Another word that seems a propos here is seel, used in falconry, meaning to sew the bird's eyes shut. Shakespeare used it metaphorically a number of times, as in this quote from Othello:

She that, so young, could give out such a seeming,
To seel her father's eyes up close as oak-- 

Apparently there's no semantic link with seal, although they are, to a degree, synonyms here. I'd say Father Steve's guy, with the leather hood, has the more humane approach. I'm relieved to hear he got off.