Malachi hummed, but the sound was little indication of his thoughts regarding the Lord's forgiveness. He'd said what he'd said. If Mister Tully wished to argue with a priest about what the bible said, he'd let him run his mouth until he grew tired or changed his mind.

"Ah?" Malachi glanced back again, dark eyebrows raised. His gaze didn't linger, but he seemed neither shocked nor upset with the admission.

"Our bodies are temples, as holy as this church. Some just have a harder time seeing past the worldly flesh," he offered a half-hearted shrug. He led them through the next door, towards the presbytery. "I am glad to hear that Father Richards was not unkind to you."

Not that he was surprised, either. The other priest had been nothing but kind, from what he'd seen and heard of him so far.