The entire plot of Death Comes for the Archbishop centers on Father's Jean Marie Latour's attempts to establish a new Catholic district in New Mexico, so religion is pretty much the #1 theme.
Latour and his buddy Vaillant are completely loyal to their religion and all of its rules, but they often encounter men like Padre Martinez who use their influence as priests to do whatever they want, like hoard money or have sex with young girls. It basically becomes Latour's job to clear away all of these immoral priests, but along the way, he sees enough bad stuff to make him question just how good a force the Catholic Church actually is.
Questions About Religion
- Do you think Father Latour has a good sense of faith in his religion? What are some instances where he shows evidence of his faith?
- How do Latour and Vaillant's views on non-Catholic cultures differ? Which priest do you side with and why?
- What are Father Latour's expectations for converting the Native American peoples to Catholicism? Does he think this expectation is realistic? Why or why not?
- Which priests do the most damage to Father Latour's idea of good Catholic behavior? As the man in charge, how does he deal with them?
Chew on This
In Death Comes for the Archbishop, Willa Cather shows us that religion is only as good or bad as the person who's preaching it.
In Death Comes for the Archbishop, we find that religion ends up doing more harm than good because it gives too much power to priests and bishops.