Aubert: Now tell me your sins.
Go ahead. Tell me.
- I was disobedient to my dad, and I talked back to him,
and I had a fight-- Aubert: Shh.
Slow down. God can't hear you.
- And I had a fight with my sister, and I was mean to her,
and I teased her.
- Is that all?
- Yes, Father, that's all.
- Now let me hear an act of contrition.
- O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee,
and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments,
but--but most of all, because they offend thee,
my God, who art all-good and deserving all my love.
I firmly resolve, with the help of thy g--grace,
to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.
Amen.
- I absolve you in the name of the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
[light instrumental music]
♪ ♪
[dog barking]
♪ ♪
- I got it, Dad!
♪ ♪
- Great. Good boy.
♪ ♪
- Hey, come on in!
You're gonna be late for church.
♪ ♪
- Okay, let's go.
♪ ♪
- Dad, come back!
- Come on. Come on.
Don't want to be late for your first Communion.
Come on.
- Dad--be at church.
[laughing]
♪ ♪
Dad, don't break my bike.
♪ ♪
[giggling]
♪ ♪
all: ♪ Amen ♪
Emmeline: Whoo-hoo!
all: ♪ Amen ♪
Emmeline: [laughs]
all: ♪ Amen ♪
♪ Amen, amen ♪
- Once again now.
all: ♪ Amen ♪
- Whoo-hoo!
all: ♪ Amen ♪
♪ Amen, amen, amen ♪
Aubert: Behold the lamb of God.
Behold him who taketh away the sins of the world.
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof.
Say but the word, and my soul shall be healed.
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof.
Say but the word, and my soul shall be healed.
Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof.
Say but the word, and my soul shall be healed.
[solemn organ music]
♪ ♪
Body of our Lord Jesus Christ
preserve thy soul unto life everlasting.
Amen.
♪ ♪
Body of our lord Jesus Christ
preserve thy soul unto life everlasting.
Amen.
♪ ♪
Body of our lord Jesus Christ
preserve thy soul unto life everlasting.
Amen.
[instrumental music]
♪ ♪
- Oh.
- Now, the way I see it, Daniel,
the diocese ain't gonna forget about us,
seeing as how we always done the right thing by the church.
See what I'm saying?
- I got to tell you, ol' Pete, your bid's too high,
they don't give a damn
you done the right thing by the church.
[children laughing, whooping]
- Robbie!
Robbie, come over here.
Oh, you look-- you are all dirt.
Spit. - [spits]
- More. [laughs]
Father wants to talk to you.
- I killed two alligators.
- Here, stop it now.
Listen to Father.
- They look like alligators.
- I'm sure they did.
Robbie, I would like to train you
to be an altar boy.
Would you like that?
- [laughs] - It's not fair.
- Is it hard, Father?
Hard like math?
- It's harder. - Oh, Justine, shush.
- No, Robbie, it's-- it's not hard like math,
but, um, you do have to learn how to walk
and bow and genuflect,
and there are lots of prayers.
- Will God love me more?
- [chuckles]
Well, strictly speaking, he can't,
but between us, he will love you more.
- [laughs]
- The way I figure it, that puts me in line
for the renovation at the diocese.
Then I can do a proper bid.
Now, the way I figure it--
- Honey, the way I figure, if you--if--
look, if you bid this the way you want,
we're gonna lose, uh, $600.
Maybe $700.
- Where do you get that? - Look.
Where do I get it? Well, look.
You--you didn't-- see, you forgot
to add in the excavating.
And...
with the carton, we have that.
You see?
[keys clacking]
Look.
- Well, I'll make it up
on the diocese job.
- We don't have the diocese job.
We don't have this job.
- Honey, I'll get this job.
- By taking a $600 loss?
- And I'll get the diocese job.
- We have a payment due on all that.
We've got a payment due on the house.
[sighs]
I want to do this over.
Come on, and I want to go with you
when you talk to 'em about the bid.
Okay?
[door creaks open]
- Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.
Sorry I'm late.
- Honey.
Hi.
[car horn beeping]
- I got to help Daniel fix his generator.
- Oh, hold off on those numbers, Sabine.
Hon, they're not quite right yet.
♪ ♪
Aubert: Don't spill it, now, Joseph.
Prayers on the left.
Robbie, hold up your left hand.
Now what do we do next?
- Take the veil off the chalice,
and then I do the little pitchers.
- Which are called?
- Trusets.
- Cruets, cruets.
- Joseph, let him learn at his own speed.
- He's so slow, Father.
- I expect to hear about that nasty crack
at your next confession.
[game beeping]
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
- "As it was in the beginning,
"is now, and always will be,
"world without end.
Amen."
- Now put your hands over the page.
And this time, do it from memory.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
- As it was in the beginning,
will always be
until the end.
Amen.
- [laughs]
- Father?
Are you gonna tell Mom and Dad that I can't do it?
- Well, is that what you think I should tell them?
I'll make you a promise, Robbie.
Father will tell them only what they need to know.
Hmm?
- The problem isn't you.
The Guitry bid is a fair bid.
The problem is overruns elsewhere.
And I'm sure I don't have to tell you
that the church is a nonprofit organization.
- Yes, well...
[chuckles]
But we're not.
- Honey.
- The pity is,
this isn't a very big job,
so there's not much room for whatever.
There is a much bigger job coming up.
- You hear that, hon?
- Yes, but, Father, you said
that our bid was fair.
- And I meant that.
- So why don't you be fair to us?
- Honey, they got these overruns.
- Well, I know that, but they're not our over--
they're not our overruns.
- Jesus, Em. Emmeline: What?
- I'm sorry, Father.
- Let's have some more tea.
Sister?
[car horn beeping]
- Don't worry. It'll be just fine.
- Hey.
I did it.
Your daddy did it.
- Whoo! - Give me a hug.
Give me a kiss. - [laughs]
- Give me a great big kiss.
Give your mom a kiss too.
Your daddy did it, buddy.
Your daddy did it. Give me a hug.
Whoo! Give me a kiss.
Father, I tell you, that monsignor of yours
is one tough trader,
but I didn't back down a nickel.
Sabine, Justine, why don't you go in
and get us some beers and some sodas?
Daddy's gonna make a toast.
What's the matter with you? I don't see a smile.
Huh?
You been giving the father a hard time?
- No, no, not at all, Pete.
He's just scared because--
- Because what?
- Because I want to take him on one of our little camping trips.
That's when we really study.
And I want him to stay overnight at the rectory on Saturdays,
and he's afraid you won't let him.
- Well, Father, I got one question.
Will it help him to be an altar boy quicker?
- For sure.
- Well, then, that's that.
- Can I take my .22?
Can I? - Now, that's up to the father.
Here we go.
Have a cold one. - Thank you, Pete.
- Now hold on. Hold on.
This here's to me and your mom.
She was with me every minute.
And your sister for all that nice typing she did.
But most of all to our church
for being so good to me and mine.
- I--I'd like to get a picture.
- Oh.
[laughs]
- To the church.
- Okay, smile, everybody.
[camera shutter clicks]
[children talking and laughing]
[light music]
♪ ♪
- Robbie, reach for my chin.
Hold it up.
Now pull me to safety.
That's it. Very good, Robbie.
♪ ♪
[boys laughing and shouting]
boy: Hey, get off me!
Hey, get off me!
[boys shouting]
- [whistles]
Hey!
[camera shutter clicks]
[laughing]
[boys shouting]
Okay, boys, let's settle down.
Now let us pray.
all: Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses.
- Now...
I want you to write down the name
of anybody you've been bad to
and what you've done to them.
Only you and God will know what you've written.
Never tell anyone your sins
except for God
and Father,
because Father is here in God's place.
But never tell anyone else.
These are your sins,
and they are burning away.
[crickets chirping]
Robbie, where's Alex?
- He went--he went in with Joseph.
- Oh.
Are you okay?
- I never went to bed in a tent before.
- Well, do you think you can go to sleep?
- I'll--I'll try.
- You want some help?
- I think so.
- Is there room for two in there?
- Uh-huh.
Aubert: Here, hold the light.
Justine: I bet you're setting up that altar
all wrong.
I bet I'd learn it faster than you.
- You would not.
- I learn faster than you in school.
- That's school. You're a girl.
They don't take girls.
- That's not fair. Why not?
Girls are just as good.
- 'Cause you don't have a pee-pee.
- I do too.
- You don't have a pee-pee on the outside.
- Mine's just as good.
Robbie: No, it's not. - Yes, it is!
- No, it's not! Justine: Why not?
- 'Cause Father can't play with yours.
- That's not fair.
I'm not gonna help you anymore,
and I'm not gonna help you in school, either,
so there.
Help! Mommy! Daddy!
Robbie: And Justine made me so mad
when she pulled out-- pulled my altar apart
that I pushed her down in the stream.
Aubert: And then what happened, Robbie?
Robbie: She ran and told Dad,
and he took the strap to me,
but it wasn't my fault.
Aubert: Oh, I understand.
It was wrong for your father to do that.
[door creaks open]
Robbie?
Robbie: Yes, Father?
- Come on over to my side. We'll talk.
[ominous music]
♪ ♪
Robbie: Mommy!
Mommy!
There's blood.
I'm bleeding!
Mommy!
Mommy, where are you?
- Robbie, what is it?
Oh, honey.
It's okay.
It is. It's okay.
You know, it's-- it's something that you ate.
Does it hurt you?
- I don't know.
- Aww.
We'll go to St. Paul's tomorrow.
It's okay, I swear.
Come on.
- Well, we didn't find anything internal,
so my guess is, because of the rectal bruising,
he ate something that he couldn't digest.
Does he ever swallow things
like plum pits or peach pits or--
- Oh, yes. Sometimes.
Emmeline: We've been through all that.
Dr. Morgan: Well, why don't you check on him tomorrow
and give me a call, okay?
- Okay. - Hello, Father.
- Is Robbie home?
- Go right on in. He'll be so pleased to see you.
- Thank you.
[suspenseful music]
- Thanks for coming, Dr. Morgan.
So nice for you to come out on a Saturday.
[engine starts]
- [breathing heavily]
♪ ♪
[door opens]
♪ ♪
- Robbie.
♪ ♪
Hi.
I've got something for you.
♪ ♪
Are you okay?
Here.
This is for you.
For Sunday.
You're gonna be serving Mass with me.
[door opens]
- Well, how nice.
Oh, Father, thank you.
Can you stay for some tea?
- Uh, no, um...
I've got to go.
- Oh.
- God bless you, Robbie.
Bye.
- Bye, Father.
[door slams]
Hey.
Aren't you going to open it?
[cross clatters on table]
- Man.
Easy.
It's nothing but an itty-bitty cut.
Now, just relax, son.
You're gonna do just great.
- No, I'm not.
- It's getting late, son. You got to get ready.
- No!
- Listen, son.
I know you're a bit fearful,
but we're all waiting to be proud of you,
so you start moving now, you hear?
[indistinct conversation]
Come on.
Emmeline: Oh, please. - Get up.
Emmeline: Oh, Pete. Oh, please.
Pete, please don't.
Robbie, honey. Listen.
We all know people get a little scared
when they do something like this for the first time,
but don't forget, Father says you're his best boy.
Come on, you've got nothing to be worried about.
- I know why he's scared.
It's his pee-pee.
- Justine.
- I bet his pee-pee went inside.
He has to have his pee-pee on the outside
so Father can play with it.
I bet it went inside,
and that's why he's scared.
- What? What are you talking about?
- Did you tell her that?
Did you make that up about Father?
- I don't want to be an altar boy!
- You shut up! - I don't--
I don't want to be an altar boy!
- I said shut up. Robbie: I hate it!
Emmeline: What are you talking about?
Robbie, come back.
Pete: Robbie!
♪ ♪
Robbie!
♪ ♪
[both panting]
- Did you make it up, son?
- [panting]
- Did you?
♪ ♪
Emmeline: Did Robbie say how Father touched him?
Pete: He didn't actually tell me anything.
- I want him arrested.
I mean it.
- Have him arrested?
- Yeah. - Are you crazy?
He's a priest.
- Oh, yeah, he's a priest.
He's a priest who hurt my son.
- Wait a minute. Wait just a minute.
All we know is that maybe--
- Oh, all we know is that maybe
he played with his pee-pee.
- That's right.
- And what was all the bleeding about?
- Em, the doctor told you that could've been from anything.
- What is wrong with you?
- Nothing is wrong with me.
I just don't--
[banging at door]
Hey, Daniel.
Maddie, come on in.
Em, honey, why don't you
make a fresh pot of coffee?
- That'd go down real well.
- Sure.
- Sit down. - Oh, thanks, Pete.
- Bit of a mess in here.
Em only cleans up at the house.
- Switch your shift, Maddie?
I thought you worked mornings.
- Oh, I--I took the day off.
- Wish to hell I could do that.
[chuckles]
Hey, um-- - Well, we were just--
- Go ahead, honey. - No, no, you go.
It's...
- Uh, Pete, listen.
Did Robbie tell you about the other altar boys?
Whether Father did anything to them?
- What?
Joseph?
- What'd he do to him?
- Well, he wouldn't say.
What did Robbie tell you?
- Well, we know that he--
- No, we don't.
[scoffs]
She wants to have him arrested.
- Oh, Em.
Uh, well, we don't know for sure
that he did anything yet.
Why don't we talk to him?
You and me, Pete.
Talk to him till he talks to us.
- Now, you just stop that.
He's our priest.
- Let's go to the bishop.
- The bishop?
- Yes, the bishop.
He's in charge of him, isn't he?
The bishop?
- Em, if we're gonna go to the bishop,
we got to have a whole lot more to tell him
than we got to tell him right now.
I think we got to take this one step at a time.
Now, what's the rush?
The boys aren't going back there.
They're safe.
We know where to get him.
First off, I think we got to get more information
out of the boys,
and then we go to the monsignor, not the bishop.
I know the monsignor.
We go to the monsignor, and we ask him.
Emmeline: I don't believe this.
We are talking about Robbie,
and we're talking about Joseph.
- Em, I think that Pete's got a point.
I mean, what will we say to them?
- Will you go to the police with me?
- No.
- Will you go to the bishop with me?
- Not without more to tell him.
I can't stop you going by yourself.
- Sure.
"Are you a widow, Miss Guitry?"
"No."
"Are you separated, Miss Guitry?"
"No."
"Is your husband traveling?" "No."
"Is your husband the boy's real father, Miss Guitry?"
"Yes."
"Well, where is he?"
He wants more information, Your Excellency!
You don't need the diocese job that bad.
- Just--let's--here.
I think we ought to talk about this later, okay?
Uh, Pete's got to go to work.
I got to go to work.
We all got stuff to do.
Come on, honey. Let's roll out.
Pete.
[door clatters open]
- Hey, what if there are others?
Huh?
God damn.
[weeping]
"Monsignor Beauvais,
"I must inform you that a terrible act
"has been committed against my son
"by our parish priest, Father Aubert.
"I believe that he has molested my son
"and possibly other altar boys from our church.
"It is only right that you remove him
from Saint Simon's immediately."
- Aubert, Frank. Anything wrong?
- No, no.
The bishop's considering Father Aubert
for a diocesan award.
Apparently, he's worked miracles
in--what is it?
Saint Simon? - Mm-hmm.
- I'm trying to recall his face.
My mind's useless this morning.
You know him, Paul?
- Oh, not really, Monsignor.
Been years since we've seen each other.
- Hmm.
Seminary, so-so.
Saint Anne's, 1974.
Transferred. Hmm.
Transferred 1976, 1978.
House of Affirmation.
Is he a drinker?
- Not that I'm aware of, Monsignor.
- Transferred.
Why are you taking Father away?
Transferred.
That will be all, Father.
- Yes, Monsignor.
[lock clicks]
[tense music]
♪ ♪
- Thanks.
♪ ♪
Good morning, Father. - Good morning, Monsignor.
♪ ♪
- Oh, good morning, Monsignor.
- Good morning, Frank.
[exhales]
Mmm.
That's better.
Frank, I'm afraid I have some bad news.
- Bad news, Monsignor?
- The bishop has decided not to consider you for the award.
Now, let me explain.
The award would be for work you did
while you were at Saint Simon's.
- Mm-hmm.
- But the bishop feels it's time for you to move on.
- Move on? I don't understand.
- Move on--the bishop feels... - Why would the bishop--
- You're ripe for a larger parish,
and he feels it'd be awkward
to give you an award for work you did
at a parish you're leaving.
- Well, I'm very happy where I am, Monsignor.
- I'm sure you are. Of course you are, Frank.
And you'll be very happy where you're going.
- When would this be, Monsignor?
- Soon.
Quite soon.
After you spend some time at the House of Affirmation.
The bishop feels that any priest
who's being promoted
should take his post...
renewed.
Refreshed.
Don't you agree?
You'll enjoy the House of Affirmation, Frank.
It works miracles on the spirit.
- I'm--I'm sorry, Monsignor?
- The House of Affirmation.
- You want me to go?
- The bishop wants you to go.
Now.
- But I have confession Saturday.
There's masses Sunday.
There's a confirmation, two first Communions--
- It's in the bishop's hands, Frank.
- God bless you, Monsignor.
- Let us hope so.
[sighs]
Emmeline: Are we going to church tomorrow or not?
- The way I'm feeling right now,
I'd just as soon burn the place down.
- Fine.
Then that's that.
- Now hold on.
I could change my mind tomorrow.
Emmeline: When?
An hour before church?
No, we can't put it off anymore.
- How come all of a sudden,
I got to make up both our minds?
How come you got nothing to say to me?
- What do you want me to say?
[exhales sharply]
It's not the same for me.
You know that.
It's here,
and it's here.
It's here.
I have been going there
since I was four years old.
Communion, confession, confirmation,
I met you there.
I feel in love with you there.
I married you there.
They were all baptized there.
[sobs]
I hate it. I just hate it.
I hate the idea. I hate it.
I know he is right there.
I know he hurt my son.
I know he's bad. I know it.
I know it.
Oh, God help me.
[crying]
I can't desert God...
over a bad priest.
I mean, you do whatever you have to do.
I can't.
[solemn organ music]
♪ ♪
- Good morning.
I'm Monsignor Beauvais.
The bishop has asked me to tell you
that Father Aubert
has suddenly taken ill
and will be on a brief recuperative leave.
[congregation murmuring]
The bishop wants me to remind you
that the spreading of gossip is a sin.
Father Vinton.
- In the name of the Father
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit.
all: Amen.
- He's gone, for Christ's sake.
What do you want to go pester the Monsignor for?
- I want to know if he's coming back.
Come on.
Monsignor.
- Guitry, how are you?
Peter.
And the Broussards.
What can I do for you, Mrs. Guitry?
- Well, I wanted to ask you, Monsignor,
um, is Father Aubert coming back?
- Well, we'll have to see how he mends.
- So you say, if he gets better,
he's coming back?
- That's up to the bishop, Mrs. Guitry.
- Mm.
- Forgive me, Mrs. Guitry.
I have a confirmation 20 miles from here.
[engine starting]
- We'll just go to the bishop.
- Good afternoon, Mrs. Guitry. - Oh!
- Mrs. Broussard.
And your friends are?
- Mrs. Basile. - How do you do?
- M--Mrs. Arnaud.
- Hello.
- I thought the bishop was seeing us.
- The bishop is extremely busy this afternoon, Mrs. Guitry.
I'm here in his place.
Now, as I understand it,
you want the bishop to assure you
that Father Aubert will not be returning to Saint Simon's,
and you advise the bishop that it would be...
"dangerous"-- I use your word--
to permit Father Aubert to be around young boys.
Perhaps if you could explain a bit further.
- He did sinful things to our boys.
Beauvais: Sinful things?
Like what?
What did your boys tell you?
- They are too scared to tell us anything.
Beauvais: Then how do you know?
- Because of the way they behave.
- "Because of the way they behave."
I'm shocked.
Here you all are,
sensible, intelligent women.
Catholic women who know
that gossip and innuendo are sins,
and yet you're ready, without a shred of evidence,
to ruin the career of your own priest?
- There is evidence.
- Can you just send him someplace else?
- That's not up to me, Mrs. Broussard.
It's up to the bishop.
- When can we see him, then?
- Frankly, Mrs. Guitry, given what you've told me,
I don't think the bishop would agree to talk with you.
Of course, I will ask.
[instrumental music]
♪ ♪
Delambre: Frank.
- Paul.
- How are you, Frank?
- Never better.
Never better.
Paul, it's-- it's great to see you.
Oh, what is it? Five years, huh?
- [laughs]
Closer to eight.
The diocese sent me to talk to you.
- Oh, my new parish?
- The monsignor thinks--
and--and the bishop thinks
that you better forget about that...
for now, anyways.
There's been some rumors, Frank.
And there's been a complaint,
like before.
- Oh, is that why they sent you?
- Frank...
would you like me to hear your confession?
- [scoffs]
[laughing] My confession.
You?
Tell them to send a priest.
I am not a misfit or a criminal.
I am a priest, and I want to talk to a priest.
You tell them that. - Fine.
- You tell them they sent the wrong man.
- The diocese will be in touch.
- We're not the same.
- Yes, we are, Frank.
♪ ♪
- What's the matter?
Oh, Robbie.
I'm sorry, honey.
It's all right. It's all right.
- And I'm saying, one thing has nothing to do with the other.
It's not the first time he got a few Ds.
- What?
Two Ds, two Fs.
- What's the bishop supposed to do,
coach him in math?
The bishop's got nothing to do with it.
- Father has got something to do with it.
- Father is gone, for God's sake.
Emmeline: Well, then why don't they tell us that?
- You just went over there, Em.
- I went over there months ago.
- Well, that proves it.
He's gone.
[sighs]
Honey.
I don't want to fight.
- Oh, no. You sure don't.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
[clattering]
♪ ♪
Robbie.
- He's looking for me.
♪ ♪
[crowd murmuring approval]
[applause]
- Oh, Pete, we're gonna miss him.
- You go on ahead. Pete: Bishop!
We have to talk to you, Bishop. - Mr. and Mrs. Guitry, please.
- Where's he going? - He's after our son.
- Mrs. Guitry, the bishop is on a very tight schedule.
- We're coming to him for help. - We need your help.
Beauvais: Mrs. Guitry, please calm down.
As I've explained to you before--
- We don't mean him any harm. He's our bishop.
We're asking him for help.
Beauvais: Given what he knows, Mr. Guitry,
the bishop doesn't see any way he can help you.
- Well, then, who the hell can, God damn it?
Tell me, God damn it.
- May God forgive you.
- Bless me, Father, for I have sinned,
and it has been five days since my last confession.
- Please tell me your sins.
- At my last confession,
and the one before that,
and a lot before that,
I didn't confess to all my sins.
I didn't confess to my hate.
- Please go on.
- I hate the priest...
but even more, I hate the monsignor.
I hate the bishop.
How could God forgive them
for what they've done to us?
They've ruined our lives.
They've betrayed us.
priest: Do you believe the church betrayed you?
- Yes.
priest: Do you want to leave the church?
- No...
but I think it has left me, Father.
I hope we can afford this lawyer.
Pete.
Here.
Davis: Friends, I want to do right by you,
but the trouble is,
it's your boy's word against the church.
A case like this,
it would really tilt things your way,
you weren't alone.
Now, do you happen to know
any of the other parents?
- Of course.
- Well, good. Good.
Now...
what were you looking for?
- Well, first off, to make sure he don't come back.
- Mm-hmm.
- And then maybe even get him
out of the church.
- Yes, yes, and some kind of help for Robbie.
A doctor. - Good.
- [exhales sharply]
Davis: Now, after I've done some homework,
we'll talk about damages.
- Damages?
- Money.
For your suffering,
and more especially for your boy's suffering.
- Is this gonna be real expensive?
- I lose...
all I charge you is out-of-pocket money.
I win-- I'll take a little bitty taste
of what I get for you.
Hmm?
Now, you folks go on home
and, uh, take it easy.
Leave everything to me.
Dave Davis is on your side.
And remember:
David did beat Goliath. Hmm?
- Thank you.
♪ ♪
- [clears throat]
♪ ♪
- What is it?
- Your Excellency, they're here.
♪ ♪
Mr. Hummel: Your Excellency,
as you know, the diocese
is only one of the defendants in this case.
The insurers, whom we represent, are the others,
and the insurers believe there is simply no choice.
Settle,
and settle now.
- In other words, the insurers credit
these fantastic accusations?
- With nine families?
With nine sons bringing this action?
Yes.
- The bishop is not completely convinced
that these families--
devout Catholic families one and all,
will pursue this to the point of confronting
their own church.
- So you're not willing to settle now?
- We feel at this point,
such a step would be--
- Ridiculous.
- Premature.
- Monsignor, under the diocese's contract
with my company, in the event
that you reject our advice in an action against you,
we are not responsible for defending you.
- Monsignor, I am more than willing
to accept that responsibility.
- Or for any damages.
In addition, should you choose to defend this case,
my company and my colleagues' companies
would be forced to cancel the diocese's insurance
against certain types of liability.
- Well, gentlemen,
what do you suggest?
- If you could just give us a moment, please.
Okay.
Shall we all agree, then,
without acknowledging liability,
that the boys could begin therapy immediately
and that we should reimburse for that therapy?
- Up to a negotiated cutoff date.
- Up to a negotiated cutoff date,
but these reimbursements will be made
only in the event of a settlement.
Now, let's talk about what we want.
First, to hold harmless all the defendants.
Second, not to mention any specific acts
by any of the defendants in the settlement.
Third, complete secrecy
concerning every element of the settlement.
Fourth, a pledge not to bring any future action
against any of the defendants.
Fifth, since all the defendants are held harmless,
the question of removing the priest from the church
or disciplining him or reassigning him
cannot be part of any settlement.
- It would be proper to assure them
that their children are out of harm's way.
- If you indicate by word or deed
that you have taken any action
or intend to take any action regarding this priest,
you will have acknowledged your liability.
- These people are suffering.
- Their settlement will pay for their suffering.
- The church should offer them solace.
- If you offer them solace, you are rejecting our advice
and acknowledging your liability.
- [clears throat]
- It's like this, Your Excellency:
offer them solace
or keep your diocese.
- We are not lying.
We are not dissembling.
We are-- - We are buying their silence.
- We are doing exactly what we do in the confessional.
We are keeping our sins between ourselves and God.
- Our sins against innocent children.
- Your Excellency,
nobody weeps more for these children than I do,
but they will heal.
Their families will heal.
With God's help, even this priest will heal.
But if we admit this--
if we acknowledge this--
if we parade his sins before the world,
this diocese will not heal.
It will wither and die,
and if this diocese dies, a piece of the church dies,
a piece of holy mother church,
a piece of God...
And no child,
no family,
no priest is worth that.
- We're still buying their silence.
- It's the only way we can obtain it.
Your Excellency, I need your permission
to instruct the lawyers to pursue an immediate
and secret settlement.
[somber string music]
♪ ♪
- "Prayers on the left.
"The left, Robbie.
"Hold up your left hand, Robbie.
Take the veil off the chalice."
And then I'd do the little pitchers.
I mean, crusets.
Cruets, cruets.
"There you go, Father.
You're all dressed now."
♪ ♪
- Now, when you're done reading,
you all sign right down there at the bottom,
and tomorrow morning, your boys'll get $40,000,
and once a year for the next four years,
they'll get themselves another $40,000.
$200,000, my friends, U.S.
- Wait. No, wait.
There's nothing in here about Father.
No, there's nothing in here about what he did.
There's nothing in here about what they're gonna do.
- Now, Em, there's nothing to be worried about.
The bishop himself told me.
- No, we want it in here.
Davis: The church figures that this is
church business, period.
- What about the other families?
- Well, I can't breach any confidences, Daniel,
but let me just say that I have
seven sets of signatures on that thing,
and I am now waiting for the eighth and ninth.
- No, this is what it's all about--it--
getting rid of him.
- It seems to me that if this is so important to you,
maybe you'd just better say no.
Withdraw your action.
What the hell? It's only $200,000.
Oh, now, now, I'm sorry.
Take it easy.
Why don't you folks go on home and--
and talk it over, hmm?
Now, uh...
keep this in mind.
Your boy's getting treatment.
You'll be paid back as soon as you sign.
Father ain't around.
Your friends are going along,
and $200,000 buys a lot of peace of mind.
All right, I'll see you all later.
Oh, and another thing.
Nothing to worry about, but the church is--
is kind of set on paying everybody at the same time,
sort of "one for all, all for one" kind of situation.
You take care now.
Emmeline: That lawyer didn't get us what we wanted.
[sighs]
- He said that the bishop told him--
- Why won't the bishop tell us?
- Now, Em, you know--
- I--I know. He's too busy.
And Monsignor is too busy.
Every damn priest in my church
is too busy to give us a little comfort
for what one of their own did to our son
and too busy to tell us whether they're gonna stop him
from doing it again.
They don't care about us.
They just want it over with.
[festive music]
- I want to fight. I want to fight.
- Girls can't fight.
- Come on, we're all gonna have another piece of cake.
- Can we have candles? - We did that.
- And we're gonna do it again.
♪ ♪
- I'm sorry to bring it up here, Pete,
but we want to take it,
and we're near broke, and we need that money,
I swear it.
- It's the waiting
and trying to hang tough.
It's hurting my boy.
All the boys.
♪ ♪
- Can we talk about it later?
Tomorrow, maybe?
I ain't stalling you.
- Click, click.
[somber music]
♪ ♪
Click, click.
♪ ♪
man: I can understand your frustration,
but that's what children do.
They don't talk. They act.
It's way too soon to expect him
to talk about anything to you.
- He's talking to you, isn't he?
- Well, actually, no.
In a case like this, with a child,
you don't want to force him to relive everything,
so you use another technique
to find out what exactly happened,
to separate the imaginary and the embellished
from the truth,
but you've got to do it at his speed,
so he doesn't feel threatened.
It's not like confession.
- But how come he's not getting better?
- Maybe you'd better try a little harder to convince him
that Father's not coming back.
- Well, they won't say that he isn't.
Why don't they put him in prison?
- Em, we've been through this--
- But that's where he belongs,
the son of a bitch.
Vinton: We commend our sister Caroline
to you, O Lord.
Beloved teacher, servant of your church,
devoted friend to all who knew her.
May she live on in your presence.
In your mercy and love, forgive whatever sins
she may have committed
through human weakness.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Let us pray.
Father, God of all consolation,
in your unending love and mercy for us,
you turn the darkness of death
into the dawn of new life.
Show compassion to your people in their sorrow.
Be our refuge and our strength.
- Father.
- To lift us from the darkness of this grief...
- Father.
- To the peace and light
of your presence.
Listen to our prayers.
Look with love on your...
people.
- You stay right there, Father.
You come near, I'm bound to hurt you.
♪ ♪
Good-bye, Father.
God help you.
♪ ♪
- God bless you.
♪ ♪
- The DA's office is supposed to be here.
Third floor.
[typewriter keys clacking]
[phone ringing]
- Sit down, Mr. Guitry.
Pete: I can't.
- Well, then stand still.
You're making me dizzy.
I've been a prosecutor for nine years,
and in those nine years,
I've taken but one child molesting case to court,
and I lost that one,
and the defendant wasn't a priest.
- But there's nine boys.
- I don't see anybody here but you,
which means there's just one boy: yours.
Now, tell me something, Mr. Guitry.
When you first heard it, did you believe it?
Yeah, well, neither will a jury.
Take this.
Get on with your lives.
[muttering]
Molly. Ken Loring.
Is Claude there?
Hiya, Claude.
No, I'm not prosecuting one of your clients, thank God.
I want to send you some people, name of Guitry.
They got themselves a problem.
I thought maybe you could help 'em out.
I'll tell 'em.
His name is Claude Fortier,
and he's one s--
well, I'm not gonna spoil it for ya.
- I push this.
[keys clacking]
Like this,
and then I push this.
- Now, Molly, how many times I got to tell you?
Don't make the clients do your work.
[laughs]
You must be Robbie.
I'm Claude Fortier.
- What's a client?
- Well, you're a client.
Clients are what we lawyers call our customers,
the way a doctor would call his customers patients.
Yeah, it makes us sound real unselfish,
like a public servant or something.
Mr. Guitry. - Hello.
- Mrs. Guitry. - Hello.
- Well, come on, client. Let's go.
[chuckling]
You too. Come on.
Sit over there, Robbie.
Yeah, up there.
Come on. Sit down.
So just what is it you want me to do?
- Help us put him in prison.
- That's what you want?
- Can you do it?
- Oh, yes, I can do it, Mrs. Guitry.
- How?
- Well, you fire Dave Davis,
and you hire me.
I sue, but I don't settle,
no matter what they offer.
I go to trial. I win.
I take a transcript of the trial to the DA.
He goes to trial. He wins.
Father Aubert goes to prison.
That's how.
- All right. - Yeah.
- Do it. - Yeah.
- Hmm.
What about you, Robbie?
You want Father to go to prison?
You know how you send a man to prison?
- Dad says I have to tell a lot of people
what he did to me.
- That's right.
Now, can you do that?
You sure?
You tell your dad yet?
Your mom?
What about this doctor you've been seeing?
But you want to tell a whole lot of other people?
Strangers, is that right?
[chuckling]
So...
still want to fire Dave Davis and hire me?
- Could we have a minute? - Yeah.
[both speaking quietly]
- Take the settlement.
- We don't want that damn hush money.
- Now, listen, hush money's better than no money at all.
- No, it ain't.
We can't.
It's like saying to them, "Okay, go right ahead.
"Do whatever you want to my son. Cripple him.
"Destroy him. Whatever you want.
"I won't say a word. I won't press charges.
"I won't lie awake at night listening to him
"locking the doors and the windows.
"I'll just take your money and forget all about it.
Just pay me, and my son'll be innocent all over again."
We can't.
We just can't.
- Okay.
Molly, draft a letter to Dave Davis.
You know the form.
And fix your face.
We're about to sue God.
[laughing]
[machinery rumbling]
- You want to cut that, Pete?
[machinery rumbling]
[engine switches off]
Me and Father was thinking
that today would be a good day to talk to ya,
me being your friend
and him being your priest and all.
Actually, me and Father and the rest of the families,
you know what I'm saying?
I could use one of them.
I don't get into anybody's business,
but me and Father
and the rest of the families,
well, we heard you went and you hired
this commie atheist,
and you put yourself in his hands.
And I got to say to you, Pete,
and the rest of the families'll back me up,
and Father'll back me up.
Right, Father? - Right.
- It's cutting all our throats.
Yours too, Pete.
You're making us all bleed.
- Is that right, Father?
- I'm talking to you, Pete.
- Are you talking to me, Father?
Or are you just here to hold his hand?
- You're out of line, Pete.
- Father, I'm waiting for you to back him up.
- The church is...
deeply concerned.
- What about you, Daniel?
Are you "deeply concerned"?
[scoffs]
Yeah, I guess you must be.
You and all the other families.
$200,000 is a lot of money.
- You got no right to keep our boys
from getting that money.
- I ain't keeping your boys from getting it, Daniel.
I just ain't taking it for mine.
- You live here!
You ignorant, mule-ass son of a bitch!
Here!
With me and Maddie
and Grace and Bob and Lucille and Arthur
and all the rest of us.
And with Father and with the monsignor
and with the bishop.
What the hell's wrong with you?
You keep doing what you're doing,
you might as well move to goddamn Russia.
- [laughs]
You ain't deeply concerned, Daniel.
You're scared.
You're so scared, you're pissing down your leg.
I can smell it from here.
- [grunting]
[groans]
[coughs]
[panting]
- You being my friend and all,
tell me something.
How come you and all the other people that live here
just like I live here--
how come you aren't backing me up?
[machinery rumbling]
- Oh, afternoon, Dave.
- I got a good mind to file a formal complaint
with the bar association.
They don't like lawyers
who steal other lawyers' clients in mid-case.
I don't know what the hell you promised them, Claude,
but you lied.
I got 'em a fair deal.
- Oh, I know you did.
I did wonder why they came to me.
- Because they're greedy.
- Ah, that must be it.
I'll see you around, Dave.
- It won't work.
The diocese made a deal,
and they're sticking with it.
- Is that a fact?
Well, I'll see you around, Dave.
- [sighs]
Well, hello there.
- Huh?
That's not him.
- The address. It's the diocese.
- Oh.
- Five years ago. - Yeah.
- Charges dropped by complainant.
- Yeah, who is...
- Jane and... both: John Doe.
- On behalf of their minor son,
John Doe, Jr.
- Yeah.
The charges were against?
- A young priest named...
both: Father Delambre.
- [laughs]
Well, well, well.
Yeah.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- I don't want you to steal anything, Father,
but I'm sure the monsignor has a copy machine, right?
♪ ♪
- I want to help.
I know the harm he can do.
I want to help. Tell me what else I can do.
Just tell me.
- There's nothing else.
- I can't do it.
- Oh, you're wrong, Father.
You could find Father Aubert's diocese file.
But if you can't, I'll find John and Jane Doe
and their son John, Jr.,
who is still a minor,
and I'll make you the defendant.
- He can't help himself.
- Neither can I, Father.
[engine rumbling]
♪ ♪
- Holy shit.
- Yeah.
Holy shit.
[chuckles]
♪ ♪
Gentlemen. Claude Fortier.
- Mr. Fortier. Pleasure.
- [chuckles]
- May I introduce Mr. Poujade,
who represents the diocese.
- Hello.
- And Mr. Hummel, who represents
the lead insurer.
- Hello.
- My executive assistant,
Ms. Landry.
Over here, honey.
- Now, we're having tea,
but if you'd prefer coffee
or something stronger,
Father'd be happy to oblige.
- Coffee, please, for two.
Black.
- I, uh...
I thought this was supposed to be informal.
- Oh, it is.
Otherwise, I'd be taping.
[chuckles]
- [clears throat]
- In your call to the monsignor, counselor,
you indicated that your clients were prepared
to file their own action against the church
and were seeking drastically more satisfaction
than that negotiated by Mr. Davis.
Is that correct?
- That's correct.
- You also indicated to the monsignor
that your clients were taking this step
because you had come by
certain new and, in your words,
"appallingly damaging" information.
- Obviously. - [clears throat]
- You see, the one thing-- - Excuse me.
Your coffee.
- Father Aubert has been molesting boys
for ten years now.
You people not only knew it and did nothing about it.
You kept putting him where he could molest more boys.
- [stammers]
That defies credibility.
- Yes, it does,
but it's true.
Swear to God.
Isn't that right, Monsignor?
- I instruct you not to answer that question.
- Uh...
if we assume this information is true,
which we do not,
what do you propose?
- Give my client $750,000.
Make sure Aubert goes to prison.
- You mean have him arrested?
- Or get him to turn himself in,
plead guilty to whatever he's charged with.
- If you'll excuse us for a moment.
Monsignor?
- If you do, there'll be no trial and no publicity.
If you don't, we'll sue you,
and the DA'll indict him.
He'll have two trials.
Nothing but publicity.
- Uh, we'd like to think about this.
- Well, I wouldn't.
- Good.
- Come on, Molly.
They don't need us.
Beauvais: We'll be in touch, Mr. Fortier.
- [laughing]
I'm sure you will.
[laughing]
- Father?
- Oh, Monsignor.
Forgive my hands.
- I envy you.
I always prayed for a green thumb.
An unanswered prayer.
The bishop would like you to perform a small service
for the church.
- Of course, Monsignor.
- The bishop would like you to surrender to Kenneth Loring.
He's in the district attorney's office.
And plead guilty to any charge
Mr. Loring decides to bring.
The charge, as I'm sure you've guessed,
is the sexual abuse of a minor.
- I don't abuse minors.
Who, the boys? My boys?
- Father.
- I love my boys.
- They are not your boys.
- Oh, yes, they are.
Children belong to people who love them the most,
and nobody can love them the way I do,
and if you think what I do with...
Monsignor, I give them all my love.
All of God's love.
Can their parents do that?
Hmm? Can they?
No.
They neglect them.
They beat them.
But if Monsignor wants me to surrender
to the district attorney
and plead guilty for letting God's love flow through me,
then I'll do that right now.
I'll do that this minute.
- The bishop wants you to surrender
to Mr. Loring, Father.
The bishop.
The bishop would like to avoid a trial,
as I'm sure you would.
- A trial, Monsignor?
Are you going to have me arrested?
- The families are.
- God bless you, Monsignor.
♪ ♪
- Come on, Robbie. Get up.
Attaboy.
Yeah.
You want to sit over there, please?
Now, this is a courtroom,
and this is a witness stand.
Now, Robbie, you're the chief witness.
You're the most important person here.
Now, I want you to get yourself ready.
All right, make a fist.
Come on, make a fist.
Open it.
Again, again.
That's it.
You get all that blood working in there.
Now take some deep breaths.
That's it.
Come on. In, out.
In--and sit up straight.
You got a hundred people out there watching you,
and don't fidget.
The jury'll think you're lying.
Over here's the judge.
Now right here is a big table.
There's six lawyers sitting here.
The first one's getting up now,
and he's coming over to you.
Are you ready?
Yeah.
Robbie, your lawyer just helped you tell us
what Father Aubert did to you.
Now I'm gonna help you tell us.
Okay?
What did Father Aubert do to you?
The court's waiting, Robbie.
- He played with me.
- How?
- With my...
- We didn't hear you.
- With my pee-pee.
- More than once?
- Sure.
- How did he play with your pee-pee?
- He touched it.
- Face the jury.
You can't tell us or show us how?
Now, what else did he do?
Robbie: He made me play with his pee-pee.
- More than once?
- All the--a lot.
- How?
"Now let the record indicate that the witness made a gesture
"whose meaning is not clear to the court.
Proceed, counselor."
What else did he do?
- He--he--he put--
he put his pee-pee down there.
- Down where?
- Where you do number two.
- More than once?
- Yes.
- What else did he do?
- He made me kiss it.
- Kiss what?
- His pee-pee.
- More than once?
- Yes.
- What else?
- He took pictures.
- May I remind the court that no pictures
have been introduced in evidence,
nor has anyone besides this witness
testified to the existence of any pictures.
Robbie, do you know the difference between lying
and telling the truth?
- Yes.
Fortier: What is lying?
- It's when you make something up.
Fortier: Did you ever make anything up?
Don't look here.
Did you ever make anything up?
The jury can't hear you.
- Yes.
Fortier: What did you make up?
- I made up that I killed the bear
or an alligator.
Sometimes a wolf.
Fortier: What else?
Face front.
Don't look here.
Okay, okay,
okay, okay.
Okay, you can look at me now, Robbie.
Did you ever make up anything at school?
- Sometimes, I guess.
About grades. - Yeah.
What about your sister?
Did you ever make up anything about her?
- Only when she's mean to me.
- Ah.
Did you ever make up anything
to tell Father at confession?
- Only if I didn't do anything real bad.
- Yeah.
Now, Robbie,
do you know what your pee-pee looks like?
Good.
Now I want you to tell us
what Father Aubert's pee-pee looks like.
- What?
- Tell us.
You played with it. You kissed it.
You had it down there, or so you say.
So tell us what Father's pee-pee looks like.
Tell us. - God damn it, Fortier.
You can't-- - Tell us!
- [crying] - You can't, can you?
Because you don't know, do you?
You made it all up.
Like the wolf and the alligator
and your grades and your confession.
Didn't you make it all up? - It's true!
It's true! - Oh, it is?
Oh, then why can't you tell us what his pee-pee looks like?
Come on. Tell the truth, Robbie.
You made it all up, didn't you? Come on!
- [crying]
- It's okay. Shh.
- He can't do that in court.
- [weeping]
- And there are five more lawyers just waiting
their chance at him.
- [sobs]
- Baby, shh.
- [weeping]
- It's all right. It's all right, honey.
It's all right. It's all right.
[toys clattering]
- Daddy!
[toys crashing]
- [grunting]
- What the hell do you think you're doing?
Drop it. Drop it.
Get out of my way, Em. Let go!
Let go, or I'll break your damn arm.
Let go!
- [crying] - Get in here.
Go ahead, cry.
Cry all you want to! - Pete.
Pete: Cry. Cry all you want to.
- Pete. - You--you shut up.
[shouting] Cry--I'll show you crying.
You're gonna cry so loud,
they're gonna hear you in hell.
Get up! Get on your goddamn feet.
God damn it. Get up.
On the sink. Grab it!
Now take your pants down. - [crying]
Take your pants down!
You get 'em down!
- [sobbing]
- [crying] Oh, my God.
I'm sorry.
[both crying]
- I'm sorry, Robbie. - [crying]
- I'm sorry, son.
It's just, everything looks so bad.
- [sobbing]
I can tell 'em-- - It's not your doing.
And I know it's not your doing, son.
I'm sorry. God forgive me.
I'm sorry. - [sobbing]
[both crying]
- I can tell 'em, Dad.
I can tell 'em all about it.
- I know you can, son.
I know you can, but it's a bad idea.
- Why, Dad?
I'm not afraid.
- You'll get hurt, son,
and I'm afraid for you.
- Why, Dad? You're brave.
You're like me.
You're brave.
[both crying]
[sweeping instrumental music]
♪ ♪
- Put your hand on the Bible.
♪ ♪
Raise your right hand.
♪ ♪
Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?
♪ ♪
- I do.