During his baptism, which takes place at the age of ten, Christian commits an unexpected and mysterious gesture in church, which worries his parents. Father Siro, a man of the church and Christian's educator, reassures them by explaining to them that Christian is only a child with a different sensitivity from that of his peers. But speaking privately to little Christian, Father Siro appears anything but reassuring, revealing to the child that a long and tortuous journey awaits him in his adult life: during his baptism Christian 'saw' the archangels cleanse the face of Christ from the wounds of his human suffering, and Christian himself will live an existence soiled and raped by pain.