D. Crisostomo was a middle-aged priest, rather short, a bit plump, who held the position of Prefect Father in a religious school in Madrid, in the early 1960s.

One day, he called me to his office. I knew why he was doing it. I had been caught with a copy of the Interviu magazine where an actress appeared in somewhat revealing clothing (given the era we're talking about today, she would seem like a nun).

I had it very clear that D. Crisostomo would punish me with the harshness he usually used to punish these things, that is, he would give me some slaps and whip my ass with the wooden ruler he always had on top of his desk.

In anticipation of all this, I placed some thin cardboard sheets in the back pockets of my pants, conveniently folded to cushion the impact of the ruler on my buttocks as much as possible.

I knocked on the office door. Once I got permission, I entered and stood in front of D. Crisostomo's desk with my eyes down and a victim's demeanor. We were at the end of May, and I was only wearing a t-shirt, shorts, socks, and shoes.

D. Crisostomo started talking to me about purity, chastity, and the decorum that a 16-year-old adolescent should have, and the sin of entertaining myself by looking at the sinful bodies of public and indecent women.

He got up from his chair, started walking around me, and finally, out of nowhere, while talking about the virtues of a saint from the congregation, he slapped me, making me stumble. Then he told me that I had to pay for the sin I had committed and announced that he would apply an exemplary corrective measure.

He asked me if I was ashamed. I told him no, that I didn't think my behavior deserved any further punishment, and that I wasn't ashamed of anything. What do you mean, nothing? Well, I'll make you feel shame, your own and others'.

He ordered me to follow him and started walking down a series of corridors that led to the sacristy of the church. There, Sister Regla was found, who worked as a catechist in a nearby girls' school, belonging to the same Order, and was in charge of managing the Sacristy of the Church shared by both schools. After greeting her, he indicated that he was going to punish me and wanted her to be a witness to my punishment, as this would make me ashamed of my sin.

At the back of the sacristy, there was a staircase leading up to a small room where they stored candles and other worship utensils. There was also a railing that divided the room in two. More than a railing, it was like a bar that served to support the long candle holders, crosses, etc., used in processions.

D. Crisostomo told me to put my hands on the railing, a position that kept me almost bent, as the railing was not very high.

The nun stood behind me and told me to step back a couple of steps without taking my hands off the railing. D. Crisostomo picked up a very wide, buckle-less belt made of quite thick and old l...