The Walking Dead: What Was Father Gabriel’s Big Secret?

Upon meeting Father Gabriel, we knew that he was a troubled man.  He was trapped on top of a rock, surrounded by walkers.  He had no weapons and couldn’t defend himself.  He didn’t lay a hand on the walkers, instead he called out for help.

After being saved by Rick and the crew, Father Gabriel brought the group back to the church.  Carl found scratches at the windows and the words “You’ll Burn For This” carved into the outside walls.

The group grew even more suspicious of Gabriel when he refused to talk about his past.  That is, until this week’s episode of The Walking Dead.

Father Gabriel confessed his sins to the group of survivors.  He explained that he always locked the church doors at night.  ALWAYS.  One night, after locking himself safely inside the church, a family attempted to get into the church.  They pounded on the doors to get in, but Father Gabriel refused.  Instead, he sat inside the church as he heard the walkers outside tear apart those survivors.

The guilt from that night has eaten Father Gabriel alive ever since.  He’s not a bad man, he just didn’t risk his life to let other survivors into the church.  To most survivors, that wouldn’t even be an issue at this point in the walker apocalypse, but since Gabriel is a man of the cloth, he could see it as an unforgivable sin.  It’s even possible that Father Gabriel blames himself for their deaths because of his decision not to open the door.

Do you think Father Gabriel’s secret is unforgivable?  Do you think he’ll be able to overcome the decision that he made?  Discuss it in the coments below.