Emilio Sandoz is a remarkable man, a living saint and Jesuit priest who
undergoes an experience so harrowing and profound that it makes him
question the existence of God. This experience--the first contact
between human beings and intelligent extraterrestrial life--begins with
a small mistake and ends in a horrible catastrophe.
Sandoz is a part of the crew sent to explore a new planet. What they
find is a civilization so alien and incomprehensible that they feel
compelled to wonder what it means to be human.
The priest is the only surviving member of the crew and upon his return
he is confronted by public inquisition and accusations of the most
heinous crimes imaginable. His faith utterly destroyed, crippled and
defenseless, his only hope is to tell his tale. Father John Candotti has
been charged with discovering the truth, but the truth may be more than
Earth is willing to accept.