In 19th-century Italy, Roman Catholicism decided just about every part of everyday life, from the eating of meat to the saying of grace at dinnertime. Father Pirrone is the main spokesperson for the church in The Leopard, and through him, you can tell how invested he is in the future of Prince Fabrizio.
He's really worried, for example, about what will happen if Italy becomes a united democratic country, because churches don't have as much power in democratic countries as they do in more traditional-style ones. So yeah, even Father Pirrone is totally self-interested when it comes to power and property, but at least he also cares about what'll happen to the poor, which is more than you can say about a character like Don Calogero.
Questions About Religion
- Do you find Father Pirrone a likeable character? Why or why not?
- Does religion play a genuinely important role in this novel, or do characters tend to just pay lip service to its traditions?
- How do Father Pirrone and Fabrizio relate to one another? Is it a respectful relationship? Why or why not?
Chew on This
In The Leopard, religion is the only value system that's strong enough to survive the transition from the old world to the new.
In The Leopard, the characters that obey religious rules are much more fulfilled than ones who don't.