The Pope places The Last Temptation on the Roman Catholic Index of Forbidden Books. Kazantzakis telegraphs the Vatican a phrase from the Christian apologist Tertullian: " Ad tuum, Domine, tribunal appello "( I lodge my appeal at your tribunal, Lord).
He says the same to the Orthodox hierarchy in Athens, adding: " You gave me your curse, holy Fathers. I give you a blessing: May your conscience be as clear as mine, and may you be as moral and religious as I am."