Father Rentería

Character Analysis

Father Rentería is, in his way, as much of a deadbeat dad as Pedro Páramo is. No, he doesn't have any children, but he's a greedy and immoral Father.

If Pedro Páramo represents all the greed and injustice of the landowning system in Mexico at the beginning of the 20th century, Father Rentería represents the greed and injustice of the Catholic Church in Mexico at the beginning of the 20th century.

That's a pretty harsh statement, but it's also one that Father Rentería totally agrees with. He lays it all on the line for the reader: He's frustrated by the fact that he depends on Pedro Páramo for money, and frustrated by the fact that he is too weak to do anything about it. For more on the injustice that Father Rentería represents, check out our "Setting" section.

Father Rentería has a spine like an overcooked spaghetti noodle: He is too weak to stand up for what is right, and so he takes out his anger the only way he knows how, by refusing to pardon people for their sins. Way to make awesome choices, Padre.

The priest has a complicated relationship with the Páramo family. He hates them and the way that they abuse the rest of the townsfolk—like when, for example, Miguel Páramo killed his brother and raped his niece. But he can't get past the fact that they are the ones who pay for him to eat and live.

When Pedro pays him to pray for the soul of Miguel, the priest shamefully accepts the money and pardons Miguel. He prays after taking the money:

"These are Yours," he said. "He can afford to buy salvation. Only you know whether this is the price. As for me, Lord, I throw myself at your feet to ask for the justice or injustice that any of us may ask… For my part, I hope you damn him to hell." (13.16)

This quote shows that not only is Father Rentería worried about the fate of Miguel's soul, he is also having a hard time getting pardoned for his own sins. At one point he goes to a neighboring town to confess to a fellow priest, but his friend refuses to forgive him. 

Just as Father Rentería has been letting the poor people of Comala (who can't afford to buy his prayers) die without having forgiven their sins, he, too, has to face the idea of kicking the bucket with a bunch of sin on his own soul. That's karma, Comala-style.