The minister is the central figure of the entire parish. In church, all the locals gather to listen to the man – a village minister who isn’t learned, isn’t all that different from his congregation. He may speak for God, and yet he’s just as prone to violence, drinking and quarrelling as his parishioners. Nevertheless, he’s the one responsible for his flock and his church. This responsibility includes witch trials: He’s present throughout, from the first accusations to the dying of the last embers of the pyre. During the trial, he testifies to the good character or demonic ways of the accused. Later, when the witch is interrogated by the torturer, he is present to hear her confessions.
Before the flames of the pyre consummate the punishment, he provides the condemned with her final meal along with one last chance to confess everything – for the sake of the witch herself and for the rest of society.