Graham Greene's novel The Power and the Glory is a humanistic study of the Catholic Church as represented by the priest/protagonist of the novel. It is likely that the leaders of the Church themselves looked at the "whisky priest" without a name and concluded that Greene was primarily writing a book about the weaknesses and corruption of the Church and its religious authority. In fact, however, Greene's humane portrayal of the priest as a man rather than as a saint is a ringing endorsement of the man's (and the Church's) role as bringer of God to the people.
Greene does not want to write simple propaganda for the Church. At the same time, it is clear from his loving portrayal of the flawed whisky priest that he has a real respect for the representatives of that Church and the good that they do in the world, with all their flaws and shortcomings.
Therefore, his novel brings the Church down to earth, shows this single corrupted individual priest is a man who struggles mightily against his own devils and against the devils haunting the people of his country. He does drink and indulge his other desires, to be sure, and if this were all he did he would be a thoroughly corrupt priest and man indeed.
However, he also risks his life---and finally pays with his life---in bringing the word of God and his own care and love to the people he serves.
The basic story of the priest is simple. The land is ruled by a socialist/atheist police official and the Mass of the Catholic Church has been outlawed. The priest lives an underground life, fleeing the police and saying Mass for the people. The priest is shown to be a sinner through and through, drinking, breaking the rules of his Church, even fathering a child.
Finally, the priest is captured and executed. It would seem to be an ending which suggests that the Church and its activities are at an end in Mexico, but Greene has another priest arrive to carry on:
The stranger s...