Les pornographes sacrés: La confession et les confesseurs Appendice: Pieuses exhortations, par Monseigneur Claret; Mœchialogie, par le R. P. Debreyne; Compendium; et les Diaconales, par Monseigneur Bouvier

A restless journalist finds himself at the center of a Parisian congress of free‑thinkers, where his sharp critique of clerical abuses sparks a sudden, scathing outburst from an unknown heckler. Intrigued rather than offended, he launches a meticulous inquiry into the heckler’s background, uncovering tangled ties between newlyweds, charitable societies, and the very institutions he has been denouncing. The early chapters trace his relentless pursuit of answers through newspapers, courtroom whispers, and the shadowy corridors of the Church.

Through a mix of biting satire and vivid reportage, the narrative exposes the absurdities of confession, the double standards of the clergy, and the political intrigue that surrounds them. Listeners are treated to a vivid portrait of late‑19th‑century France, where religious authority and republican ambition collide in unexpected ways. The book stops short of revealing the ultimate fate of the protagonist’s investigation, leaving the suspense alive for the listener’s imagination.