Ferrand tells the Cardinals that the area currently is under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Durango, in Mexico, which is nearly 1,500 miles away. He informs the Cardinals that the distance is so great and the terrain so rugged that the Bishop cannot discipline rebellious priests. Ferrand responds to the Bishop of Durango's recommendation of a local vicar for the post of Archbishop of New Mexico that this native priest is too old. He recommends Jean Marie Latour, a French priest who has worked in both Canada and Ohio, telling the Cardinals that whoever is appointed must possess great intelligence and a love for organization.
Cardinal Allande tells the story of how his great-grandfather donated a priceless El Greco painting to a Franciscan missionary. He uses this story as pretence for recommending Latour to the Vicarate of New Mexico@ — in order for Latour to retrieve the painting for him. Allande bids Ferrand farewell by assuring him that he'll recommend Latour to the post.
The nationalities of the three Cardinals will be mirrored in the ethnic makeup of the New Mexico territory. Latour is French, the indigenous population is Spanish-speaking, and the Catholic Church, headquartered in Rome, is Italian. Father Ferrand, the Irish-born Bishop of French ancestry, further underscores the diversity represented in the New World.
