For the first time in decades, Giuseppe, an old Italian farmer decided it was time for him to go to confession to seek absolution for his sins.
So, he went to the Roman Catholic church in his village and entered the confessional box.
He knelt and said, “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.”
The priest replied quietly, “What is this sin of which you speak, my son?”
“Father,” Giuseppe continued, “during the Second World War a beautiful woman knocked on my door and asked me to hide her from the enemy, so I hid her in my loft.”
“Well,” said the priest, “it was wartime, a fellow human being was in trouble and in need of shelter, and you helped. Surely, that’s a noble act?”
“But father,” Giuseppe continued, “it’s worse than you might think.”
“In what way?” asked the priest.
“She repaid me with sexual favours,” said Giuseppe, somewhat embarrassed.
“In wartime,” the priest responded, “people act in ways they wouldn’t do in peacetime. If you’re truly sorry for your actions, then you’re forgiven.”
“Thank you,” said Giuseppe, “that’s a great weight off my mind. But Father, may I ask you a question?”
“Yes, of course,” the priest responded.
Giuseppe paused momentarily, and then said, “Should I tell her that the war is over?”