Mission Essay
In the movie The Mission, Fr. Gabriel and Rodrigo both make decisions that
affect their status within the church and even their lives. The Papal Delegate, after seeing
the mission begun by Fr. Gabriel above the falls, decides that the Jesuits must leave the
mission or else be excommunicated from the Church. Fr. Gabriel and Rodrigo are caught
in a dilemma at this point. They both have developed relationships with the Guarani
people and they want to protect them from the slavery and violence that will ensue if they
leave. However, they also don’t want to upset the Church and break their vow of
obedience.
After much contemplation, Rodrigo decides that the Papal Delegate is wrong and
that he needs to help defend the mission in Paraguay. Although this is breaking his vow
of obedience, he justifies his actions by protecting these indigenous people in hope that
they can gain rights in the new world. Rodrigo also fights alongside the Guarani to
defend their land and homes. He kills many Portuguese soldiers and eventually dies in the
battle. Fr. Gabriel initially rejects Rodrigo’s idea to fight which he feels totally shuns all
of the principles of the Church. Rodrigo doesn’t care, he feels that his mission is to help
the Guarani and he has faith in his work and what he feels is right.
Fr. Gabriel on the other hand has a much more complex idea of faith. Fr. Gabriel
has dedicated his whole life to the work of the Jesuits and he knows that he has been
ordered to leave. However, he also feels that the Papal Delegate is wrong and that he
should stay and help the Guarani like Jesus would. In the end Fr. Gabriel decides that he
must stay with the Indians and show his faith in them and in his work. Although he
disobeys the Papal Delegates orders he doesn’t fight with the Indians and kill anyone. He
does make a nonviolent statement that shows his faith in his work and in the people he is
trying to save.
I believe that although Rodrigo and Fr. Gabriel are disobeying the Papal Delegate,
they still are men of faith. They aren’t necessarily faith to the church and to the order and
they are definitely don’t have any faith in the Papal Delegate’s decision. They do have
faith in what they believe is right, their mission to teach the word of God to the Gaurani
and protect them from European enslavement. To be a man of faith doesn’t mean that
they have to have faith in a religion. What it means is that they need to show trust in what
they find to be the truth and reality.
Besides risk, both Rodrigo and Fr. Gabriel show attributes of faith throughout the
movie. Most notably, Rodrigo shows that faith requires a human response. Rodrigo is a
hot tempered violent man before being converted to a Jesuit. What leads him to becoming
faithful to the Church and to the Guarani, is that he realizes his mistake and that he works
towards gaining their acceptance. When Rodrigo travels to the mission he carries a heavy
bag up the cliff to cleanse himself as a sign that he has responded to God’s call of
becoming faithful. Both Rodrigo and Fr. Gabriel also demonstrate how faith is a virtue.
They both practice their faith during their trial with the Europeans to show that they have
faith in the Gaurani and that they deserve to be protected. Although the Europeans do not
agree, this challenge tests their faith and ultimately strengthens it so that they make the
right decision at the end.
At one point in my life I was faced with a decision where I could either react
violently or just walk away. It was at a mixer and some guys were jumping around and
kept punching and pushing all of the guys I was with. I could have confronted them but
instead I decided to react peacefully and just leave. I feel that when I made this decision
my faith in nonviolence really showed.