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A
parish priest was being honored at a dinner on the twenty-fifth
anniversary of his arrival in that parish. A leading local politician, who
was a member of the congregation, was chosen to make the presentation and
give a little speech at the dinner, but he was delayed in traffic, so the
priest decided to say his own few words while they waited.
"You will understand," he said, "the seal of the confessional, can never
be broken. However, I got my first impressions of the parish from the
first confession I heard here. I can only hint vaguely about this, but
when I came here twenty-five years ago I thought I had been assigned to a
terrible place. The very first chap who entered my confessional told me
how he had stolen a television set, and when stopped by the police, had
almost murdered the officer.
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Further, he told me he had embezzled money from his place of business and
had an affair with his boss's wife. I was appalled. But as the days went
on I knew that my people were not all like that, and I had, indeed come
to, a fine parish full of understanding and loving people."
Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of
apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and
give his talk.
"I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived in this
parish," said the politician. "In fact, I had the honor of being the first
one to go to him in confession."
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