Originally Posted by
AuntShecky
Thank you for providing the source for the title of this book. Originally appearing in the New Testament in Matthew's chapter relating The Sermon on The Mount, The Lord's Prayer later became part of the Mass in Roman Catholic liturgy. The "power and the glory" line, however, does not appear in the Roman Catholic version of The Lord's Prayer , though since 1969 has been adopted for another aspect of Catholic ritual.
Taken from the Doxology (in the Book of Common Prayer), the "Power and the Glory" passage is the conclusion of The Lord's Prayer for many Protestants, as well as included in the hymn. My question is this: as a convert to Roman Catholicism, Graham Greene was well-versed in Catholic liturgy, perhaps more so than those born into the religion. The novel is about religious persecution, specifically eradication of Catholics as represented by its priests. So I do wonder why Greene chose a line, albeit a reverent one, that is more common to Protestants than Catholics.