Why should priests bother with penitents? Dishing out all that grace, helping people avoid eternal damnation in the red hot flames of Hell, listening to long shopping lists of sins while pretending that you don't know who is talking, - knowing full well that some of them are making stuff up! - then getting gossiped about if you actually encourage someone to come back to communion, showing that forgiveness ACTUALLY means you are forgiven....

...and then all the thanks you get is a pair of black socks at Christmas. 😡