Angelina Bonaparte Mysteries Box Set Nanci Rathbun (i love reading books txt) 📖

And there may be cases where making human reparation would actually cause more harm than good. So the confessor would be very careful if he asked the penitent to make human reparation.”

“What about justice, Father?” Wukowski interrupted. “Doesn’t God care about that?”

“Of course, Detective. And no matter how it may seem to you, God always achieves justice, in one way or another. Let’s take a case where a man commits adultery with another man’s wife. The other man doesn’t know about it. No one is hurt physically or emotionally. But the spiritual life of the adulterers is corrupted. So the adulterous man goes to confession, repents and is granted absolution. He even does penance, which means he’s not only forgiven, but he doesn’t rack up any time in purgatory for his act.” He paused. “Doesn’t seem fair, does it? Doesn’t seem like justice has been served.”

“Exactly,” Wukowski agreed.

“If his confessor required him to make amends to the man he wronged, how would he do it? Tit-for-tat would seem to indicate that he should offer his own wife to the guy, but certainly God wouldn’t approve of that! Maybe he should pay him money. Let’s see, what’s the going rate for one night of passion with another man’s wife? And don’t forget that to make amends, he would have to make the guy aware of the wife’s betrayal, causing him extreme emotional pain. So we have to add in a payment for that.” He raised his hands and shrugged in the classic Gallic posture of bewilderment. “Frankly, I don’t know how to measure the cost or determine the method or amount to pay back, do you?”

By now, I was practically tap dancing with suppressed emotion. “Father, let’s talk about a simpler case. Say someone steals from another person. Takes something valuable. If the thief confesses and is contrite, wouldn’t he need to return what he stole?”

“Not to receive absolution, Ms. Bonaparte. But it would certainly go a long way toward easing his conscience and keeping him on the right track in the future.”

“Okay, so he decides to return what he stole. What if he can’t do it without letting the other person know that he took the item? In other words, he has to ruin his own reputation and maybe face criminal charges for the theft. Maybe do jail time. Would you, as his confessor, recommend that he go ahead, knowing it might expose him to the world and possibly affect his family?” I could feel a little buzz of excitement from Wukowski as he tensed slightly. He knew, as I did, that I was talking about the murder and not a theoretical case of theft.

Father Tom sat down at his desk and began to tap on his keyboard. After a moment, he cleared his throat slightly and read. “This is what the Catholic Encyclopedia has to say, in part, about restitution:

The grounds on which restitution becomes obligatory are either the possession of something belonging to another, or the causing of unjust damage to the property or reputation of another. These are called by divines the roots of restitution, for it is due on one of those two grounds if it is due at all.

The deliberate causing of unjust damage to the property, reputation, or other strict rights of another imposes on him who does the damage the obligation of making restitution for it, as we have seen. For, although in this case there is no possession of what belongs to another, still the wronged person has not what in justice he should have, and that through the unjust action of him who did the damage. The latter therefore has unjustly taken away what belonged to the former, and he must restore to him something which is equivalent to the loss which he has suffered and which will balance it, so that equality between them may be restored.

He looked up from the monitor. “I would tell the person to make restitution as far as possible without causing more harm to others. If restitution cannot be made without causing harm, I would recommend that the person simply accept forgiveness, do penance and move on, with the intention of doing right in the future.”

Wukowski shook his head. “That’s not fair, Father. Not just.”

“Detective Wukowski, I wish I could say that all things would be made fair and just and right in this world, but I can’t. All I can offer is that they will be made fair, just and right, in God’s way and in God’s time.”

We heard a quiet knock at the door. Father Tom checked his watch, told us that it was an appointment he needed to keep, and ushered us out with assurances that he was available to talk further about anything that was not under the seal of the confessional. As he shook my hand, he said, “You’re a Catholic, Ms. Bonaparte?”

“Not anymore.”

He nodded in understanding. “Do you have a spiritual advisor?”

“No,” I replied.

“Please feel free to call me if you should want to talk further.” I raised an eyebrow and he laughed. “Believe me,” he said, “I enjoy the company of an attractive woman, but that’s not part of my offer.” He leaned a little closer to me. “Perhaps it’s time to come home, Angie.”

“Perhaps, Father. But as Angela Carter said, ‘Home is where the heart is and hence a movable feast.’ I think my heart and my feast have moved on. But I’ll think about it.”

Wukowski and I left the building in silence. When we got to the cars, I motioned to the Miata and we sat in the sun for a brief confab. “You noticed that he had bookmarked the page about the seal of the confessional?” I commented.

“Seems Father Tom has been reading up recently on what’s allowed and what’s not allowed concerning matters told in confession.”

I turned to him and grasped his arm with my hand in excitement. “Jane confessed to killing Elisa. I just know it, Wukowski.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I