St. Peter: The Persecution of Christians - Part 1 (2005) Movie Script

(Multicom Jingle)

(dramatic music)

- [Narrator] St. Peter.

- Peter.

Peter.

Are you asleep?

You couldn't stay awake for one hour?

Peter, the hour has come.

I must go.

- Where are you going, Lord?

- The son of man must be delivered

into the hands of sinners.

- Do not go, Lord.

Death awaits you.

- Rise.

We must go.

- Peter.

- Rise, we must go.

- Peter, Peter.

Peter, wake up.

They're opening the city gates.

(grand orchestral music)

Welcome to Rome, Peter.

We must go through there.

That is the district where Paul lives.

- Even if I could speak

every language on Earth,

but did not have love, my

voice would have no sound.

And even if I had the gift of prophesy

and knew all the mysteries of science

and was endowed with sufficient faith

that I could move mountains,

but did not have love, I would be nothing.

- We're almost there.

- Lay all this aside

anger, passion, malice.

Do not lie to one another.

Here there are no longer Greeks,

Romans, Jews, barbarians,

no slaves or freed men,

because we are all brothers,

all sons of the same Father,

because Christ is everything, in everyone.

Christ.

- Paul of Tarsus, I

declare you under arrest.

You were warned.

Let's go.

- Paul.

- Paul has done no wrong.

This is not right.

- Calm down, Lino, or

they'll arrest you too.

- Go, go back home, go.

(angry chattering)

You must all leave, go.

Go home.

- Mother.

I...

- Silvia, where are you going?

Silvia.

- Don't worry, Fulvia.

You'll meet again at home.

(angry chattering)

- [Man] Keep moving.

Go on, go on.

- Mark, you've come back.

Did you see it?

- Yes, I saw it.

- But who?

- That's Peter.

(angry chattering)

- Come with me.

It's dangerous to stay here.

- Lino is a brother.

- May the Lord bless your steps, Peter.

- A teacher of rhetoric.

He belongs to a noble Roman family.

- Why have they arrested Paul?

- They had warned him

not to preach in public.

There will be a trial now.

He risks death.

- Take me to him.

- They will never let you

see him without a permit.

- Do not despair.

Gather all the brothers together.

I wish to speak to them.

- Forgive me for allowing myself

to be overcome by despair.

Your arrival here today

is a sign from God.

We will wait for you on the other side

of the Tiber at our meeting place.

Mark knows where it is.

- Certainly.

The Vatican Hill.

(suspenseful dramatic music)

- [Crowd] Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

(weapons clanging)

Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

(crowd gasping)

(weapons clanging)

- You'll never get him

to your party, Flaminia.

- I'll give it a try all the same.

(crowd gasping)

- [Persius] Flaminia.

- Persius.

- It is an honor to see you in my arena.

- Will you honor me with your

presence at my party, then?

Tomorrow evening.

Nero too will be there.

- How could I possibly miss it?

Rather, how could we?

(crowd gasping)

My son and I.

- Claudius would be the joy

of all the young ladies.

And I will ever be more

pleased if you bring...

Thrace.

- You ask the impossible.

You know that.

Thrace exists only in my arena.

- [Flaminia] I will permit him to keep

his mask if that is the problem.

- Thrace doesn't like social events.

- He's a slave of yours.

A word from you is enough.

All the gladiators of

Rome would do anything

for an invitation to my parties.

- Thrace is different.

I swore to him that no one

would ever know his real name,

nor will anyone ever see his face.

I keep my promises, even

those made to slaves.

(crowd chattering)

(crowd shouting)

- I'm sorry, Father.

I will return immediately.

I must speak to a friend.

- Don't you, don't you

want to see Thrace win?

- But it won't be the first or the last.

(chuckling)

- I'll come with you.

- Not now, sweet.

- Kill him, kill him!

- Death to him!

- Kill him, kill him.

- Death!

- Death to him!

- Death!

- Kill him!

- [Man] Death!

Death to him.

Kill him.

- Kill him, kill him.

(crowd shouting)

Kill him.

- [Crowd] Death, death, death!

Death, death, death.

(crowd gasping)

(yelling)

- Silvia!

(dramatic music)

Silvia.

What are you doing here?

- I know we had sworn never

to see each other again, but--

- What's the matter?

- I...

I need your help.

I understand.

I shouldn't have come.

- Silvia.

I'm listening.

- Are you wondering

where Paul is imprisoned?

- Wherever he may be, he

is always in my heart.

- Our brothers are on their way.

Here they are.

- [Peter] Oh, my brother,

you did not leave me alone, did you?

- [Man] It's him.

- It's him.

(dramatic music)

- Oh, no, please stand up.

I'm just a man like you.

- You are much more than that.

- You lived with Jesus.

- You are the chosen one for us all.

It is as if Jesus himself was here.

It's true.

- [Man] You are much more than a mere man.

- You spoke to him.

- You heard his voice.

- You will have Paul released, won't you?

- God sent you here for this.

- How will you do that, Peter?

How will you save him?

- With a miracle, won't you?

The way Jesus taught you?

- Only the power of God can save Paul.

- But the trial will be held tomorrow.

If you don't do something to help him,

they will sentence him to death.

- The Lord will not allow that, will he?

- That would be a defeat for all of us.

- With these eyes I saw the

death of our Lord Jesus.

I saw his body in the sepulcher

and the stone that sealed it.

I too feared death then, like

you who fear for Paul now.

I saw Jesus rise from the dead

with the same eyes that had seen him dead.

And since then I have never never feared.

(laughing)

- Mommy.

- Mother, Mother.

- Come.

(chuckling)

Come here.

- They look like you, Anna.

They look like you.

- It's a little untidy.

- Oh, it's fine just as it is.

- We are slaves.

We can only offer you this small house.

- Daddy!

- Daddy, you're back.

- I'm back.

- This is David, my husband.

- Ah my children.

- This is Peter.

He arrived here today.

- I know all about him.

I was told on my way here.

Welcome to my home.

I'm honored to have you as my guest.

I've heard that they have arrested Paul.

- [Child] Mommy, I'm hungry.

- I'll make you something

to eat right now.

He's tired.

He works so hard.

You must forgive him.

- Keep you head still like this.

- [Child] But that hurts.

- I know the tiredness from hard work.

- You feel it even more

when you're a slave.

- But your husband has

you and you have him,

and together you have children.

If you feel loved and

respected by those you love,

then you also feel free.

And most of all, no man is

a slave in his own home.

(dramatic music)

- This is your room.

Please rest now.

Dinner will be ready in awhile.

- Thank you, and God bless you.

What can separate us from Christ's love?

Perhaps tribulations, persecutions,

and the danger, the swords.

Neither death nor life shall separate us

from the love of Christ, the Lord.

- Let Paul of Tarsus be shown in.

- My brother.

- [Man] Paul of Tarsus, you are charged

with having preached in public--

- My brother.

- Despite the ban imposed by Nero

himself as a condition for retaining

your temporary freedom

after your previous arrest.

It has been a long day, and we are tired.

Well, you have this much

time to beg forgiveness

from Caesar Nero and to burn

incense in honor of his genius,

acknowledging him as a divinity

who guides and protects all Romans.

Otherwise, you shall be beheaded.

- God does not ask one to burn incense,

but to love one's neighbor

as one loves one's self.

I have entrusted my life to him.

Praise be to the Lord Jesus.

- Paul of Tarsus, your yourself pronounce

your own death sentence.

Do you not have a lawyer

who can advise you?

- Thabeus Quintillius,

please, allow me to defend--

- You're an excellent teacher of rhetoric,

Lino, but you're not a lawyer.

And in the absence of a lawyer,

this court sentences Paul of Tarsus--

- One moment.

I am Claudius Maximus, son of Persius.

I'm a lawyer, and I will

defend Paul of Tarsus.

(dramatic music)

The crime he's accused of is a serious one

and is punished with the death sentence.

But, although he's a Jew, Paul

of Tarsus is a Roman citizen,

and therefore I request that he be judged

personally by the Emperor Nero,

a right that every

Roman citizen can claim.

- This is a miracle.

No one could have hoped for this.

- You were right, Peter.

One must have faith in the Lord.

- What will happen now?

- Now that Claudius has obtained

a postponement of the trial,

Nero himself will decide Paul's destiny.

In the meantime, the death

sentence is suspended.

- Who is this Claudius?

- He is the son of Persius,

a Roman with a great influence over Nero.

Here he comes.

- The Lord guides your steps.

- I only did my duty.

- Claudius, this is Peter.

He lived with Jesus, and

he was chosen to guide us.

- I'm not a Christian.

- I admire you all the more

for what you have done.

- What do you think he will do

at the audience with the emperor?

- Nero would never revoke

the death sentence.

But he might if my father asked him.

- And will you convince him?

- I will try.

- I would like to see Paul.

Can you help me in this?

- I will get you a permit,

but this must remain between you and me.

I'm sorry, but I must go now.

- Thank you once again.

May God bless you.

- [Man] Put this side on there.

Here it is.

(dramatic music)

(laughing)

- You were wonderful.

I don't know how to thank you.

I know how much it cost you.

- It cost me a great deal more

not to see you for all this time.

- I know, but we have

already discussed this.

You and I will never

be able to be together.

- Nor can we be apart.

- You have many more

distractions than I do.

- Look, if you mean what you saw there--

- You weren't ashamed of her, were you?

Of course you weren't.

She's rich and not a Christian like me.

- I couldn't care less

that you are a Christian.

I don't even care what I am.

Look at me in the eyes and

tell me it is all over.

- I must go.

My mother is waiting for me.

- Silvia, I love you.

- I have already suffered enough.

Please, Claudius, stop it.

Maybe you really do love me,

but you didn't even have the

guts to tell your father.

Or perhaps something has changed?

(dramatic music)

- I have learned how to wait.

- Without me.

- You learned to become a good fisher...

Of men.

(chuckling)

I met Claudius.

He has something of that light

that you have in your eyes.

- The others, however, are still fragile.

They need a strong leader.

- Jesus will guide them,

just as he guided us.

- He will guide them through you.

- Through us.

- Ah, God willing.

- God willing.

- Sit, I have heard that

Thomas has arrived in India.

- And Philip in Mesopotamia

and James in Spain

and Matthew in Ethiopia

and your friend Matthias

is in Alexandria with the Jews.

(chuckling)

- Always among the Jews, right?

- But I know that he has converted

and baptized many pagans

of his own free will.

(chuckling)

- All in the same boat.

- One heart, one soul.

- Let the brothers of

Rome come onboard as well.

- We will do it together.

- You are the one called upon at the helm.

- With you beside me.

- I believe that this time

It's Jesus who wants me by his side.

I do not think I will

leave this place alive.

- When the time comes for

us to appear before God

we'll await His judgment in silence.

Then He will look at

us, He will look at you,

and He will take you in his arms.

- [Claudius] Father.

- I was expecting you.

- [Claudius] How are

you today, Grandmother?

- As always, but if she

were able to understand

what I'm about to tell

you, she would be happy.

I've spoken to Nero.

Your path is cleared.

Within a year, you will be a senator.

You're pleased, aren't you?

- Of course.

- Well, why are you jeopardizing

everything with your behavior, then?

I know that in court today

you defended a Christian,

a certain Paul of Tarsus.

- Yes, Father.

- Why did you do it?

- I'm in love with a Christian girl.

- So what they say is true after all.

Her name is Silvia, isn't it?

- I know what you think.

I tried to leave her, but--

- It was useless.

Well, marry her then.

- Father.

- But she will have to give up her faith.

You cannot risk your career

by marrying a Christian.

- This is all I ask of you.

- It will not be easy for her.

- If she loves you, it

will be extremely easy.

And if she cares about your future,

I assure you that the gold

we will cover her with

will make it easy for her

to forget who she was.

- I will do as you say, Father.

But there is one thing I ask of you.

Will you intervene with

Nero on Paul's behalf?

- You know what Nero thinks of Christians,

and you know what I think of them.

- Yes, I know.

I think the same, but I

simply wish to keep my word.

- Given to your Silvia?

- Not only to her.

Also to her mother and to a certain Peter.

(suspenseful music)

- Did you say Peter?

- Yes.

Yes, he's a Jew.

He lived with Jesus,

but why are you asking?

- It is he, Peter.

Thanks to him, your

grandmother is the way she is.

(laughing)

- Let's play on Mommy and Daddy's lap.

- You are very good with children.

- I love kids.

- This is just what they need,

love, tenderness, affection

and, most of all, a happy

family like this one.

- Thank you, Peter.

(chuckling)

- When I'm married, I would

love to have many children.

(chuckling)

- You'll have to find a

suitable husband first.

(door banging)

(suspenseful music)

(shattering)

- Master.

- Who gave you permission to

admit strangers into my house?

- Forgive me, Master.

- I did not give you leave to speak.

And pick up the pieces.

- Who are you?

- This is Persius, Claudius's father.

- I'm surprised at you, Lino.

You answer on my behalf,

you mix with my slaves,

yet I knew you to be a good Roman.

- For us, there are no slaves, just men.

- Of all your blasphemies, this

is the most serious, Peter.

- You know my name?

- I know it well enough to tell you

to keep away from my son.

And from this city.

- Don't touch her.

We are not your slaves.

- Hm.

I understand my son.

You are very beautiful.

- There is no hope left for Paul now.

(crowd chattering)

(weapons clanging)

(crowd shouting)

- You've been fighting

for me for five years

and yet you still manage to surprise me.

Five years.

Soon you'll have the right to freedom

for yourself and your family.

This was our agreement,

and I respect agreements.

But first I must ask you a last sacrifice.

(fingers snapping)

I'm asking you to do a difficult

thing for a man like you,

but you always win.

And betting on you

doesn't pay as it used to.

- [Thrace] And so?

- So next time you will

lose against Brennis.

- [Thrace] If I lose, I die.

- And I will win a nice sum of money.

My son's career is costing

me many sesterces, you know.

Clearly, I will not have you killed.

You'll have a return

fight against Brennis.

If you slay him, you will be free.

You and your family.

You have my word.

One last thing, you must

keep me informed about Peter.

(suspenseful dramatic music)

I want to know everything he does.

- Can I fold that one, Mother?

- Hello, little one.

- [Child] This one is beautiful.

Please, Mommy?

(gasping)

- Leave me alone.

- I can't do anything for Paul anymore.

- You can't do anything for Paul.

You can't do anything for me.

You can never do anything.

- Listen to me now.

- No, you listen to me.

I trusted you, and I would

have braved anything,

anything for us.

- Do you mean that you no longer love me?

(dramatic music)

(sighing)

- I tried not to love you.

But I can't help it.

- Marry me, then.

I spoke to my father.

He doesn't oppose our love.

- Are you serious?

- Yes.

For you I found the courage

to come out in the open.

Now it's you who must

give me proof of our love.

- Tell me what I must do.

- Give up your home, your faith,

and then you will be my wife.

- Give me time.

- Paul of Tarsus, as judged

by the Emperor Nero Caesar,

if view of your violations

of the ban of preaching in public,

and your refusal to burn incense

in honor of the emperor's genius,

acknowledging him as the God who protects

and guides us Romans,

the emperor sentences Paul of Tarsus

to death by decapitation.

(chattering)

- I hate this city.

I cannot bear living here anymore.

- Rome is not Nero.

- Well, what is it, then?

How would you describe a city

that sentences a man like Paul to death?

Someone who has preached

love for the Lord?

- Citizens, Romans, in two days' time

in the Subura amphitheater

there will be a great duel

between Brennis the barbarian and Thrace,

the champion of all champions.

The faceless gladiator!

- Murderers.

- In two days' time.

- Shame on you.

- [Man] At the Subura amphitheater.

- Shame on you.

- [Man] A duel between Brennis

the barbarian and Thrace.

- Murderers.

(applauding)

- Calm down, Anna, calm down.

Go back home to your children.

- It's all over, Peter.

It's all over for us.

- No, Anna.

When we bear our cross as

he did, he's closest to us.

(dramatic music)

(sighing)

- Don't do it.

Don't.

- You taught me to love, mother.

(crying)

- Claudius.

- Welcome to your home.

- We were expecting you.

Come.

- This is where we dine.

And we'll have a triclinium

added for you as well.

Come.

- Yes.

- My love.

- Take courage, my son.

Introduce Silvia to your grandmother.

It is time that she too should know.

- Do you remember the words

of the prophet Isaiah?

"Look at the rock from

which you have been carved

"at the quarry from which

you have been extracted.

"I look at you, and I see the

rock from which I was carved,

"the quarry from which I was extracted."

- And Jesus broke the bread and said,

"Take and eat of it, all of you,

"because this is my body offered for you.

"Do this as a memory of me."

(dramatic music)

(ax thwacking)

(suspenseful music)

- What do you think?

After a blow like this one,

will the Christians say

that Paul of Tarsus too

will rise from the dead?

(laughing)

- Don't worry about me any longer.

It's you Jesus has chosen.

I find it hard this

time to follow His will.

You, he chose you, and

He continues to do so.

Look after His flock.

- From Jerusalem to Rome to

the four corners of the Earth.

- This is only the beginning.

Peter, this time I'm afraid.

- Jesus was afraid when

He was on the cross.

- But I am just a man.

- Jesus became a man to be

like us, even with fear.

Who will separate us from Christ's love?

Who will separate us

from the love of Christ?

The sword?

Persecution, pain?

Neither life nor death will separate us

from our love in Christ, the Lord.

(suspenseful music)

(gasping)

- Peter?

- No one will come today.

- You must forgive them.

Their suffering for Paul's

death is too painful.

- No, it's not just that.

If Nero sentences Paul, all

Christians are in danger.

They, they're simply afraid.

- It is a question of time.

You will see that soon they will once

again find their strength and faith.

- You will help them find their faith.

You will help them find it again.

- Me?

Why me?

- I'm returning to Capernaum, to my home.

(crying)

(dramatic music)

An ignorant fisherman in the

largest city in the world.

How could I have been so proud?

I had never seen this sea

before traveling to Rome.

This...

I would not even know how to

cast the nets in this sea.

I'm a lake fisherman.

Small lake.

I'm nothing else.

- What are we gonna do now?

- [Lino] He cannot abandon us like this.

- What will become of us?

You can't go now, Peter.

You can't.

Peter!

- Peter, you cannot abandon us.

- Peter!

- Remember who you are.

You are Peter.

(wind howling)

- Who do you say I am?

Who do you say I am?

- You are the Messiah,

the Son of the living God.

- You are blessed.

You are blessed, Simon, son of Jonah,

because this is revealed to

you not by flesh or blood,

but by my Father, who is in heaven.

And I say to you, you are Peter.

And on this rock, I will build my church.

You are Peter.

And on this rock, I will build my church.

- Peter.

- Forgive me.

Forgive me.

I have not abandoned you.

I will not abandon my people.

Let us go and find our

brothers and comfort them.

Come.

(knocking on door)

- Peter.

- I waited for you on the hill.

- We've all been working very hard.

- Please, please.

David came home with good news, Peter.

He will soon be a free man.

We too, we will be a free family.

- I am pleased.

We will need everyone to

help gather all the faithful.

As Paul said before he died,

"This is only the beginning."

- Rome is becoming a dangerous

place for us Christians.

- All I know is that we must

stay united as Jesus asked.

- I hope so will all my heart,

but I do not wish to endanger my family,

especially now that we will soon be free.

Do not make things hard for us, please.

(knocking on door)

- Anna.

- Oh, Fulvia.

Not even you and Silvia were at the hill.

- Silvia has gone away.

- She went with Claudius.

She went to his house.

I wish my husband were

still alive. (sighing)

Rome has changed.

- It's frightening now.

- Frightened.

You're frightened.

You're all frightened.

The 12 of us were also frightened

that evening so many years ago.

No one had ever seen such a storm before.

I held on firmly to the

helm of my boat while James,

John and the others were

trying to bail out the water.

And what did Jesus do in the

middle of all this commotion?

Jesus slept.

So we woke him, and angrily we told him,

"Are you not worried that we'll all die?"

He looked at us and he turned to the wind

and to the lake, and he said,

"Be silent, be calm."

And the skies and the lake obeyed him.

They obeyed him.

But he continued to stare at us,

and he asked, "Why are you afraid?

"Do you not yet have faith?"

I understand your problems

and I understand your pain,

but the path of the Lord cannot stop here.

If you do not want to follow me,

I will turn to others.

Others who have not yet

heard the word of Jesus.

- Wait, sir.

Don't you like?

- Sir, come here.

I have something for you.

I know how to please.

- Let me please you.

- Get off me.

(chattering)

- Brothers, sisters, listen to me, please.

- Move on, old man.

There's nothing for you around here.

Get out of here.

Don't try this on us.

- I'm not here to take.

I'm here to give, to give you

the word of the Lord Jesus.

- Then you have really

made a mistake here.

We are all sinners here.

- But it is not the healthy

who need the help of a healer.

I am not here to call on the righteous.

I'm here to call on, on the sinners

who need to repent, who need to convert.

(chuckling)

- Convert her, then.

She's worth three sesterces,

and you've got all night.

(chuckling)

She's Licia, and she's

better than all the others.

Three sesterces, and you can

have all night to convert her.

(laughing)

- Is your life worth so little?

- Would you pay more?

What can you offer me?

- Forgiveness.

- Not even my mother has forgiven me.

- God is willing to.

- I have exhausted the

patience of all the gods.

- My child, believe me, God

has already forgiven you.

- Is there really such a god?

(suspenseful music)

(crowd chattering)

(shouting)

(weapons clanging)

(crowd shouting)

(weapons clanging)

(crowd shouting)

(thudding)

(weapon clanging)

(crowd gasping)

(shield thwacking)

(crowd gasping)

- Considering the valor

shown in so many fights

and the many pleasant hours, we owe him.

I propose that the great

Thrace's life should be spared.

Life for Thrace.

- [Crowd] Life for Thrace.

Life for Thrace.

(Groaning)

- You deserve these.

You deceived them all.

- It is something I'm good at.

- Now we wait for the return match.

Kill Brennis and you will be a free man.

Anything to tell me about Peter?

(suspenseful music)

(sighing)

- He is...

He's still speaking of

Jesus to no matter who.

- He never gives up, hm?

- He's not that kind.

- You admire him, be careful.

He will ruin your family

as he ruined mine.

(dramatic music)

Let's go.

- Here.

This way you'll get some fresh air.

What's that sadness in your eyes?

To think that I also fell

in love with your smile.

- It was a gust of wind.

- I fell in love with your honesty also.

What's the matter?

- Nothing.

I just need a little

time, and then I will be

as happy as I was before.

- As happy as you were before?

And I, who had thought I had given you

everything you ever dreamt of.

What are you lacking?

- [Peter] Jesus is true happiness.

Jesus is true love.

- Peter, Peter.

- Peter.

- Peter bless me.

- Bless me.

- [Man] Bless me Peter.

- Blessed be you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

Blessed be you who are hungry now,

because you will be satiated.

Blessed be you who are crying

now, because you will laugh.

You who are rich, beware,

because you have already

received your reward.

Beware you who are already satiated,

for you will experience hunger.

Beware.

Beware, those who now

love, because they will

experience torments

and misery and sadness.

(clapping)

- Bravo, very effective.

Really.

Now you even come to

preach under my house.

Here I am, Peter, here I am.

I am rich, well fed and healthy.

Should I be ashamed?

Why on Earth should I?

Who is this god of yours?

A god who is displeased if I enjoy life?

Blessed be the poor, the hungry.

I have experienced hunger,

poverty and desperation,

and I did not feel blessed at all.

Now, I wonder, what is

your real objective?

Is it not perhaps that,

that you and those like you experience

a subtle pleasure in seeing people suffer?

- And are you happy now

that you have everything?

No, do not answer me.

Answer to yourself.

I will speak to those

who are listening to me.

- [Woman] I'm listening, Peter.

- Be good to those who hate you.

Pray for those who vilify you.

Do unto others as you

wish them to do unto you.

- [Man] Thank you Peter,

thank God you're safe.

- What merit is there in

loving those who love you?

You should instead love your enemies

and give without expecting

anything in return.

Then your merit will be great,

and you will be the

children of the Almighty.

And so be merciful, just

like your Father is merciful.

- Peter?

Peter?

Peter.

- Grandmother.

This is the first time I hear...

I hear her voice.

Where are you going?

What do you think you're doing, Silvia?

- Claudius, your grandmother heard

Peter's voice and spoke his name.

She spoke.

Do you understand?

Don't you even want to know why?

- Stay with her.

I will go.

- [Man] Peter, Peter please bless us.

- Peter, bless us.

- Bless us.

- Peter!

- Thank you.

- [Man] Bless us.

- What do you want?

- [Silvia] Peter.

- Silvia.

How good it is to see you again.

- How is my mother?

- The sadness in your

eyes reminds me of hers.

- This way.

(dramatic music)

- Avinia, Cornelius's wife in Japha.

Such a long time ago.

She's your grandmother?

The mother of Persius, is she not?

- You see?

He knows her.

- Did you need proof of this?

Yes, Cornelius was my father.

It was you who influenced

him with your chatter.

You clouded his mind to the extent

that he abandoned everything.

He started to travel.

Always traveling,

preaching the absurdities

that you call the word of God.

Because of all that

nonsense, because of you,

my father was arrested

along with my mother

and they were both sentenced to death.

Look.

I'm the one who saved her from death.

I arrived just in time to save

her from her executioners.

My father was already dead.

But she lost both consciousness

and speech from the pain.

Because of you.

Now you must ask for her forgiveness.

You must kneel before her

and ask her to forgive you

for all the ill you have brought her.

(dramatic music)

- Bless me.

Bless me.

And forgive, (wheezing) my son.

Now, I can die...

In peace.

- Mother?

Mother?

Mother.

(yelling)

You have killed her!

Get away.

Get out.

Leave!

(crying)

- Wait, Silvia, wait.

Don't do it.

- Your grandmother has

helped me to understand

that I cannot recant my faith.

Come away with me.

- If you leave this house,

you will never return.

- You're talking like your father.

But I love you.

- Don't go then.

- I can't.

I can't make you happy

if I lack inner peace.

I cannot.

(crying)

- Now only you and I

are left here, my son.

(dramatic music)

- Peter!

(knocking on door)

- Peter.

- Mother.

(gasping)

- Silvia.

- Try again, come on.

- I won.

- Here, come on.

(knocking on door)

- I won again.

- Who's there?

- Peter.

- I was afraid you were angry with us.

- A father can scold his children,

but he doesn't abandon them.

Go, go.

- Stay with us.

- Sit down, Peter.

- Let's play a game.

- Thank you.

Thank you, David.

- Go and play in the other room.

Thank you.

- All right.

- Come on, in the other room.

Is all well?

- For those who believe in

Jesus, everything is always well,

even if you don't know it.

(coin clanging)

- It is hard to believe this when you

are not free to do what

you believe is right,

or when you're not brave enough to do it.

- [Child] Can you get it?

- Oh, let me do that.

Maybe it's...

I've got it.

Look what I found.

How beautiful.

It's a mask.

- I'm bringing the dishes.

Supper is ready.

- Who does it belong to?

- [Child] Maybe it's Daddy's.

- [Anna] Don't let the supper go cold.

- [Child] It's kind of heavy.

(laughing)

- Come and sit down.

(suspenseful music)

(goofily vocalizing)

(chuckling)

- Do as your mother asks, and

don't say anything of this.

Not a word, huh?

Hey, this is between us.

- All right.

- It's our secret.

- I am not what I seem.

- A brave man is what you seem.

What are you in fact?

- A killer.

I fight in the arena,

and they call me Thrace.

But only Persius knows who I really am.

- How long have you been doing that?

- Since I came to Rome.

I know what you think of me.

I am a sinner and will not

escape the punishment of God,

but I have chosen freedom

for my wife and my children

in exchange for my

desperation and my torment.

- And did Persius offer you freedom?

- All I have to do is win the next fight.

- And kill the next opponent.

- You do not know how much it costs me,

him dead and me free.

- Free from Persius, perhaps,

but free from Thrace?

From his torment?

The sword, the money?

The friends, ourselves?

None of all these things can make us free.

- And what does, then?

- The truth.

Only the truth can make us free.

- [Crowd] Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

Thrace.

- Throw it.

Got it.

- [Child] Mother, where's the ball?

- Come in and play with us.

- Catch.

- [Child] Mommy, can we

play with Daddy's mask?

- What mask?

- [Crowd] Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

(sighing)

Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

- May my soul praise the Lord,

and may all that is within

me bless his Holy name.

He forgives our sins

and cures all disease,

saves life from the grip of death.

He crowns you with grace and forgiveness.

The Lord is good and merciful,

slow to anger and great in love.

He does not take account of our sins

and does not let us

return to our failings.

As the heavens are deep above the Earth,

so is His forgiveness

for those who fear Him,

like a father has pity over His sons.

Let it be so with David, Lord.

Show him the path to his freedom,

because you know what we are ordered

and you remember that we are dust.

(weapons clanging)

(crowd gasping)

- Thrace, Thrace.

(crowd gasping)

Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

Thrace, Thrace.

Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

(weapons clanging)

(groaning)

Thrace, Thrace, Thrace.

(crowd gasping)

(suspenseful music)

Death, death, death.

(crowd gasping)

Death, death, death.

(dramatic music)

- Truth.

Only the truth can make us free.

You've never seen my face!

The time has come for us

to look at each other.

(crowd gasping)

My name is David Bene Salem.

This was to have been my last fight.

If I had killed my opponent,

thanks to the blood

of this man I could have returned

to my land with my family a free man!

But I had forgotten that the blood

for my freedom has already been shed,

the blood of a young Nazarene,

Jesus, the Son of God.

Thanks to that blood, I'm already free.

(crowd chattering)

(dramatic music)

I'm already free!

(crowd gasping)

(groaning)

(thumping)

- Save him, I beg you.

Do it for me.

(suspenseful music)

(dramatic music)

(applauding)

- [David] Now let us return home.

- You are my home.

You are my love.

- Paul's death, his death

has meant a long journey

through the desert for us,

a desert in which we

feared we might get lost.

But God provided us with a

guide who did not stop walking.

Peter.

Thanks to him, we are all

here today united in joy.

- Happiness is to be found in the Lord.

It is a part of Him, like love and hope.

It is also like the sky above,

and like this breeze that blows gently,

like a caress from His hand.

As I look at you here and now in this joy,

I am sure of this till the end of time,

Rome will be the heart

of the Lord's church.

Let us give thanks to Him

with a prayer that Jesus

taught to me and that I

will give to you today.

(uplifting dramatic music)

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,

as we forgive those who

trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

(suspenseful dramatic music)

(coughing)

(flames crackling)

(screaming)

Quickly, we must go.

- What is it?

- Rome is on fire.

Quickly.

- Get the children.

- Come children.

- Come now.

- Quickly, quickly.

- It's all right.

- Come on, now, hurry.

(coughing)

(screaming)

- This way.

- Over there, that's the water.

- What do you want to do?

We're more likely to be killed

by the smoke than by the fire.

- Yes, I know, but we must

cover our mouth and noses.

For the smoke, here.

- Whatever happens, don't

stop and keep on walking.

Go.

(screaming)

- Silvia!

Silvia.

Silvia!

(clattering)

Silvia!

- Master!

Master.

(door rattling open)

- You found him.

- It's a miracle he's still alive.

He was in the Subura near

the homes of the Christians,

they say this is where the fire started.

They say it's the fault of the Christians.

- By blaming the Christians,

Nero has run to safety once again.

- Even if some of the senators believe it,

it was he who started the fire.

- To build himself a villa on the ruins.

- [Man] Persius may enter.

(dramatic music)

- For your own sake, I hope you have

something really important to tell me.

- I know who the leader

of the Christians is.

His name is Peter.

(screaming)

- Swines, it was you.

Criminals, you must burn.

- Christians, curse them.

There are more in there.

Damned arsonists.

- There they are.

Up there, at least two families.

(baby crying)

- No, no, please.

We've done nothing wrong.

Please.

- Fulvia, Silvia, we

must leave immediately.

Nero has blamed us for everything.

The Praetorians are coming to get us.

- No, but Peter?

- He's waiting for us, let's go.

Cover your heads.

We mustn't attract attention.

- Why are you arresting them?

- They're Christians.

They set Rome on fire.

Are you one of them?

- I'm not, but they

seem good people to me.

Who said it was them?

- Nero, the emperor.

(dramatic music)

- Claudius.

- You're a Christian too, huh?

(groaning)

- No, Silvia.

Where's Silvia?

- Don't worry.

- Silvia.

- She must be right behind us.

There is a trapdoor here.

Peter and the others are hiding here.

- No, no, no, something's happened.

Wait here.

Silvia, Silvia, Silvia!

Oh, they've taken her from me.

They've...

Oh.

(sobbing)

(knocking on door)

- Where is Silvia?

- Look.

This is all that's left of my daughter.

Are you satisfied now?

You wanted desperately

to attract attention.

Well...

Nero has noticed us now.

- Fulvia.

- Leave me alone.

(crying)

- [Lino] It's Mark.

- The appointment is for tomorrow

at the Appian Way at dawn.

Peter.

- How many of us will be leaving Rome?

- Leave Rome?

You mean you want to flee?

- What else can we do?

Stay here and wait for them to kill us?

- I'm not leaving.

I'm not leaving my daughter behind.

- I'm not coming either.

Rome is my city.

- But don't you see?

If we stay, they will slaughter us all.

- It is madness to stay here.

Many have already been imprisoned,

and we cannot remain hidden forever.

- You're right, David.

You must leave.

I'll stay here with the others.

- No, I...

I will stay.

Your life is precious, Peter.

You are our guide.

You bear witness to Christ.

It is your duty to live.

And together with you,

those who can survive

also have the right to live,

because they represent our hope.

If they survive, they will

be able to return one day,

and you will be with them.

It is only with us that

not all will be lost.

- There are hundreds of them,

but they will be unable

to leave without you.

You are the only one they trust, Peter.

- Lead us away, Peter.

Nero has already killed

hundreds of brothers,

and he will not stop

until we all are dead.

- Even those who have been

arrested will tell you to leave.

- Tomorrow we will be on our way.

We leave Rome.

- My brothers and my sisters, my children,

my people have experienced many nights

such as this one, when

evil appears to prevail,

that God chooses to hide the

good in His mysterious ways.

I wish to remember one

in particular with you.

It was the night that Jesus was arrested.

That night, Jesus took the bread,

gave thanks to God,

then he broke the bread

and offered it to us.

And pronounced words, the true meaning

of which I understood only later.

He said,

"This is my body in sacrifice for you."

(dramatic music)

Then he took the chalice of wine,

gave thanks to God, and said,

"This is a chalice of my blood for the new

"and eternal testament shed for you

"and for all for the

remission of your sins."

(festive music)

- Claudius, what are you doing there?

Come over here.

We're having a great time.

I've invited all these people,

these friends, girls, all of Rome.

You could at least smile.

- [Man] Hey, stop, you may not enter.

(gasping)

- What do you want?

What are you doing here?

- Silvia, she's been arrested.

- She's alive?

- Not for long if we don't do something.

Help her, please, I beg you.

- Why do you not ask Peter to help you?

- Peter left.

(chuckling)

- Did you hear?

- This is the place.

- There's nobody here.

- Is anyone here?

- Do not be afraid.

It is I, Peter.

- We were expecting you.

- Everyone is here.

- Come closer, come.

We must walk towards

Ostia in short stages.

We must travel in small groups,

no more than six people,

distant from one another.

We must not attract attention.

It will be a long journey.

You catch up with David and Anna's group.

We will join you when you decide to stop.

- All right.

- Come, Mark.

I will go over there to pray.

You come and call me when

it is time for us to go.

- Of course.

- James.

John.

- Peter.

The time has come.

I must go.

- Where are you going, Lord?

- I am coming to Rome to

be crucified once again.

- You will be crucified once again?

- Yes.

I will be crucified once again.

We must go.

(dramatic music)

- Peter.

I'm sorry if I frightened you.

The time has come.

- Yes, Mark.

The time has come.

- Have you gone mad?

Where are you going?

You will find your death in Rome.

- I too said this to Jesus once.

I did not know then.

I had not realized that you need

a great deal of love to understand.

You must never leave your children behind.

- But your children are abandoning Rome.

- Yes, Mark, but most of my

children are yet to be born.

- We need you now.

Why go back to Rome?

Peter, why?

- Why?

Why did Paul come here to Rome?

Why did Jesus hand himself

over to his executioners?

It was He who taught us

that there's no greater love

than to give one's life for one's friends,

and I must follow Jesus to the end.

Even to the cross.

- Peter.

- Don't cry, Mark.

Don't cry.

Go join the others.

But write.

Write down everything that I

have told you, omit nothing.

If Jesus has continued to love me

in spite of all the

mistakes that I have made,

then no man must feel

unworthy of his love.

(crying)

(suspenseful dramatic music)

(crowd shouting)

- Death to them all!

- Kill them.

- Fulvia, Claudius.

- Have you seen her?

Where is she?

- They have been locked in

the dungeons under the arena,

and they won't let anyone in there.

- We hope you die.

- Burn them.

Burn them all.

- There she is.

Silvia!

- Silvia.

- We are here.

We are here.

Silvia, we're over here.

- Silvia!

- Silvia, Silvia.

- Claudius, Mother.

Mother.

- Silvia!

- Claudius.

- Silvia!

- Mother, Mother, Mother!

- Silvia.

- Silvia!

- [Silvia] Mother!

Claudius!

- [Woman] It's their fault.

It's your fault.

Die.

- Excellent.

And how long will it be before the ruins

of the fire will be removed

and we can start work on my new residence?

- Three months at the most, Emperor.

- Mm.

- Two months, and we can start work.

- We have captured the

leader of the Christians.

- Really?

Bring him here at once.

(suspenseful dramatic music)

And so you are the leader

of these fanatics, are you?

A miserable old man.

(chuckling)

- My name is Simon, known as Peter.

- Hey, Christians, get up.

Everybody get up.

Out you go, you are free.

Nero has shown everyone

how merciful he is.

Go.

Go, go, go.

Come on, go.

Go.

(dramatic music)

- Mother.

- [Claudius] Silvia.

- Oh, Mother.

Claudius.

- Forgive me, my beloved.

Forgive me.

- How is this all possible?

Why did they free us all?

- They captured Peter

at the gates of Rome,

and perhaps this has placated

Nero's thirst for blood.

- What will become of him?

- They will kill him.

- Peter returned for us.

He returned for us.

(hammer pounding)

- We are all back.

(hammer thudding)

- Our Father, who art in heaven.

- [Group] Our Father, who art in heaven.

- Hallowed be Thy name.

- [Group] Hallowed be Thy name.

- Thy kingdom.

(coughing)

- Thy kingdom come.

- [Group] Thy kingdom come.

- Thy will be done.

- [Group] Thy will be done.

- On Earth, as it is in heaven.

- [Group] On Earth, as it is in heaven.

- For Peter we pray.

- Give us this day our daily bread.

- [Group] Give us this

day our daily bread.

- And forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those who

trespass against us.

- [Group] And forgive us our trespasses

as we forgive those

who trespass against us

- [Peter] And lead us not into temptation.

- [Group] And lead us not into temptation.

- You have won, Peter.

(coughing)

None of us will ever be the same.

Rome will change forever.

- But deliver us from evil.

- [Group] But deliver us from evil.

Amen.

- I am not worthy to die

in the manner of our Lord.

Please, place the cross upside down.

- [Man] Upside down.

(uplifting dramatic music)

- I will be with you every

day until the end of time.

(dramatic music)

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St. Peter: The Persecution of Christians - Part 1 (2005) - full transcript