Confession; one of the great cons.
When I was about 14, our teacher told us, with a straight face that " The seal of confession has never been broken" . I had enough brains not to ask him how he could possibly know that.
As I grow older, I can’t help but increasingly reflect on how gullible children are, believing literally anything told to them by an adult. Of course many adults aren’t much better, believing anything told to them by a member of the priestly caste. (human beings with dinosaurs is a special favourite)
These days there is no doubt in my mind that some unscrupulous priests black mailed penitents.