Chapter 90: The Devil
These words from Chu Jiang were not in the script, but the priest still responded with a smile, saying, "Those who believe in my Lord have the chance to go to heaven. I think after this confession, you will find your answer."
Chu Jiang nodded, and just like a prisoner going to the execution ground, he followed behind the priest and nun and walked into the depths of the church.
......
In the confessional, Chu Jiang and the priest looked at each other through a small window.
Chu Jiang played the role of a fisherman, but at first, the fisherman was not a fisherman. He was the lighthouse keeper at the harbor, responsible for lighting the way for ships returning home.
The day of the accident was also the first day the fisherman officially became the lighthouse keeper.
That day, the weather was bad with rain. The night watchman suggested working together with the fisherman to prevent any accidents.
However, the fisherman arrogantly refused the night watchman. He believed he was skillful enough to handle any unexpected situations. He thought the night watchman wanting to stay was a sign of disrespect.
Even though the night watchman explained repeatedly, the strong fisherman still dismissed him.
But on that same night, the weather worsened rapidly. The sea became stormy with heavy rain. As a result, a small merchant ship that was supposed to arrive in the evening couldn't dock.
They lost their way.
At this moment, the harbor lighthouse should have guided them and given them hope.
However, the lighthouse had an issue. The old lighthouse at the harbor used an oil lamp as its light source. It required the lighthouse keeper to manually operate the winding mechanism, rotating the lens system to focus the light beam far into the dark night.
The fisherman was frantic in this dark night. He could vaguely see the silhouette of the ship in the light beam, but accidentally knocked over the oil lamp while operating it.
To make matters worse, due to his carelessness, the spare oil barrel was left exposed to the rain. The oil inside the barrel had mixed with rainwater.
After the fisherman spent a lot of effort, he finally managed to relight the lighthouse's light. But by that time, the cruel sea had already swallowed the merchant ship...
After this happened, the fisherman ran away before dawn. He knew that someone would notice that the lighthouse had been extinguished for a long time, which was a serious negligence that involved the lives of several people.
From then on, the fisherman changed his name and came to this peaceful town, becoming an ordinary fisherman.
However, he felt a lot of pain and guilt in his heart, and often thought about this incident. Eventually, not long ago, he decided to come to the church and confess to the priest.
Among the four confessors, it can be said that Number Four had the least malicious intent, but he caused the most deaths.
"Please, priest, bless me. I, a sinner, want to repent inside the church." Chu Jiang crossed himself on his chest.
"May the Holy Spirit illuminate your heart, so that you sincerely confess your sins and receive the merciful grace of our Heavenly Father." The priest skillfully recited the prayer.
Next, Chu Jiang voluntarily confessed his sins and explained what he had done for atonement since his last confession.
The fisherman took some leftover fish and donated them to the orphanage. Yesterday, he also saved a drowning traveler.
After the priest listened, he stayed silent for a moment. Saving someone's life is already a valuable act of redemption. Should this sinner be forgiven?
Unexpectedly, at this moment, a nun beside the priest spoke, "No, Father! He is a sinner, and many people have died because of him. The families of those who died have been torn apart, and their cries still echo in our ears. Just because he saved one person, should we pardon his sins?"
"If you pardon him, he will have a clear conscience and live the rest of his life happily and peacefully. After death, he will also enter heaven and enjoy blessings. Is this what you want to see?"
The priest listened, and his expression began to distort.
"Think about it, think about your poor parents. When you were still a child, they were cruelly murdered. If that sinner had not come to you and confessed, revealing the truth of what happened back then, you would not have been able to avenge their deaths."
"You are a priest, with responsibilities. Church rules require you to keep secrets. No matter how grave the sin, you must not report it to the authorities."
"But think about it, if you don't do something about this, who else will?"
"Give him a judgment! A judgment in this world, even if it means going to hell after death. Forgiving and pardoning are things for God to do. You only need to send him to meet God."
The nun's words were like those of a devil, full of incitement, and soon the priest made a decision.
Even at this moment, Chu Jiang remained very calm.
In the Catholic Church, there is an absolute rule: The Church will never reveal the secrets of confession.
This is because if a priest leaks the secrets, the believers will no longer trust the Church and will not come to confess to the priest anymore.
Another important factor is that the Church is governed based on the concept of a family. In the Bible, the Church is seen as a big family with God as the head. The believers call each other brothers and sisters and see the priest as a father figure.
If a priest exposes a believer, it's like a father betraying his son. This is absolutely unacceptable for the Church as it would severely damage its reputation.
Therefore, even if a priest hears a secret about a murder during confession, usually their main role is to advise the sinner.
In the story, this priest has always been like that. However, one day, a special penitent came to the church.
The sins confessed by this penitent immediately reminded the priest of his own childhood experiences. Could the person who killed his parents be this person?!
Just at that moment, a mysterious nun appeared beside the priest. She helped the priest look for evidence and finally confirmed that the culprit was indeed this person.
In the end, the angry priest, guided by the nun, cruelly killed this person who was seeking forgiveness. It was the first person he had killed.
Afterwards, the priest also felt regret, but the nun's caring attention helped him come out of the darkness and turned him into a cold-hearted person.
He decided to become a righteous figure in the darkness. Since priests cannot reveal the secrets of confessors, he would let guilty confessors die by his own hands.
And so, the story continued...
"Our loving Father in heaven, through the death and resurrection of His holy Son, reconciled the world to Himself and granted the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins. May He, through the ministry of the Church, forgive you and grant you peace. Now, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I absolve you of your sins."
Chu Jiang made the sign of the cross again and said, "Amen."
The priest nodded slightly and said, "The Father has already forgiven your sins, but for now, you cannot go back."
At this moment, Chu Jiang revealed a surprised expression. Because according to the confession procedure, this sentence should have been, "The Father has already forgiven your sins. Go in peace."
