How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph.)
Quote #1
He was driven by the presence of soldiers to the very place where he most wanted to be. He had avoided it for six years, but now it wasn't his fault—it was his duty to go there—it couldn't count as sin. (2.1.2)
The priest has avoided his daughter because he believes it would be wrong of him to enjoy the company of his child. He feels this enjoyment would mean that he disregards the sin that brought her into the world. But since he's going to the village out of necessity, his conscience isn't troubled this time. Intentions matter.
Quote #2
Now that he no longer despaired it didn't mean, of course, that he wasn't damned—it was simply that after a time the mystery became too great, a damned man putting God into the mouths of men: an odd sort of servant, that, for the devil. (2.1.4)
A little theology background: Catholicism doesn't hesitate to define certain actions as sins, but it refuses to judge individuals as definitely condemned. The Church has its official list of saints—i.e., souls in heaven—but it has no alternative list naming the residents of hell (which would probably be quite the roster). The priest suspects he's headed there, but he doesn't know that for sure.
Quote #3
He caught the look in the child's eyes which frightened him—it was as if a grown woman was there before her time, making her plans, aware of far too much. It was like seeing his own mortal sin look back at him, without contrition. (2.1.76)
As a first year philosophy major might say say, "That's deep." Do you think the priest is seeing something really there or is this perception all in his head?
Quote #4
How often the priest had heard the same confession—Man was so limited he hadn't even the ingenuity to invent a new vice: the animals knew as much. (2.1.331)
In Catholicism, sin is a sign of weakness, powerlessness, and limitation. The more you sin, the more you are possessed by sin. It becomes a bad habit, like leaving dirty laundry on the floor, texting while talking to people, or picking your nose. Ewwwww.
Quote #5
What an unbearable creature he must have been in those days—and yet in those days he had been comparatively innocent. That was another mystery: it sometimes seemed to him that venial sins—impatience, an unimportant lie, pride, a neglected opportunity—cut you off from grace more completely than the worst sins of all. Then, in his innocence, he had felt no love for anyone; now in his corruption he had learnt… (2.3.173)
Some more background: Catholic moral theology distinguishes between venial sins and mortal sins. The first are the kinds of wrongs that are minor and easily passed with an apology. The second are the evils that severely injure the relationship one has with God and necessitate major repairs (contrition, confession). The priest believes he's in a state of mortal sin and therefore likely cut off from God and the hope of heaven; however, he also senses that he's a better person now. He isn't rejecting the Catholic understanding of sin, but recognizing that such strict distinctions don't quite capture the mystery.
Quote #6
"Lust is not the worst thing. It is because any day, any time, lust may turn into love that we have to avoid it. When we love our sin then we are damned indeed." (3.1.109)
This statement helps us understand why the priest believes himself damned. He can't bring himself to be sorry for his sin of fornication because he loves what his sin brought into the world—his child. He doesn't think he can love his child and hate the means that gave her life. Do you think he's conflating the two?
Quote #7
What was the good of confession when you loved the result of your crime? (3.1.142)
Being the only active priest left in the state, our protagonist hasn't had a chance to confess his mortal sins but he isn't sure this even matters since he's not entirely sorry for one of those sins. Even if he could speak the words of confession to another priest, he wouldn't be making a full act of contrition. Consequently, the confession wouldn't restore his relationship with God.
Quote #8
"We'll give people food instead, teach them to read, give them books. We'll see they don't suffer."
"But if they want to suffer…"
"A man may want to rape a woman. Are we to allow it because he wants to? Suffering is wrong." (3.3.55-57)
Like some other religions, Catholicism doesn't see suffering as inherently wrong. If it did, it wouldn't require fasting and abstinence during Lent. For the Lieutenant, suffering is the Big Bad, to use Buffy-speak. He's a moral absolutist when it comes to the evil of suffering. He'd probably outlaw suffering if he could.
Quote #9
"But it doesn't matter so much my being a coward—and all the rest. I can put God into a man's mouth just the same—and I can give him God's pardon. It wouldn't make any difference to that if every priest in the Church was like me." (3.3.64)
Throughout much of his ministry after the persecution began, the priest was troubled that his sinful life undermined the good he was able to do as a priest. Here, though, he recognizes that every priest will be a sinner. The piety that insists on morally pure priests is a false piety.
Quote #10
"Pride was what made the angels fall. Pride's the worst thing of all. I thought I was a fine fellow to have stayed when the others had gone. And then I thought I was so grand I could make my own rules." (3.3.72)
They don't call pride the root of all sins for nothing. But here's a question: if pride is the worst of sins, then why does the priest name it as one of the venial, lesser sins? So many questions, such few answers.