Piety In The Mission

Pietas is an ideal that has changed much over time. Much of the foundation for this concept began around the time of the Roman Empire, where pietas constituted primarily of duty to Rome itself. As the Roman Empire fell and different powers emerged, though, the original ideals of pietas shifted. For example, people began to define pietas within the realms of individuality instead of communally. Pietas also shifted from merely a governmental standard to a religious ideal as Church authority rose. Displaying this notion of religious piety is the film, The Mission. The film addresses the subject of what it truly means to be dutiful within the realms of religious beliefs. Within the film, one character in particular shows unwavering pietas and …show more content…
He is reaching the Guarani despite the death of another Jesuit missionary, revealing his moral piety to God and his mission. He is displayed going up the exact river his cohort drowned in, for the sake of reaching the Guarani people. The concept of being faithful to death as a duty of a Jesuit was not only found within the film, but also with Jesuits as a whole. According to Andrew Redden, “Were a Jesuit to be martyred, the most commonly lauded image to inspire young novices to missionary work was that of the martyr accepting death...” This exemplifies pietas within the deepest motives of Father Gabriel’s heart; he is seeking out the same people group who have just destroyed the life of one of his own. It appears Father Gabriel does not even question this decision or action. He lays the foundation as being first and foremost dutiful in character and nature. From the very core of who Father Gabriel is, he shows piety to the Lord as a Jesuit missionary. Also, logistically, he is doing an unimaginable task physically by scaling the rocks. Both physically and morally Father Gabriel appears as a figure of utter pietas just within the first few scenes. This helps to establish a foundation for his character and actions for the rest of the