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A high ranking Roman Catholic priest, Monsignor Blaise Meredith (Sir John Mills), finds out he has terminal cancer. His faith is tested when faced with imminent death. At the same time, he is asked to travel to a remote village in the south of Italy to investigate a mysterious individual, Giacomo Nerone (Leigh Lawson), who has been named as a possible "saint" because he is said to have performed miracles. Before the Roman Catholic Church proclaims him to be a saint, someone has to play the "devil's advocate", investigate his life and make a case why he should not be a saint. Monsignor Meredith begins his investigations by talking to several people who have met him. He discovers his real name was "James Black". He was a British soldier who had become detached from the British Army (during World War II) and was hiding in this village in war-torn Italy. He began a relationship with a local woman.