Bernanos (1888–1948) was a French novelist and political writer.
"The Diary of a Village Priest" is his masterpiece, and he has also created many novels with religious backgrounds, such as "The Dialogue of the Sisters of the Holy Cloak" and "Under the Sunshine of Satan", because the author presents a religious spiritual world that makes us feel strange in the novel, in order to let the reader see how they say and act, how to face the turmoil and troubles of their souls, so most of these novels are difficult to read.
In "The Diary of a Village Priest", the protagonist used by the author is a monk from a remote village, who came to a poor family and came to the monastery at the age of 12 to live, and then graduated as a village priest.
Although he was given this job, his salary was limited, his life was very shabby, his underwear was ragged, his coat was stained, and he suffered from a serious stomach disease at a young age.
There is no doubt that although he is also responsible for the indoctrination of public charity, he is also a small person, busy with trivial matters every day.
Although he was trapped in helpless trivialities and could not extricate himself, he carried out his tinkering all day long, but he was very dedicated, and for the economy and production of the countryside, he considered it within his duty, and he was ready to "tenaciously study".
He did not see his diocese as a place to settle down or as a springboard for advancement, but as an object of deep love with his own life. He loved the countryside and loved the people here, and he felt obligated to make their lives better and to make them spiritually at peace.
But ah, reality was so snubbed for him.
Although he was strict with himself and had good conduct, he often encountered the harassment of people's evil intentions and the malicious ridicule of insinuations, the complexity of the countrymen troubled him, and the Eve-style cunning of some parish girls, as a young man, he was overwhelmed more than once, and he was always "suffering by the soul" all night afterwards.
In his diary, he recorded everything and expressed his views on it, his duty was difficult, he "couldn't say anything about God", he deeply felt the complexity of his humanity for the sentient beings he wanted to shepherd, he even cared about the big problem of social morality, "there is no reason for poverty in any society", "what should be done to restore the rights of the poor without infringing on their rights?" "There are so many big questions that a priest in a small village would actually think about.
The picture of the survival of the village clergy of this particular epoch is revealed to us through a diary, and although there are only a few clues, the final image is complete, and with the purity and perseverance of this monk, it forms a tragic atmosphere compared with the actual futile and unchanging society.
I still can't forget the excited call in my diary
"My poor parish, the first and last parish of my life... I wish I could die here."
of young monks.
Always be with this land and watch the new people begin their new life.