A young priest decides to leave the church because disillusioned by the worldliness and minor cruelty of the clergy.

He interprets this as holiness, and this prompts him to rejoin the church, in a state of great fear and personal confusion.

As she dies in his arms, he suddenly recognises that this little prostitute has shown him a depth of pure love and acceptance that puts him, the intellectual, professional clergyman, to deep shame.

The relic ends up in the priest's possession, and he recognises its power as a morale-booster so doesn't want it to fall into the wrong hands.

The Spanish Republicans have been lionized for decades for their struggle against Francisco Franco’s pre-war alliance with fascism.