The Papal Bull

The Papal Bull is the sardonic nickname used by agents of the Direction Centrale Police Judiciaire for their captain, Bezu Fache. The epithet derives from a photograph of Fache with the Pope that hangs in his office, a trophy he secured by using all his influence to obtain a private audience when the Pontiff visited Paris a few years earlier. The nickname captures the fusion of Fache's professional authority with his conspicuous personal piety, a combination that his subordinates both respect and mock in private.

Origin and Meaning of the Nickname

The nickname "The Papal Bull" was coined by Fache's own agents, who noted the photograph's prominent placement in his office. The term "Papal Bull" itself is a formal papal decree, but applied to Fache it carries a double edge: it acknowledges his power while slyly comparing his rigid, unyielding style to the pronouncements of the Church. The agents' private use of the name reflects their awareness that Fache's religious devotion is not merely a personal matter but a public performance that bolsters his image. Fache attends mass and confession with zealous regularity, far more than the requisite holiday attendance fulfilled by other officials in the name of good public relations, and this conspicuous piety is part of the persona he cultivates.

Fache's Religious Zeal and Public Stance

Fache's Catholicism is not a private faith but a public identity that he wields as a badge of authority. His outspoken reaction to the Catholic pedophilia scandal—declaring that priests should be hanged twice, once for their crimes against children and once for shaming the good name of the Catholic Church—reveals the hierarchy of his values. Lieutenant Collet, reflecting on this, senses that it is the latter offense, the shaming of the Church's reputation, that angers Fache more. This prioritization aligns Fache with the institutional Church's concern for its own standing, even as he condemns individual clerics. The photograph with the Pope, which the agents call "The Papal Bull," thus serves as a visual shorthand for Fache's self-image as a defender of the faith, a role he pursues with the same relentless intensity he brings to his police work.

The Nickname as a Reflection of Fache's Character

The nickname "The Papal Bull" also speaks to Fache's method of leadership. He is described as a man of exceptional poise under pressure, whose restraint and patience border on the robotic. His sole emotion during the investigation of Jacques Saunière's murder seems to be one of intense resolve, as if the arrest were somehow personal to him. This personal investment, combined with his religious fervor, creates a figure who sees his work as a kind of crusade. The agents' nickname, while irreverent, accurately captures the way Fache's professional and spiritual identities have merged into a single, formidable force. The photograph on his wall is not merely a memento but a declaration of allegiance, and the nickname it inspires is a testament to how thoroughly Fache's faith permeates his public role.