A Victim to the Seal of Confession: A True Story

by Joseph Spillmann

Una víctima del secreto de la confesión es una bella, conmovedora e importante novela basada en hechos reales, que muestra la abnegación capaz de soportar el sacerdote, padeciendo incluso necesidades y sufrimientos, con tal de no revelar los secretos de confesión.

Esta historia inicia en el año 1888, en Provence, un pintoresco pueblo situado a los pies del monte Sainte-Victoire. Su personaje central es el sacerdote Françoise'a Montmoulin, quien consigue una importante suma de dinero de uno de los feligreses de mayor edad, para la construcción de un hospital, pero sobreviene un asesinato y el sacerdote Montmoulin, de acuerdo con toda la evidencia circunstancial, es el principal sospechoso.

¿Qué hacer en una situación en la que él sabe quién es el verdadero asesino, secreto que le ha sido revelado bajo confesión, teniendo la obligación de resguardarlo?

Esta historia real fue narrada y publicada detalladamente por los periódicos católicos de su tiempo en todo el mundo, como un ejemplo elocuente de la obligación de los sacerdotes de guardar el sigilo de la confesión, aun a costa de su honor y su vida.

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Fr. Joseph Spillmann, SJ, b. at Zug, Switzerland, 22 April, 1842; d. at Luxembourg, 20 February, 1905. He attended the primary school and gymnasium of his native town, but feeble health necessitated his leaving his studies and devoting himself to his father's business. At the age of sixteen he resumed his interrupted studies at the Jesuit college of Feldkirch. Having entered the Jesuit novitiate at Gorheim (1862), he was sent, during the Franco-Prussian War (1870), to nurse the sick. Ten years later, when his order was banished from Germany, he went to England to complete his theological studies, and in 1874 was ordained priest. The life work of Spillmann, who had already shown his poetic gift in his contributions to "Der Hausfreund" (a calendar published by Father Pachtler in 1872), was clearly marked out for him. He was appointed collaborator on the "Stimmen aus Maria-Laach" (founded in 1871) and the "Katholiche Missionen" (founded in 1873).

Spillmann's fruitful literary activity resulted chiefly from his connection with these periodicals, especially the "Katholiche Missionen" which he edited from 1880 to 1890. From his "Beilagen für die Jugend" grew seventy portly volumes of the "Reisebilder", while twenty-one booklets, "aus fernen Landern"owe their origin to the same source; those consisted of edifying and tastefully illustrated stories for the young, with whom they have become favorites, which the numerous editions and translations prove. His comprehensive "Geschichte der Katholikenverfolgung in England von 1535-1681" began with articles in the "Stimmen aus Maria-Laach", was continued in the supplements to this periodical, and was completed in five large volumes. For the calendar, the "Hausfreund", which was given up in 1881, Spellman wrote many stories; these were afterwards collected under the title, "Wolken und Sonnenschein, eight pretty stories for the young which have been frequently republished and translated into other languages. Spillmann also wrote seven longer romances, the first (Die Wonderblum von Woxindon) appearing in 1893; and the last (De schwarze Schumacher) ten years later; they are written in the style of his favorite authors, Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens. An eighth romance was sketched, but a serious illness prevented its completion. Spillmann's importance arises chiefly from his works for the young.

Reviews

[Daniela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro ya tenia varios años en mi librero, y no sé por qué siempre lo dejaba de lado.

Esta es la historia de Francisco, un piadoso sacerdote que, por azares del destino, es acusado de asesinato y robo.

Francisco es un cura de intachable reputación, humilde y caritativo; pero un día, alguien acude a él para confesarse; es ahí donde se entera de que se ha cometido un atroz asesinato; sin embargo, sin importarle las consecuencias, está dispuesto a no romper este sigilo, a pesar de que esto pueda costarle la vida.

En la novela seremos testigos de todo aquello que Francisco es capaz de soportar y sufrir por esta causa; y no solo él, sino también su familia.

Tiene una buena dosis de suspenso y te mantiene en tensión casi de principio a fin.

Tal vez a algunos les parece algo inverosímil, ya que, sabiendo quién es el asesino, no quiera decirlo; sin embargo, para nosotros los creyentes, esta novela nos muestra una fe inquebrantable y un gran amor incondicional por el prójimo, justo lo que deberíamos hacer todos independientemente de nuestro credo.

[Paul Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This real story of a priest who was convicted for a murder that he did not commit, because he could not bring forth evidence he heard in confession, is very interesting. It's just that the fictional dialogue can be cheesy or hard to believe at times.