How Would Don Corleone Convince His Sons to Return to the Faith after His Own Return to the Church?
My children, I have something important to tell you.
As you all know I have renounced my former life and the Corleone Family, thank God is now completely legitimate. I have met with Fr. Fonte, and the heads of the other five parishes and came to an agreement that, after giving my confession, as part of my penance I would have this conversation with my sons.
So here we are.
My sons, attending mass is not just a religious duty, but also a way to show respect and loyalty to God. It’s also a way to demonstrate our commitment to tradition and values as a family. So, my dear sons, I strongly encourage you to practice this faith of ours. Without faith, a man is not truly a man. I know that. In this world, it is not always easy to believe. It is surrounded by pain, suffering, and despair. But I urge you to look beyond these things and remember that this is the path that God has put you on.
I want to remind you that faith is the only way to find true peace and true happiness. You ask me “Poppa, what if it’s too hard? What should I do?” Well, I would say, you should act like a man! Sniveling is alright for children. But there is no excuse for a man to run away from his duty. No excuse.
Santino, you once said to me ‘Pop, pop, the Church has too many problems, priests doing wrong,’ and all of this. But understand that every good family has their villains. Sadly, who knows that better than we do? We’re changing our ways now, thank God, but it’s true that everywhere in life there are weeds that grow with the wheat. Everywhere there are men and even women who bring shame on their families. But that is not a excuse to leave the family! Always remember that, Santino, and all of my sons. Loyalty is never negotiable.
So, my sons, take this to heart. Show your respect to the faith of our family heritage and above all respect to God. Every day he’s making you an offer you shouldn’t’ refuse. If you trust me, if I have your respect, then honor me by trusting and respecting Him.
