The Papal Binding: Red Line on Wrist Symbol in The Devils

What Is the Papal Binding?

The papal binding is a magical mark applied by Pope Benedicta to members of the Chapel of the Holy Expediency. It appears as a faint red or brown line on the wrist—described as a "rusty smear" (chapter 8) or a "brown streak" (chapter 31). The binding forces the wearer to obey the Pope's commands; any attempt to defy her will or to escape triggers violent nausea, vomiting, and physical pain. It is a physical leash that turns the bearer into an unwilling tool of the Church.

The binding is first applied in chapter 7 when the Pope touches Balthazar's wrist, leaving a red mark. Cardinal Bock explains that "there is nothing more freeing than being bound to a common purpose" (Themes/Power and Corruption), but the binding's immediate effect is the opposite: Balthazar suffers "a forceful fountain of vomit" the moment he contemplates disobedience (chapter 7). The elf Sunny dryly notes, "That's the binding. Works better than you'd think."

Where the Binding Appears

The binding recurs as a persistent motif in the following key moments:

Chapter 7 – The Start of a Bad Joke: Pope Benedicta applies the binding to Balthazar's wrist for the first time. He is left "bent over, tongue out, eyes watering" after his first act of defiance.
Chapter 8 – Hold on to Something: Balthazar scrutinizes the mark obsessively, convinced he can unravel its secret. He tries to use a prayer-sheet with runes drawn in his own excrement to break the binding but fails, vomiting instead.
Chapter 31 – Strange Bedfellows: Vigga Ullasdottr holds up her wrist, showing the "brown streak" of the binding. She uses it as proof that Pope Benedicta is still alive—the mark "still tugging" on her.
Chapter 43 – My Greed Is a Famine: After the failed attempt to invoke the Duke of Hell Shaxep to break the binding, Balthazar scratches at his wrist in frustration. The binding proves stronger than a demon.
Chapter 71 – All Bad Things: Balthazar willingly confesses his loyalty but is still manacled with rune-forged fetters. Cardinal Zizka says, "The cage is where you belong," demonstrating that the binding alone is not enough to ensure trust; physical restraints are added.

The Binding's Shifting Meaning

Initially, the binding represents the Church's hypocrisy: a self-proclaimed holy institution uses coercive magic to enforce obedience rather than inspire faith. Balthazar scoffs at it as a "risible excuse for a binding" and a "tissue of a binding" (chapter 8). His arrogance leads him to believe he can outsmart it through magical science.

As the story progresses, the binding shifts into a symbol of inescapable authority. Balthazar's repeated attempts to break it—using runes, occult diagrams, and even summoning a Duke of Hell—all fail. In chapter 43, after Shaxep cannot remove the binding, Balthazar is forced to confront the possibility that Pope Benedicta truly is the Second Coming. The binding becomes a test of faith and a theological puzzle: if God's power works through a child Pope, then the binding is not just coercion but divine ordinance.

For Vigga, the binding takes on a personal, guilt-ridden meaning. She wears it as a reminder of her crimes and her oath to the Pope. When she senses the binding "tugging" in chapter 31, it brings relief—the Pope is alive—but also a reminder of her captivity to the Church's mission.

By the end, the binding underscores the theme of survival and pragmatism: the congregation may resent the leash, but they obey because the alternative is worse. The line between willing service and forced labor blurs.

Character Connections

Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi: As a proud magician, he views the binding as an insult to his intellect. His struggle to break it drives his character arc from defiance to grudging acceptance to apparent conversion. Yet even after declaring loyalty, he is caged—showing that the Church trusts neither his will nor the binding.
Vigga Ullasdottr (Vigga Wolf): A former berserker seeking redemption, Vigga wears the binding as a mark of penance. She uses it as a compass of sorts (sensing the Pope's life force) and seems less troubled by it than Balthazar, accepting its necessity.
Brother Eduardo Diaz: Diaz is not bound, but he witnesses the binding's effects on others. He represents the bureaucratic churchman who must navigate the moral compromises the binding symbolizes. He accepts the mission to "do good" while the binding ensures the others do as told.
Alex / Princess Alexia: Alex, a reformed thief, is not bound either. She interacts with the bound characters and observes the coercive nature of the Church, adding a layer of commentary on identity and deception.

Theme Connections

Religious Hypocrisy and Moral Compromise: The Church preaches free will but practices magical slavery. The binding is the physical embodiment of that contradiction.
Power and Corruption: The Pope's binding grants absolute control, showing how even childlike innocence (Benedicta) can be weaponized by the institution.
Survival and Pragmatism: Characters accept the binding because it allows them to survive and sometimes succeed. Balthazar's failed escape attempts prove that pragmatism sometimes means submission.
Redemption and Guilt: For Vigga, the binding is a visible sign of her debt to the Church. It binds her to a mission she hopes will atone for past sins.
Identity and Deception: The binding strips away personal autonomy, forcing characters to ask who they are when their actions are no longer their own.

Four Study Questions

1. Why does Balthazar fail to break the papal binding despite his magical expertise?
Balthazar's failure stems from his pride and underestimation of the binding's source. He assumes it is a simple magical charm that can be countered by logic and runes. However, the binding proves to be empowered by a divine or near-divine force. In chapter 43, he even attempts to summon a Duke of Hell to dissolve it, but Shaxep cannot. The evidence suggests that Pope Benedicta's power is not merely magical but possibly the work of the Savior herself, making the binding a theological absolute rather than a technical puzzle.

2. How does Vigga's relationship with the binding differ from Balthazar's?
Vigga accepts the binding with grim practicality. She does not try to break it; instead, she uses it as a tool—for example, to sense the Pope's well-being in chapter 31. For her, the binding is a consequence of her past sins and a means of staying on a righteous path. Balthazar, in contrast, sees the binding as a humiliation and an obstacle to his freedom. His constant attempts to circumvent it highlight his arrogance, while Vigga's acceptance shows her pragmatic survival instinct.

3. What does the binding reveal about the Church's attitude toward free will?
The Church officially champions the Twelve Virtues, with faith as the foremost (chapter 3). Yet the binding completely overrides individual will, forcing obedience through physical pain. This contradiction exposes the institution's hypocrisy: it preaches voluntary devotion but resorts to coercion when loyalty is uncertain. The Chapel of the Holy Expediency, as Cardinal Zizka explains, uses "the weapons of one’s enemies"—including magical control—to achieve its ends. The binding is the most literal expression of that expediency.

4. Does the binding's role change after Balthazar's failed escape in chapter 43?
Yes. Before chapter 43, Balthazar viewed the binding as a technical challenge. After Shaxep's failure, the narrative shifts: the binding transforms from a mere leash into a potential proof of the Pope's divinity. Balthazar's final confession of faith in chapter 71 may be genuine or strategic, but the binding remains in place—even Zizka adds extra fetters. The binding thus stops being a question of magic and becomes a question of faith, forcing readers and characters alike to reconsider whether the Church's power is justified by a higher authority.