500 years ago the most dominant force on the planet was religion. Wars were raged and lives tortured over whose version of God was correct. (Of course, this still goes on today, just in a different form, in case you're tempted to feel morally superior). Kings were obliged to the Pope and killing infidels was not only common but considered necessary to our survival. The logic being, of course, that without God's approval one has no future - so destroy all those who disagree as to whether God approves of you! And that is how Father Domingo came to be in a Japanese prison in the year 1600 AD.
The Portuguese came to Japan in 1549 along with their Catholic fever. But even within their own religion were factions: the Jesuits and the Franciscans. Father Domingo was a Franciscan monk which was unfortunate since the Jesuits had the upper hand in Japan, didn't like his teachings and had him dispatched forthwith into prison. Inside this living hell, he made converts of what prisoners he could, preparing them for the unusually cruel version of Japanese crucifixion.
Each morning came the man with the List. If your name was called, time to die - slowly over days. The Father would bless the poor bastards and send them out. This he had done for two years when one day a sailor was brought in who had wrecked upon the Japanese shores. His name was Blackthorne, the ship's pilot, who'd just came from a visit with the powerful Lord Toranaga. But the Catholic priests hated this heretic Protestant pilot who washed up on their private little domain of Christianity, reviling Blackthorne for revealing to Toranaga more than one version of Christianity existed.
So Lord Toranaga jailed him in apparent appeasement - all the while knowing the monk was imprisoned there already. Father Domingo gave the Pilot an education on Japan and the inner workings of the Portuguese trading. He also taught him conversational Japanese to help him get by. What Blackthorne learned in that prison would have remained hidden from him forever had the Jesuit priests had their way. But learn he did - until the day came his name was called out by the man with the List.
With grave fear Blackthorne approached the exit of the foul den of sick and dying bodies, following the List Man - to his happy surprise - all the way to the prison gate. He was being released! An escort waited for him to take him back to the castle where Lord Toranaga awaited. Blackthorne was bathed and set in luxury. Toranaga explained he needed Blackthorne in prison as a ruse to keep him safe from his rivals. The Lord then whisked away the ship's pilot to safe territory.
Father Domingo - though he had done right in his heart - had betrayed Jesuit secrets to Blackthorne, aiding an enemy to his oppressors. So what must have he thought when a few days after the Pilot's departure his name was called on the morning list. After hundreds of days of dodging the bullet and preparing others for an unspeakable fate, Father Domingo was unable to prepare himself. His old and tired body would wilt painfully when stapled to the cross in the searing sun. And the thought of that fatally seized his heart, collapsing him to the ground dead.
Father Domingo was not a happy camper as he confronted his Maker. "You bastard motherfucker! It's HELL down there. You leave me to live at the mercy of animals with no way out? YOU try living down there sometime! Jesus fucking Christ, it's a madhouse! I believe in love, I really do! But for what? To be gutted like a pig? You say I deserve that, so be it. But I can only stand so much! Damn, you're one hard son-of-a-bitch!"
God then revealed to Domingo the truth, showing him Blackthorne pleading to Lord Toranaga for the father's release and return to stature. Toranaga was more than happy to oblige and thus sent the order for the padre to be set free. For while death seemed to surround the monk whichever way he turned, his inner fidelity to life had actually saved him.
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