San Manuel Bueno The Dying Priest

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The Deceiving Priest In the village of Valverde de Lucerna, there is a priest that is deceiving his congregation by making them think he is a Christian and that he believes in the resurrection of the immortal soul. The only two people in the village that knows his secret is his step-daughter Angelita and his step-son Lazarus. According to Howard Mancing “He has lived a lie all his adult life, sacrificing like a martyr, his own true belief for the sake of his innocent and ignorant parishioners” (Mancing). The priest San Manuel Bueno lives a lie his whole adult life because he becomes a priest in a village, but he doesn’t even believe in Christianity and is sacrificing his own religion. According to Angelita, San Manuel Bueno religion is “mine…show more content…
According to Angelita “and it was toward him that Don Manuel chose to show the greatest love and concern; as a consequence he succeeded in teaching him things which had appeared beyond the idiot’s comprehension” (Unamuno). Don Manuel sacrifice his time and to spend it with Blasillo that he started to learn things that appeared beyond his comprehension because nobody sat down and gave him enough attention to learn those things. Blassilo started to imitate the priest after a while because he looked up to the priest. For example, on Good Friday the priest said “My God, my God, my God why hast Thou forsaken me?” (Unamuno). Then, the village idiot Blassilo repeats the priest. Don Manuel was called by a judge in another town to pull the innocent truth out of the bandit that had committed the crime and Don Manuel denied to do so. Don Manuel states “No, Judge, no; I will not extract from any man a truth which could be the death of him. That is a matter between him and his God… ‘Judge not that ye be not judged,’ said our Lord” (Unamuno). He says he will not pull the truth out of someone if it is going to cause them to die because God said not to judge people so that you are not…show more content…
He composed letters for mothers to their absent sons and took the workers place at work if the worker got sick. In the middle of winter he helped a boy get a strayed calf back home and told the boy to go home and get warm and I will get the calf and bring it to you. He also chopped wood for the poor in the winter from a walnut tree he used to play under when he was a child and one he wants his casket made of. He also made toys for younger children and handballs for the boys. He would also accompany the doctor on his rounds and would teach at the school. He would mingle with the villagers and attend village dances where he help play the drums to keep time for the people dancing. He helped out the villagers as most as he could not idle or alone by himself because he likes to be in the company of others. One time a poor band of acrobats came in town and the mom who was pregnant fell ill while her husband was making all the children and adults in the village square left. The mom fell ill and with Don Manuel’s help give up her soul in a state of grace while her husband was performing with their children. The acrobat told Don Manuel “They are quite right, Father, when they say you are a saint” (Unamuno). Don Manuel responded it is not me that is a saint it is you that is a saint because you made everybody happy and made them
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