.
-Sandro... He's there. -Thank you.
Come on!
Move! Move! There you go!
Don't drop your guard! Move!
Easy! Easy!
Easy now!
Silence! Silence!
Don't drop your guard!
Do you know why you ended up here?
Because you always drop your guard.
Did you hear me?
No way... I can't believe it.
I really can't believe it.
It isn’t good to play with fire.
But let’s not ruin this conversation with fairground tricks.
There is a much deeper horror.
We live in the midst of a hurricane of lies and deceit.
There are no truths, only a furious instinct of destruction
and madness, provoked by your God.
I don’t know for what reason.
Maybe it’s just for the pleasure of making you suffer.
I work for him.
Is there just one devil,
or are there many?
Where are you?
On this plane of physical reality,
or is there another astral plane outside of the perceptible world?
Do you live, perhaps, in the mind of all men?
Are you insane? Haven't you seen what he's done?
After the Primal Battle, Satan withdrew with his best men
to a safe place, beyond the reach of God’s eye.
In reality they hid inside him,
in an aspect of the same God which afterwards was known as Intelligence,
and, well, your colleagues called it Hell.
We need to take Sandro to the hospital right now!
What was the reason for the Battle?
The official version talked about the angels’ pride,
but really that’s not how it was.
We simply wanted our role in the divine plan to be recognized.
This is like a play, do you understand?
Dramatically, the thing doesn’t work if there is just one character.
That’s why roles were distributed, and we got the most thankless one.
We just wanted to appear in the credits. We didn’t ask for anything more, really.
God doesn’t want to recognize that evil also forms part of Him.
-Is that what you mean? -Bingo.
It would be like giving away the ending.
God is the author of the play, and at the same time, all the characters.
Stop listening to him.
Then... God is Satan.
And you, and me.
-God is everything. -God hasn't done this!
Is that what you think?
Why didn't He stop it from happening then?
It’s very easy to play the role of a good man
who sacrifices himself for everyone, but that of a traitor...
That has many more nuances, it’s much more complex.
Everything is part of the representation.
-So are you. -It isn’t by chance that you’re here.
The play needs...
conflict.
You choose.
We want to meet your boss.
His sole presence would destroy you.
I don’t mind taking the risk. Do you?
He’s on the other side.
You just have to go through that door.
Fabio!
Don't.
Don’t listen to him, he’s lying to us. It's a trap.
You know he isn’t, he’s saying what we’ve all thought.
But he’s forgetting one thing:
we choose our role.
We are free. Show him we are.
No!
Do you know who he is?
The iron fist! The Spanish hurricane!
-Show them what you can do. -No...
I’m out of shape, Sandro.
All the better, that way they can stay on their feet for at least five minutes.
Are you still wearing that?
This cross has saved both our lives.
Before he takes my head off, I’d like you to help me with something.
It's been 20 years since I last saw you,
I knew that this wasn’t just a social call.
They’re after me.
They want to kill me, and they’re a lot more dangerous than your friend.
Let’s say that the guy I’m up against is a bit special.
Is he?
Ready? Go.
What are you doing? You hit like my mother.
What are you waiting for? Beat him!
Show him who you are!
That friend of yours... Do I know him?
You know him.
-We both know him very well. -Fabio?
No... Santoro? Are you sure?
I saw him on the other side of the mirror.
-How poetic. -Believe me, it’s not.
I saw him and he looked into my eyes.
Listen, we'll talk again later.
But now, don't make a fool of me and knock him down!
Go.
Come on, hurricane!
Yeah!
You didn't realize, but he always wanted to be above you.
He hated you because you were much better than him.
That isn’t true.
He had the necessary courage it took to go through the door.
It isn’t a matter of courage. You don’t take orders from anybody.
And look at all the good it did me.
It did you a lot of good, stupid. You’re alive, don’t forget that.
He’s been elected President of the Pontifical Council
for Interreligious Dialogue.
Can you believe it?
This is my advice: run away,
but not to Spain, go somewhere that’s out of his reach.
-Everything is within his reach. -Not everything.
Why do you think I’m here?
The suffering that this place breathes protects me from them.
You, my friend,
need something stronger, much stronger.
A war...
The pain is so intense that the souls have very thick skins.
He can’t get through them.
Syria, Afghanistan, Lebanon...
I don't know.
-Thank you. -I love you.
Me too.
Vergara.
Run away.
Hey.
Did they ask you to come here, to apologize?
Well, in a way, yes.
There was a collection. Everyone participated.
Oh, great!
What are you doing? Are you leaving?
What do you think?
Have you thought about this? They think very highly of you.
If you give them time, all this will have been forgotten.
Give them time?
My husband disappeared two years ago and they are still talking about that.
-That has nothing to do with that. -They think I'm the one to blame.
-And that I deserve it all. -Nonsense.
I’m tired, Paco, I’m sick of not being able to tell what’s happened to us.
I can’t tell the truth.
I have to keep quiet, and they look at me with that pitying expression,
like they’re saying “poor thing”,
when I’m the one who should be shouting at them:
“You’re the crazy ones, you’re the pathetic ones,
because you have no idea of what’s going on.”
And how do you think I feel?
Every night everything comes into my mind as if it happened yesterday.
We lived the things that happened, Elena, they’re not dreams,
because we lived them together.
And the fact that we can talk about it is what keeps me alive.
If you leave now, what do I do?
-Well, this is a different thing. -What thing?
You’ve finally decided.
I want to get out of here,
and he’s offering me a job somewhere else, is it so strange?
He can certainly offer you a lot more than I can.
A lot more than you can?
What are you saying?
Hey, Paco!
So? Have you come to say goodbye?
I came to give her the collection that was taken in the town.
They don’t want her to leave.
I don't want you to leave.
Everyone wants to pay for all the damages that were caused.
What happened? Elena hasn’t told me anything.
Skip it, Roque, it’s a very long story.
Well, now you’ll have lots of time to tell me, won’t you?
We have to go.
Where's Fabio?
He hasn’t come to class, he isn’t in his house.
No one in his congregation knows anything about him.
Why did we listen to him? Why did we go there?
It isn’t just my skin...
My soul is burned.
We need to do something. I need your help.
Is there any place where we can clean our wounds?
JERUSALEM, 1992
Fabio!
You’re here? You’re alive!
Forgive me, you’re confusing me with someone else.
It’s me, Fr. Vergara, Manuel.
I’m sorry, Manuel, I don’t know you.
Bye.
What are you doing here? Why are you doing this?
Because if I don’t do it, it isn’t done properly.
For fuck's sake! They always leave it half done.
If we decided to set up this company, it’s to do things properly.
To do them badly, we just buy the meat from those guys in Sepúlveda
and save ourselves all this work.
She’s gone too, like the priest.
You must be pleased.
You wanted both of them gone? Well, they’re gone.
I never said I wanted Elena gone. You made that up.
But you didn’t lift a finger to prevent it.
Me?
I had to prevent it?
After all I’ve had to put up with?
What have you had to put up with?
Nothing. I don’t want to go into that.
No, no, but I do. What have you had to put up with?
A lot of things that I didn’t tell you.
A lot of things...
Let’s just leave it.
You just do your own thing, but I’m meeting people all day, in the hotel,
in the supermarket, in the bank, everywhere, and people talk.
But you don’t realize.
-Be quiet, please. -Listen to me.
I’ll be quiet, but don’t come complaining when things happen,
and you’re not re-elected as mayor,
because all this business has done you a lot of harm.
And I’m tired of being the one who always gets you off the hook.
-Go away. -What do you mean?
I’m going to get you dirty, for Christ's sake.
Can’t you see I’m trying to clean all this?
Merche? Merche!
Fuck!
What are you doing?
Hello?
Hello... Who are you?
Antonio?
Come on, I'm getting you out of here. When did you get out of hospital?
It’s very good. Do you want some?
That’s stealing. Do you realize they could put you in prison?
-I borrowed it. The priest isn't there. -Give me that.
-I don't want the old woman to take it. -What are you talking about?
She steals things, and no one says anything.
-What old woman? -The one who eats cockroaches.
I’ve seen her, like they were olives, one after another.
She has a devil inside her.
I’m taking you to my hotel, but this is the last time.
Tomorrow I’m calling social services. But you’d better behave yourself,
because if you don’t, I’ll tell them you were stealing from the church
and then you’re in big trouble.
-Do you know what you have to do? -What?
Forget about him.
What did you say?
He’s in love with her, everyone knows that.
But she’s married, and listen to what I’m saying, her husband is alive.
-How do you know? -Because the voices tell me.
If he came back, problem solved.
-That would be a miracle. -Miracles happen.
You’re good, you do your job and you don’t interfere with anybody.
-You deserve it. -Thank you.
I’m looking for Fr. Lombardi. I’m told he lives here now.
You will find Fr. Lombardi upstairs, in room 103.
Thank you.
Pardon me.
Vergara!
What a surprise. What are you doing here?
I’m just visiting, trying to resolve some things that were left unfinished.
You shouldn't have come.
You shouldn’t neglect your affairs in Spain.
We sent you there for a reason.
That’s why I wanted to see you.
Precisely now, while you and I are talking,
something is happening there, something that shouldn’t happen.
I can feel it.
Sandro told me how much you did for me. I’m very grateful.
-Have you come to tell me that? -No. I just want to ask you a question.
Go ahead.
What do you know...
about the 30 coins?
Sorry, Father, but with the heat they come out of the sewers.
They are as fat as cats.
-Who else knows about this? -Just you.
-And Santoro. -Yes.
Look, we have to act quickly.
There is just one person who has the power
to put an end to this once and for all.
-Who? -The Holy Father.
I’ve thought about it, but it would take me months to get an audience.
Now I understand why you’ve come back.
I don’t trust anyone else.
I can get him to receive you tomorrow. Listen.
Santoro is listening to this conversation.
His power is enormous. Be careful.
He’ll try to do away with you, before you get to the appointment.
Do away with me? Why doesn't he kill me?
If he wanted to, he would have already killed you.
He has other plans.
- It can’t be. -Oh, my God...
I can't believe that's all you’re taking.
Thank you, Toni. We can go shopping in Paris.
I know this women's fashion shop next to this Japanese restaurant.
They serve you this really fresh fish and they cut it right in front of you.
Don’t tell me why you know women’s fashion shops.
Touché.
Fr. Vergara?
-Pleased to meet you. -My pleasure.
Follow me, please.
Elena! Elena!
What the fuck is he doing here?
We’re very short of time, Elena, please. Elena!
Are you insane? What are you doing here?
I wanted to tell you something before you left.
If you're here to try and convince me...
No, it isn’t that. Something has happened.
What now?
It’s your husband, Elena.
-What? -Your husband has come back.
He’s well. He’s asked for you.
You will understand that this conversation must remain secret.
We are not talking to you, and you are not here, with us.
I only wish to protect the Church.
-You have been in prison, isn’t that so? -Two years.
-Do you have the coin? -No.
It must be destroyed, somehow or other.
We have known for some time that within the Church
there are points of view, let’s say, contrary to dogma.
That is why we must be careful.
Fr. Lombardi has spoken to me of you,
and he says you can be trusted completely.
It’s essential that you understand what I’m going to say:
one slip, one remark in the wrong place could put everything in danger.
-Have you spoken to anyone of this? -No.
From now on, you will report to just one person who has my complete trust.
I want you to meet Cardinal...
Fabio Santoro.