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Acts_1972_xxx.ASC_GC020_special

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Acts_1972_xxx.ASC_GC020_special

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SPECIAL

GENERAL CHAPTER

xx

ROME - 1O JUNE 1971 - 5 JANUARY 1972

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LETTER OF PRESENTATION

OF THE RECTOR MAJOR

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Rome, 31. l. 1972

Dear Sons,

On the d,ay appointed' by the Chwrch to celebrate the'dies

natalis' ol our Found,er, ratker l,ess than a rnonth since the con-

clusion ol owr Speciat General Chapter, I kaae the great pl'easure

ol presenting yoxi uith i,ts frwits. Not tke only ones to be sure,

b,ut certa'inl,y tke most pos'itiae and swbstantial. They are to be

tfokuenbda, cikngrtowwonda, oolulrnde'osc, troinnael,oal nwdhipcahsItorhael rtehionfhfeinr gyoawndcomgotta'iidnes-

lRineegswllaotironascutiohnic,hthoebaoiothueslryehrnabuoed,mieosrmthaetianeewaalcuoenustiittkwttitonn'iaserasnadl

appl,ication ol a

As I kand.

ki.nd. al,l

yow this

tkeir own.

aolume ol

the

'Orientamenti,'

I

want

to

'it

make a

nray be

leu obserua,tions wh'ich

rightly aalued, and, its

I consid'er

content put

important, so

into practice,

that

this

also goes lor all the work done by our spec'ial General chapter.

In the Constitwtiorts ancl Regulations you taill also find my

briel note ol presentatiotr,, I hope it wil,l serue as an introduct'ion

to them.

I. MEANING OF THE SPECIAL GENERAL CHAPTER

The XX General Chapter has uithout amy d'owbt been the

longest'in owr

oni thrrr1ore

history, bwt ae haae to appreciate tkat the

the Congregation, had entrusted it witk a

Ckurch'

task ol

extraord.inq'ry cornplexity needing d,elicate handling' Wherelore

considering the aast rnass of worh to be faced' and' its unusual

natwre, the seuen months it was to take, do not seen too long'

VII

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Irud,eed other congregations haae giaett, eaen, lnore time than this

to their ceneral, chapters, sorne lraae had, to d,iuid.e it into tuto

sessions.

ln search of our own identity

The Chapter has sowght to red,iscoaer in depth our ozun id,en_

tity, to giae swbstance and, f,rm lowndation to this renewal so

desired by the Church. It is d,emand.ed ol ws by society in, eaolwtion

whose nt,anifold, aspects d,eeply ,in,fl,wence youth tod,ay,

it is owr mission to uorh. We set about this task,

&?nlng

lacing

whom

things

as they really are, by lollowing the gwide-lines and, directiaes ol

the church ol the cowncil and, in answer to the insistent d,emancls

lrom the Congregation itsefi.

As I said, at the concled,ing session, the Speciat, General

Chapter has been q. aery great eaent, both spiritual, and ecclesial,

and, ol enor?nlus irnportance to our salesian laruily. We had,

witnessed, responsible collaboration, on the aid.est scale,,it uas

accompanied, by a thowsand,s' strong chorus ol prayer that the

efi,caciotts presence ol the Holy Spirit be with u,s at euery phase

ol the Chapter. Looking bach,, I leet I can truly say, in spite

ol d.efi,ciencies, ol weakness and. error, qll part ol kwruan limitation,

ue rgere consciows ol this through the long process ol its d,eaelop-

rnent atr,d the task to be d,one was certainly no simple one.

Fidelity to Don Bosco

The leit motiv zpthich has rwn throoryh the work ol the chapter

at eaery stage has been: "gctardare a Dctn Bosco oggi" _ tooh

il to Don Bosco as he were here today. How m,,st we do things

- to be trote to the spirit ol Don Bosco in the circum,st&%ces, situat,ions,

in the difi.cctlties ol tod,ay and, tomorrow; in the secwlqr society

ol owr own time with its rad,ical transform,ation at a pace neaer

before aitnessed,? The Chapter has tried, to und.erstand. both what

it is that proaidence uants of us tod,ay, atl,d, what was in the heart,

character and, sttpernatural charism ol Don Bosco uhich mad,e

VIII

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hiru respond as ke d,id to the rnission tke same proaid'ence gaae

to his Society in his oun t'ime.

In times ol particular difi.culty and special tension, look-

ing aluays to Doto Bosco, we I'r,aue had a clear understanding that

tke aitetity ol tke congregation and its successlul apostolate in

tke years to come would d'epend' in a aery d,efinitiae way on the

d,'ivection tke Ckapter mou gaae to its actiaity, and' still Ytore to

the image the Congregation uill, haae in tke Ckwrch lor the youth

ol tod.ay, to the uorld att'd ol cox4,rse belore all, in the fi'rst place

God himsell.

Alt, tkese qwestions and, simila.r anxieties haae been witk ws

att tke time and' oltentirnes reached, the point ol prodwcing acute

personal, sufering, intensifi,ed by the natural' diference there utas

iInhinn,uo{go,tmt,uhaaaenataoalceltpaortpylnk,rdeoce,silrcteeiioacaanortinmoarxnnnpiaodlehouteeets'sxth&qhtahrueluisseslpgstiriettaomiroeb,pnlecooinmesngserstisbainlaifenin,lntd-ykd,ensoabeolnut'ttohaqtreo'inepssmneowrtyhaleetmrw'cti-toaeonynnstoIie'ol -frtIfehepinrneetohhadwet''

present to yoct'.

By theru,selaes tkey are not norrnatiue, bwt tkey are none the

less ol lund,arnental irnportance in tkat they conta'in the 'ideas'

-

th,ings by which ue liue.

lvithito tke couers ol this aolume yow ftnd tke motiaatiotc

ol tke new Constitcttions and Regulations

tkey spr,ing and. the concrete directiues ol

u- kicthke

princ'iples ahence

they are tke corol'

lary. As you see \\ee are dealing aitk docurnents of the aery greatest

importance lor euery single salesian.

TemPtations to be overcome

1. Prcconceptions of distrust - disillusionment.

The lamous physicist Einstein used to say it 'is easier to

smqsh the

It 'is

not know

atom than breq'h

possible that there

kou wide-spread

down a preconception'

is st'tch, a preconception

- ahich lor different

-reaIsoanosu-ld

IX

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eaen lor leasons

tke uork ol the

Soppepcoisael,dGtoenoenrealqC,nhoatphteerr.-

deaalues a priori all

I

better

twd,es;

-Iarnsaimnppopatlryneonsutayrgeoathsinoag%t sstoir-neinlauprrwnept rofaoitnrewtstahroedl.ptasoeiewiuwd,soh-toriulay,eouttihaeeerssreu-oattiatoi--r

It atecl cowld, bring imrnense hwrt to salesian commumities. wowl,d.

compromise the efi.cacy ol the irnmense uork d,orue and nwl,lify

the sacrifi.ces ol eaery hind

bear. It uowld be an act ol

uthick tke Congregation has had, to

d.istrwst showing littte d.ocitity to the

Chu,rch which uilled. the Speciat, General Chapter to see the Con-

gregation renewed,, it wowld, also be am act ol prowd, preswmption

in the indiaidu,al in lace ol the pronowncerments ol the supreme

organ ol the Congregation. Tkere is this to add,, he uho acts in

this manner is not recognizable q.s a. son ol that Don, Bosco who

uas in, his fi.lial, attitwd,e eaer ready to meet the d,ispositions of

the Ckurch and the Pope; neither does he loae the Congregation

uhich at this moment has great need. ol seeing all the pouers ol

her sons united. as a single lorce toward,s renewal.

2. Harmonizing the documents.

It has come abowt, and, unlortunately uith great hurt to the

Chwrch that olten the Conciliqr Documents haue been qwoted, owt

of context in sctpport of ideas and, mod,es of action completely

alien to the context and, the 'mens' ol the conciliar Docurnents

themselaes.

I swggest that all aaoid a similar attitwde uhen, d,ealing with

our ow,n Special General Chapter.

The Chapter, together uith its d.ocurment is one indiaisible,

harruoruiows, organic utltole. Not alt ol it utilt haae the sarne nor?/&-

atiae aalwe. Ol necessity the d,ocutnents and, the ,Orientamenti,

uill haae different styles and, its oan uay of presenting the problems;

the ed,iting uill aary trorn one to another and, soru,etimes there

may appear a lack of homogeneity this in no uay lessens their

aalid,ity, lor there is alaays a global one,ness between the ind,iaid.-

ual docutments.

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It cannot be ctd.m,itted that

onl,y prepared to accept those

tke SPecial General' Ckapter

tk'itogs whick swstained its

uas

oun

peisoiat,'tkeses, or its oun attitwd,es to lile and, mod.e ol tkought.

For rnotiaes of uhat I might calt simple honesty and' respect for

truth, the General Ckapter is to be accepted' through all that' and

in all that, it teaches obiectiuely in its docurnents. And' all this

without parentkeses, withou,t straining the meaning, aaoid'ing all,

und,erlining, or conue?Lient silences and ukateuer interpretat'ion

tkat cannot be honestly d,eriaed' lrorn tke context and' lrom the

'mens' ol the Ckapter whi'ck reswlts lrom the wkole body ol the

documents themselves.

Our dutY

I always lihe to think tkat oatr attitude' ylung or ol'd &s we

are, lay religi,ous or priests, true sons ol Dotc Bosco and ol the

Congrigatioi;s,iust that asked. ol us by Paul VI in tkat so cordial

aud.ience giaeru ots on, 20 Decen'tber last' (1971)

"We know," he said', "that in the long and fatigct'ing discus-

siotos in your Ckapter yo'Lt, haae uorked' out the prescriptiue guid'e'

lines

wkat

lor your up-d.ating (aggiornamento); ue also know

bread,tk ol aision and. competemce y01t haue arestled

t'ptith

uith

your ma'ny problem,s; atl that rernains to Us is to ct'rge yow to

irrorro* tie lruit ol so mu,ch stwdy and to giae yootr uil'ling co-

operation to tke carrying ou,t into efect the prescriptions to whick

you a.re committed,."

Now to practice: i'f tke latherly uord's ol tke Pope clear as

they are, qre-to becorne lor each one of ws a lruitlul real'ity' and

actwally bring us to thq.t "uilLing co-operation to carry into ef-

lect the presiriptions to wkich yolt' q're committed" to uhich he

inuites ws all, it,is necessq,ry to keep present belore ws considerations

which ale both premises and cond,itions |or achieuing this pwrpose.

This is trie: iust as it is not docwrnents bwt men who make

history, so will ir, always be the salesians themselaes an,d not jwst

one or

ancl it

two

is

volumes ol d,ocuments uho uill renew tke Congregation;

also tru,e that to become the tmen capable ol bringing

XI

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about this reneaal it is an ind,ispensabre cond.ition that all the

d,ocuruents be really well hnoun so tkat the content is assimilated,

and brought into the real here-amd.-nou ol each member, and, the

same lor com,mwnities at their aariows leael,s.

a) To read and study these Capitwla,r d,ocu,ments is not only

d.emand,ed, by our docility to the Holy spirit and. an act of thanksgia-

ing lor his lratitlwl presence in the Chapter, but also it is a d.uty

intirnately linked, with owr religious profession. Today a salesian

cannot

refwse

be

to

laithlul to

ualk the

his aocation il in

path sign-posted,

any

by

aay

the

at alt he showld.

speciat Generar

Chapter XX.

He who wowld, ignore these docwments and still more to the

point, the new Constitcttions and. Regwlations would,,

it clearly

which the

-Chwlarcllh

far short of that

asks ol us today.

creatiae

fi.derity

to

let me say

Don Bosco

FThinerdefotirrerue-

a word of command, for everyone.

to read, tkese docurnents personally.

Not

read them, bwt rnq.he the read,ing systeruatic, penetrating,

do it at a tirne ahen yow are at peace and, receptiae. This

iwst

and,

will

enable you to absorb the richness therein contained,.

Let theru be read in commwnity, stopping here and, there to

coru,rnent, discwss and to challenge certain points in ord.er to get

down to

it. In, a

its real

special

meaning and, to the

way let them be read

obligations ahich d.erire lrom

in their entirety and. seriously

studied in proaincial cowncils and, in the comrmissions preparatory

to the proaincial chapters. Su,ch read,ing uiil serue to giae a clear

idea

tirue

ol

it

tuhiellsdpeirmitonwshtricahtepcelremaeralytetshealrlntohteivadt.oiocnw,mtehnetsa, rqe.tathaends.atmhee

limits ol all the pouters which haae been giuen to d.ifierent sectors

ol gouerrument in the proaince, in aiew ol the principle of sub_

sid,iarity and, d.ecentralization.

Thws aill be auoid.ed, eyrors in planning or in setting-wp

things lor stotdy, there witl be feuer omissions and. gaps in the

study and, solution of probtems which the proainces and prouincial

conlerences

I hqve

will, haue to face.

referred. to prouincial

chapters:

they

aitt

haae

a

most

XII

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important part to play to bring into efect the uorh ol the sfecial

Geieral Ckapter in the proainces. It is lor this purpose alone

they uilt be called' and, organized, it is in this fiel'd al'one that they

must worh and in no other.

Therefore it is not their bwsiness to fropose amd study nea

problems, but solely to stctdy and find. the best possible way to

iealize the General Chafter: this i,f aelt prepared lor and cond,wcted.,

uil,l ofier the most efi,cacious way to tke renewal ol the proa'ince'

b) To absorb to the full: t haae i%sisted on the right read-

ing ol the d,ocu,ments, bwt it is eaident that this cq'nnot be q' end'

i,n-itsell. As I kaae hinted it has to serue in the fi,rst place to'absorb

and assimilate' all tke richness they contain and then to arriae

at a conuinced' intel,lectwal, acceptance ol thern, ol their spirit so

that tkey can be transforrned, amd' becont'e part ol our life styl'e:

the whole purpose ol tke enorrnoxls work of the Ckapter is iust

this: to ruake sal,esiams, all of ws, tkose uho real'ize and' bring

aboott by owr conainced,, enthusiastic aorh this great reneual, per'

sonal and' together uitk our brothers in comrnunity'

Dear Soms, let orc haae it uett in m'ind; i,t will not be tke irn-

pat'ient intemperance of the mil,itants, nor tke prophets ol doom

wko

wi,ll,

l,ong lor the things now

renew the Congregat'ion,

past

but

and, no loruger ol seruice, uho

tke patient, generous uork ol

all those, wko uith a hunoble amd generous heart, open and aaailable,

haae been able to catch the aoice ol Don Bosco in th,e capitular

d,octunents uhich plan the structure for renewal'.

2. THE STRUCTURtrS LEADING TO POST CAPITULAR

RENEWAL

Up to nou I haae spohen ol tke renewal in ample and' sonte'

what generic terrns.

But the post'cafitwt,ar obligations dern'and uell determ'ined

choice ol mea,ns wh,ick wilt, work, and' aery doun to eartk and'

uell grad.oaated, step-by-step action, wkich set bor.r,ndaries on the

breadih ol the global, themes ol tke Ckapter, and instead correspond

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ita_nohtethhaeFedno,celaoelodnl,lwctlthuihnedegrienwgaiseppitghorhaoctsroneonsislceoetnhlmtetrhaaertdee.,wenaeototurklae,tlahtsheotanlmtoaterhretnlhebedwe.yirsseesaosiprsslaetitnimhotinemale,Co,dllhiniaaeepnteeete.tr,y_r

gies showld be auoid'ed, that the obligation showrd. ie homogeneous

and lor all the Congregation, strengthening in the Congiegation

wnity in d,eaelopment, I d,esire to swggest to you fiue broarrl, iIi.,".,

on which we should locus all our attention and, to whick we should,

I d,irect all ou,r energies in the years immed,iately ahead,.

haae ind.icated aery briefly the sense ol each ol these..linee,,

(uays). The capitwlar

r uish only to pwt in

d.ocwments amply shotu their contemt. Here

euid,ence those things which should, become

the centres ol conuergence in the actuar post-capitutar end.eauowr.

1. Vital awareness of the active presence of God

In art. 1 ol the neu constitutions we proclaim owr conaic-

tion that owr society "...catrue into being not onry by huruan egency

bwt by the prouidence of God,...', and. that the actiae preseice of

the Spirit is the fi,rm basis ol owr hope and, it *rgr, *i to fid.etity.

oThuersIectowniasoerdrtgosenlboceregminin,abosyyuno,rtuhpreosesiast-gcoealrpwpitewkraslatormnacwlosrstnebmnesitetthnoeefnftai,wrtsoat rcereennneetsrwesaool.fl

the presence ol God. in our rnid.st. what ue say of the ind.iuidwal

ae s&y also ol the commun'ity. Here is the irreplaceable basis

ol a trwe salesian, aocation. It would be the graaest a,nd, irreparable

hind, ol error to place the fund.amentat poir,t ol our reniwar on

anything else.

The Special General Chapter, uthile taking into accownt q,ll

the human res0u/ces ol the congregation and the sociological

aspects ol its apostolate, alaays emphasizecl clearly that the sales-

'I

ians are nroaed lrom on high tkrough the aariows ,nteans God, or-

d,inarily wses to fwrtker his pl,ans.

Especially tkrough the neu Constitwtions the Special Gen_

eral, chapter guarded against the danger ol loohing soleiy to hwman

instruments and' it rnakes liaely and, stimwrating referemce, tnore

xIv

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lreqwently tkan in, the otd constitwtions, to the supernatwral aspect

ol God's presence 'itr, tke Congregation.

The Society is not iust any hind' ol beneficent and soc'ial

assoc'ia,tion, bod a great cowmu,nity of consecrated' persons, bon'ded

together in char,ity to perlorrn a mission which 'is totally sotfer-

natu,ral.

Here the uords ol Pawl VI are tnost opportu'ne:

"If the d.esired wp-d.ating does not lead apostolic d'ynancism

bq.ck to a.7n0re'intirnate comtq.ct with God, but yiel'ds to secular

rnentality and' lollows

titudes, camowfl'aging

efemeral ways

itsetl witk the

and ckanging

uorld and' its

worldly at-

lorms and

uithout d,iscernn+ent, then ind,eed. wowld there be need, ol thinking

serioorcly ol those seaere word,s ol tke gospel,:'il salt lose its sl.tour...

it 'is no longer good' lor an.ttthing except to be tkroun owt and' trod''

d,en

und,er tke loot

Tke spirit ol

ot' mam.'

your fownd,er,

wko

i'n'

lile

was

so

open

to

the

meecls of yoottk, but rernained, always united w'ith God', seems to

Us tod.ay to ash of yor,t, before anything else tkis particular com-

mitment.

read,iness,

We are certa'inthat you as always, an'd' uith

utill lollow this im,pulse." (Discot't'rse of

eaen greater

Paul VI to

the menr,bers ol the Spec. Gen. Chap.).

All this 'implies 'in fractice tkat ue mahe energetic eforts

to giue again abiolute priority to the lile ol fai'tk (cf Const' 52)'

Sroit prirnocy is ackieued, in a constant tuofold' uay, by that ol

,r*r*id. prayer and. by a lile ol daily witness (Cozsl' 2; 54)'

2. Mission to youth and to the people

Art. 3 ol the new Constitutior,s reminds ws that tke mis-

siotr, specifies the task we kaae in the Ckwrck and' the place we

haue a-mong otker religious lamilies, and, this it is whick determines

the uhole tone ol our life (Const. 3).

In the long months ol cafitular worh ue uere aery preoc-

cwpied. hou to ie-d.efine, uith the greatest possi,ble precision, the

*tission God, had. confi.ded. to Don Bosco and his sons in the Chwrch.

Ituasseenq.sthefocal,pointolowruhol'eaocation'Fromit

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tcuugoohhhoiueuatorhrrloelleemIucnhiltsagirusaietlnshalmnsiiieongtiimrorealgecietltl.eyiootuhdorWle,eiwsttsykoetetooeharihwednyntra.rctdeekuarw,teeeeacahacrrtinnsweceeeidhnpaeaf-taditdit,ano.odl,eadidt,teow,yttaihrnmyietlrgaioeeutnuorofstalteeoliactfcroptkahktrtlrr,oeiescywnneo,Cgeicrsruaiormoielecnnluecrsgcasdth,rrs,ele.aysigaatu7e:oansesttedhihlcot,aooeirnniin*.elc,rdeora,tunntihnt,edicpeode.wer,nneattstitoht,rylaae;,thrrtoiteeeeolf

piooawnrramastaetelteensrtiioao'nnfsoohwnarouidueer inlnatiitttyhh,easneCdc,h%oureurcrahrne.ds.Aewanerdcll_.hdi,tienfit,inosedthh,.eerespueeciftf,ic.ndm.isthse-

The Special General Chapter

ahy, points out to us three great

beyond. giuing us the re^So?rs

highroad.s to traaerse to renew

owr mission to yowth and to the people.

These highways ae haae to trauel al,ong with decision, ot)er_

coming difi,cul,ties, kabits and preiwd.ices:

-

-

-

the way ol the poor (Const. 10; espec. g7_gg_89);

the way ol catechesis (Const. 20; Regwt. 1_Z);

the way ol the Missions (Const. Z0; Z4).

In order to reach out utitk loae to youth in its poaerty and,

to make owrselues credible to them, to ackieae the sarni re-auaken-

ing ol the missionary spirit and, the urge to eaangelize, to be sen_

sitiue to the demands ol owr fund,amentat, rnissioi ol ,c::atechizing,,

belore all, else ue haae to haue the heart of a poor man, utho riaes

aaanadilalobul,eestothasot utrlsu,eapltoaoel rtthyewmhipcohomr ainkessohmimanlryeed.aifendre. ntkterwealoyrse.

Tkerelore the fi.ght against the easy lile ol corufort,- on, personal

and commwnity leaers, in att its manilest exp'ress;ions'must be

cond.ucted, alter the chapter uithowt any lalse indutgence.

Whateuer spirituat conqwests ue hope lor tomorrow, ltow_

Ieucear ngrheeaat ranDdo,nwoBnods.ceorfurel,ptehaetyingwiitll

d.epend,

lor ws.

on

this

uery

foint.

Therelore read, attentiuety the articres oi the constitwtions

uhich couer these "linee" (zuays) then crarily them with the

d,ocuments - orientamenti - amd, we shail sie open wp belore

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2.5 Page 15

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us a, aast panorarna ol worh to be done here and' noza; this is precisely

uhat return

uhick giaes

two sDboanchBobsecloierlnienanasn-d,

back to the

enthusiasm

fi'elds ol

lor our

Valdocco

aocation.

The sincerity and tke efi,cacy ol post capitu,lar corn'mitment,

and each one c&n assess himsell , aerilying his progress against

the rnaster-plan, plotted by these 'Lt)ays' ol tke salesian ruission.

3. Building community

The tkird centre indicated, by the Special General Chapter

lcoormumiguonriotyusdpimroesnesciuotnionolinoutrhesaolerdseiarnoll,irfeen.eIutalisisacfi,enrntaeidn,lyasthea

'fundamental, requirement' and the 'secure uay' (Cortst. 50) lor

tke realization ol our aocation.

The comrruwnity ol uhi,ck the Special General Chapter speaks

is a rel,igio,t4,s clrnnlunity, that is, one'in uhich the n'ternbers liae

united by the bond ol ckarity, by a conornln, consecrq.tion and

mission.

The XIX General Chapter had already been, concerned and

preoccupied and, had, giuen neu and uide consideration to corn'

ntwnity life.

In tke construction ol the religiows cornmwnity the Special

General Chapter und,erlines the aspect ol the " communion, ol

brotherhood," to be sought alter in the ind,iuid,ual houses (Const.

5S-59-60) and, the special im,portance the prouincial commwnity

has in tke Congregation (Const. 64-106-187-180'196 - Regwl.

1 -4-7 - 44- 47 - 5 2- 6 2-6 4-90-9 5- 17 2- 17 7) .

In this fiel,d ae need to concentrate ootr eforts on two planes'.

that of "co-responsibility and participation" ol the members in'

the actiaity ol the Congregation (Const. L26) and that ol "sub-

sidiarity and' decentralization" uhich both d,eaelops and increases

tke liuing wnity ol tke Congregation 'in tke eaer tarying plwrality

ol situations (Const. 127).

All this brings uith it a rnore intense and watchful, azuaremess

ol the deep significance ol tke principl,es wkich inspired the Chapter

in the li,ght ol Vatica.n Council II. It would be a seriows nr,istake

XVII

2.6 Page 16

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tkerefore to base onesefi on a phrase here and there out ol context,

in, order to dedwce argotments completely alien to the principles

ol Chapter XX. For exarnple, in its assessmemt ol the aalue

ol comrnwmity it has neuer for a moment intend,ed, to annwl the

aalwe and the lunction of authority.

The Special General Ckapter XX ernphasizes clearly the

reality of the "com,mwnion" arnong conlrDres, by ahich they share

in all, the spiritual goods ol the cornnounity and. in all its apostolic

r esporosibilities .

The salesian therefore is not one in isolation, uho foll,ous

his oun pwrpose by his personal, initiatiue, he is instead, one who

liues aith others,in charity, works witk others in a conxrfto,n actiaity,

rnakes his contribwtion to the spiritual lile ol the contmwnity and

fronr, it receives help and support; he shares the responsibility ol

the community in research, in m,aki.ng d,ecisions and, in produc-

ing efectiae worh. Wkile the salesian lotl,fi,ls his own proper rol,e

in the lile ol the commwnity, he respects that ol others and. in the

f,rst place that ol awthority.

This concept ol community ,is in fact that ol Don Bosco

himsel,f, he always thowght ol the salesi&n conl,tnunity as a farnily.

To bring into being the laruily of Don Bosco, there is no place

lor the aind,ication of personal rights, the ru,ortifi,cation of others

and the exacerbation ol the conflict betueen awtkority and, obed.-

ience. The salesian lamily (that is the nea commwnity ailled

by the Special General Chapter XX) cornes into being il lee

cornrnence in principle by wishing to bring ou,t all the spiritual

powers ol the conlrires and bond them together by the chain ol

swpernatnral, loae lor the Father and by our cornrnon mission.

the

In the salesian

basic eletnent is

coruruwnity

loue: where

t-heraenids

it kelps

loae al,l,

to recall it

other lorms

-of

participation take their place serenely.

4. Evaluating and re-launching the Salesian Family

Salesians, says clocurnent 1 (n. 151), cannot re-think their

aocatiotl, in the Chu.rch withowt relerence to those who uith thent

carry ont the aill ol the Fownder, lor this potrpose they seeh for

XVIII

2.7 Page 17

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a d.eefer wnity uith alt witkin tke autkentic diaersity ol each'

Tkere are aariows groups which l,iue in the spirit ol Don Bosco.

Art. 5 ol the new Constitwtions tells us thq.t su,ck growps 'together

wspiethciattls'relosrpmotrt,hsiebilSitqie.lses(iaCnoFnsatt.n5ily),.

q.nd, in thi's farn'ily ue haae

And, here we lace aruother

great signpost orc the rnarch towards renewal, in tke years im'

mediately ahead. It is also another indispensable point ol con'uer-

gence in tke fost'capitr,tlar task.

It is a matter ol wrgency to giue bach to our cornrnu'nities

the sense ol their being a nucleus pouerful enough to animate

and, enaigorate otker spirituat, and apostol,ic lorces and tkese in

tkeir turn will, enrich ws zuith great spiritwal and apostolic ad,-

aantages.

This was one ol the ckaracteristics ol the pastoral charity

ol Don Bosco. It is not nt'y intention to linger on our cotn'rnit-

m,ent to and. owr retat'ionshif uith the single growps ol our taruily'

I d,o howeaer leel it my duty to cal,l yowr attention to one precise

responsibil.ity. It is %ad,e tke noore pressing and seriows today

becactse it is one ol the demands ol tke ecclesial reneual ol Vatican

Council IL

We cannot

This is

and, must

tke

not

h,our ol the

continue to

liagnitoyre-

the People ol

it. We cann'ot

langwish q,nd. thws destroy 'it. This precise cornmitment,

God'

let it

as I

haae said aboae, can turn to owr great aduamtage.

While speakin'g ol our tay'folk, I want especi'all'y to speah

ol our Salesian Co-operators. The tuolold d,eclaration' of the

speciat General chapter to the co-oferators and to the confrires

can serae as q. concrete plan to bring into ef ect Don Bosco's original'

proiect lor the salesian co-operator.

In the proiect lor the deliberations personally prepared by

Don Bosco lor the First General Ckapter ol the Congregation,

we read these uords: " It is an association of tke greatest irnportance

lor us... it is the soatl of Tur congregation, this work ol the salesian

co-operators..." These a're aery demanding uords. At this rn'omett't

of owr history uken we feet, the need to be fl,anhed, and strengthened

by tay peopte lormed by and filled, tttith our ou'n spirit, ue rnust

not al,low the words ol our Father to rerna'in yet again empty

xrx

2.8 Page 18

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rhetoric. There is only one thing to be d,one. Roll wf our sleeues

and d,rqa lrom the prophetic aords ol Don Bosco att tke conse-

que?Lces, as prolownd as they are fu,ll of prornise throwgh reneaal.

5. Preserving unity in decentralization

Oory comm,unity is not only local or eaen propincial, both

the one and the other are liaing cel,ls in a rnuch vaster organisnt

which lorms

tion (Const.

6th-6e3w-1o2r3ld-,1c3o0t-n1m31w-n1i3ty2-1-35t-h1i5s2-is16t0h-e16u1h)o. leTChoisngirsegtahe-

community whick mwst be bwilt up with e l)ery special commit-

ment. The motiae which demands q,ll our concentration and, at-

tention is to be lownd in tkis phase ol decentrarization ukich

ae q,re abowt to enter om uith the Special General Chapter. It

is a phase tery d.elicately poised..

Let us re-read. tke articles ol both Constitottions and. Regulations

whick assign new obligations to prouincial chapters and, to proain-

cial conferences. As can be seen, this d.ecentralization, arthough

limitecl by the constitutions,

and, commitments uhick il

nevertheless implies pruratistic

they are not cownter-balanced.

lorms

by the

frofound,est reqwirements ol uni,ty, cowl,d. bring with thern ir-

reparable harm, ,nay eue,t, d,isintegration by a process of dissotution

to

tke uorld contrnwnity

Such a thing, as it

- tke Congregation.

was repeated. often enowgh

in

the

Chapter,

n0 one clesires, but good, desires are not

haae to act zrith uigilant prud.ence to

enough in this fi,e|,d.. We

aaoid steps uhich courd.

compromise that uery unity whick is tke "conditio sine quct. %on,'

lor the lile and. the fu,ture ol tke Congregation.

While we set about building wp communities at d.iferent

leuels, there is a great need, that ue be preoccupied, d.irectly and,

with positiue action to preserae and. strengthen ike uitat, unity ol

the Congregation at worl,d, leuel against the eaentwal centrilwgal

tend,encies not to be conlused uith true d,ecentralization.

In the years ahead this is a most seriows responsibility to

be hept belore the rnind,s ol proaincials qnd, those lorming their

cowncils - and not to tkese alonet.

xx

I

2.9 Page 19

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The cornmon efort shoul,d comcentrate on two cornplernentary

planes: the identity ol spirit of our one and the same mission

(Const. Ckap. 6) and the permanent bond to be kept a.l,iae uith

the Rector Maior and, his Council, (Const. 130-131-132-135-145).

Il it i,s trtte, and' the Constitutions affirm that they re'echo

tke teaching ol ootr Fatker i,n fidelity to owr constant tradition,

that the Rector Maior is tke "centre ol wnity" an'd, that ke in com-

mun'ion uith tke Swperior Council, skall, promote in the members

constont and, reneued fi,d,eti.ty to their salesian aocat'ion (Const. 129),

it is easy enough to understand how essential 'it is tkat in eaery

single part ol the Congregation there be this bond and that it be

strengthened, in positiae ways. Here lies owr power and our strengtk

and lrom this springs tke seuwity ol marck'ing ahead. together

uitk Don Bosco.

3, CONCLUSION

I Dear sons, haue sought to foint owt to you what to nbe seenx

to be the load-bearing strwctures ol the Special General, Chapter

and, this not so much to explain the content ol tke d,ocurnemts as

to enable you to see tke importance and, therelore the wrgency ol

the operatiae choices on uhich we must concentrate all, our ener-

gies dwring the next six years. On close examination o%e ca'n sa'y

that tkese fiue "linee" (ways) corne together and, lrom them flnu

owtuards tkat bod,y ol pri'ncifl,es, %orrns and' d,'irectiues contained

in the capitular docutnents. Yow kaae therefore in you,r kands

material, ol exceptional rtchness and, ol tke greatest interest to

rnake ol you all' builders in tke renettted' Congregation.

Fortuard' therefore, the time ol researck, of discwssion and

confrontation is oaer. The Congregation tkrough its Special, Gen-

euriatlh, Ctnhawpctherh-arditslabswopurremtheeofergcawnnd-,

has brought to a conclusion

phase and' fresents ws now

uith the lruit ol its imrnense colnn'ton efort. From this d,ay onuards

in the Congregation it is t'irne lor uorh, to bring into effect, to

carry ont; let each one uithin the l,irnits ol his own tash and res-

ponsibil,ity leel botk the dwty and tke ioy ol giuing to suck an

xxI

2.10 Page 20

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end, his personal contribu,tion. But l,et u,s remernber once again

that the renewal, will not come a.bout through prograrumes how-

eaer elaborate nor be browght about by changes which are pwrely

external, and, not easily assimilatcd,, but rather tkrough interior

q.ttitud,es, these ind,eed aital,ize and, determine the expressions ol

life. Tlte renewal will be tru,e ancl awthentic only when ue h,aue

the secwrity

in us.

ol

haaing

fou,nd

again

and,

reproduced,

Don

Bosco

I l,ihe to think that Don, Ru,a ahose beatif.cal,ion we rtre prepar-

ing lor and to uhose care ue confi.d.e alt, tke work ol this post-

capitwal time uould, not speak d,ifferently kimsetl.

May the Virgin Help ol Christians aluays maternally present

at eaery decisiae twrn in tke history ol the Congregation be uith

us as & star along this neu stretch ol ou,r iowrney to keep us sale

and to keep us strong.

uery affectionately

Don Lurcr RrccBnr

Rector Maior

XXII

3 Pages 21-30

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3.1 Page 21

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Key to the abbreviations

1) Bible

Deut. : Deuteronomy

Eccles. : Ecclesiastes

Ex.

: Exodus

Ezek. : Ezekiel

Gen.

: Genesis

Jer.

Is.

:

:

Jeremiah

Isaiah

Lev.

: Leviticus

I Mac. : Maccabees

2 Mac. : Maccabees

Num. : Numbers

Prov. : Proverbs

Ps.

: Psalms

I Kings : Kings

2 Kings : Kings

1 Chron

2 Chron

Sam.

: Samuel

Seph.

: Sophonias

Orn TrsreuBN:r

Rev.

Acts

Col.

Cor.

Heb.

Eph.

Phil.

Gal.

Jas.

New Tos:reltBNt

: Revelations

: Acts

: Colossians

: Corinthians

: Hebrews

: Ephesians

: Philippians

: Galatians

: Epistle of St. James

XXIII

3.2 Page 22

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Jn.

I Jn.

Lk.

:

2nd

:

JnG.o:speE1poisftlJeoshnof

Luke

John

Mk. : Mark

Mt.

: Matthew

Petl&2:Peter

Rom. : Romans

Thess. I & 2 : Thessalonians

Tim. : Timothy

Tit. : Titus

2) Acts of the teaching magisterium

AA

AAS

AG

CC

CD

CEI

CP

DB

DH

DI

DV

ES

ESa

GE

GS

ET

HG

HV

IM

LG

MC

MD

MF

MM

NAE

OA

OT

PC

PO

: Apostolicam Actuositatem

: Acta Apostolicae Sedis

: Ad Gentes

: Casti Connubii

: Christus Dominus

:

:

International Catechetical Congress, Rome 1971

Communio et Progressio

: Denziger-Bannwart: Enchiridion

: Dignitatis llumanae

: Divini Illius Magistri

: Dei Verbum

: Ecclesiam Suam

: Ecclesiae Sanctae

: Gravissimum Educationis

: Gaudium et Spes

: Evangelica Testificatio

: Humani Generis

: Humanae Vitae

: Inter Mirifica

: Lumen Gentium

: Mystici Corporis

: Mediator Dei

: Mysterium Fidei

: Mater et Magistra

: Nostra Aetate

: Octogesima Adveniens

:-

Optatam Totius

Perfectae Charitatis

: Presbyterorum Ordinis

XXIV

3.3 Page 23

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PP

: Populorum Progressio

RC

: Renovationis Causam

RdC

: Catechetical Renewal (Bishops' Conference of Italy)

RF

: Ratio Fundamentalis

SC

: Sacrosanctum Concilium

UR

: Unitatis Redintegratio

3) Salesian sources

AGC

ASC

CIS

GC

SGC

GCD

Ep

MB

MO

PeP

ist

: Acts of General Chapter

: Acts of the Superior Council

: Capitolo ispettoriale speciale

: General Chapter

: Special General Chapter

: General Catechetical Directory

: Letter of Don Bosco

: Biographical Memoirs of Don Bosco

: Memories of the Oratory

: Problems and Perspectives

: istanze : requests Irom SPC (special provincial chapters)

xxv

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3.5 Page 25

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Part One

CAPITULAR DOCUMENTS

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FIR ST SECTIO N

Our apostolic mission

Document 1

SALESIANS OF DON BOSCO

INTHE CHURCH

ldentity and vocation

of the Salesian Society today

3.8 Page 28

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"Il tke religious lile is to be retteued it mwst

alter ukat 'is accidental in its structures to swit

the rapid,ly changing circumstances ol hu,rnan l,ife

at eaery leuel. Bct't it is otoly possible to do this

and. to retain tkose stable fornr's ol liaing t recog-

nized, by the Church, by renewing tke authentic

aocation ol yowr oun Institwte. Any liuing or-

ganism adapts to its enaironment by the deaelop'

ment ol the lorm atod aital'ity proper to 'itsel,f,

not by reiect'ing its oun iclentity. You shou,ld,

haue such a d,eep leeling lor the spiritwal tend-

encies atr,d, needs of mod.ern man tkat your own

power atr,d creatiaity bwrsts lortk zaith renewed

energy. In spite of its many d'ifi.culties, renewal

is a task akich showld set the spirit al,ight." z

1

,

LG

ET

43,

51,

3.9 Page 29

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INTBODUCTION

OUR RENEWAL:

TO REVITALIZE THE GIFT

OF THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVEN

TO DON BOSCO AND HIS SONS

A) THE CHUBGH IS RENEWED UNDER THE INFTUENGE

OF THE HOLY SPIBIT

1 1. The Holy Spirit renews the Ghurch

a) John XXIII has put on record that the idea and

the decision to convoke a Council came to him suddenly

on 25 January 1959 like a burst of spring: he felt that

he was acting with courageous docility to the impulse

of the Holy Spirit.l

The Holy Spirit who "guides the Church into a {ull-

ness of truth and gives her a unity of fellowship and ser-

vice" 2 is in fact the inspiration of all its supernatural

renewal: "Send forth thy Spirit and they shall be created

and thou shalt renew the face of the earth," 3 The Coun-

cil, "rvhich has been gathered together in the Holy Spirit"

(LG l) "has approved, decreed and established whatever

is contained in the documents through the HoIy Spirit.a

It has stated with precision in the texts of the documents

that the Holy Spirit moves the Church "to renew herself

and to perpetually renew herself." s

1 Cf. AAS 51 (1959) p 68; 52 (1960) p 183; 54 (1962) p 787

(discourse at the beginning of the Council).

2LG4,

3 Ps 104, 30.

1LG1.

b LG 4;8c; cf. LG 8a; 9d; GS 2lc.

5

2

3.10 Page 30

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2

D) What is the essential element in this work of

renewal? Pope Paul VI already pointed it out in his

encyclical "Ecclesiam Suam" (6 August 1964): the Holy

Spirit heips the Church on the one hand to know herself

better and to renew herself interiorly, and on the other

to turn her attention more decisively to the world, the

better to proclaim and fulfll her mission of salvation.

This twofold role of the Church has been stressed in all

the work of the Counci1.6 From now on the Church more

clearly presents herself "as a kind of sacrament or sign

of intimate union with God and of the unity of all man-

kind," 7 and wishes to present the authentic message of

the Gospel in a language understandable to men of today.g

3 2. The Holy Spirit renews Religious lnstitutes

a) The Religious Institutes, before being recognized.

as authentic by hierarchical authority, are within the

Church the special fruit o{ the charismatic impulse of

the Holy Spirit, whether in their Founders, or as Institutes,

or in each one of the members.e And therefore it is natural

that the renewal of the church should find a privileged

place in Religious Institutes to bring this about. ..This

renewal of the Religious Life should go forward under

the influence of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the

Church.lo

4

6) Along the lines that the Council has laid down

for the renewal of the Church, it indicates with the utmost

6 This comes out in particular in the four fundamental docu-

ments; the Church returns to its sources (LG) (DV; SC) and opens

itself ?toLGtheI. world (GS).

8

,

LG 44b.

Cf. AA.VV.,

L,ines

of renewal,

LDC

1971, p

112;

and

paul

VI,

ET tt, 32.

10 PC 2a.

6

4 Pages 31-40

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4.1 Page 31

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clarity in what renewal of the religious life consists: "The

appropriate renewal of religious life involves two simul-

taneous processes: (i) a continuous return to the sources

of all Christian life and to the original inspiration behind

a given community and (ii) an adjustment of the com-

munity to the changed conditions of the times." 11 It

is fundamental to understand well this definition.

According to the mind of the Fathers of the Council,

these two elements are not to be considered as separate

or following on one another, but constitute rather one

vital movement which has as its focal points: "a return

to the sources" and "the adaptation to the changed

conditions of the times." It is a question ol "incarnating"

rnore realistical,l,y in tke present day world, a n'tore autkentic

rel'igiows life. It is thus that the meaning of the four

principles of renewal as indicated in PC 2 is clarified:

in "the return to the sources" we must be faithful to

the spirit of the Gospel and to the intention of the Fownder;

in the "adaptation to present conditions" we must be

aware of the renewal of the Chwrch, and the appeal to

the uovld.

5

c) To these four principles is added a fifth which

concerns directly tlne ind.iaidual religious and should al-

ways have first place because it conditions and unifi.es

the realization of the other four: it is "the spiritwal re-

netgq.l." It consists fundamentally in the attitude ol listen-

ing and ol d,ocility to the Holy Sptril. "The charisms of

religious life are to be understood as the fruits of the

Hoty Spirit ever at work in the Church. It is from this

charism that each religious family will draw its spiritual

force." 12 The living Spirit leads the religious to redis-

cover Christ and his Gospel, because he is the Master

II PC 2,

1' ET 1l-12.

7

4.2 Page 32

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of the interior life: it helps the religious to find once

again the spirit of the Foctnder, because it is he who

has called the Founder and enriched him with gifts; it

makes the religious participate energetically in the life

of the Church because he is its permanent pentecost;

and finally the ability to understand what are the needs

of the world, because he is the hidden leaven of the world

and works in a mysterious way in the hearts of all men.1s

6 3. The Holy Spirit inspires our renewal

We begin with this act of faith: The Holy Spirit

"who has raised up St. John Bosco as the father and

teacher of youth and through him has caused to flourish

in the Church new religious communities" ra wishes even

today to inspire the members of these families and to

help them to realize better their mission in the Church.

IJnder the influence of the Holy Spirit they must deepen

their knowledge of their original spirit 1s and be aware

once more of the evangelical values which Don Bosco

pursued as the ideal of his vocation, so that they may

revitalize them in the modern world u'ith all the necess-

ary adaptations.

The importance and complexity of this task need

some rvords of explanation.

B) DON BOSCO, DOCILE TO THE HOLY SPIBIT, FUTFILLED

HIS VOGATION IN THE GONTEXT OF HIS OWN TIMES

7 1. Don Bosco, ( a man of God "

Don Bosco was without doubt a great man with a

"charism" whom God raised up in this Church. The

13 Cl. for these four aspects: John 14, 26 arrd 16, 13-15; ET lI;

LG 4 and AG 4; GS 22 arrd 38.

ra Collect for the feast of St. John Bosco.

15 ES 16, 3.

8

4.3 Page 33

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intensity of the divine initiative in him is manifest not

only in his personal sanctity, solemnly recognized by the

Church, but also in his work as Fottnder, also recognized

by the Church with the offrcial approbation of the Con-

stitutions of the Salesians, the Daughters of Mary Help

of Christians, and the Association of Salesian Co-operators.

I

To rccognize him as an instrument of God, the Church

has certainly used f,rst of all the fundamental criterion

of christian wisdom: the evangelical authenticity of the

virtues and works of our Father. But it is also quite

legitimate for us to observe how he himself, through his

own experience, realized with certainty that he was led

by providence. And he wished that his sons should never

lose sight of the intensity of this divine intervention'

With this end in view he wrote in the Memoirs of the

Oratory: "What purpose does all this serve?... To make

known how God himself has guided everything at all

times." 16

9 2. The vocation of Don Bosco: his role in the Ghurch

In the course of a life so complex as his, Don Bosco

developcd a certain number of activities linked up with

current situations, like that for example of acting as

intcrmediary between the HoIy See and the Italian govern-

ment after t 870. But r,vhat interests us here are the

fundamental lines of his vocation as Founder, that is the

t6 MO, (1873). And on February 2 1876' he told his rectors:

"The Congregation never undertook anything except u'hat r'vas in-

dicated in some supernatural way; no change or expansion was ever

made which was not preceded by an order from God" (MB 12, 69;

quoted by Don Ceria in the Introduction to the MO, p 3). C{. also

the Mass at the Sacred Heart Basilica in Rome, 16 May 1887, in

*'hich, rvith tears, he "undcrstood" his rvhole life: MB 17, 340.

9

4.4 Page 34

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work which the Spirit of God inspired in him to "found"

not only for present needs but also for the future of the

Church.

t0

a) Called for a perm,anent missioz: a service of pastoral

charity lor the young, q,boae all the poor, and, the uorking

clqsses. To John Bosco, a young Turin priest in 1841,

the HoIy Spirit gave a special sensitivity for being aware,

through different experiences, of the misfortunes and the

dangers which young people, uprooted from their own

environment, ran the risk of in a city in the throes of

social, political and religious upheaval. Thus he was called

to dedicate his life to helping them to become honest

citizens and good christians, and to creating to this end

a series of corporal and spiritual works of charity suited

to their needs.

His zeal was also directed towards the ad,ults ol the

working clq.sses especially those in country districts 17

beset by a wave of anti-clericalism, and without any cul-

ture, especially religious. Later his charity was aroused

by the material and spiritual misery of the far-off pagan

countries.

The Spirit gradually made him realize that this com-

plex mission should expand in space and in time to the

benefit of diverse peoples and many generations.

11

b) Called to bring into being this rnission accord,ing to

a particwlar w&y ol lile and, action. The same Spirit gave

him the apostolic zeal and the kindness of heart of St.

Francis of Sales, so as to be able to personify in him-

self, by means of his admirable human qualities, a par-

ticular uay ol l,ife, ol action, ol prayer, ol pastoral care,

which he would inculcate in his sons and his helpers. In

rz The manuscript of the Constitutions 1959, ASC 022 (1),

p s-7

10

4.5 Page 35

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particular he created a system of education wholly pene-

trated with the charity of Christ.

12

c) Called. to lownd the Salesian Congregation and, other

rel,igious institutes. Such a mission to be brought into

being with such a spirit a a lasting service to the Church,

demand.ed men capable of "working with Don Bosco" and

institutes capabl,e ol assot'r'ing its continwity with dynamic

fidelity. Under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, Don Bosco

understood very soon that such a heavy task could only

be borne by men who consecrated themselves entirely

to it; the same Spirit inspired in his first disciples the

call to consecrate themselves totally to the religious life.

The life of Don Bosco identified itself in part (especiaily

from 1859-1874) with the patient establiskment ol tke

S al.es'iq.n C ongregation.

Later, realizing with certainty that it was "the will

of God that he should have a care for girls also," 18 he

founded the congregation of the Dawghters of Mary Help

ol Ckristians.

Lastly, it was his firm conviction that the greatest

possible number of christians should unite their forces

for the good of souls especially of poor boys. He under-

stood then that the salesian Society should act as the

leaven of a vast movement of charity, in which men and

women would be sharers in his mission and his spirit,

each one according to his own state in life: thus was

born the Association of Co-operators, t}re third institution

bearing his charism.

Truly to Don Bosco "God has given a heart as vast

as the sea shore... He hoped against hope and became

the father of many nations." 1e

18 MB X, 597.

re The Entrance and the Communion antiphons for the liturgy

of 3l January.

11

4.6 Page 36

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13 3. Permanent and temporary aspects in the realization of

Don Bosco's work

a) To emphasize, as we have done, the divine inspira-

tion in Don Bosco's life, does not mean in any rn.ay that

his work and his achievements must be deified and are

untouchable. The action or the gifts of the Holy Spirit

are not "things," perfect in themselves and transmiss-

ible. They exist "in persons:" on the one hand there

is the Spirit who acts freely, and on the other human

beings, always with their limitations and living in time,

who receive this influx of the Spirit and respond to it

within the limits of their liberty and their historical

situation. A charism is always concretely "incarnated,"

and therefore its exterior manifestations are subject to

human realities.

l4

D) Don Bosco followed the inspiration of God always

making his mode of action and his works coincide with

the needs of time and placc.2o The divine inspiration

did not prevent him from nourishing himself with the

theology and the spirituality of his time.21 Sharing with

the Church the consciousness which the Church had of

itself under the pontificate of Pius IX, sensitive to the

type of society, pre-industrial and liberal in the political

sense, of Italy between 1848 and 1880, his rvork con-

cernecl itself with boys in a wcll-defi.ned social, economic

and religious context, and took on the forms most op-

portune at the time. The religious institutes rvhich he

founded follorved the canonical needs of the timcs... It

rnas all perfectly natural.

20 We can find this opinion confirmed in the reply of Don Bosco

to the Rector of the Seminary of Montpellier regarding the Preventive

System: "I always .r.vent ahead as God inspired me and circumstances

demanded" (July 1886, MB 18, 127). Cf. also D.B. Fliscte., Il me-

todo edwcatiuo d,i, D. Bosco, SEI, p 20-22.

2r Cf. studies by Don Stella and Don Desramaut.

72

4.7 Page 37

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15

c) From all this an important truth results: in the

life, thoughts and works established by Don Bosco, a:nd

a fortiori, in the works, traditions and structures of the

Con,gregation in the past, tvc must make a distinction:

tentions-

between what corresponds to the

of God regarding the Congregation,

permanent in-

made known

through the Founder, the vital and essential realitv of

his mission, his

must not only

spirit and his foundations

not be changed, it must

c-onastlal notflythbies

recliscovcred, purified and improved;

situatio-;rs

and

and

that which is the expression of changing

the concrete historical forms in which was

incarnated this vital and essential reality. Some of thcse

non-perntanent lornos, still fully valid, should be preserved;

others which are no longer valid and are inadequate

should be substituted or renelved under the impulse of

the dogmatic-ascetical, pastoral and canonical develop-

ment of the Church and of the new sociological and cu1-

tural context of the world, and in particular of the young'

Thus the mission, the spirit, the religious life and

the salesian foundations, alrvays the same in their- profound

reality, can exPress themsclves in new forms which will

allow them to attain their scope for TODAY, at the ser-

vice of the Church and the people of our time'22

22 To amplify this very important idea recourse may be had

to the following sources:

1, PC 2,3; the words of Pope Paul to the Salesian Chapter

1965(ActsoftheGeneralChapterXlX)concerningthisdistinction.

by

Fr.

2. The explanation of

Trrreno O.P. in his

"renewal" of

commentary

religious institutes given

on PC Il vinnouamento

d.ella aita religiosa, Vallecchi, pp

22-27

e3n.titV]laedri:o.u.Ls oauStphiorirtso:

Linee

aiuta

92-93.

di vinnouamento, LDC l97l' nos'

gli Istituti religiosi a incarnare il

loro carisma in lorme concrete sempre aggiornate."

L3

4.8 Page 38

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C) THE SALESIANS, OBEDIENT TO THE HOLY SPIBIT,

MUST GARRY OUT THEIR VOCATION IN THE CONTEXT

OF TODAY

16 1. The difficulties of this task

This task of discernment and of renewal is difficult,

delicate and urgent . It is d,ifi,cul,t subiectiuely because its

progress puts us psychologically to the test and cannot

be done without plenty of courage and the spirit o{ sacrifi.ce

(it is always easier to stay as we are in our manner of

thinking and acting). Obiectiuely it is delicale, because

we cannot see all at once, nor always with clarity, which

are the permanent and which the temporary, so complex

is our own Congregation. What is at stake is important:

to suppress or change an essential aspect would mean

suppressing the true Salesian Congregation to form an-

other; not to change and not to renew when we ought

to would prevent the Congregation from being the Sales-

ian Congregation of "today." We must therefore be faith-

ful to this progress which is vital. Finally this task is

urgent qnd, seriouts, because we are now in a period of

extraordinary evolution: "profound and rapid changes

are spreading throughout the world today;" 2s the Church

is undergoing decisive changes and she command.s us to

renew ourselves in order to help her in her mission.

On what can we base our hope of being able to over-

come the difficulties in arriving at this discernment and

this renewal? In the flrst place, the active presence of

the Holy Spirit in the communities of those whom he

himself has called to follow Don Bosco.

23 GS 4.

14

4.9 Page 39

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lT2.HewhohasinspiredDonBoscoisstillpresentto

help us

The statement that there is a kind of "permanence"

o1 the active presence of the Hoty Spirit in the Congreg-

ation is based on the fact that this same Holy Spirit

has made clear, in the charism of the foundation of the

Congregation, his wili to give to the Church a specialized

body o1 people to serve poor boys' Being logical with

himself, iaithfut and. generous, he has pledged himself

in some way to give "sons" and "disciples" to our Founder:

in the course of time therefore he continues to call 0ther

christians to continue his

of the Congregation (and

mission. The long experience

especially the presence in it

of many "men of God") suggests this, and the Church

gives us the assurance of it.

Now it is this presence of the Spirit on which we

base our hope of being laithlatl lo Don Bosco and his

mission. He who raised up and

actively present among us. On a

guided

deeper

Don

level

Bosco is

it brings

about our union with Don Bosco and therefore our "com-

munion" as salesians. And as the Spirit led Don Bosco

to bring into being his work in union with the Church

and the world of his day, so also does he lead us to carry

out our

to help

work

us to

in union with the world of today' He wants

be at the same time "with Don Bosco and

with the times" (Don Albera) or better still to be "Don

Bosco todaY."

18 3. This action of the spirit demands of us continual atten'

tion and collaboration

All this work of the Spirit is an inaitation to owr

liberty. A gift of the Holy Spirit can never be something

static, nor a collection

they are in themselves

of customs and rules, even though

goocl; it can never be transmitted

automatically through any rite, doctrine or custom, nor

t5

4.10 Page 40

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even through belonging physically to the Congregation.

Nor can we affold to rely imprudently or rashly on the

past glorics of the Congregation. The gilt of the Holy

Spirit becomes efficacious in people in the measu.e in

which they are docile and generous in co_operation and

in their daily lives. True, "we can resist the Holv Spirit,,,za

we can "qnench the Spirit" 2b $/ho then could entrust the

salesian mission to others.

Ow ftrst dwty, therefore, is oar spiritual conaersion:

to recognize our own insufficiency and to turn towards

the Holy Spirit without whom \\tr/e can d,o nothing worth

while for the kingdom of God, and put ourselves in an

attitude of supplication, of listening and of docility. In

order to work out this necessary discernment and renewal,

historians are not sufficient, nor theologians nor poli_

ticians, nor organizers: we need spiritual men,z6 men of

faith, sensitive to the things of God and read.y to work

with courageous obedience as our Founder did. True

fidelity to Don Bosco consists not in copying him ex_

teriorly but in imitating his f,delity to the Holy Spirit.

All this must be done as a commwnily because the

Spirit of truth is also the Spirit of charity and he manifests

himself to the community gathered together in his name

in the spirit of love. There is also a second, lasA which

is included in the fi.rst

each one according to

h-is

the various members together,

own gifts and his own respons_

ibility, must have recourse with humility and loyalty

to the criteria of the authentic presence of the Holy

Spirit: people, works,

cording to the spirit

experiences are to be judged ac_

of the Gospel,z? to the common

,a Acts 7, 51.

'5 I Thess 5, 19.

16 cf. ET 39.

2? "You will know them by their fruits,, (Mt. 7, 15_20) _

those "fruits of the Spirit" indicated by st. paur in Galatians s, z)-zq.

16

5 Pages 41-50

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5.1 Page 41

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sense of the People of God,28 to the magisterium, to the

profound values of salesian traditions, to the necds of

the present day. The prudent but relative certitude ar-

rived at is suffrcient for us to go forward with peace and

hope, but we must always be attent'iue to the mysterious

action of God.

19 4. Docility to the Holy Spirit is the permanent fundamental

law of the Gongregation

This fundamental act of faith in the presence of the

Holy Spirit gives us, in a word, the best criterion for

our renewal. It is not a question of strengthening an

ecclesiastical institution, however venerable it may be,

but of revitalizing a gift of God to his Church' This

act of faith provides us with the fundamental principle

oI e.lt the lile of the Congregation: it raises its eyes to

the level of the mystery of divine action which makes

use of poor men; the result rs a style ol lile and' action

rvhich at one and the same time produces the greatest

sanctity of its members and the greatest fruitfulness of

their apostolate.

Such a characteristic style could be expresscd thus:

the institutional elements, the structures, the organiz-

ation, the written laws, the intervention of authority are

not ends in themselves but necessary means to the ser-

vice of our vocation and mission given by the Holy Spirit,

and on the other hand they never exhaust the concrete

needs suggested by the Holy

ing force: in the measure in

Spirit. He is the great liv-

which we listen to him he

inspires the constant re-adaptation of the means, prevents

routine, inspires ends and concrete modes of action which

are never completely indicated in advance in the offrcial

programmes.

'8 LG 12 a.

17

5.2 Page 42

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We shall point out some aspects of this life in reference

to the Holy Spirit, but

in other documents.

only

briefly,

as

they

will

be treated

20

a) The kind, ol mwtual rel,ationships. Before being an

institution, the Congregation is at its various levels a

"community" of christians who have received the gift

ionfspthirees,safrmoemvwocitahtiino,nt.hTehiresatyclteionofobfroththeeHrlyoliyifeS-painridt

the exercise of authority; it makes them enter together

into the same apostolic way of lifc; it produces unity

and dynamism in all the members of the salesian family.

21

b) The kind. of apostolic work. Dynamism and, en-

tkwsiasm: we feel ourselves brought together and co_

responsible in a divine plan. The Spirit is the same breath

of Pentecost which infuses courage, boldness, courage in

suffering. Realisru and.

to keep the methods of

creatiaity:

action for

the

the

Spirit invites us

salvation of souls

flexible and adequate. Our contribution to the Chwrch:

he makes us aware of our vocation in the Church and

he inspires us with the most concrete means of rend.er_

ing her the service which she expects of us.

22

c) The style ol our olrn aay ol tife. On the interior

level: the necessity of listening to the Holy Spirit, docility

to his promptings, and consequently a continual

rseioanliztailtliosnanocftiGtyodis'srepalcahnedre. g-ardthinagt

sanctity which"oirs,,rth"ie_

each one consecrated

to his service. On the level of ow obligatiozs: the sales_

ian brings into action all his personal resources; but he

knows also how to act as a member of the community,

bearing in mind that the Spirit gives his charisms, not

for the benefit of the individual, but for the community,

with a view to the increase of charity.2e Lastly, .,the

2, Cf. I Cor 12, 32

18

5.3 Page 43

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joy of being the Lord's for ever is the incomparable fruit

of the Holy Spirit. You have already had experience of

it, and Christ will keep it alive in you, so that you can

face whatever comes with confidence." 30

ao ET 55.

19

5.4 Page 44

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CHAPTER ONE

THE MISSION

AND THOSE TO WHOM !T IS DIRECTED'

23 INTRODUCTION

Why the word 'mission' rather than ,end?,

The Church uses this term speaking of her mystery;2

this means that, in the extension of the same missitn

as that of the Son and the Holy Spirit, she (and every

true body she contains) does not of her ou,n accord fi.x

the end to be reached, but receives it from God the Father,

and therefore as something of

with more urgency and zeal.t

obligation which she seeks

Besides, this term implies

also those to whom

men to be saved.

the

Church

is

sent

to

attain

its

end:

To speak of the mission of the salesians represents

t'oshfeenrtehdfeso'itrrheepfmrreosmteoncptheeerifnosrtmtahraet paCashrteuicnrucsehla;or Gfsetohrdveic.ircea.ivnllostc,hatehti,eComnh,uraacnnhdd:

to co-operate directly in the salvation o{ the youth, espec_

ially the poor. Hence the importance of the study *ti.t

attempts to establish clearly the role of the salesiani todav.

this

r The mind of the Congregation as it

fundamental theme can be found:

has been

expressed

on

1. I CIS "This is what salesians say,, vol. I, pp 6g_133;

156-157.

,

2. Problems & perspectives, II, p

3. II CIS, 2 vol., Istanze 22_4g.

Cf. LG I.

23_44;45_49.

nos.

3 Cf. AA.W., L,inee di,

18-26, pp 63, 64, 71-76.

rinnoaarnento,

Torino_LDC

1971,

II

20

5.5 Page 45

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A) SOME DOCTRINAL REMINDERS CONCERNING THE

MrssroN

Our mission is part of the mission of the peoplo of

God, which itself shares in the mission of the Soii: "As

the Fathcr has sent me, so I also send you." I

24 1. The theological dimension of every mission in the

Ghurch

a) The state of the mission ...In the mission therc

are two poles in a constant and vital linkage: God and

the world. The emphasis is on 'God' because the miss-

ion depends totally or his initiative and has as its final

end to lead the world to the fullness of the divine life.

The unity of this Iinkage is guaranteed because God has

so loved the world that he has sent his Son to save it.5

Christ sums up in himself this linkage: the Son of

God, made truly man, cannot exist or act without bring-

ing together at the same time two extremes.

The whole Church, the Body of Christ, united vitally

with his Paschal Mystery, also necessarily shares in his

mission as Servant of the Father, and Good Shepherd

of men. In Vatican II, the Church has once again strongly

realized that her mystical being is concretely identified

with her dynamic mission.

25

b) Aims ol the mission. ...The Church has expressed

in the Council thc specific aims of this mission in these

terms: By her relationship with Christ, the Church is a

kind of sacrament or sign and instrument of union with

God, and of the unity of all mankind.6 In the fi.rst place

she is the aisible sign and witness of the living Christ

a Cf. Jn 20, 2l; cf. AG 1

65 LCGf. 1J.n 3, 16.

2t

5.6 Page 46

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and of his redemptive love; therefore she must constantly

renew herself "so that the

brightly over the face of

sign

the

of Christ

Church."

7maSyecsohnindelym, oshree

is the instru,ment of the action of Christ, through which

the reign of the Father is realized. The Church herself

is the real and growing seed of this twofold communion

of men with God, and among themselves; she fuifils the

role of sign and instrument in two complementary and

indivisible ways: directly spreading the faith and salvation,

and bringing the whole world into relationship with

Christ 8 "The mission of the Church is not only to bring

to men the message and the grace of Christ but also to

penetrate and perfect the temporal sphere with the spirit

of the gospel." e The genuine mission therefore overcomes

every dualism which would separate evangelization from

human progress.

Finally, let us observe that this task on behalf of

men gives glory to the Father: the supreme mission of

the Church is her liturgical mission. The apostolate itself

is considered by St. Paul as a liturgy,lo which is expressed

directly in the Eucharist.

26

c) Spiritwality ol the ruission ...This role of 'media-

tion' belonging to every apostle and all his tasks presup-

poses in him a 'consecration' on the part of God, and

requires of him specific interior dispositions: a deep sense

of the presence of him who calls and a willing availability

in his instrument, and at the same time a profound will-

ingness to serve those to whom he is sent.11 Both of

these are made possible and harmonized only by the

power of the charity which the Holy Spirit pours out in

7 LG 15.

8

,

Cf.

AA

AA 2;

5; cf.

AG 5.

GS 40

c.

10 Cf. Rom. 15, 15; Ph:ll. 2, 17

11 AG 5.

22

5.7 Page 47

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our hearts.lz Solely charity, but with the internal subor-

dination of its manifestations, that is to say with the

dependence of charity towards God. Thus the apostle,

preserved from every danger of secularism, can live an

authentic "mystique" of participation in the mission and

in the very heart of Christ, the apostle of the Father.13

27 2. Ecclesial dimension of our mission

a) Threefold' ecclesial sense ol our mission.

1. Our mission is not different from that of the

Church; it is only a participation, a specific aspect, a

particular 'ministry:' it therefore receives all its authen-

ticity and force from its insertion in the global mission

of the Church. The conciliar teaching in this regard is

clear: a religious institute is a charismatic gift with which

the Holy Spirit enriches the Church so that she may carry

out her work.

2. With regard to institutes committed to an active

apostolate, the Council adds that their sacred ministry

and their works of charity "have beet consigned to theno

by tke Chwrch and must be discharged in her name." 14

It is true that the primary origin of the mission of our

Society is the free initiative of the Holy Spirit, but this

interior and invisible mission has to be of&cially recog-

nized by the hierarchy, and visibly inserted into the con-

crete mission of the Church.15 Thus while we preserve

the originality of our charism, we work with a sense of

obedience to and of the unity of the Church.

3. Finally, it is clear that ue work for tke Churck:

the youth and the adults to whom we are sent must be

12 Cf. Rom. 5, 8.

13 cf. Po 10-12.

14 PC g.

r5 Hence the explanation of 'canonical' mission (cf. LG 45)

23

5.8 Page 48

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formed by us as members of the Church, conscious of

their responsibility. Every attitude therefore which would

concentrate around ourselves'our' youngsters, past-pupils,

co-operators, etc. is to be rejected.

28

b) The duty ol seru,ice to the lctcal and. omiaersal Chwrch.

The Council points out among the criteria of the renewal

of religious Institutes a more determined involvement in

all the current pastoral ir-iitiatives of the Church.16 A

characteristic of this activity is the prominence given to

the local church as prime mover and organizer of the

mission for a specific group of men. A more practical

involvement in the joint pastoral action in a locality

requires from us decentralization and pluralism. This is

to be brought about in an ecclesiology of collegiality, in

which the meaning of our exemption is renewed and

deepened.lT Exemption provides a special availability of

service on behalf of the Church's commitments at var-

ious levels, (diocesan, national or regional, and univer-

sal); in addition it helps to maintain the unity of the

Congregation, so much the more necessary as the variety

of the situations becomes more diversifi.ed.l8

29

c) The Comruu,nity the fi,rst subiect ol the ttr,ission.

Christ has confided his mission to the Church taken in

its entirety and within her in a special manner to the

Apostolic College guided by the primacy of Peter. In

the Church the salesian mission, beginning from the

Founder, is confided not to the individual but to the

whole Congregation and to its provincial and local com-

munities. It follows that each salesian receives a part

of the salesian mission to accomplish in so far as he is

rG PC 2 d mentions various facets.

r7 Cf. LG 45; CD 35; ES first part no ZZ seq; cl.. Linee di. tin-

nouamento, Torino LDC 1971, II no. 34 p 81-82.

18 CD 35, 2; ET 50.

24

5.9 Page 49

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a member, and thercfore in intimate solidarity with his

confrdres and superiors;1s thus, every service in the com-

munity, even if not directly connected with the apos-

tolate, shares in this mission and is a service and a witness

with this ecclesial dimension.

30 3. Practical accomplishment of the mission: unity of the

mission, pluralism in pastoral action

A mission is not carried out outside the Church or

the world, but is 'incarnated' and fulfilled in a real pas-

toral apostolate. In thc 6th article of the document

'Ad Gentes' the Council states that: "This duty (of the

whole Church) is one and the same everywhere and in

every situation, even though the variety of situations

keeps it from being exercised in the same way. Hence

the differences to be found in this activity of the Church

do not result from the inner nature of the mission itself,

but are due rather to the circtr,mstancas in which this

mission is exercised. These conditions depend sometimes

on the Church (on the 'degree' of her presence) , some-

times on the people or groups or individuals to whom

the mission is directed." 20 Such an affirmation is most

useful to help us resolve our problem of unity and plur-

alism: unity in our specific mission, but also diversity in

the method of pastoral work and apostolic creativity.

Pastoral work is a practical realization of the mission

under the guidance of the 'pastors.' This presupposes a

sensitiveness to the signs of the times and a sense of

adaptation to the time and local situation. There necess-

arily follows pluralism of pastoral work, or in other words

of practical concrete choices by the church (universal and

local) in the threefold service of the community - 'pro-

1' cf. Po 7-g

,0 cf. AA 2.

25

5.10 Page 50

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phetic,' 'liturgical,' 'direction.'21 In this way one can

explain the different pastoral apostolates depending on

age, sex, socio-cultural context, the degree of faith, the

joint pastoral action of the area.

The 'apostolate' in the sense as used in the decree

'Apostolicam Actuositatem' is more extensive than 'pas-

toral work.' It embraces every christian activity con-

nected with the salvifi.c mission of the Church, but which

occurs at a level that goes far beyond co-ordination by

pastors and the particular duty of the ecclesial com-

munity (e.g. the social activity of a christian).

At a time of renewal, fidelity to the mission requires

that'pastoral' inventive creativity and'apostolic' initiative

be brought to life in the hearts of the apostles so that

they can be 'revitalized' under the impulse of the Spirit,

with openness and with courageous daring.zz Fidelity to

our mission requires an authentic 'comprehension' of the

concrete reality which surrounds the salesian community,

an evangelical and salesian evaluation of that reality, and

finally a personal responsible involvement in the apostolate.

B) THE NEW CONTEXT OF OUR MISSION TODAY

It is not our task here to present a sociological and

doctrinal treatise on the world and the Church of today;

we only wish to recall certain fundamental considerations

which it is necessary to bear in mind in the 'renewal'

of our mission. Certainly, these considerations are not

equally applicable in all the different countries in which

'r This evidently implies a clear understanding of the'mission'

to be carried out here and now.

22 This applies especially to the salesian plans of campaign.

We must determine 'constitutionally' the permanent content of the

salesian mission, but also show how this is affected by coming into

contact with the concrete situation of the Church, of the world,

and of youth, in this present time.

26

6 Pages 51-60

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6.1 Page 51

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we work, but they are matters of practical consequence

which, at'some time or other, are of interest to all.

31 1. The world today I

Let us recall three vital facts only- amongst others.

a) The world on the way to secularization 2{

If one takes the trouble to distinguish between secular-

ization (an historical process), secularity (objective qualifi-

cation), and secularism (an erroneous doctrine) one can

say that the conciliar Church herself has seen as conform-

ing to the divine plan the process of secularization, that

is, man's aspiration to take a hand in his own history

and the whole of creation; she has recognized as legitimate

that secularity, which the Council 25 explains as an auton-

omy in the temporal order, a genuine autonomy but one

which is open to a recognition of the God of love, the

Beginning and the End of all; she has on the other hand

rejected that secularism which denies or {ails to recognize

such teaching.

This results in the Church being always more inclined

to refrain from intervening in an outspoken and offrcial

way not only in cultural and scientifi.c matters but also

in the socio-political organization of life. On the other

hand, many 'functions' in the cultural and social order,

previously performed by the Church, are now provided

for by civil authority.

What are the consequences for the Church today?

A determining factor for the accomplishing o{ her

mission: a ners lorm ol presence and of actiaity. The Church

,3 Cf. GS l-39; Li,nee d,i yinnouatnento I p 15-37.

2a CI. Linee di ri,mnouantento I nos. 22-27 p 30-33

:5 Cf. GS 36; 4lbc; AA 7.

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turns towards the r,,r,or1d in order to love it with the love

of God and to move forward with it, sharing its earthly

lot.26 It does not wish either to take from the world the

fulfilment of its own responsibilities, or to use temporal

power, or to allign itself with the structures of external

power. It presents itself prudently, in a more explicitly

spiritual manner, "as a leaven and as a kind of soul for

human society;" and above all, "inspired by no earthly

ambition, the Church seeks but a single goal; to carry

foru,'ard the works of Christ himself who entered this

world... to serve, and not to be served." 2?

The Church believes that this humble presence of

hers is tnore necessary than ever before, and desires it most

sincerely, in order to offer to the world the twofolcl

service contained in her mission: "to penetrate with the

spirit of the gospel" 28 all the real problems of this secular-

ized world, especially through the laity, and explicitly

to bring "the message and grace of Christ." 2e In this

way she faces the current danger of secularism and athcism

and helps men to open themselves to a faith that has

become more personal and more difficult, because it is

no longer preserved and transmitted in a sociological

context which is exclusively sacred. AII this directly

touches upon the salesian mission.

32 b) The world in a situation of injustice:o

One of the most disturbing problems of our world,

whether from the point of view of its quantitative and

qualitative aspects, or on account of the serious social

tensions it produces, is that of und,er-d,eaelopment, and of

,6 GS 40 b.

,z GS 3; cf. 40.

28

,,

AA

AA

5.

5.

30 Cf. GS and PP

2B

6.3 Page 53

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the incqualities among men. Under-development is not

only a stage in the general retrogression; it is fundament-

ally the result of economic, social and political power

structures, and the oppression and exploitation of the

poor are thc result of decisions deliberately taken by

groups of those lvho have wealth and power. Combin-

ing with the population explosion, and the development

of science and technology, the disorganized grolvth and

expansion of production means that modern society has

become a machine for the production of poor people.

Thus there comes into existence the 'scandal' of the grow-

ing antagonism between countries and classes of plenty,

and countries and classes of destitution. "An enormous

mass of people lack the absolute necessities of li{e". Many

aorwendeinpirtiivaetidveofaanldmoresst paolnl spiobislistyib."ilistyt

of acting

"People

on their

hounded

by hunger call upon those better off." 32 Thc poor are

becoming aware of their condition 33 and the prcssure

for their improvement as human beings is coming from

all sides.

What are the conseqctences lor the Chu,rch today?

A more determined, euangelical approack to the problem

on behatl ol the poor: a rejection of all "that would be

a compromise with any form of social injustice what-

soever;" 34 the positive obligation to "awaken consciences

to the drama of misery and to the requirements of social

justice, of the gospel and of the Church" (ibid.); a pract-

ical and preferential love for poor people themselves,

rvith positive help, and above all, with an education to

sr GS 63 c.

3: GS 9 b; cf. 66 a-b; 69 a; 7l f; f; 63-68.

33 cf. GS g b.

31 ET 19.

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a sense of their own dignity; fi.nally, the witness of per-

sonal detachment from earthly goods.

All this ought to find a fervent echo in a Congre-

gation which concerns itself primarily with poor youth

and with adults of the working class, in view of provid-

ing them with 'spiritual and corporal' assistance, and

whose members, consecrated to God by evangelical pov-

erty, are invited to hear "the cry of the poor" 35 as an

urgent call to action.

33 c) The world in search of unity in plurality

The other disturbing problem connected with the

previous one is that of the "fostering of peace and the

promotion of a community of nations." 36 "The whole

human family has reached an hour of supreme crisis in

its advance towards maturity. Moving gradually toge-

ther, and everywhere more conscious already of its one-

ness" 3? and of "how one man depends on another in

needful solidarity, it is most greviously torn into oppos-

ing camps by conflicting forces." sa There is, indeed, a

great desire to create a truly "international community" ss

in which every nation will be recognized with its par-

ticular values and material and cultura-l riches, in such a

way that there will be established among all a real co-

operation in a spirit of brotherhood. In such a setting,

the continuation of war becomes another scandal in

our world.

What qre the consequences for the Church tod,ay?

A more liuely awareness and realization ol ker own

catholicity. The Church can and ought to promote this

35 ET 17 seq.

36 GS 77.

3? GS 77.

38 GS 4.

sg GS 83_90; 75

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6.5 Page 55

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movement of the people towards their unity in the ex-

pression of a larvful diversity, because it is in harmony

with her mystery and her mission. Vatican II has res-

tored to 'ind.iaid'uat, churches their own positions: their

diversity does not hinder the unity of the people of God;

it rather contributes to it with a cornmunion ot' ckarity

and, of rr,utual seraice, under the direction of the succes-

sor of Peter. In this way the universal consensus of the

faith is arrived at, the universal mission is accomplished,

and the brotherhood of the whole human race is built

up.'o The spirit of catholicism animates both the local

churches and the universal Church in dialogue with our

separated brethren and with the non-christian religions'41

AII this concerns an exempt and international Con'

gregation, and obliges it to fi.nd harmony between lawful

pluralism and unity.

34 2. Youth today in this world and in this Church a2

Youth 'in the abstract' does not exist' They exist

only in their environment of origin and depend on it'

It is a simple statement which helps us to understand

two things:

the

wo-rldfrhoams

the time of

undergone

Don Bosco to the present day

'profound and rapid changes;'

there has been a real social and cultural transformation'4S

Youth has changed in this same measure' And our ex-

40 Cf. LG 13b-c;23d; 28b-c-d; AG 19-20, 22,35; Linee d''i

r'inmouamento, LDC ll nos 31-55 p 79-83.

4r LG 15-17; NAE 1-2; ES.

a2 The object of this section is not to indicate either the manner

or the means of our pastoral action on behalf of youth (which belongs

to the documents dealing with salesian mode of action) but the idea'

new to some extent, of our mission as such, and its renewed aptness

and urgency.

13 GS 4.

3r

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perience today makes us discover youth in continual

evolution.

are

tho-usaIntdsis

almost impossible to speak of .youth:, they

of yowng people in the concrete, in whose

outlook is reflected the condition of the country to which

they belong. But it is perhaps possible to outline soaze

cornnl,on traits, to the extent that humanity itself begins

to be unified. The means of social communication allow

for universal and immediate information; there is an

increasing and progressive participation of all in com-

mon priorites.

35 a) 'The gravity which the problem of youth has taken on in the world

of today" 44

The most outstanding factor is the importance that

youth has assumed in modern society.

1. Demographically the number of children, adoles_

ccnts and young people has increased in an extraord.inary

way because o{ the decline in infant mortality. It is

estimated that the number of young people from I 5 to 24

years of age rvhich in 1960 was 520,000,000 will havc.

increased to 1,120,000,000 by the year 2000. Alongside

the importance of the number of young people, we must

emphasize their qualitative significance. youth constitutes

the constant renewal of the life of humanity and there_

fore also in the cultural and spiritual sense.

The increase and importance of young people is

especially striking in the countries of the third world.

The hope of being able to study and to work more easily

has caused a massive migration to the big cities with the

consequences of unadaptability and living on the fringe

of society.

The problem of yowth in th,e cities already stressed

aa CenorNer Vuor, Lettey to Don Ri,cceyi, 26 Aprll l97l

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6.7 Page 57

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by Don Bosco, has new dimensions today: "The more

populated the cities are, the more there is work for us,"

wrote Don Bosco to the bishop of Frejus.a5

36

2. Socially, youth has become conscious of itself as

a new and coherent group. They have their own set of

values, their own sense of autonomy, language, ideals and

customs. They break away rlore rapidly from their own

families; they live in spontaneous groups, boys and girls

alike; by nature they are not racists. Although they

have, according to the people they belong to, their own

psychological-social outlook, little by little they form thcm-

selves into a kind of International Youth, with interests,

ideals, and objectives in common and also with regrcs-

sive tendencies (protests against the social system itself,

pop musical festivals, international work squads, the coun-

cil of young people at Taiz6, etc.).

So it is a present-day problem for educators, to ap'

proach, the yowng and get to knout theru,. Perhaps the time

has corne to fi.nd a new way of living together: hou' can

we make ourselves acceptable to "their world?"

37

3. Politically youth is even more the object of care

on the part of the various governments' Schools of various

types, apprenticeships for professional training, sport and

recreation haae become eaeryahere important sections ol

national organization (some countries have a 'ministry for

youth' and not only regarding education). The heritage

of force and hope built up by these young people brings

about in many countrics their indoctrination, political and

'Party' training.

Young people are themselves coirscious of this fact.

In somc countries they can vote at 18. IIowcver, in

developed countries they have become a purchasing power

and there is an economic sector which exploits thern.

a5 Letter 1620.

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So a serious problem arises of collectiae responsibility

on the part of adults regarding the formation of the young

and the direction it should take: are they just utilized, put

into prefabricated patterns or moulds or are they educat-

ed in an unselfish and Iiberating way?

38

4. As far as the Churck is concerned they have long

been a subject of her interest and care. The history of

pedagogy can name many great christians in its cause,

including saints, and among them Don Bosco.

Recent years have seen the formation of apostolic

moaements for yowth encouraged strongly by the Council:

"Youth must become themselves the immediate apostles

of youth exercising the apostolate among themselves, tak-

ing into account the special environment in which they

live." a6 The Council concerned itself directly with the

problem of Christian Education and Schools.aT On 8

December 1965, its eighth and last message was directed

to youth: "It is for you, especially you young people that

the Church by means of its Council has iit a lamp which

will light

sage, the

up the future

Church finds

-in

your future." In the same mes-

youth a sign of itself, a sign of

the 'newness' contained in the gospel, which announces

the new meaning of all things, renews and rejuvenates

humanity.

Holvever, in countries with a christian tradition the

root of the problem is laith itself. Youth is the privileged

place for the difficult encounter between the Church and

the world, the most sensitive point of the process of

secularization. The decisive problem then arises of form-

ing youth who come from a world and who will have to

live in a world in which the faith is no longer something

almost natural but becomes the object of personal choice.

16 AA 12.

4? GE.

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6.9 Page 59

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How can we help them in this choice? Don Bosco in-

terested himself concretely in boys and knew how to adapt

himself to them as he found them.

We also, moved by the same love and the same will

to serve, ought to get to know the heart of the young

people with whom we come in contact. If we have the

true salesian outlook we shall know how to discover all

the rich possibilities in youth, and working on this found-

ation as did Don Bosco we can make a success of our

work as educators.

39 b) The critical situation of youth in a well'to'do society

Tlne crisis of youth in this society is well marked in

the developed countries: it has become a new and decisive

force. This crisis arises, at least in part, from the fact that

young people feel themselves deprived of suffrcient support

from their families; they have no fi.rm moral code, either

from lack of religion or from the absence of family

traditions. It comes originally from the type of society

into which they are born and which breeds in them great

desires which cannot be satisfied. The young become

critical of adults and widen the generation gap, which

makes dialogue very dif&cult. Adu1ts react often with

distrust, lack of understanding and are authoritarian; or

on the contrary, they react with {ear, weakness, and give

up. In this context education is a very diffrcult task.

40 l. The uital stirnwlu,s wh'ich they feel. Material and

cultural growth has created in the young people of today

an extraordinary and equivocal aill-to-liae and to exper-

ience, with the various possibilities offered to their ener-

gies. They want to live personally, away from the tradi-

tional ways of acting, of the official norms presented to

them; they want to feel responsible in a new sort of exper-

ience which is alt theirs. They want to live completely

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6.10 Page 60

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free frorn all law,s which they consider just banal re-

strictions.

They want to try out all the experiences available to

them and to find out new ones (the extraordinary ex-

citement of drugs). They want to test the efectiaeness of

their olvn actions, cager to build a better world.

And here arises a grave problem: an educator, whose

attitude faced with life and its problems is one of fear,

who is lacking in enthusiasm, will never be accepted by

modern youth. Youth is perhaps anxious to listen to him

lr''ho said; "I came so that they may have life and have

it more abundantly." aa

41

2. The subaersiue forces by uhich they are afected.

...Modern society ofiers them a complex of pressures so

varied and contrasting that it increases the ambiguity of

their vital stimulus, and tragically prevents them from

finding true liberty or their real identity. They are im-

mersed in a technological atmosphere which excludes them

from the 'human' and spiritual dimension of things and

problems and so they are people of 'one' dimension; they

are i11 a'relatiue' atrnosphere which breaks down for them

the traditional systems of truth and values and makes

them donbt everything; they iive in a hed,onistic atmosphere

which makes them the slaves of money, comfort, unbridled

sensualitv and easily come-by amusements; they live in an

atmosphere of subversive propaganda in which the mul-

tiplicity of means of social communications, public opin-

ion, slogans, fashion, the gods and goddesses of the day,

make them completely passivc and prevent them from

being true to themselves; in a word their atmosphere tends

towards secularism and atheism tvhich makes faith and

the practice of it difficult. The probleru, which the educator

is up against is the necessitv of finding and making them

a8 Jn. 10, 10.

36

7 Pages 61-70

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7.1 Page 61

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accept the presence in their lives of forces which will free

them from their predicament.

42

3. Tke uneasiness which they leel euen to tke point ol

rebell,ion. All this prevents these young people from enter-

ing into society with the assurance which they need and

the initiative which they wish to have. Often they find

themselves confronted by adults who treat them as so

many objects, rather than recognize them in their own

personality; who adopt an attitude of the preacher, rather

than giving them the example of an upright life; who

frustrate them rather than give them confi.dence and a

sense of co-responsibility.

The most serious reswlt is that many of these young

people find themselves without any support; they do not

find it in adults nor in themselves, detached as they are

from sound principles and values both in thought and

action. Iso1ated, lost, weak, uneasy about the future, full

of contradictions, they band themselves together against

adults, they are bitterly critical of them, they take refuge

in escapism, indulge in strange behaviour and are often

violent in their confrontations; they manifest at one and

the same time their refusal to conform to the society

which is imposed upon them, and their own lack of secur-

ity. Rarely have we seen among us so many young people

so spiritually poor and in danger, who are indeed so

desperately in need of help.

The educator has to face up to tuo graae problerns:

he has to be near young people and behave towards them

in such a way as to inspire confidence in him, so that they

may lean on him for support; and he must understand the

basis of the rebellion of the young and argue with them

gently but firmly against all that is neither human nor

christian in present day society.

43

4. The resources and, tke rnearLs tkey tnwst use lor their

liberation. The educator must help these young people

37

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to develop in thernselves some resources before they are

bled dry by evil: such as the taste for nobility of character

and integrity, a sense of solidarity and brotherliness; a

sensitivity to the social values of justice, of universal

harmony, and of helping the most needy. "When the

consciousness of their orfirn personalit5z matures and they

are spurred

ance, they

ocnanbytathkeeirthzeesitrfoprrolipfeer".prdlatche"ii,nowsnoceiaxul baenrd-

cultural life." ae By doing this they have the awareness

of being responsible for, and. shapers of , their own destiny,

since they act upon society and the Church, of which they

are members, for the benefit of the future.

The greatest liberating force for them is undoubtedly

the confidence of adult's, specially parents and educators,

and. to have the good fortune of hrrhing in them witnesses

and guides who teach them true values, and especially the

faith, more by their example than by their words; sound

and confi.d.ent edricators, who are proud to have the truth

themselves but never cease to d.eepen it in their lives.

Many youths today are like the idle man in the parable:

they are waiting for someone who can make them hear

the great appeals of humanity and christianity: ,.Go ye

also into my vineyard." to

44 c) The tragic situation of the young in the poorer quarters

But there are great masses of young people who do

not stage any challenge, not because they do not have

the motives but because they do not have the strength.

You find them in the countries of the third world. It is

calculated that three-quarters of the youth of the world

Iive in the under-developed countries: trut they are found.

4' AA 12 b.

. so Mt. 20, 3-7; ct. Il Seyuizio'sales,iano ai, g,iouani, LDC l9i.}.

Studies by Don Perez and Don Gambino.

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7.3 Page 63

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also in some areas of the more developed countries,

especially on the out-skirts of large cities, and in areas

where the proletariate and sub-proletariate live (sometimes

called the'Fowrth Worl,d,').st They are 'the holocausts to

expansion,' because this very expansion generates social

inequality and poverty.

There are two grades of this poverty. Peripheral,

poterty: this is the process by which individuals and

groups, already wounded in their material and social

existence,'are little by little rejected by tn'e economic and

political circuits to the point of being excluded from the

society to which they seem to belong. Pushed to its

logical conclusion this peripheral poverty becomes the

poverty of exclusion, a miserable state of afiairs brought

about by the accumulation of the various factors of

poverty. And this, which exists for some groups in the

western world, we find on a national scale in the society

of the Third World.

What are these factorq o{ poverty of which millions

of children and young people are the victims? The "poor

and abandoned" person is the one who as far as education

is concerned, 'has remained illiterate; who not being

qualified for any professional work cannot be employed

and is the lowest paid; who has the minimal possibility

of having decent accommodation; the one, in whom the

lack of material goods and culture, the continual shame

and humiliations, have killed any kind of creative respons-

ibility and any interest in values; who feels himself ex-

cluded from any active part in society, and who has'no

voice in public affairs. In children and adolescents of

such environment there is retarded development both

psychic and mental with the consequent disturbances in

personality; the tragic consequences of poverty in these

5t Cf. Il seraiz'io salesi,ano ai gioaani, LDC 1970, study by H,

Lecomte p 85-96.

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I

youths will, in a word, prevent,them from becoming

'men.' Today large groups of young people can no longer

live their youth because they are immediately integrated

into the production system or exploited by it: they pass

directly from childhood to adulthood. It can be stated

categorically that the greater number of these people

between 14 and 25 have never been young and never

wiil be.52

The problem here is to know whether the sons of

Don Bosco have some providential mission towards these

poor young people who are waiting for liberators through

whom they can get to know the Saviour.

Summing up: we can affirm that these young people,

especially the poor, are today a large sector worthy of

the endeavours of the salesians: our Congregation has

today more than ever a specific service to render to the

Church and the wor1d.

45 C) THOSE TO WHOM OUR MISSION IS SPECIFICALLY

DIRECTED

1. Priority to the 'young,' and absolute priority to 'poor

and abandoned' youth.s3

This double priority appears clearly in the life, works

and dreams of Don Bosco, in our Constitutions,sa in our

traditions,ss in the awareness of the salesians of todav.s6

There are fi.ve points to clarify:

46 a) 'Youth'

The Church calls Don Bosco "adolescentium pater et

magister." Our Society feels that it is sent precisely for

5t Juaentud y Cristiani,srno en Amarica Latina, Bogoti 1969 p 29.

53 Cf. Constitutions 1.

5a Art, 1; then 3-7.

65 CG XIX, doc. IX.

55 Cf. PeP pp 26-27, 36-37; also answers to Istanze 33-35.

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7.5 Page 65

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the pre-adolescents, the adolescents and the young adults

according to the age which in the various countries and

cultures corresponds to this decisive stage in human life.

Children are not to be excluded; but in their . case the

task is incidental and a preparation for the next stage.

47 b) 'The poor, the abandoned and those in danger' 57

I. Which poor? Those who are hit by· any kind of

poverty:

- by economie poverty, which is at the root of so

many other privations and so takes fi.rst place in our

preoccupations;

- from social and cultural poverty which is felt as

frustration ("I am not recognised, accept�d; I haven't

got what I have a right to have") and as being left out

("I depend on others, I cannot use my own initiative");

- from affective poverty (such as an orphan, not

bei,ng well accepted), from moral and spiritual poverty

(without any consciousness of values, and above all of

the true God; strongly exposed to sin).

48

2. "The most poor and abandoned." Don Bosco used

this expression frequently, particularly in Art. 1 of the

Constitutions.58 It is therefore a priority among priorities:

help to the "most needy." This is verifìed:

- when one or the other various kinds of poverty

above mentioned is experienced to a. special degree of

gravity: the youths who in dire straits are hungry, are

illiterate, have no possibility of leading a normai life if

they are not helped: young people tormented with religious

and moral problems, on the way to delinquency, just come

6' Cf. PeP istanze 37-41 & answers to istanze 36-44.

68 Cf. Comment by Fr. DESRAMAUT.

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out from prison, who are desperate, who do not bdieve

any longer or are atheists, ·who are on drugs;

- whe'n there is an accumulation of these forms of

poverty: this happens often in the countries of the Third

World and in ·the large cities of developed countries (the

proletariate and sub-proletariate youth of the shanty-towns

displaced young people; Fòurth World).59 Many confrères

think that also in a situation in which the State inter

venes in a general way to carry out social justice, there

always remains a section of youth and poor boys not

reached by these reforms. · The task of the sons of Don

Bosco is t� go out to those �hom no one helps and 'to

bear witness that God loves and wants to sav'e ''the most

abandoned." 'The world will always acce'pt us with

pleasure as lo:hg as our solicitude i� for the poorest and

those mo.st. in danger in society. This is our real wealth

that no one càn take from us·.60

49

3. '.'Sons. of the working class who go out to work." 6�

The example of Don Bosco and a long-standing tradi

tion direct our mission towards those youths who, even

if they don't live in miserable conditions, belong to the

less fortunate working classes: the apprentices and young

workers in the cities and in the countryside. Very often

they are full of human and christian resources to be

developed to their own advantage and that of their en

vironment.

50 e) Vocations

The XIX General Chapter has laid it down quite

clearly tbat among the works of the Society, special care

" Cf. answers to PeP, Istanze 43-44; RicCERI, Letter on Under

development, ASC July 1970.

•0 BM XVII, 272; cf. XVII, 207.

61 Cf. Const. art 5.

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should be taken of those boys who show signs of a vocation

to the priesthood or the religious life.cz The: Vatican

Council itself has pointed out the urgency of this duty's

Don Bosco \\Mas so concerned with this need as to set up

special houses with this end in view. He also helped more

mature young men (Sons of Mary) who showed signs of

a vocation, but who, on account of their pbverty, could

not pursue the necessary course of study elsewhere. Under

his care vocations flourished, for his own work, for the

dioceses, and for other Congregations. This characteristic

of our work must remain. However, the evolution of

the Church toward.s a diversifi.cation of vocations with

the accent on the iay apostolate, and with our own tradi-

tion, Iead us to concern ourselves with those young people

who are capable of becoming leaders in the lay apos-

tolate.6a

We must make the point the "the Congregation does

not refuse to work fot any class oI people but'prefers

to work 'for the poorer classes as being rnost'ii'need." 65

Thus, the young men who are icomfortably off, are

normally not excluded from our work. But, since they

can aflord their education elsewhere, if they come to us

we must accept them with the sole motive of cultivat-

ing in them the sense of seiaice"i'it, 'tkd'apostolate to be

exercised by them in their own environment and for the

beneflt of the poor.

51 d) Young women

Here we ask ourselves if our mission is directed also

toward.s young women. There are two complementary

6' AGC XIX document II, third paragraph; cf. BM V, 41I;

XII, 87; Const. art 6-7 with comment by Fr. DBsReuaur, Annal's

ol the Congregat'i,on, I ch. 20 p 207-215-

6s pC 24-25; OT 2; PO ll.

6a Cf. PeP istanze 67-68, formation of leaders.

65 Regulations for the Houses, 1877 patt two chapter I p 59'

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answers to this question. Our work is, without doubt,

for boys: everything in our work is geared. to them. On

the other hand we must take into account two factors.

In the various kinds of pastoral responsibility which we

are accepting more and more we have to have a care for

young women (parishes, missions, chaplaincies for mixed

groups, e.g. in State schools, or chaplains in the work of

the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians). Besides, the

social life of today (it varies from country to country)

brings young people of both sexes together as a general

rule. "We cannot ignore the contacts between the sexes

which are a commonplace in modern living." ao

There arises therefore a need for an integrated educ-

ation for our young people. In this education all the

values of life (Iove, beauty, etc.) seen in the light of the

divine plan, will be precious elements for the maturing

of their personality. In certain environments the need

will arise for the specific task of mixed ed.ucation. This

will entail for us the responsibiiity of a more direct care

for girls. The problem of 'how' (discretion, the sense of

the supernatural, close collaboration with women teachers,

etc.) is important but it wiil be treated elsewhere.6?

52 e) What do we mean by 'priority?'

We have chosen to use this word to translate the

word "specially" used by Don Bosco. The importance

and the urgency of the needs of the young and the cor-

responding apostolate is the very reason for the choice

of the word "priority." Through the pastoral needs of

the Church, priority for the young describes objectively

our mission and makes it more precise. We have already

said that there are degrees of priority (youth, poor youth,

6G AGC XIX p 196.

67 Cf. Document of the CISI, May 1969.

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poor and abandoned youth) for which the concrete needs

have without doubt to be taken into consideration. The

preference is fixed at the psychological level of those who

are sent: it is at the same time a "motive" and a result

of the mission.

It is possible to affirm this priority for the young in

all cases, because also in the salesians who are directly

consecrated to work for adults, we suppose a special

preference for the young, a mentaiity sensitive to their

problems and a special care for them whenever the oc-

casion arises.

53 2. Adults who are complementary obiects of our mission 68

We are assured both by Don Bosco and our traditions

that our work is also directed in a complementary way to

adults... it is formaliy expressed in the Constitutions and

is found in the Acts of the XIX GC 6e and in the replies

of the confrdres.To

The problem is very complex: is it a mission in its own

right, paralle1 with that of the young, or is it integrated

with the work for youth?

The reply is also complex.

The reasons for which we concern ourselves with

adults can partly clear up this complexity.

1. The zeal of Don Bosco, ardent and all-embracing

as it was, moved him to work directiy for the raising

of the cultural, human and religious level of "adults of

the lower classes." 71

2. The Ch,wrck has insisted that we take on some

!8 Const. art 7 b-10,

6s AGC XIX doc. XII, XVI, XVII.

70 Cf. answers to Istanza 35 of PeP.

?r Cf. Original text of the Const. "Scope of this Society.."',

art. 6 given in BM V, P 933.

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7.10 Page 70

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pastoral responsibility for adults, especially when it was

a question of parishes in poor quarters.

Arrd then there are reasons which are more directly

bound up with our salesian mission.

3. In many cases the education of the young is so

bound up with the conditions of the family and its social

and political background that we cannot do anything

beneficial for them without trying to improve their en-

vironment and consequently that of the adults.

4. The spread and complexity of the integral ad-

vancement of youth and the joint pastoral care of the

area forces us to fulflI our mission even bv "indirect

action," that is, by'acting on the greatest po.ribl. number

of adults and of organizations which have influence over

youth.?z In this perspective lies our interest and respons-

ibility towards the taity, our direct collaborators, and the

salesian co-operators.

To the question: "Do we occupy ourselves with adults

for their own sake, or because of their connection with

youth? we answer '1YES" to both parts of the question.

We can divide these adults into two main groups:

54 a) The adults of the working classes

We are not sent to all categories of adults but

specifically to the lower classes.Ts In this category as in

that for youth, the preference of Don Bosco was for the

"poor;" who need to be helped in a special way for their

human and religious advancement. So this educative miss-

ion should link up with the work in favour of the young;

?2 Cf. 47 Contr,ibuti di studio to istanza 4 of PeP, summarised

on pp 43-54 of II Special Provincial Chapters.

73 With reference to the situation of his time, Don Bosco said:

"the uncouth and the ignorant."

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8 Pages 71-80

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8.1 Page 71

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there is an internal, unity between ' our mission towards

"the young" and that towards "the people." This'ex-

plains the fact that when we have a mission directly con-

cerned with adults, we find that there is work to

as ed.ucators among the poor boys of the area'

be

It

done

hap-

pens especially in parishes in poorer districts which we

must prefer.

The present problem is that we must be aware of

the neu context in which these people live, and take into

accourrt the new, present-day meaning of the term "people"

(or "working class"). To Don Bosco this meant almost

exclusively that category of ordinary people who needed

to be taught a little culture, the catechism and good

religious practices. Today it means also a category,

social-cultural and social-political

sciousness" (and sometimes "class

who have "class con-

warfare"). It signihes

specific enviropments, differing one from the other: rural,

emigrants, etc.

and a suitable

That means

adaptation

for

of

us a change

our pastoral

of mentality

work if we

want to be efrcacious bearers of the tight of the Gospel'

In addition, among these adults who are the object of

our care we must place our past pupiis

;,

Since education begins in the family and in many

cases since the human development of the child depends

on this initial education, salesians will do everything poss-

ible, by writing and lectures, to help parents, especially

young parents, in the christian and human education of

their children. Lay people who are directly responsible

for the young have also a great influence in the evolution

of youth. Hence we shouid increase our contacts with

them.

We may also have the care of many other people

who are on a higher social-cultural plane. With their

social and political responsibilities and their scientific and

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pastoral skill, they can have a great influence on the

education of youth.Ta

56 3. Those for whom we care on the missions

This deserves special and separate mention because

it has a special place in the mind of Don Bosco and

in our traditions. It was solemnly recorded in the

XIX General Chapter 75 and reaffirmed by the confrdres.?6

Without being listed among the Congregations which

are exclusively missionary, our Society, in the mind, ol

Don Bosco is awthentically and, "essentiall,y" rnissionary.

It could be said that this aspect constitutes a privileged

application of our work and an extension of our mission

to the working classes and to poor youth, because in the

majority of cases missionary activity is directed toward.s

people who are not yet christians with a preference for

regions which are materially and spiritually poor; there

we meet many young people and the field of the apostolate

is vast.

57 4. Psychological and practical consequences for the

salesian

Having specified the various categories of people to

whom our mission is directed we can see that in the

salesian there has to be a special, attachment to poor youth

and to adults of the working class. The sympathy of the

salesian for these two categories is spontaneous. present

with them and sympathetic towards them he can ap-

preciate their qualities, their tastes, their interests and

legitimate initiatives. He keeps young with the young

?a Cf. Suggested list in PeP p 42. From a certain point oI

view comes in the problem of Salesia.n Co-operators.

?5 Document XVIII.

76 Cf. PeP pp 54-55, answers to Istanze 77-g0.

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8.3 Page 73

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and at the same time knows how to adapt himself to the

common environment. These are some aspects of his

primary "spiri1." zz

But, having stated that the priority of our mission

is towards the young, it does not mean that other sectors

are peripheral and less salesian. Those of us who are

dedicated to the apostolate among adults are as much

salesian as those who work for boys. A11 are sent by

the same Christ and make effective the same gift of

the Spirit.

?? Cf. P. Srer,re, vol. II p 369.

,t.Dl

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CHAPTER TWO

f

'

THE SERVICE

RENDERED BY OUR MISSION

')

'I

A) GENERAL SURVEV

58 1. God calls and sends us as "signs and witnesses" of

his saving love

In harmony with the m�ssion of the çhurch, i� which

we participate,1 we can describe our mission thus: the

salesians are in the Church as "signs and witnesses" of

the special love of Christ for young people, above all the

poor; love which, more precisely, aims to bring about

their meeting ("communion") with God the Father and

among themselves, sons of the same Father.2

Through self-sacrifi.ce, joy, confi.dence, and vigour they

must make young people, especially the poor, realize that

this Christ is not only a person of the past but that he

is risen, alive and present, that he is reaching out to

them and calling to them in order to love them, help

them, bring them to perfection, save them and unite

them; and so they give the proof that salvation is in

operation today /or each one of them.

The love of Christ is a love which calls for a free

response from every man and invites him to an ever more

complete reply. The intensity of liberation is rightly

measured by the quality of this reply of love. Hence

salesians cannot fulfi.l their mission except by p�rticipat

ing in the salvifi.c charity of Christ for young people;

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8.5 Page 75

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and their'charitSz, being pastoral and educative; aims at l

arousing a reply of free fi.delity to the'love that they have

received: "I know my own and my own know me;" 3

this is the central nucleus of the salesian spirit and of

the preventive system of Don Bosco.

59 2. As witnesses of Christ the salesians educate youth and

adults of the working classes towards their ful! christ'

ian development

a) Fullness and totality of the salesian service

Our mission participates in the fullness of the ser-

vice rendered by Christ and by the Church to man seen

in his "total vocation."

Christ has come to save the whole man: in the gospel

he reveals his active charity not only by teaching the

word and pardoning skrs, but also by healing the sick

and feeding the crowds.

The Church in Vatican If reconsidered its wide res-

ponsibility to work for the "kingdom" of Christ, in a

mission which includes two inseparable aspects: to evan-

gelize and sanctify men in their reality, penetrating the

temporal order with the spirit of the gospel in order to

orientate it towards Christ the King.5

Don Bosco, as we know, wanted the total good of

his boys. He laid it down that the object of his work

should be "every work of charity both spiritual and

corporal;" 6 and the fruit expected from these works is

"to make young people honest citizens and good christ-

ians," to make them happy in this life and in the next.

s

r

Jn

GS

10,

11.

14.

:

..:",.1,:

5 cf. LG 3l-36; AA 4-!-l; Cs introduction; AG 5-12; GS 40-43

6 Const. 1.

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60 b) supernatural unity of the satesian saving actiyity, in the distinction

of the two kinds of service rendered

Our complex mission shares in the action of Christ

and the Church, which is a single whole. Certainly from

the point of view of the objective result, to heal and to

feed the body, and illumine or heal the soul are actions

in different orders touching the human and earthly happi-

ness of man and also the supernatural and eternal. The

Council clearly affirms the single vocation of man to com_

munion with God in Christ,z but recognizes ..the legitimate

autonomy of earthly affairs.', 8

In the

distinguish

concrete

between

a salesian

the service

konfogwisvinvegry,,lowdeglilnhgo, wfootod

and

God

clothing" e to orphans, and of

i, the sacrament of confession.

giving the pardon of

The clistinclion how-

ever is absorbed into a real and higher unity. There are

not two missions, one natural and the other supernatural.

There is a single mission of a religious nature (christian,

ecclesial, apostolic and salvific) which tends to bring

about "that the earthly and the heavenly city penetrate

each other;" 10 it is a question of ,.communicating divine

life and contributing towards making the family of man

and its history more human." 11 This unity can be consider_

ed from different points of view.

a) The wnity ol the kingd.orn ol Ckrist and, the plan

ol the Father that require the diversity of these services.

Earthly progress is directed to the coming of the kingdom

of God. "The spiritual order and the temporal orde.,

although distinct, are so connected in the one plan of

7 GS 22.

8

,

GS 36; cf.

Const. 5.

also

no.

31

r0 GS 40.

1r GS 40 c.

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God that he himself intends in Christ to appropriate the

whole universe." 12 All the earthly values, love, the dignity

of man, fraternity and liberty will still remain in the

kingdom, but will be transformed and purified.l3

b) The unity ol tke young person to love in his own

integral vocation (to become a true man, a 'complete'

man adopted as a son of God), and to be of concrete

service, in all his needs, to promote his total salvation.

c) The unity of the sal,esian who l,oues youlxg people

with the knowledge of being sent by Christ, and who

lives his charity and evangelical spirit in all his different

duties.

If human betterment and evangelization are attained

in a single movement of charity (the integral salesian

mission which performs "works of spiritual and corporal

charity") both angelic spiritualism and mere horizontal

sociology will be avoided. We believe that the "Da mihi

animas" of Don Bosco bound the two aspects together

with some insistence on the religious aspect. This intrinsic

bond is reaffirmed today by the Council; "The Church

has the duty of occupying itself with the entire life of

men, even earthly life in so far as it is connected with

the heavenly vocation." 1a

We discover also that the human level and the type

of earthly life partially condition the faith; in fact there

is needed a bit of earthly happiness to discover the love

that wants the integral salvation of man, a minimum of

liberty and culture to accept the faith. In its turn faith

finds in its earthly life its concrete context of application'

I' AA 5.

13 Cf. GS 39; GS 4l says "in the same divine order are iden-

tified the Lord of human history and the Lord of the history of

salvation"; cf. GE I c; 9.

1r GS introduction.

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"Ad Gentes" says that the presence of disinterested ser-

vice among men is the first stage and, in a certain sense,

a permanent stage of missionary work itself. The an-

nouncement of the God of love must always be accom-

panied by "signs" of its authenticity: love in action.

Our mission is based on a vision of man which is

fully human and. fully christian; and orrr renew&l consists

in "dedicating ourselves to young people, to help them

to be themselves, to live authentically their own human

and christian experience, making them fi.nd in friendship

with the redeemer the stimulating pivot of their complete

formation." 15

61 c) How to express this single and complex mission

The word "evangelization" could be chosen, but in

normal language (in the strict sense) it is reserved for

that pronouncement which is "offered to arouse that first

act of faith,16 with which men adhere to the word of

God" 17 and believe in Christ. We have chosen two com-

plementary expressions . l) " Integral, christian promotion:"

"promotion" indicates the process of development of the

person; "integral" indicates the whole range of this process,

right up to divine sonship and sanctity; "christian" in-

dicates that the source and energy which will animate

the whole process is the same love of Christ. 2) " Liberat-

ing ckristian ed,wcatiom" expresses the work to be done

and the same process from the point of view of the salesian

"educator;" "liberating" emphasises the dynamic aspect

of the historical process of the growth of man starting

from the situation of "slavery" in which he fi.nds himself:

multiform slaveries of the material, psychological, intel-

15 Canor Vrlrot, Letter to Fr. Rioceri

16 CD 1I, t3; AG 6-13-14.

I? DCG 17.

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lectual, social, and above all ethical-religious orders (with

reference to the slavery of sin as described in the gospel

and by St. Paul; from this slavery Christ has liberated us).

We speak of liberating "christian" education because we

are dealing with an apostolic activity which is brought

about according to the spirit of the gospel read in the

light of Vatican II.

Fr. Ricceri in his letter on under-development affrrms

that this liberating work must succeed in "rnaking men

mature with an integral personality, capable of liberat-

ing themselves, but also to be liberators of their brothers;

men capable of making themselves bearers of christian

hope, even

for hope."

rwaheMnotrheeovheurmtahne'ltreoxrpizroenssoiofnierins'dfeicwatemsottivheast

education must be triberating not only in its objectives,

but also in its methods, with the continual appeal to

the responsibility and personal participation of the person

being educated.le

B) THE TASK OF EVANGELIZATION

62 1. As witnesses of Christ, the salesians educate young

people and others to whom their mission is directed,

to receive and live the christian faith even to heroic

sanctity

The Council teaches that the mission of the Church

to men aims "by the exampie of her life and her preaching,

by the sacraments and other means of grace to lead them

to the faith, the freedom, and the peace of Christ and

open to them a free and trustworthy road to full participa-

tion in the mystery of Christ." so Synthetically all the

18 ASC ro. 261 p 38-39.

ls Cf. GE lb; Li,nee di r'i.nnoaamento, LDC 1971, II rm. 45-2

and 47-2 pp 97-99-102.

'o AG 5 a; cI. GE 2.

55

8.10 Page 80

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work is "manifesting Christ's message (evangelizing) and

communicating his grace (sanctifying)." zr

The examples and the directives of Don Bosco and

our tradition have caused the salesians to dedicate them-

selves to such work with enthusiastic and untiring zeal,

conscious of the divine excellence of the service given

both to young people and to adults. Dynamic fidelity to

the mission that we have received demands that we con-

tinue to take into account the present context of the

Church and of the world.

The essential points are:22

63 a) To arouse and cultivate the faith

Gathering the young and adults according to the level

of their spiritual life, we must prepare the ground for

their meeting with Christ; hence we must explain the

plarr of God and the mystery of his Son the Saviour,

until minds and hearts open to him with sincere faith.

After this comes the "nurturing" of this faith with an

adequate presentation of the doctrine of the gospel and

of the Church, so that the christian may know how "to

make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for

the hope that is in you." za

This is the point or particular aspect of the Pastoral,

work ol the Lord, where the salesians must have special

ability.

64 b) To initiate into the encounter with God and into liturgical-sacramental

life

The first expression of faith is the adoration of the

Father "in spirit and in truth." The salesian educates

2r AA 6a.

3r 'We refer for a fuller treatment to the document an "Evan-

gelization and catechesis."

13 I Pet. 3, 15.

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9.1 Page 81

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to prayer as a loving and intimate encounter with Jesus

our Saviour and with the Father. The Virgin Mary is

the best of all guides on this path.

Christian life reaches its most signifi.cant expression

in the sacraments and in liturgical participation. The

salesian often has to prepare young people and adults

for baptism and confirmation (sometimes for marriage).

But he will give particular attention to confession and

above all to the eucharist, the centre of liturgical life,

because of their richness in grace and because of the

exceptional value of their resources for human and chris-

tian education.

This is an aspect of the liturgical and sacramental

pastoral work, another sector in which the salesians must

be deeply involved.

65 c) To manifest the sense of the Church and of human service

This complete education which is given in an ec-

clesial context, tends to develop love for the Church,

of which each one feels himself. an actiae member. The

supreme fruit of the formation is obtained when the young

people or adults, each one flnding his proper place in

the Church and in society, "devote themselves to the

building up of the Mystical Body and promote that chris-

tian transformation of the world" 2a and dedicate them-

selves for justice and peace, avoiding what the GS counts

as the most serious errors: "the split between the faith

which many people profess and their daily lives." 25

This is the aspect of the ecclesial pastoral' uorh ol

groufs and, of mouements of formation and of apostolic

action, and the pastoral worh ol uocations, another privileg-

ed sector of salesian action.

,1 GE 2.

,5 GS 43.

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To sum up. Every educative pastoral enterprise

demands the combined presence of these three integrated

aspects of pastoral work. The harmonious development

of these three dimensions will bring to maturity authentic

christian personalities. Hence our mission has really no

other aim t}l,ar, lorrning saints. The fi.gure of Dominic

Savio, rising up right at the beginning of our salesian

work, is a strong and inspiring reminder of this. It is

useful to note that Dominic Savio is one of the finest

fruits of the preaentiae systern This salesian pastoral

method is in perfect accord with the scope of christian

education: basing itself on "reason, religion and kindness,"

it appeals to the deepest interior forces of man; in such

a way that the person being educated may become a

lree man and a conscious christian awakening in himself

with the grace of God, the forces necessary to build up

his own:'personality and to dedicate himself to the 'ser-

vice of God and other men.

66 2. As witnesses of Ghrist, the salesians Go-operate in

planting the Church amongst non.Ghristians

The originality of the missionary task requires that

the most important aspect of the salesian mission be

considered apart. It is a question of taking shape in a

group which does not yet believe or no longer believes

in Christ, and of bringing about there "the evangelization

and the foundation of the Church." 26 In this vast context

all the preceding tasks find their complete application.

This is the aspect of. rnissionary pastoral u0rk.2?

86 AG 6c.

'? AG 11; the SGC treats widely of this in scheme 8 on "Sales-

ian missionary action."

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9.3 Page 83

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C) THE DUTY OF SALESIANS TO PROMOTE JUSTIGE IN

rHE WORLD

ln the spirit of the evangelical beatitudes the salesians

dedicate the,mselves to an intense educative action

which bears witness to and promotes iustice in the

world.

67 lntroduction: the current urgency for the coming of iustice

into the world

"The problem of justice in the world is one of the

most vast, grave and urgent of contemporary society. It

is the central problem of world society today." za

One of the signs of the times is the awareness,

especially on the part of young people, of the injustice

which impedes the equilibrium of society and the realization

of a total liberation of man. Under-development, illiteracy,

misery and hunger in the world are today of such extent

and gravity that emergency assistance is not sufficient,

but rather there is needed action to deal with the deep

causes of such situations. We meet in fact with structures

which often seriously hinder or even impede the essence

of the gospel message; the poor and oppressed cannot

discover in such structures the image of God, to believe

that the kingdom has arrived in this world, nor turn

themselves towards the path of integral salvation. Hence

they are structures of sin.2e

On the other hand the human betterment of the poor

requires that they become aware of the situation, and

that changes be brought about by them, and that they

do so collectively. All this means that they have need

of help from persons and institutions that work for justice'

2s From the. l'Text of discussion on justice in the world sub-

mitted to the Synod," Vatican City, 1971.

2e Cf. Rom. 8, 20 seqq.

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9.4 Page 84

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Here the christian community has a part of primary

importance to play.so

fn such a situation , ukat is the task ol the salesians sr

whom Christ sends among the young people especially

the poor, and under what conditions will their action

remain "apostolic and salesian?"

Don Bosco used to distinguish a double work possible

in the field of social structures:

a) a task with broad horizons where the policy is

that of the "Our Father:" this is inherent to christian

evangelization intimately connected with the integral

promotion of the human person; here the salesians work

principally through education;

D) a more restricted view, limited to the policies

of political parties, from which Don Bosco

plete abstention, both for himself and for

hwisanstoendsc.o,m,I-f

we want to

never talk

pmoalikteicsprnogeriethses r-foDr onnorBo&sgc&oinssaf.i"d

-3z

we must

Our reply today in the matter of work for justice in

the world is given in a new cultural context: it is not

aroused by contingent motives of political factions and of

idealogies of the moment, but from the needs that the

integral formation of the "perfect christian and honest

citizen" places before the educator: the Church and the

world ask us to form men capable of bringing justice

into our world laden with grave problems.s3

30 cf. oA 4.

3r We do not consider here the problem of how this undertak-

ing will be realized. The unit responsible is ttre salesian community

at all levels (world, provincial, local); it studies, prograrnmes, realizes

and reviews this sector of our apostolate. The practical problem is

to compound in a responsible way a pastoral service which takes

count of persons, possibilities, circumstances, places etc.

3, Ep. (Letters) \\rol. TII, 167.

8s cf. oA 2.

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68 a) lntense educative action for young people and adults resPonsible

for the liberation of the poorrl

l) For you,ng people to uhom ue are sent. "Our col-

laboration towards development is principally the educa-

tion, qualification and formation of men who are the

chie{ factors in development.3s Our first responsibility

concerns the mass of young people who need an open

and complete education: understanding of the social situa-

tion, knowledge of the doctrine of the Church, formation

in civic, social and political responsibility, initiation into

a progressive undertaking of concrete service. Our educa-

tive action will thus be linked with local circumstances

raising up christians dedicated to the liberation of their

brothers.

Like Don Bosco, we are particularly sensitive to the

needs of those who remain on the fringe of society be-

cause they are illiterate: "An illiterate person is an under-

nourished spirit." 36 We collaborate with national and

international organizations which promote basic education

and reading and writing among the poor, so that these

brothers of ours on the fringe of society may be able to

liberate themselves from the slavery of ignorance and

participate in social and cultural life.

69

2) For ad,ults d,ed,icated to iustice. As pastors we must

illumine and stimulate the laity to work for justice (parish-

ioners, christian movements, past pupils, co-operators, our

lay collaborators...). "Pastors must clearly state the evan-

gelical and magisterial principles and feed the spiritual

life and apostolic sense of these adults and of their

3a The doctrine oI the Council gives principles only (Cf. AA

13-14; 24; GS 63-72;83-86; cf. also PP; OA; ET. The Synod of Bishops

(Doc. Cat. pp 19-21) gives a clear exposition of the content of and

the method of realizing this education {or justice.

35 Letter ot' Fr. Ri,ccer?, ASC no. 261 p 36.

38 PP 35.

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groups." 37 There{ore ,it is our urgent, duty to probe

deeply into social doctrine so as to render ourselves

capable of such a delicate task.38

70 b) The task of being witness to justice in the world, a reftection of

our educative work

Our educative work for justice in the world becomes

"credible" therefore to the extent that the individual

salesian, and the community, at all levels, are authentic

witnesses to justice. The Synod of Bishops recalls that

in regard to the use of temporal possessions it must never

happen that the evangelical witness which the Church

is required to give becomes ambiguous. "Although in

general it is difficult to draw a line between what is needed

for right use and what is demanded by piophetic witness,

we must certainly keep firmly to this principle: our faith

demands of us a certain sparingness in use, and the Church

is obliged to live and administer its own goods in such

a way that the gospel is proclaimed to the poor. If instead

the Church appears to be among the rich ,and powerful

of this world, its credibility is diminished." 3e

The external testimony of the evangelical values

which uphold our religious life is a permanent dimension

of our being, and is itself a very efficacious form of

"education:" one educates more through what one is

than with what one says. Our mission for young people,

above all for the poorest, requires from our communities

a type of presence and global attitude towards the poor

themselves and towards the movement (more or less

organized) with which they attempt to achieve their

rights to a more human life.

37 AA 7d;25b; cf. also LG 37 c; GS 43b; PO 9.

38 Cf. OA 42 seq.

p

3e Synod

18.

of

Bishops:

Teil

ol

discuss,ion

on

iust,tce

,in

the

world

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As religious we bear witness to the spirit of the

beatitudes: the Lord has given us this special vocation,

and even demands this service from us. Therefore our

work for justice in the world must never obscure the

clarity of this testimony, which each one will give ac-

cording to the gift received from the Spirit. Our testimony

and service for justice arises from charity and aims at a

more profound communion among men.

7l c) An efficacious action for the coming of iustice In.accordance with

the directives of the local Ghurch and of our Gongregation

We must at once make it clear that our work for

justice in the world does not indeed signify taking sides

in politics, which is the affair of the laity and not of

religious nor of priests.ao In this sector there necessarily

arise differences and disagreements, and educators and

'pastors' cannot compromise the Church in such disputes,

but rather they have the duty of preserving the unity

of the people of God.a1

This does not prevent (indeed it rather demands),

that like Jesus Christ and the Church, we also devote

ourselves by preference to the service of the suffering,

the poor and the oppressed, those who for so long have

Iived in conditions openly contrary to their condition

and dignity as sons of God.az

The desire we have for justice in the world does

not arise {rom class hatred, nor does it propose any

violent action, but it remains an expression of charity

drawn from gospel sources. "The specifically christian

action of the faithful for justice in their way of living

a0 Cf. Synod of Bishops: The Mini,ster'i,al Priesthood, Yaticarr

l97t pp 2O-21.

41

c

Cl.

Cf.

GS

OA

+:;

23;

AA

ET

25; PO

17-18.

9

c.

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the gospel (in the family, at work, in schools, in social,

cultural and political life); it is evident that education,

or the formation of christians, represents the fi.rst con-

tribution of the Church. But an authentic education

does not acknowledge any dichotomy between faith and

life; it is not "information," but a change of heart towards

justice and love of God and man; it does not admit any

compromise with institutions which are not at the service

of justice and integral development. It must make men

capable of analysing and criticizing unjust situations

which exist in their society and of seeking new forms

of collective life. Likewise it must permit a liberation

of men from harmful organized manipulation and render

them truly masters of their own destiny.a3

Let us pin-point some aspects which particularly

interest us as salesians whether at the level of the Con-

gregation as such, or at the level of the local provincial

community or at the individual level.

72 l) We ckoose the line of the 'progress ol peoples.' "The

struggles against under-development is related to the very

essence of the salesian Congregation which therefore feels

itself fundamentally committed to it. Nevertheless it

must act according to its own particular charism, yiz.

along the lines, the style and spirit of Don Bosco, and

hence also with his courage, intelligence and realistic

attitude

must be

a-

and always with his charity...

vital principle packed tight with

This is and

implications

that must be translated into action." aa

73 2) We relwse euery compro%ise uitk any lorm ol social

injustice a5 and, all collusion uitk riches and pouer.a6 It is

a3 "A synthesis ol the d,ocument on iustice,in the world," (Oss.

Rom.4.l1.l97l).

a{ Fr. RrccBxr, l.c. pp 22-23.

15 ET 19.

aG Fr. RrccBxr, l.c. p 25.

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the most elementary form of evangelical testimony for

a more just society. In preaching, oral and written

catechesis and pastoral work, we must have the.courage

to denounce injustice and to recall all the demands of a

gospel which is binding upon personal and collective life.aT

74 3) We collaborate for the promotion ol the uorld, ol the

uorhers and' ernigrants. Our mission for youth and the

people implies: a friendly attention for the social and

the historical reality of the workers' world; the efiort

to discover its educative, human and evangelical values;

the concern to collaborate with movements dedicated to

its evangelization, without forgetting that the principal

aim we must have in mind is that the poor themselves

take responsibility in hand for their own human and

christian betterment.

Similariy we collaborate with those responsible for

the pastoral, uorh for emigrants. Our salesian vocation

calls for our presence among these brothers who aspire

to a more human life in very difficult situations. It will

not be difficult for us, an international Congregation, to

provide qualified service especially for the assistance and

education of the children of emigrants.a8

75 4) We adopt a poor style ol life: "to free ourselves from

a bourgeois mentality." ae This aspect is treated more

ful15, in the document on salesian poverty. Here we

merely recall that our religious poverty demands an

austere style of life which enables us to insert ourselves

among poor young people after the example of the in-

carnate Christ.

.? Cf. GS 76 e.

18 Cf. Oss. Rom. Nov. 19, 1971:, "Problemi delle m'i,grazion'i

oggi," a document of the Italian Episcopal Commission for Emig-

ration.

fs Fr. RrccBpr, l.c. p l; cf. ET 18-19-22.

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76 5) We rnake some propketic gestwres, which show more

clearly our privileged love for the poor in a way conform-

ing to the reality of today.

Paul VI says to religious: "Let the cry of the poor...

induce some of you to participate in their conditions,

and to share their great anxieties." 50 We too have great

need of what the spirit wants to tell us through the voice

of the poor.

It is in agreement wittr our spirit artd with owr rniss-

ion tod,ay that some of us go to live among the poorest

of the poor if analysis by the community shows that this

is the best way of working from within for their human

formation and evangelization. Likewise it may be op-

portune to experiment by sending some salesians who

want to make better contact with workers, young and

old, to work alongside them if this method of acting is

required by the needs of the local mission, is in harmony

with the collective pastoral work of the area and with

the approval of the hierarchy.

All this may be left to the courageous and prudent

approbation and, better, to the initiative of the provin-

cials and provincial councils, and always in agreement

with the local bishops.

77 d) The apostolic spirit of our work for justice in the world

Our work for justice is one element of our mission,

fulfilled by people consecrated to God and always in

reference to the gospel. Hence it must always be carried

out in an authentic religious and apostolic spirit and in

direct combination with evangelization; in fact:

l) it has as source and living soul the charity of

Christ the Saviour;

50 ET 25, 35

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2) it has as motivation the demands of the gospel

and the desire of helping Christ himself in the poor:

"I was hungry, and you gave 'me {ood;" sr

3) it has as object the co-operation with the mis-

sion of the Church which aims at animating the temporal

order with an evangelical spirit;

4) it has as immediate effect the co-operation in

the manifestation of a particular aspect of the love of

Christ and of his work of salvation;

5) it has as style that of Don Bosco: an easy ap-

proachability based on. "reason, religion and kindness,"

through which the work for justice is put in the wider

context of an integral promotion and of a christian liberat-

ing education. Through this the explicit announcement

of the kingdom is made to every man whatever be his

level of human development.

Briefly: Our true mission is made up of two linked

ideas: never to separate the immediate assistance of the

poor from opposition to the external causes of collective

poverty; and never to separate this effort of human

promotion from the authentic evangelization of both poor

and rich. In other words: not to evangelize the individuals

without keeping in mind the collective evangelization of

their environment.

78 D) WORK INSERTED INTO THE PASTOBAL ACTIVITY OF

THE TOCAL CHUBCH

The nature, size and complexity of our mission

requires that it be done as a combined work, in which

the various responsibilities are exercised in a spirit of

collaboration. The confrdres ask with insistence for a

more complete insertion of our action into that of the

5r Mt. 25, 35.

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local church,5z and within each community they want

more attention given to apostolic co-responsibility in

respect of the figure and particular duty of each one,

including our lay collaborators.

1. Our mission is carried out as a service to the local

church s3

79 a) Ecclesial and missionary nature of the local church

l) "The individual bishop is the visible principle and

foundation of unity in the particular church, fashioned

after the model o{ the universal Church. fn and from

such individual churches there comes into being the one

and only catholic Church." 5a

Each particular and local church crystallizes for a

portion of believers the entire mystery and mission of

the Church itself. From this it follows that the local

church is the prime and directly responsible agent and

organiser of the mission for that group of people. There-

fore Vatican II recommends to religious "to assist in

the various pastoral ministries, the particular character

of each community should, however, be kept in mind.

Superiors should encourage this work to the utmost..." 55

Exemption permits religious to be more available

for a group of particuiar churches with their special

charismatic presence. This means that our salesian ser-

vice must be inserted into the pastoral work of the local

church. The young people and adults to whom we are

sent are members of the people of God: we go to meet

5, Cf. Thumb-nail sketch I CIS; the whole of chapter 5, especially

pp 97-109, in which one speaks of "the plebiscite will of the Congre-

gation" answers to PeP 54; 62-64.

53 For the ecclesial dimension of our mission cf. above nos.

27-29-33.

54 LG 23a; cf.. 26 a; CD ll.

55 CD 35, l.

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them and receive them to educate them as members of

the local church.

80 2) On the other hand, a local church does not exist only

for practical reasons in the organization of the preaching

of the gospel message and of christian life, but above

all for bringing about the catholicity of the Church' It

has the original function of directing to God the human

riches of its people and making them serve as a particular

expression of redeeming grace. Therefore it is necessary

to adapt the general pastoral work of the Church to the

concrete character and special needs of these people,

adapting it to a local pastoral work. Hence our pastoral

work for youth open as it is to working class people,

whilst remaining authentically salesian must insert itself

into the joint pastoral action of the area; it must provide

an original service , but must also be inspired, co-ordinated

and carried out in strict collaboration with all those

responsible in the region.

The unity of our mission is here expressed in a

plurality of pastoral works. The balance between fidelity

to our charism and availability for the pastoral work of

the local church 56 will give to each salesian province

(or group of provinces) a distinctive physionomy and a

particular pastoral unity.

81 b) lnsertion of our service in the mission of the local Ghurch

Our work is always a service rendered to the local

church, but this service can be given in two principal ways.

l) Pastoral, seraice in the pastoral institutions ol the local

churches thernselves.

The local church has a more or less high level of

55 ET 50.

69

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organization in the various sectors of pastoral work (cate-

chetics, liturgy, associations, care of vocations, schools,

ecumenical movement...).

Groups of salesians can render valid service to the

local church by putting themselves directly at its dis-

position in sectors which correspond to their mission:

evangelization of young people and of adults of the work-

ing class. fn some environments a group will receive the

total responsibility of a pastoral service (as happens for

parishes); elsewhere, on the other hand, it wilt be the

individual confrdres who, in agreement with the com-

munity, will make their contribution to a complex service.

Moreover the local church must guarantee the evan-

gelical animation of temporal realities. Ordinarily this

work is done by laymen; but it can happen that the

presence of religious and priests is recognized as opportune

or necessary. Therefore some salesians can be calied

either for the religious service of apostolic movements

run by the laity, or to work in civil institutions of educa-

tion, culture, social services..., and above all for the

improvements of the condition of the poor.

AII this is mentioned here not to describe different

possible forms of salesian apostolate, but to emphasize

the co-responsible and co-operative way with which rve

fulfil our mission in the Church. In such cases the sales-

ians will be in more direct and permanent collaboration

with those responsible in the diocese, and often thev

may flnd themselves in the more humble position of

"servants."

82 2) Salesian seruice in owr institwtes found,ed to meet local,

need,s.

This is the common case in our present works. Here

it is sufficient to recall that our relative autonomy (which

has its advantages) can never signify "pastoral self-

sufficiency," but must appear as a valid form of service

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and participation in the mission of the diocese and of

our religion. This is required both from the nature of

the work itself which must correspond with true local

needs, and from the method of carrying it out, in harmony,

that is, with the joint pastoral work in the area. In point

of fact it often happens that a salesian house has con-

frdres who render both these forms of ecclesial service.

In order that our insertion into the combined pastoral

work may be realized in a form of true co-responsibility,

it is to be hoped that many salesians will be chosen as

members of councils of priests and the pastoral councils.

83 c) Harmony of our service with that of other salesian forces in the

local church

This is another aspcct of co-responsibility and col-

laboration, and an original form of work which is at

the same time both salesian and diocesan. The Daughters

ol Mary Help ol Christians and. tke Don Bosco Volwnteers

q.re at the seruice ol the diocese l,ike us. For the Co-operators

Don Bosco says: "The association will depend absolutely

on the Supreme Pontiff, bishops and parish priests, in

all those matters which refer to religion." sz

We must make the co-operators aware of their sales-

ian and ecclesial responsibility so that they may fulfil

the salesian mission in broader and more efficacious ways.

The problem of a more organic connection between the

various salesian forces of an area must be considered in

the context of the combined pastoral work there.

84 2. The mission primarily helongs to the salesian community

as such

Each salesian must act in the awareness of being

a "number" united with his brothers in the fulfilment

57 Regulations 1876, III

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of the mission. Our pastoral service is always inserted

into the local church; the "proaincial cornmunity" has a

particular part in the responsibility for our apostolic

work; in fact it constitutes the institutional salesian unity

which corresponds better to a local church.

In many cases the grouping of provinces of the same

country or region into provincial conferences takes on,

from the point of view of the mission to be carried out,

a special importance; hence at these levels there is need

for valid structures of collaboration and an even greater

need for consistency in aims and in pastoral vigour.

The local salesian community expresses its deep

unity by putting into action the cornmon mission with

the same salesian spirit. Nevertheless the various types

of service which are requested, and the personal con-

tribution of each confrdre clearly show that this unity

of the community is quite contrary to uniformity: it is

the unity of an organic body, in which each member,

in union with the others fulfils its own proper function.

The richness and the variety of apostolic service arises

from the combination of complementary functions.5s

It is also clear that the priority of belonging to the

religious community does not prevent us from belonging

in a different rvay to other apostolic communities, some-

thing which happens especially in the case of salesians

who are engaged in direct service of pastoral institutions

of the local church.

58 For the principles and ways according to which the service

of authority will be exercised in our salesian communities, cf . schemes

13, 16, 17, 18.

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CHAPTER THBEE

SATESIAN SPIRIT

85 Meaning of salesian spirit

Speaking in chapter I of the "spirituality of the

rnission," we saw that it consisted of an interior attitude

to God and to men, made possible only by the energy

of love diffused in the heart of the apostle by the Holy

Spirit. It is at the level of pastoral love as lived by

Don Bosco throughout his life that this outline of the

salesian spirit is presented.

86 1. Every religious institute has its own religious spirit

Setting out the general principles for the renelval of

religious life, PC 2 declares: "It serves the best interests

of the Church for communities to have their own special

character and purpose. Therefore loyal recognition and

safekeeping should be accorded to the spirit of tr'ouirders..."

This prescnt document uses the word 'spirit' in a global

sense contained in such expressions as "spirit of the

Founder," "spirit of the Rule" etc.1

In general terms the salesian spirit can be dcflned

as "our own style of thought and feeling, of life and

activity, in putting into operation the specif,c vocation

1 Cf. LG 45a;PC 2b; ET 1l; then PC 20,21,22; ET 32. The

expression occurs in conferences, letters, and in other manuscripts

of Don Bosco, and living tradition has made them familiar to

salesians. (Cf. also Fr. Rrcconr, Intvoduction to the Constitutions,

1966, p s8 c).

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and the mission which the Holy Spirit does not cease

to give us." More specifically, "the salesian spirit is the

complex of the elements and values of the world of men

and of the christian mystery (before all else the Gospel,

the Church, kingdom of God...), to which the sons of

Don Bosco, gathering the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

and by reason of their mission are particularly sensitive,

as much in their interior disposition as in their outward

behaviour."

87 2. "Salesian" spirit today

Speaking of the "salesian" spirit, we refer first of

all to its foundation and to its source, which is the "spirit

of Don Bosco" (his life, vocation, work, teaching) , then

to the spirit shared and lived since then in his larnily

(the life and sound traditions2 of the salesians), and

2 "Sound Traditions:" The spirit oJ an Institute is not born

complete; nor is it discovered or preserved in isolation; but it is

incarnated in concrete states of existence, in those structures and

methods which express it, and which serve as vehicles of communica-

tion of the spirit in a particular time. These forms, structures,

methods, all together are the "sound traditions" which, according

to Vatican II (PC 2 b) together with the spirit and the intention

of the Founder, of whom they are the expression, constitute the

"patrimony of each Institute."

If renewal means returning to the living sources of the gospel

and of the charism of the Founder, it does not mean that one starts

all over again. If some of these traditions, because they belong

strictiy to the times in which they arose, have to be passed ower,

or better still, substituted by others which allow the li{e of the spirit

to express itself in new forms better suited to the sensibilities of

men and to the signs of the times, there are others so intimately

one rvith the spirit of the Founder that to relinquish them u,ould

be to impoverish the spiritual patrimony inherited by the Institute;

it would be a sin of in{idelity to the spirit, an alteration to the features

that the Lord himself gave it.

It is here that the grave obligation lies for every Congregation

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finally to the understanding of it expressed by today's

salesians in the special provincial chapters.

It is difficult to determine the spirit, the living reality

necessarily incarnated in historical and local structures;

but it is possible to understand it in its essential vitality

as deriving from the reflection of salesians on their exis-

tence: we have a liaing spirit! Along these lines, the gen-

eral consultation done through the special provincial

chapters is of inestimable value, and only with difficulty

could one fail to appreciate this.3

A fragmentary analysis of the various sources might

suggest that the component elements of the salesian

spirit are not original, and that they can be found else-

where; however, seen all together, and taking into con-

sideration the way in which they act upon each other,

their real originality can be perceived.

The special character of the salesian spirit, while it

or religious Institute to "observe and faithfully interpret" such

traditions. Such a fidelity is not a monotonous repetition of the

past; but it is a continual reaching out to the Jounts which feed its

Iife; a development and an expansion stemming from the root and

the trunk from which it draws life.

s a) Souncos: the writings of Don Bosco: Mernorie dell'Ova'

tovi,o: the lile ol Dom. Sauio; and F. Beswcco; the Pveuemt'iue Systeno;

Dveanc of San Beni,gno 1881; Letter from Rome, 7884; Spi,ritual Testa-

ment, 788tt-1886; Epistolario; Recommendati,ons to the M'i,ss'ionaries,

1886; Conlerences (in ruanuscr'ipt) to Sales'ians; Confid,enti.al' recona-

mendati.ons to Rectors, 1875

Official Acts of the Congregation;

I)ocumentation of the First and Second Special Provin-

cial Chapters.

b) S:ruorns: Biograph'ical Memoi.rs; Essays of E. Crnre; A. Ce-

vIGLIA, P. Bneroo, F. DBste,v,q'ur, P. S:rerre.

Particular attention should be given to the essay on the spiri-

tual formation of Don Bosco (the influence of Mamma Margaret,

St. Francis of Sales, St. Alphonsus, D. Ca{asso, and of the theology

of the day).

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is the foundation of unity, is the soul of post-conciliar

renewal; not only that of salesians, but of all the members

of the "salesian family."

N.B. .f, must be mad,e clear that this d,ocument d,oes

not intend, to giae an absolwte and, definitiae

presentation ol the salesian spirit. It is onl,y

an attemft to reply to the reqwest made by all

our Congregation. Experience and stwdy will

help us to conr,plete owr work.

88 A) THE SALESIAN SPIBIT IN ITS CENTRAL ELEMENT AND

IN ITS EVANGELICAL INSPIRATION

1. ln search of unifying inspiration

To understand a spirit is to comprehend an organiz-

ing inspiration; this is a sort of soul informing the whole

body and constituting its complex unity.

Don Bosco is the saint in whom perhaps the most

outstanding trait is the unity of his personality, of his

life, of his work. His personalitl, rvm constructed har-

moniously and progressively from a dynamic nucleus, in

which the spirit of the Risen Christ was received by a

rich and generous heart.

Let us attempt the very delicate task of entering

Don Bosco's soul, and gathering from it the elements

most apt to explain the man, the work, and the life-style.

89 2. The centre of the personality of the salesian, and the

deepest source of his unity

At the centre there is the "Giae tne souls, tahe away

faelrlvoeulsrew" h-ichthdaritveiss,htihme

charity with an all-pervading

to dedicate himself to the good

of others, especially of young people, for the glory of

God: the tr:ue apostolic passion,lit up by youthful ardour.

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Today's salesians, as did Don Bosco in the first draft

of the fi.rst article of the constitutions,a trace their zeal,

as to its fount, to the gospel, to the person and heart

of Christ, the Apostle of the Father, whose image appears

in Don Bosco.s

In their return to the gospel, the confrdres have been

inspired, secretly by the Holy Spirit, explicitly by the

conciliar Church. In {act the salesians have received

from the Holy Spirit the gift of the rediscovery of those

insights of Don Bosco into the gospels, i.e' of a certain

"salesian way" of interpreting the face and mission of

Christ; our spiritual inheritance is, before all else, in the

reading of the gospel.

From another point of view, the wave of renewal

which is sweeping ovel' the Church is enabling us to

understand more deeply the Christ of the gospels, and

the way Don Bosco understood and imitated him; this

enables us to revive the gospel intuitions of the salesian

spirit and to gear them to the new possibilities and the

immense needs of the world of today'6

These realities justify our mode of expressing now

our greatest gospel insights flou'ing from our salesian

inspiration of faith and love.

90 3. Filial gratitude to the Father for his scheme of salvation

In his reply of faith to the action of the Spirit who

wishes to unite him to Christ, Son of God, the salesian

discovers the infinite fatherhood of God and his generosity

{ "The purpose of this Congregation is to gather together its

members... in order to perfect themselves by imitating the virtues

of our Divine Redeemer, especially in his love for poor youth."

5 "What today's salesian thinks of his Congregation," vol. I

p 44.

6 L'inee di r'i,nnouatnento, LDC 1971, p 52-54.

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in giving to men a divine vocation.? He lives therefore

in the presence of his heavenly Father with a heart filled

with joyous gratitude and confi.dence. He feels called

also to be one who will reveal this Father, in his own

mission a father of his young people, whom he wishes to

encourage to behave according to their dignity of sons

of God.

In this way the salesian understands more deeply

Don Bosco in his union with God, and in his extraordinary

sense of being Father.s He understands too, the supreme

modei of Don Bosco, Christ, in the deepest part of his

soul, in his sonship, which urged him ever to live in

intimate union with the Father, to thrill with joy con-

templating his design e to see all men as sons of God.

The real world has pressing need to discover this

true face of God and this vocation to sonship that every

man has.

91 4. Preferential love for the "little ones" and for the ,'poor"

Docile to the action of the Spirit which leads him

to Christ the Redeemer, the poor man of the poor, the

salesian chooses yet again in this age to go with liberat-

ing love to young people, especially to the poor and. the

ordinary, because he has become aware of the importance

of the adolescent, and the appeal of the poor.

Guided by this experience, he penetrates the heart

of Don Bosco, totally given over to poor youth in whom

he saw the person of Christ. He penetrates the heart

of Jesus himself, attracted in a special way by the "Iittle

ones" and by the poor; that is, by those who feel their

7 Cf. Eph. 1, 5.

8 Cf. P. BReroo, The Pyeuent,iae System, pp Zg-29.

s Lk. 10, 22.

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limitations and are ready to receive the kingdom and

its salvation.lo

In a world in which the number of poor young people

is growing, the salesian understands better the renewed

importance of his vocation: to render prescnt to them

the love of Christ.lt

92 5. Zeal for the salvation of man inspired by the urgency

of the Kingdom

Under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, who wants

to give him the characteristics of Christ, the zealous

Servant of the Father, the salesian discovers with won-

derment that he is, in the hands of God, a most ef&icient

instrument for the salvation of the needy. Urged on by

the imminence of the kingdom which makes its advent

every day, he dedicates himself with fervour to their total

salvation, and accepts being "consumed" by this work.

He also discovers through the heart of Don Bosco

-andgrheeatsaesesththeesesae-nssheoroef-urgtheenccyonwsiuthmiwnghizcehalhoef

Christ,

carried

out his works with their twofold salvifi.c mission: "He

travelled through all Galilee, teaching and healing." 12

The actual world has greatly accentuated the im-

ro The word "little ones" is o{ten used in the gospels in a

metaphorical sense. For example in Mt. 18, l-6, the Lord gathers

the children together, and presents them as a model of every disciple,

u'ho must become "little... simple." In Mt. 11,25, God hides his

mysteries from the "learned and the wise," and reveals them to

his "little ones," i.e. to the straightforward and simple souls, the

ones to whom wisdom extends her invitation (Pro. 1,

has a meaning a little different lrom the "poor...

h4;u9m,b4le-

which

ones")'

These texts have relevance lor adolescents to the extent in lvhich

their age and their background favours this interior attitude of

simple docility.

tr Cf. L'imee di, rinnouam.ento, LDC 1971,II 45 pp 96-100.

t2 Mt. 4, 23.

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pression of a fable which is constructed with feverish

activity by all rvho inhabit "a secular city:" this makes

the preaching of the kingdom all the more urgent for

the zeal of an apostle.13

93 6. Method of the Good Shepherd

Inspired by the Spirit who wants to conform him

tcohoCosherisstlo-ve"amseethkeamndeahnusmabnled

ofuf nhdeaamrte"n-tal

the salesian

method of

his apostolate, conscious of its demands of friendly con-

tacts, patience, and death to oneself, but also of the

victorious strength of the Risen One.

In this light he perceives more clearly the pastoral

method of St. Francis of Sales, by which Don Bosco

was inspired, the promoter of "untiring" affection and

of "familiarity"

young people.la

I-t

salesian names for love applied to

becomes clear how much the method

of the two saints was directly inspired by the Christ of

the gospels who appeared among us as the "goodness

and loving kindness of God." 15 It is the image of Christ

the Good Shepherd 16 that today's salesian is particularly

aware of.

The movement towards friendly dialogue with all

13 Cl. Linee d,i rinnouamento, LDC 1971, TI 2l-22 and 45, pp

66-69 ar,d 96.

ra We must remember the two significant reasons why Don

Bosco chose St. Francis of Sales as Patron of the Congregation, a

Saint already v'idely venerated in Piedmont (e.g. by the Marchese

Barolo): the Bishop of Geneva was to him a model oI zeal for souls,

Ior the defence of truth, for fidelity to the Catholic Church, and

above aII else, a model of a completely evangelical method of exer-

cptriaslio4nrgld;itnhRaiesrygzugeleaantli,tole-nnfeos"rcs"hth-aeritO2ys,rapstweoe1rye,tBnoe1ss8sc7,o7chpoimu4r)st.eeslfye, xgprreeastsecdalimt ,(MexO-

t5 Titus 3, 4.

16 Jn. 10, 3-4.

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men, brought about by the Church of today, drives the

salesian to a stronger commitment to his own characteristic

method. It is in this ecclesial and salesian context that

we fi.nd our fidelity to an educative style which Don Bosco

himself called the "preventive system."

94 7. Desire to bring his own into unity

Finally, enlightened and animated by the Spirit rvhich

unites him to Christ, Master of his disciples, the salesian

chooses to live in a brotherly community, in deep friendship

rvith his confrdres, and contributes with all his energies

to construct a unity at all levels, especially by bringing

together into a new "family" neglected youth.

In this light, and through the example of Doa Bosco,

taken up as he was by the unity of his sons in brotherly

love and in pastoral activity, he reaches the intentions

of Christ, Brother and Friend of his Apostles, and at the

same time their Lord and Master.1?

The salesian fi.nds in his actual field of work new

reasons and fresh appeals to dedicate himself all the more

to the search for an apostolic brotherhood. The Council

has redefi.ned the Church as the community of love, to

which all are called. Religious communities must be its

most credible manifestation.ls

95 Swmmary. These five acute gospel insights are not dis-

connected one from the other. The fatherhood of God,

preference for the poor and the little ones, mystery of

the apostolate, omnipotence of pastoral love, unique value

of the community: all this, flowing from Christ, speaks

of the saving love of God seen in its source , in its privileg-

ed, recifienfs, in its instrument, in its method, and in

its lrwits.

t7 Lk. 22, 24-27.

18 BM XIr, 143.

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96 B) SALESIAN SPIRIT IN ACTION

In the light of these insights into the gospel which

inspire the pastoral love of the salesian, we must attempt

to determine the principal sectors in which it manifests

and finds itself every day. These attitudes arise, mature,

and become integrated especially in the vital context of

a community permeated with the family spirit.

Wanting to see today the "spirit that lives," we will

try to describe it organically, starting with that which

is rnost external, till we reach its intimate nwcleus.

Pastoral and evangelical love inspires: l) our style

of acting; 2) our own kind of mutual relationships; 3) our

kind of prayer and relations with God, which give life

to the two preceding elements. This presentation coin-

cides with the triptych of the salesian living tradition:

work, family spirit, prayer.

97 1. Evangelical love inspires our kind of action

a) A spirit of untiring work and renunciation ("work and temperance,'J

flouri"sWh."or1kea"nTdhteemfpiresrat npcreedwoimll imnaatkinegtheelemCoenngtreogfatitohne

salesian spirit is its prodigious activity both collective

and individual." 20 The salesian gives himself as a com-

plete gift to his apostolic task. For him, a "religious

in shirt-sleeves," this work is at one and the same time

a mystical (work of God) asceticism (acceptance of everv

sacrifi.ce), and an obligation of consecration in joyous

freedom which is born of chastity, poverty and. obedience.

This attitude puts the salesian in sympathy with the

man of today, who is conscious of being "homo faber,"

transformer of the world, and actor in history. With his

I' BM XII, 143.

20 Cf. Fr. Cenra, Annals I p 722.

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Iabour, as a workman of the kingdom, he undertakes to do

his part to animate in a christian manner this movement.

98 b) Creativity and flexibility in face of the needs of the times

"f have always gone on as the Lord has inspired

me and as circumstances have required." 21 Like Don

Bosco, the salesian begins his activity starting with what

is to hand. He wants his work to be an adequate and

timely response to the needs of time and p1ace. From

here come his spirit of initiative and of balanced creativity;

his resolution in facing problems and searching out solu-

tions, his constancy in wanting to overcome dififrculties;

from here, again, the daring of his works and methods

which make him use the most effective and most modern

means to his ends. He understands that adaptation has

to pace itself according to the rhythm of evolutionary

history, which today is very fast, especially in the world

of youth. Here as well the salesian finds himself in

agreement with the man of today; caught up in this ac-

celerated moment of history and on the alert to respond

to the calls rvhich are pushing him into the future.

99 c) Sense of the growth and of the unity of the Ghurch

"Any weariness is small when you are talking of

the Church and of the Papacy." 22 Don Bosco lived im-

mersed in the ecclesial reality of his own times' The

salesian, conscious that the Church is the Sacrament of

Salvation, participates actively in the pastoral life of the

local church; he is open to the problems of the universal

Church; he expresses sincere respect for the episcopate

and. especially for the Pope, the sign of the unity of the

Church.

,r BM XVIII, p 36.

,, BM V, p 577.

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In his burning desire for the growth of the Body

of Christ, he feels more urgently the problems regarding

priestly and religious vocations, the inspiration of lay-

people in the apostolate, and of work for the missions;

and in his desire to respond the better to the great needs

of youth, he searches for a living communion and. an

active collaboration with the other groups in the sales-

ian family.

2. Evangelical charity inspires our way of relating to

each other

100 a) Ghaste and virile love

"The young should not only be loved, but know

themselves to be loved." 23 Apostolic activity puts a

salesian in contact with many persons; confrdres, young

people, older people; hence he asks the Holy Spirit for

the gift of "sympathy" modelled on the meekness of Christ.

He cultivates the sense of concrete contact with each

person (and this could be the most timid of the boys),

always ready to make the first move, to approach all

with respect, v'ith the desire of understanding and help-

ing, rvith the joy of being present (it is in this context

that the real sense of "salesian assistance" is to be un-

derstood) among young people who are poor and neglected.

This is the salesian "kindness:" a true affection, made at

one and the same time from human warmth and super-

natural delicacy.za

He can get the better of a self-centred activity, be-

cause he promised a total chastity, generous, with no

compromise. It shines in the salesian educative method

in such a way as to become an attractive example to

young people.

,3 BM XVII, 11.

2a Preuent,iue System in "Regulations" art 86-88.

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In today's atmosphere, impregnated with eroticism,

the commitment of the salesian is a contribution tolvards

a Iiberating activity flowing from his message and his

special sense of purity which directs and guides all the

forces of young people towards an authentic 1ove.25

101 b) Family spirit

When affection is reciprocated a true community

(whether religious amongst confrdres, or "educational"

amongst youth) is created rvhich has the character of a

family. Mutual confi.dence is expressed in an intense

inter-communication, in the need to and in the joy of

sharing everything, and in relationships regulated more

by an appeal to interior capacities of each pcrson (affec-

tion, reason, liberty, faith) than by a recoursc to laws

and to authority.26 This is the source of the family style

of authority and of obedience, and brotherly unity in

action. God does not want things done under compulsion.

Being a God of love, hc wants all to be done out of love.2?

Our family spirit offers a valid reply to the two pleas

of the modern world, especially the world of the young:

the recognition of the value of one's personality, and the

anxiety to live an experience of true brotherhood.

102 c) Optimism and joy

"Let nothing upset you!" "Be cheerful!" said Don

Bosco on many occasions. The true salesian never lets

himself be discouraged by the difficulties he encounters:

"Believe all things, hope all things, endure all things." 28

His optimistic humanism, inspired by St' Francis of Sales,

'5

zo

BM XII, 224; IX, 705.

Cf . Preuent'iue System in

"Regulations"

art

86

37 BM VI, 15.

18 Cf. I Cor. 13, 7.

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enables him to appreciate all that is human, and to have

confi.dence in the natural and supernatural resources of

man, while not being blind to human weakness, especially

where youth is concerned. He knows how to gather and

to appreciate the values present in the world and in

history; he refuses to grumble about his own times, "he

holds on to all that is good," 2e especially if it is liked

by young people.

In a life-style that is single in its outlook and its

npceroecnsetsasescsats,ry,whgiteihftinnfuortrthutehreelsimeadiutpsceaortmofraponoefsntshtiebsielyintoysu,enagofh-jaopyap,nyd-

a

ex-

dis-

position; but more than that, he expresses a radiant faith:

"the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace." 30

In today's world in which young people often be-

come sceptical, sad, and sometimes despairing, or even

naively optimistic about their future, the joy of a sales-

ian, with all its realism seems to give encouragement to

the first group, and to lead the second group to a realistic

awareness of things.

3. Evangelical love inspires our kind of relations with God

103 a) Simple and vital prayer

"We work, contemplating. We are active and con-

templative. This is how Don Bosco was." 31 The sales-

ian sees God as very close, present in all events, and so

he keeps up an almost continuous dialogue of heart with

him which is simple and childtike. His practices of piety;

are few, those that belong to the life of an active religious

but he cultivates more than all else "the spirit of piety'

" Cf. I Thess. 5, 21.

so Cl. Gal. 5, 22.

31 From a conference given by Fr. RrNerpr i-:'t, 1927

86

12 Pages 111-120

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12.1 Page 111

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and union with God. He is a contemplative in action,

where he gets a glimpse of the proper sense of the mystery

contained in his apostolate.

The Council has reiterated the message of St. Paul

regarding the "spiritual cult" which involves the whole

tife of thc faithful: salesian work, "sanctified labour"

finds in the message an incentive to deepen reflection.32

104 b) Openness to the sacramental world

The Ewckarist is the centre and the goal of the life

of the christian, as a binding force and a dynamic nucleus

of the brotherly community. It is an encounter with the

fullness of the same mystery of salvation in whose ser-

vice he spend.s his life. The life of a salesian is especially

founded on this truth. The enthusiasm and the richness

of all his activity take their origin from the eucharistic

mystery.

For this reason the salesian cultivates the sense of

liturgical celebration and caters for its needs, both in its

interior qualities and by its external beauty, well aware

that young people are attracted by the splendour and

the truth of these celebrations.3s

In the sacrament of penance, the salesian meets

Christ who pardons him, and who pours into him the

meaning of the ever-present necessity of the penitential

spirit, not only for his own sins, but also for the sins

of young people on whose behalf he wishes to make

expiation as a sign of his solidarity with them.

"Frequent confession and frequent communion... are

the pillars which must hold up our educational edifice." 3a

s2 Linee di r'i.nmoaavnento, LDC 1971, III 60-63, p 145-148.

33 E. Conra, Annals I, P 728.

3a Pveuentiue System in "Regulations" art 92.

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105 c) Special confidence in Mary

"Mary most holy is the foundress and will be the

sustainer of our works." 35 The salesian is convinced of

tihnhaenthdsempealciifideal,oouffnGDquooednstaBionondsecdaosrsaoonlcediawtoehfiocthhf ehMiCsaorSnyg,orn-eg-aatilowhnaa.yss

the

had

She is the watchful mother of his boys, and their

"interior" teacher. She is, besides, his mother, hence he

hteansdefor rahnedrs-tronthgedeImvomtiaocnu, lsaitme pOlenaenadntdruhei,seHnleiglhpte-neda

and dynamically practical.

The mariological panorama opened by Vatican II

which inserted the mystery of Mary into that of Christ

and of the Church, offers the salesian a fi.rm theological

basis for renewing and intensifying his traditional marian

devotion, in so far as it presents Mary Immaculate as

assumed into the eschatological fullness of Christ, and

with him as the help really involved in history for the

salvation of men.

And f,nally we cannot forget the pedagogical content

of these elements of the salesian spirit. Its riches, the

gift of the one Spirit, must be spread by fruitful activity

amongst those to whom our apostolic mission is directed.

35 BM VII, 334

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CHAPTER FOUB

OUR RELIGIOUS CONSECRATION

INTBODUCTION

106 The Salesian mission is vivified by religious consecration

The mission assigned to us by the Lord has an objec-

tive outside the scope of aII our powers' However we

know that God, in giving us a mission, also enables us

to carry it out efficaciously. It is in the light of the genelous

init'ia.t'iae of God that we must re-think our religious con-

secration today.

In calling us to the salesian mission in the religious

life the Lord actuates his pact of alliance with us through

a special bond ol "consecratioz" which pervades our entire

christian mode of being and acting. This consecration

brings with it a type of "totality in Christ" through

which the manner of being his disciples and the capacity

to be his collaborators are enriched with a special value

of sign and efficacy.

I{owever this is not something external added to

baptismal consecration, but a mod,e ol liaing owt baptismal

comrn'itmenl in one of the different and complementary

christian vocations, all generated by the Spirit. There

are not two levels in this vocation: that of religious life

which is a little higher, and that of christian life which

is a little lower. For the religious, testifying to the spirit

of the beatitudes with the profession of the vows is Das

only manner of living out baptism and of being a disciple

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of the Lord, thus fulfilting a co-ordinated service in the

global mission of the Church.

In this vocation religious consecration and apostolic

mission interpenetrate in an inseparable fonm. They are

essential elemcnts of our id,entity in the Church; and for

this reason to find the vital meaning of each and their

living unity directly concerns our renewal. To conceive

either the salesian mission prescinding from our religious

consecration or this consecration outside the mission

would constitute an irreparable loss of identity and a

kind of vocational suicide. With the desire of clarifying

our concrete identity in the Church let us therefore study

in depth the intimate bond between these two aspects,

considering:

A) religious consecration in the mystery of the Church;

B) the religious consecration of the salesians of Don

Bosco in the exercise of their mission.

A) RELIGIOUS CONSECBATION IN THE MYSTERY OF

THE CHURCH

107

It is the mystery of Christ and of his Church which

gives our consecration its meaning and its value.

1. Fundamental meaning of consecration in the christian

context

Consecration is at the same time an act of the free

initiative of God and an act of the free response of man.

There are therefore two correlative acts, but these cannot

be put on the same level or given the same force. To

consecrate is uniquely an act ol God. It is not a magical

gesture or a simple rite which would attempt to overcome

the dualism between "sacred" and "profane:" here lve

are concerned with a personal relation. The thrice holy

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God, "for his own kind purposes," 1 and in accordance

u,ith his plan for the salvation of the wor1d, takes the

initiative of entering into dialogue with man to make

him his interlocutor and collaborator: consecration is

precisely this original bond which God offers to man,

awaiting his free response.

Under the impulse of the Holy Spirit man accepts

this bond which transforms him: he gives to God the

totality of his being and mode of acting in order to col-

laborate in the salvation of all. In the broad sense it

can be said that one "consecrates" oneself to God; but

the spiritual and moral obligation of one's response has

not the same character as the divine act. It is thus better

to say that "one gives oneself" to God with a commitment

which is never realized automatically, but which requires

a will for continually renewed donation: in fact one could

be unfaithful and still remain consecrated because of the

fidelity of God.

Thus consecration presents itself linked to the mys-

tery of the Coaenant. Here two acts of love which are

correlative but graded converge in a marvellous manner:

God consecrates to himself, and man gives himself to God.

108 2. Jesus, the "Ghrist"

Jesus presents in himself the fullness of consecration,

because he realizes in his being as the incarnate Son the

New Covenant itself.

Revelation tells us that "the Word was made flesh:"

the divine Person of the Word has fully assumed human

nature. But he who was incarnate is and remains tke Son

of the Father: Sacred Scripture presents Jesus as he wkom

the Fatker has consecrq.ted to himsel,f , "annointed" and

1 Eph. 1, 5

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"signed" as his Son in the Spirit, in a manner so radical

and complete that Jesus receives the name "Consecrated-

Annointed:" he is "the Messiah," "the Christ."

The most significant fact is that Jesus is intimately

ord,ained, to his mission as Sauiour- He receives the an-

nointing of the Spirit to be the Servant of Yahweh;2

this annointing enriches his human nature with every

capacity, indeed with divine energy itself, which Christ

will need in order to realize in history the salvation of

man. This task is so linked with his being that it is ex-

pressed in his very name: "...Jesus, for he will save his

people from their sins" (Mt l, 2l). Tradition has with

profound intuition indissolubly united the two terms in

a single proper name: "Jesus-Christ."

The gospel attests to us that in the heart of Jesus

there is no d,ualism between "being the Son of God" and

"acting for man." On the contrary: he lives with the

permanent consciousness of being the Son sent as a Ser-

vant: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he

has annointed me to preach the good news to the poor." s

The same conpenetration of the two aspects verifies

itself in t}ee perfect reply which he gives to the Father:

he lives as a Son, but always as an obedient Son who

yearns to arrive at his paschal "hour," in which the

gift of himself will be supreme and total. His love for

the Father is the vcry source of his saving love for men.

In brief there is a mutual and. intrinsic lunctionality

between the consecration realized in the incarnation and

the mission accomplished in the redemption: the mission

motivates the consecration, conferring to it its historicity

and dvnamism (and in this sense it has priority), whilst

the consecration resolves the needs and preoccupations

'Cf. Is. 11, l-5; 42, l-4; 61, l-2.

s Lk. 4, 18; cf. Jn. 10, 36.

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which emerge from the mission and brings in the salvific

encrgy of God (and in this sense it appears as principal).

l0g 3. Baptismal consecration and the various christian

vocations

The Church, the Body of Christ, participates in his

consecration and mission. It is at the same time the

"spouse" which Christ has consecrated and united to

himself a and the Spouse rendered fertile, the "Mother"

of the disciples, sent to all men. United to Christ, it

too is consecrated and sent by the Father: "But you are

a chosen race,

own people..."

5a

royal

Thus

priesthood,

the Council

a holy nation, God's

presents it, bringing

into relief its union with the risen Christ and its task

of being the sign and ur.riversal instrument ("sacrament")

of the kingdom.

In turn, eaery member ol the Ckwrck necessarily par-

ticipates in Christ's consecration and mission. This is

the meaning of the two fundamental sacraments of bap-

tism and confirmation and of their "character:" every

baptized and confi.rmed person becomes a "christian"

ancl receives his mission of contributing to the "sacramen-

tal" function of the Church, that is of bearing witness,

as a sign of the mystery of Christ, and of serving, as an

instrument of his communication to man. He is called

to realize this baptismal vocation in evangelical charity

inspired by the beatitudes: a single commandment, fi.lial

love for the Father and fraternal love for his neighbour,

after the example of Christ, is the only way towards

the same sanctity for all the baptized.

But all this is not expressed in a uniform manner,

{ Cf. Iiph 5, 26-2'7.

5 I Pet 2, 9-lO: Cf. LG 10.

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but according to a aariety ol concrete aocatiott,s. The Church

in fact is an organic reality whose functions are complex,

and it is animated by the Holy Spirit, who desires ever

to enrich and renew it. Thus one can speak of subordinate

forms of consecration, distinct from baptismal consecra-

tion even if they are rooted in it, and of different ex-

pressions of christian sanctity: here our religious consecra-

tion has its rightful place.

ll0 4. Religious consecration

a) An eminent form of evangelical charity, through the practice of

the counsels

The Council characterizes religious consecration by

saying that it brings about a more profound interior

implanting "Intimius consecratur," "intime radicatur,,

and a richer exterior expression "plenius exprimit,, of

baptismal consecration.6 The religious is one who, under

the impulse of the Holy Spirit, wishes to intensify to

the maximum the "following of Christ according to the

Gospel," in search of love. In this drive of the soul which

captures the entire person to put it at the disposition

of God, he chooses a completely nea way ol life: he makes

the eaangel,ical counsels his "profession," his principal

commitment in the Church. He makes of the three realities

of celibacy, of poverty and of obedience three convergent

means of entering more profoundly into the paschal

mystery of the Lord, and thus loves God and his neigh-

bour ntore d,irectly and more intensely, and he participates

morc in the mission of the kingdom. He expresses this

commitment with "vows or other sacred bond.s" z u'hich

the Church receives in the name of God.8

6 Important arts. LG 44 a, PC 5 a.

? LG 44a.

8 LG 45c.

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111 b) A means of practising the counsels which engenders a form of

new life and a special mission in the Ghurch

The member of a secular institute professes the evan-

gclical counsels in a discrete, almost invisible manner'

as hidden leaven immersed in the world.e The "religious"

on the other hand professes them in a visible manner,

renouncing the habitual form of life and the values which

it includes to establish in full liberty a new lorm ol lile

in rvhich the transcendental values of the kingdom are

brought more clearly into relief, iirstitutional in some

rvay, and where charity finds privileged conditions to

develop. Thus this newness blossoms necessarily into the

formation of a particular social group: tlne fraternq,l' corn-

munity founded on the common 'following of Christ ac-

cording to the Gospel." In short religious life is a new

t5rpe of existence in which the entire spirit ol tke gospel'

expresses itself in structwres of iife also dictated by it.

It really achieves the "kind of poor and virginal life

rvhich Christ the Lord chose for himself." 10

Tke Church receives this type of consecrated christian

existence with joy: it declares that "it belongs inseparably

to her life and holiness" 11 and it recognizes in it a omiqwe

and. 'irrepl,aceable lwnction in its mission as "sign and

instrument" of universal salvation. The religious com-

munity indeecl, of its very originality expresses the ecclesial

rnystery ol salaation uisibly: it shows the reality and the

power of the risen Christ, capable of uniting men around

him, in a new humanity, according to the same prin-

ciples which govern the eternal community. This function

of being the eschatological signs of the kingdom, the

"witnesses of the City of God," has been strongly ex-

, Cf. PC I.

10 LG 44b.

1r LG 44 a.

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pressed by the Council;lz and Paul VI also underlines

it in his exhortation,l3 because it has become more urgent

in the new "secular city" which is in danger of forgetting

its ultimate destiny and the need it has of Christ for

the "rectitude" of its temporal commitments. This "ex-

ceptional testimony" (Paul VI) is thus the fundamental

service which all aw'ait from religious.

The preceding truths show to what extent religious

Iife has the capacity of bringing into relief the dimensions

themselves of baptismal existence: l) Christological-theol-

ogal: it is crossed by a powerful drive of love tou,ards

Christ and the Father; 2) Ecclesial: it is a sign for man

of the mysterv of the Church and takes a great part in

his mission; 3) Eschatological: it af&rms that the dynamism

of the Pasch of Christ operates in human history.

112 c) The ever valid value of definitive commitment

It is important today to emphasize one characteristic

of religious consecration: its aspect of definitive choice

translated into a "state of life." The vocational option

made by the religious by the perpetual profession of the

vows is brought to a crisis by the present process of

secularization. The anthropological sciences have made

several criticisms, sometimes useful and objective, of thc

religious life. And some have gone further still, even

so far as to afhrm that religious consecration can of itself

only be something temporary.

Without doubt there can be temporary ',religious,,

commitments worthy of all praise; but in such cases, one

is not dealing with a personal fund.amental option of the

essence itself of religious consecration. In the profession

of the perpetual vows one not only effects an,,act,,but

t2 LG 44 c; 46 b; 38 a.

13 cf. ET 1, 3, 13, 31, 34, 42, 50, 53.

96

13 Pages 121-130

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one

the

assumes

kingdom

a Proiect

of God.

of

It

one's whole lile out of love for

is the expression of a strong

personality to be able to commit oneself for all one's

life. Precisely because of this such vocations presuppose

a special gift from the Lord.

It is true that human liberty can destroy today all

that it built yesterday, and there are "cases" in which

a religious can and must change his state of life. What

constitutes the greatness of personal liberty is not its

indifference or the possibility of changing, but the option

of great values and fi,delity in living them; and fidelity

has its full expression in giaing oneself rlntil, d.eath itself.

To be a person is to be faithful. How could one otherwise

explain the life of Christ, of his apostles and of the saints?

If Don Bosco had thought that his vocation was ephemeral

and to be reconsidered in the light of other values dis-

covered later, he would not have deepened the content

of the supreme values already chosen and would never

have found the heroic energy to overcome so many

dif&culties met with in his life.

113 5. The religious of the active life

The religious life, a special manner of living out

baptismal consecration, expresses itself in a diversity of

concrete realizations, according to the diversity of charisms.

"Nothing is more prone to misunderstanding today than

these studies of a general character on the various aspects

of consecrated life which do not underline the variet)' of

application which monastic life or the life of the In-

stitutes consecrated to the apostolate presupposes." 1a

Now our Congregation is an authentic leligious institute,

but of the active life; it therefore fully embraces the

ra J. BevrR, S.J. in the preface to the book of P. Orpnr-Garr-

t-tpo, Chvdtiens consacrtis, Paris, Lethielleux 1971, p 6.

97

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characteristics of religious consecration, but lives thern in

accordance with its own vocation of service to youth

in need. It is clear that this brings with it nerv aspects

of particular importance for renewal.

114 a) The particular aspect of the institutes "of the active life"

With well chosen formulae the Council has expressed

the originality of the institutes of active life: they are

"d,eaoted, to various aspects of the apostolafe." rs Within

the general vocation of all the institutes these have a

more specific mission of their own; to fulflI in the Church

a precise pastoral or charitabl,e seraice according to their

own charism received from the Spirit. Apostolic activity

does not constitute for them a difiuse or marginal fact:

it is recognized in it special nobility and utility: "In

such communities the very nature of the reiigious life

requires apostolic action and services, since a sacred

ministry and a special work of charity have been given

to them by the Church and must be discharged in her

name." 16 In fact it concentrates the interests of these

religious, fills their day, and outlines for them a determ-

ined style o{ "active" life; in a word it realizes the con-

crete otnity of this kind of christian existence.

This fact introduces a novelty in the relations be-

tr'veen the two aspects of witness and of service which

the religious life fulfils in participating in the ecclesial

mission of sign and instrument of salvation. Whilst pure

witness shines in the contemplative or monastic orders,

in the congregations of the active life the accent is ptaced

on effectiae seraice; in the case of the latter the same

rvitness expresses itself through service more than through

a "religious" style of life.

t5 PC g.

16 PC g.

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115 b) The "religious" life is lived in apostolic service

Apostolic action embraces not only a part of the

function of witness, but also thc religious life itself. The

Institutes "of active life" remain authentic "religious"

institutes; however the evangelical exigencies, the search

for perfect love, the practice of the'counsels, etc. are

tived in the context of and according to the demands

of the apostolic work to be accomplished, and they con-

tribute their value to it. If pastoral charitable actiotr

becomes its soul, the religious life becomes apostolic and

the apostolate becomes religious in so far as it is obliged

to accentuate the spirit of transcendence and the search

for God. There is in brief u'ital in'tegration between the

two elements, the influence of one on the other, osmosis

and mutual enrichment, as the famous Council formula

affirms: "the entire religious life of the members of these

communities should be penetrated by an apostolic spirit,

as their entire apostolic activity should be animated by

a religious spirit." rz

116

It follows that the active religious, provided that

they are faithful to their charism and to their true identity

in the Church, are capable of realizing their vital unity

in the movement of a single d'ynamism', they reach their

personal sanctity and give their religious witness in the

supernatural exercise of their apostolate. In tlne rich

synthesis ol their aocation their dedication to God is religious

and apostolic; and with their profession they oblige them-

selves to follow Christ in his active service of the Father,

and in the full liberty of this service through virgiirity

and poverty. Under the impulse of a singular lovc God

is recognised and served as Beginning and End both in

'? PC 8.

99

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apostolic action and in the religious observances which

sustain it.

All this holds for the active life of the salesians

of Don Bosco.

B) THE BELIGIOUS CONSECRATION OF SALESIANS IN

THE EXEBCISE OF THEIR MISSION

ll7 1. Don Bosco, founder of a religious institute of the active

life

Don Bosco was called by God to realize in the Church

an apostolic service for youth and for the people. In

this climate he lived the various gifts received from the

Lord: his priestly consecration, his charism as founder,

but he also gave himself to God in accordance with the

most authentic evangelical spirit. Illumined by the Spirit,

and following the advice of competent people,18 he clearly

wanted his more intimate collaborators to be bound to

the fulfilment of their mission by religious consecration.le

In founding the Society of St. Francis of Sales (18

Dec. 1895) he had no other aim than to give to the Church

apostles totally consecrated, in their service to youth.20

ll8

The obligation of our rcncwal requires a clarification

ol tlte reasons zul.ty Don l3osco has linhed, evangelical religious

life to the service of youth in need. In, itself, in fact,

there is no absolute link: one can dcdicate oneself to

abandoned youth, r.vhilst taking inspiration from the

" E.g. Pius IX: cf. Introd. to the Constitutions, p 24.

te Michael Rua, cleric, was the first to take the vows, privately,

on 25 March 1855.

20 Cf. the first compilation of art I of the Constitutions of

1858 on the aim of the Congregation: "perfezionare se stesso imi-

tando le virtt del Salvatore, specialmente nella carit). verso i gio-

vani poveri" (Archivio sal. 022).

100

13.5 Page 125

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salesian style of life, without being a religious, and in

particular this is the case of our lay collaborators and

of many co-operators.

119

The reasons for the absolute bond lor as on the level

of concrete existence seem to come from two points o{

view. In the first place we must affrrm that we are con-

cerned. with a aocation(tl problem: it is not an ideology,

but the gratuitous initiative of the Holy Spirit who urged

Don Bosco to found a society of "evangelical" educators

whose styie of active life was to be animated by the most

authentic religious consecration. And this fact repeats

itself for the vocation of each of us: an authentic call

commits us to the unique and rich project of "active

religious salesian life" without exaiting one aspect at the

expense of the other.

120

But there is also another reason, included in some

rvay in the preceding one. In his zeal Don Bosco wanted

his salesians to be ready to commit themselves rad'ically

to save thousands of youngsters effecti,aely in a work which

was stable and d.estined to endure. Now the HoIy Spirit

made him perceive, through experience, all the obiectiue

resoxLrces and the fertile promise of evangelical life con-

secrated to this mission. In fact religious life, whether

it be considered in its institutional reality or even more

in its interior dynamism, tends to reinforce the quality

and effrcacy of our apostolic actions and of the spirit

r,vhich characterize it. Between these tu'o aspects there

are prolownd afi,nities, "...accords... on many scores," 21

an inner coherence, a radical, dynamic orientation tolvards

God, which explain the concrete utility of salesian life.

2r An expression which the Council uses to translate the rela-

tion between priestly ministry and celibacy: PO 16b'

101

13.6 Page 126

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121 2. How evangelical consecration, with its own values,

animates our mission

There is a Council text which supports our reflection:

speaking of the

it explains how

profession of the

they contribute to

evangelical counsels,

the d.evelopment of

the person: "For the counsels... l) contribute greatly to

pwrifi,cation of heart and spiritual liberty; 2) they con-

tinually kindle the fervour of charity;... 3) are especially

able to pattern the christian after that manner of virginal

and humble life which Christ the Lord elected. for him_

self." 22

Another interesting text 2e indicates four benefi.ts en_

joyed by the members of the religious institution: stability,

doctrine, fraternal communion, and liberty... In the caie

of the active life these positive concomitants are reserved

to the exercise of the mission. Let us group them around.

the three series of values recognized above concerning

reiigious consecration.

122 a) Evangelical consecration animates our mission with its Ghristo.

logical values

The mission which we fulfil towards the young and

adults is not to be reduced to a philanthropic work. It

is a divine enterprise which presupposes in us a rqd.ical,

sense of the Christ-God and, his kingdom. Everything

comes from him who sends us as simple servants and

animates us with his own charity for the Father and

for souls. And everything moves towards him, because

the speciflc aim of our educative work is to lead the young

to Christ and to his Father.

It is certainiy not necessary to be a religious to have

such a sense of God and his glory. The Council affirms

,, LG 46 b.

23 LG 43 a.

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13.7 Page 127

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for example that the secular priest fi.nds in his consecra-

tion and ministry his own spiritual resources.2a But it

is significant that, immediately afterwards, it invites him

to intensify this apostolic love through the practice of

obedience, of celibacy, and of a certain poverty, accord-

ing to the spirit of the Gospel.25 That is what religious

consecration does lor ws, in accordance with its particular

forms. In fact it is characterized by the radicality of

its dynamism: it is liberation to fulfil an integrally evan-

gelical "sequela Christi;" it is a reply and a total gift

of oneself to God who consecrates us to himself. To

the extent to which we accept and live this reality our

pastoral involvement receives its entire gwarantee ol awthen'

ticity and swpernatural, efi'cacy. We are helped to announce

Christ as the word of life "which we have touched with

our hands" 26 in a special intimacy, to recognize him

and to serve him in his members,2T to lead to the Father

the young to whom baptism has given rebirth as "sons

of God." The growth of our inner life prevents our action

from becoming just human initiative.2s "Animated by a

religious spirit" our life receives a filial and priestly im-

pulse: it becomes liturgy vivified by the ardent zeal for

the glory of God which shines so much in our Founder.

123 b) Evangelical consecration animates our mission with its ecclesial

values

Our mission is an ecclesial work in so far as the Church

sends the salesian community to work "in her name," 2e

,1 Cf.. PO 12-14

3r58PIJOnl1,15-.17.

r7 cf. PC 8.

28 PC g.

re PC g.

103

13.8 Page 128

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and in so far as \\\\re express to the young the saving love

of the Church for them.

Our task requires "teams" which are well-knit together

and coherent in their method of action; it requires also

a particularly cordial family spirit. All this is sustained

by the evangelical virtues of the religious life. Don Bosco

was extremely sensitive to the "fraternal" conseqwences ol

o%i/ uoll)s, which are bonds of love:30 to the extent to which

we practise them they contribute considerably to deepen

and to establish the ties of our communion, to reinforce

the cohesion and the apostolic dynamism of our com-

munity, and

spirit. Also

to

at

irradiate at the same time the salesian

proaincial and. world, leuel the religious

community allows us to establish and amass incessantly,

in space and time, a precious capital of spiritual, pastoral,

and doctrinal traditions which ensure the unity ancl in-

crease of our charism to the advantage of the Church

in its service to the world.

The evangclical values of the religious life equalty

favour our saving work for youth and for the working

classes, and the spirit of zeal and. affectionate kindness

with which we must fulfil it. They allow us to realize

the "caetera tolle" which conditions the fullness of the

"da mihi anirnas;" in fact they render us available both

in our exterior life and in our deeper emotional response.

The salesian renounces having children of his own through

marriage in order to love the young people with whom

he works. He renounces the possession of goods to put

both himself and the goods he receives at the service

of the

ready

poor; he renounces a life

to go wherever service

at

is

his own choice to be

most necessary. His

religious spirit enables him to be "ready to

to face" all the sacrifi.ces 31 demanded by

sustain and

his service.

30 Cf. Introduzione alle Costituzioni p 24.

3r Cf. Const. art 188 arrd Preuent,iue System in the Regul. art 97

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13.9 Page 129

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124

Evangelical life renders the salesian not only available

but also capable in his task. His chastity gives trans-

parency and the force of understanding to his relations

of spiritual paternity. His life of free devotion renders

his task of liberating education connatural with it: Pure

and loving, he will know how to form youth in purity

and" love; being poor, he will know how to educate them

to the christian meaning of the use of goods; being

obeclient, he will know how to initiate them into true

Iiberty in the obligations of life.

125 c) Evangelicat consecration animates our mission with its eschatolo'

gical values

Ever-y apostolic mission, and in particular every

proclamation of the word needs, to be effrcacious, to be

"confi.rmed... by the signs that attend it." 32 The most

eloquent sign is the very witness of the life o{ the mes-

senger (cf. Jesus, John the Baptist...). Now our religious

consecration brings a particular ttigowr to this uitness be-

cause it obliges us really to live the evangelical valrres

which rve tnust teach our boys. It becomes easier for

us to annoultce the gospel to thc extent to which our

community and individual lifc permanently radiates it'

The realities to which rve give this witness are maily:

God exists; his love is sufhcient to fi-ll a wholc life etc' etc'

But the generous practice of the three counsels has a

particular power to educate, because it is related to the

threc fundamental values towards which the young are

most sensitive: "the forces of love, the need to

and the freedom to regulate one's own life."

possess

33 The

religious holds these values highly and by his consecrated

life hc challenges every deviation from them (eroticism,

unjust amassing of wealth and oppressive porvcr) he shows

3, Mk 16, 17-20.

33 ET 7.

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their limitations and proclaims their downfall in the pasch

of the liberating Christ.

126 3. Gontribution of our religious consecration to the life

of the entire salesian family

The salesian religious consecration is iived in a con-

text in which it must appear not as a privilege of greater

perfection regarding others, but as a vocation ol greater

seraice or, as it were, as a "right of others" in favour of

whom the Lord has called us and consecrated us. Every

charism in the Church is given for the good of the com-

munity.

From this point of view, it appears that the religious

consecration of the salesians is indispensable in the groups

of the "Salesian Family" viewed as a whole, even if

their mission and their spirit are lived and participated

in by important groups which are not "religious." Indeed

the Congregation is the animating nucleus of this family

according to requirements and needs. It is with reason

therefore that the other groups require ts to be authen-

tically "ourselaesi ' this is a call to rediscover the enriching

dynamism of our religious consecration in the concrete

expression of our life. At this time of profound renewal

for the salesian family in the promising search of its

true identity, and in the vision of the immense good

which it is called upon to do in those areas where young

people and the working classes are to be found, it is

important to hear this call to authenticity. In particular

a truer consciousness of the religious aspect of our voca-

tion will make us better fitted to help the co-operators

and other lay groups to live their vocation with a more

penetrating sense of the gospei and of the beatitudes.

127 4. Urgency of synthesis in our activity

The project of life which Don Bosco has left us urges

us to meditate on two complementary afi,rmations:

106

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14.1 Page 131

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he

is

au-the"nTthicealmlyoarerethliegiosuasle,s"iabnecisauasen

apostle, the

his concrete

more

apos-

tolic vocation makes him understand the indispensable

necessity of his religious consecration for himself and

for others.

hsepiirsitau-nrgaeu"Tsthhheenimtmicotaorepoethsxtepleres,"saslbeeshciaiasnustiesothaaislredclioognniocaurtesiot,enthreteoligmiGoouoresd

in generous apostolic action.

The salesian "apostle" wants to live as Don Bosco

in union with God; and the salesian "religious" is he who

has "Iost his 1ife" to find it with the young.

The Holy Spirit calls the salesian to an option of

christian existence which is at the same time apostolic

and religious. Thus he gives him tke grace ol unity to live

the dynamism of apostolic action and the fuilness of

religious life in a singl,e mouernent ol ckarity towards God

and his neighbour.

This type of life is not something fi.xed and prefabricat-

ed, but is a "proiect" in pernr,anent construct'ion' Its unity

is not static, but is a unity in extension and in continual

need. of balance, of revision, of conversion and adaptation'

Consequently tke renewal of our vocation presents a

d.oubte urgency: we must revive two great correlative values:

a) the apostolic meaning of our religious consecration, with

the reactualization of its specific values; b) the religious

meaning of our mission to the young and the working

classes.

From the rediscovery of this unity will dawn the

light of our salesian "id.entity" and the possibility of that

new type of salesian required' today by the signs of the

times.

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CHAPTEB FIVE

THE FORM

OF THE SATESIAN GONGREGATION

INTRODUCTION

RENEWAL OF THE FOBM OF THE CONGREGATION

128 1. The Form

We call the " concrete historic fortru" of the Congre-

gation that according to which it exists in the Church

as a religious institute of active tife, which incarnates its

spirit, its life and action in a body of institutionalized,

strwctu,res: the form of the community at different levels,

the particular ways of practising the vows, fraternal life,

prayer, relations with Church and world, formation, the

organs of government and the ways of exercising author-

ity, the various types of activity and functions, all of

lvhich require laws or recourse to traditions and. customs.

We call the "canonical fortn" of the Congregation,

that according to which amongst the different types of

religious institutes it is classifi.ed as an exempt clerical

C ongregation.

129 2. Renewat of the form

The problem which faces us is this: hor,r', with the

help of the Holy Spirit, are we to live our form of life

as active religious in the Church today?

a) Texts of the Magisterium

Let us recall the indications given us by the Church

in "Per{ectae Caritatis".

l. For all Institutes "the manner of living, pralring

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14.3 Page 133

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and working should be suitably adapted to the physical

and psychological conditions of today's religious, and also,

to the extent required by the nature of each community,

to the needs of the apostolate, the requirements of a

given culture,

anywhere, but

ethspeecsiaolclyiailnanmdisseicoonnaorymticercriirtcourmy.s"ta1nceTso

these criteria must be added those deduced from the

renewal in ecclesiology and from the initiatives of the

Church.2

2. For institutes ol actiue lile, "...the religious life

which is committed to apostolic works takes on many

forms." 3 "These communities should skillfully harmouize

their observances and practices with the needs of the

apostolate to which they are dedicated," each bearing in

mind its original character, so that "the members will

have to be sustained in living for Christ's service by

means which are proper and fitting for themselves." a

t 30 b) The criteria for renewal

In the light of these texts, we can reduce the criteria

for the renewal of the institute to three.

l. The changes in the world which affect persons

and social groups in their being, in their way of life,

and their activities for others.

2. The renewal brought about by the Church itself,

starting with ecclesiology and its recognition of the process

of secularization. The Church, as people of God and the

Body of Christ, has the task of signifying and bringing

I PC 3 a-b; cf. 20 a.

, Cf. PC 2c.

3 PC 8b.

l PC 8b.

These basic

texts

are

to

be completed

by

ES

11,

t6-18,25-27.

109

14.4 Page 134

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salvation to the world, and therefore needs to renew

its institutional apparatus so as to express its mystery

better, and carry out its mission more efficaciously.

3. The original nature of owr Society which is a

religious institute of active iife: this fact makes us par-

ticularly sensitive to current apostolic requirements in

accordance with that spirit of flexibility and creativity

which Don Bosco has transmitted to us.

The permanent elements are those of which we have

spoken in the preceding chapters, viz., o:ur own mission

and spirit, and consecration in a stable form of brotherly

life by the profession of the evangelical counsels.

In the time of Don Bosco and during the hundred

years of the life of the Congregation, these elements have

been incarnated in institutional forms that have not

escaped the historical process and the imperfections which

normally accompany it. These imperfections, of their

very nature, entail the risk of fossilization and a formalism

which imprisons the spirit.5 In a period of re-thinking

and change like ours, it is to be expected that the salesians

should evaluate those exterior forms which sustain the

onward drive of their vocation.

I3I POINTS TO BE DEALT WITH

The {orm of the Congregation will be given a more

extensive treatment elsewhere. However, because of the

nature of this document, it seems necessary to clarify a

few points here.

A) Action demands flexible structures. Without

jeopardizing our consecration, we must fully accept the

life style of active religious.

6ET12

110

14.5 Page 135

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B) The Congregation must be decentralized, with-

out endangering its unitY.

C) The efficacy of our activity requires a reassess-

ment of the work done by the original members.G

A) AS AN INSTITUTE OF APOSTOLIC LIFE WE MUST

ACGEPT FULLY THE LIFE.STYLE OF AGTIVE RELIGIOUS

132 1. Don Bosco founded a true religious congregation with

its own special characteristics

a) Don Bosco founded his Congregation

A founder, whilst receiving inspiration from the situa-

tion he lives in, has undoubtedly under the charismatic

impulse of the Holy Spirit the vision and strength to

blaze nezu trails. This is true of the style of religious

life Don Bosco wished for his sons. He founded his Congre-

gation at a time when in Italy the reputation of religious

and the very m.eaning of their existence were being ques-

tioned. In founding it, he desired that it should be charac-

terized by an extraordinary pastoral dynamism to provide

an answer to some clear-cut and pressing social and church

problems.

133 l. It is a Congregation ol rel'igiows wko are close to all, men,

tkeir brothers.

In the external and social aspects of their life, his

salesians do not perpetuate behaviour patterns which

people would find off-putting and unacceptable. At that

time in fact, religious "friars" rrere still suffering from

the negative experiences and decadence associated with

6 Cf. P. SrBrr,e, La soc'ietd. salesiana in Don Bosco, vol. I ch. 6

pp 129-16! M. Mrnerr, Cav'isn'xa salesiano e 'ist'ituz'ione salesiana,

in "Il carisma permanente di Don Bosco," LDC 1970, pp 123-155'

111

14.6 Page 136

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religious life in previous centuries. It was Don Bosco's

wish that nothing should separate his salesians, as new

religious, from the men of their times. No special rcligious

habit distinguishes them. They are at one with the people

and retain their full citizenship. This preoccupation is

seen in the terminology Don Bosco preferred. He called

the Congregation a "society." He used current terms to

designate his superiors: director, inspector (provincial).

The members retain their right of ownership. "The Lord

has made use of us to set a new model for the vow of

poverty in accordance with the requirements of the time."?

134 2. A Congregation ol religiows at the seraice of men, tkeir

brothers.

In the 19th century, religious were accused of being

society's useless parasites

not unfounded, even if at

-timeasnuancjucusst aatliloengawtiohnicshwweares

made. Don Bosco asked of his religious, who were to

be great workers, a spirit of prayer rather than the recita-

tion of long prayers: "The active life towards which the

Society more especially tends renders its members unable

to pcrform many exercises of piety in common." 8 Their

work is a permanent and explicit service rendered to

society, and cspecially to those in greatest need of help.

For Don Bosco, spiritual life flourishes in love which is

tangible, and every apostolate has social relevance. Thc

salesian advances civilization by spreading the gospel and

evangelizes by improving the level of civilization.

135 b) Don Bosco's creative spirit

In several important matters, Don Bosco had already

shown his characteristic spirit, a spirit rvhich was not

7 BM IX, 502.

8 Constitutions 152.

1.12

14.7 Page 137

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static and lifeless and closed, nor attached to any one

particular experience. He looked rather to the validity

of r,vhat he lvas doing, and its bearing on events around

him. Paying careful attention to the apostolic ventures

of others, he was ready to assimilate what he saw with

his extraordinary intuition would be useful for his own

numerous charitable enterprises. He thought everything

out and was prepared to re-fashion in accordance with

the changes which the signs and needs of the times sug-

gested. On meeting an obstacle which he could not

remove, he made a detour and forged ahead. To promote

the education of young apprentices he at fi.rst made work

contracts, then at a later date he organized workshops

hirrself . In 1850, he established a society of mutual

help for the boys who belonged to the Sodality of St.

Aloysius, but later was prepared to abandon this and

fall in with the initiatives of the workers' unions. Be-

tween 1864 and 1874 he organized external members of

the society, and later took up the idea again under the

form of the Union of Salesian Co-operators.

Our condition as an exempt clerical congregation has

meaning for Don Bosco in so far as it corresponds with

his universal vocation as an educator, and is in keeping

with the mobility of modern life, overstepping local bound-

aries, free from restrictive and inward-looking tendencies.

Don Rinaldi expresses this new idea very well: "Many

obstacles were created in obtaining the approval of the

Congregation bccause of the new spirit which Don Bosco

stamped upon it, a spirit well ahead of the times. But

Don Bosco lvorked, insisted, prayed... and waited fo;:

fully 15 years; fi.nalty, he accepted only those changes

in the Constitutions which harmonized with their mod,ernity,

flexible and easily adaptable to time and place.

His idea was a pious society r,vhich would be a trwe

religious congregation ruinus the traditional external, featwres.

It was enough that there should be the religious spirit,

113

14.8 Page 138

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the one factor ieading to the perfection of the evangelical

counsels. In all else, he believed ke coul,d, bend, to the

needs of the tirues. This elasticity in adapting to all the

forms of good which are continually arising among men

is the proper spirit of our Constitutions." s

This openness to the times, this mental agility, this

special creativity which consists in knowing how to

re-think one's own enterprises and those of others, ought

today more than ever to penetrate into the hearts of

the salesians and induce them to rediscover the vitality

which derives from a sympathetic understanding of, and

sharing in the spirit of Don Bosco.

136 2. Aspects of our renewal as an institute of active life

a) An atmosphere which assures our spiritual authenticity as

"religious" educators

The Council has also spoken of adaptation to the

"physical and psychological conditions" of today,s reli-

gious. This must go hand in hand with our adaptation

to the apostolic needs of the world. The salesian can

accomplish his apostolic work with efficacy only in so

far as he is a man of interior Iife,lo capable of maintain-

ing his spiritual liberty, and of resisting the very real

temptations of the world, and the wear and tear which

varied activity gives rise to. True spiritual life is im-

possible for both the apostle and the apostolic community

unless there are times and places for relaxation, recol-

lection and spiritual renewal ln this way the laws of

psychology are respected, and the balance of the members

as religious and human beings is safeguarded against the

constant threat posed by the pressures and tensions of

the modern world.11

, ASC 1923 p 41.

r0 ET 32.

1t ET 33.

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14.9 Page 139

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It is absolutely essential that the structures of our

life provide for this need. The latest and perhaps most

original

of ET

section of Pope

serve as

Paaguul'isdee-xlihnoertoantiotnhis-

nos. 32-38

point. The

Pope invites us to adapt our life style directing it towards

the building up of the "man of interior life." "An exces-

sive desire for flexibility and creative spontaneity could

give the appearance of rigidity to that minimum of

regularity which is

community and for

ordinarily required

personal maturity."

for

rz

the

The

life of a

religious

community must live in an atmosphere of regularity and

fraternity in which discipline is freely accepted. In such

a context, each one is allowed to become an "open and

complete person," 13 whose being is gradually becoming

more deeply christian in accordance with the beatitudes'14

Only on this condition will the salesian guarantee a

"qualified" presence in the midst of the youth of the world.

b) A life-style and presence adapted to the needs of the salesian

apostolate todaY "

It should be evident that the society strwctures givet

to the Congregation by Don Bosco (our particular way

of practising the vows, our forms of prayer, and com-

munity living, etc...) are, at root, functional and relative.

Our presence, especially amongst youth, indicates an

attitude of attention and a will to meet them. It requires

us to live with them, to share in their ideals and under-

takings, and in the joys and diffrculties they encounter.

It is expressed in the desire to avoid everything in our

ways of thinking, speaking, and living which makes us

outsiclers and aliens. This qualifi.ed presence is a lunction

12 ET 32.

13 ET 34.

14 ET 36.

15 PC g.

715

14.10 Page 140

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ol the Church. It is a participation, accorcling to thc

"charism of the institute," 16 in the mission which the

Church has reaffirmed of herself; "to be present in the

world of today" to purify, animate and save it.

B) AS AN INSTITUTE OF GENUINE APOSTOLIC SERVTCE

WE MUST ACCEPT PTURALISM IN UNITY

137 't. Need for unifying structures

that

We

is,

take

that

wueniatyreawshoautrwsetaartrien,gapnodinatre-

the fact,

determined

to take the necessary steps to be so. As a consequence,

the salesians will be able to fulfil their mission in a variety

of suitable pastoral forms.

We are one in our mission, in our spirit lived in all

its richness, in the values of our religious and apostolic

consecration. We are one as groups and individuals unit-

ed in an institute juridically recognised. by thc Church.

This unity should be maintained and advanced. by means

of suitable and efifrcient structures of co-responsibility,

formation, communication, government and exchange.

Today, unity is ever more widely understood in terms

soaf lesspiiarnitit-y

co-responsible, capable

- rather than as the

of dialogue, radiating

product of law.

138 2. Present reasons for decentralization

a) The Ghurch

The hierarchic vision of Vatican I has been enriched

by Vatican II, which stresses the communitarian aspects

of the peopie of God. The universal Church today sees

herself as a "communion of particular churches,, united

in Christ and in his vicar who holds the primacy in 1ove.

Based on this unity and communion, the Church can

16 ET 32.

116

15 Pages 141-150

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15.1 Page 141

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become the servant of that world which she seeks to

animate and evangelize, a world rich in the pluralism

of its peoples and cultures.

b) Religious of active Iife

Religious of active life because they are the Church, and

because within the Church they function as an organism

rvhich by its nature is more flexible and in closer touch

with tife, consequently, they must fulfil their apostolic

mission in a variety of suitable pastoral forms.17

c) Salesians

The raison d'6tre of the salesians in the Church is

the salvation of the youth of the working classes in widely

differing socio-cultural contexts. Our action is ecclesial

action, inserted in the over-all pastoral activity of the

local church. In order that the pastoral activity of a

world-wide organization should be ef&cacious and suitablSz

adapted, pluralism is absolutely necessary.l8

139 3. Areas where flexibility and pluralism can be applied

The concrete application of this pluralism consists

in recognizing the relatiae awtonomy of each province

(or group of provinces according to national or cultrrral

unity). Each is a living community with an institutional

unity charged with the task of carrying out Don Bosco's

mission in the local church. The province is respons-

ible for structures to maintain unity with the centre and

within its own confi.nes and also those which will make

it possible to futfi.l our salesian mission in a way which

meets local needs.

r7 Cf. nos. 30-33.

18 Cf. also nos. 28, 30, 33, 78-84.

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15.2 Page 142

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Therefore decentralization and the pluralism which

results from it, must be accepted with loyalty as being

necessary for the fulfilment of our mission,

adults

-in

in our pastoral

the choice of

activity on

activities,

behalf

works,

of youth and

experiments;

salesian--ityiinnwittlhhl eebefdoeirvxmeprarestsiiotsyendoriefnqleuagicrcietoidmrdfaaotnercetwhewasyietshaincthtievwithiceiucshl-;

tural and religious character of each region. This type

of pluralism must spread to the local communities in

proportionate measure. And this witl allow us to express

the salesian charism in all its richness, and thus serve

the Church better.

C) AS AN INSTITUTE OF FRATEHNAL AND APOSTOLIC

LIFE, WE MUST REASSESS THE IDENTITY OF THE

MEMBEBS, AFFIRMING THEIR FUNDAMENTAL EOUAL.

ITY AND SPECIFYING THEIR FUNCTIONS

140 lntroduction

One of the characteristics which attentive biographers

of Don Bosco believe should be stressed is his "tendency

towards action, or better towards work, often motivated

by a consciousness of his mission from God and by urgent

needs." This attitude "distinguishes Don Bosco's spirit-

uality of the active life from that of St. Francis of Sales

and others who, despite their life of intense work, still

give great importance in their own spiritual awareness

to psychological and psychosensory efforts to reach a

state of union u,ith God in prayer." rs

Many original "creations" of Don Bosco bear witness

to his practicality. It is against the background of his

re P. SrBue, Don Bosco nella stori,a della reli.gi,ositd, cattol,ica,

PAS Verlag, II p 15.

118

15.3 Page 143

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spiritual initiative in this field that the "identity" of his

salesians, priests and brothers is to be viewed.

141 I. THE SALESIAI,{ PRIEST

a) The "identity crisis" of the salesian priest today

The salesian priest can experience the profound ques-

tionings and anxieties which are assailing priests every-

where. Layfolk substitute the priest in education, social

services, aid to under-developed countries, as moving

spirits in cultural activities, marriage advisers, and some-

times also as specialists in catechetics and creative evan-

gelization. What is left for him?

142 b) His "identity"

The world is taking shape according to certain definite

characteristics,20 which are transforming many of the roles

the priest formerly played into subsidiary functions. How-

ever, this world is still the object of apostolic action for

which there is no substitute. The priest is the spirituai

man and must always have before his eyes the image

of Christ, servant and good shepherd. His ministry is

an act of service, eschatological in character, the visible

signs of which are his preaching the gospel, and his confer-

ring the sacraments.zl In virtue of his office, he publicly

proclaims Christ as Saviour of "today's world;" he gathers

together the christian community, uniting them in Christ's

sacrifi.ce; and as their guide, he leads them to the Father

through Christ in the Spirit.z2 It is this paschal mystery

which gives the priest his identity.

20 Cf. nos. 31-33

21

,,

PO

PO

12.

6.

Lt9

15.4 Page 144

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143 c) The salesian priest

The salesian priest is called to exercise this ministry

in the spirit of Don Bosco especially for young peopie

in need. His work entails a wide range of commitments,

and his service is expressed in a variety of forms, in diff-

erent places and circumstances. But he alrvays prefers

what the young csteem and love, and want of him, so

as to give them that which he alone, through God's

favour, can bring.

144 d) The context of his mission as educator in the faith

The salesian priest mu.st put before himself as his

ideal and as the criterion of his educative activity Don

Bosco's great capacity for adapting to the times. There

are many traits which characterize human relations today.

By i,vay of example one can site a sense of common res-

ponsibility in matters which concern all; a new concept

of authority and of interpersonal relations; an awareness

that the problem of justice in a world in which society

is evolving assumes global proportions. The salesian must

consequently strive to acquire this new sensitivity, for

it will enable hirn to exercise his pastoral ministry amongst

young people who arc living in this atmosphere. Further-

more, the whole salesian community, of which he is a

Iiving part, must carry out its pastoral activity fully

aware of these new situations. The basic element of

cohesion, education and direction is to be found in his

pastoral love consecrated in the sacrament of holy orders.

145 2. THE SALESIAN BROTHER

1. Don Bosco's idea

The category of lay brother was already to be found

in

In

other institutes

this sense Don

-Botshceo'sPalavyonriealnigi ioouf sBraersecina,oftoarnexoarmigpinlea.l

120

15.5 Page 145

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creation. With his customary practicality, Don Bosco

assimilated the idea, and refashioned it in view of his

own complex of undertakings. He included the "co-

adjutor" (brother) in his organization as printer, shoemak-

er, blacksmith, factotum (like Bro. Rossi), and gave him

maximum scope (Dogliani, for instance, was a highly

esteemed musician and a respected composer).

2. Basic characteristics

The tundamental characteristics of the salesian brother

and the links which integrate him with the salesian priest

can be briefly outlined as follows:

746 a) A fundamental equality

In 1927, Don Rinaldi wrote: "W'hen Don Bosco began

to think about founding a new religious society, he desired

all the members, priests, clerics and brothers to enjoy

the same rights and privileges... The brothers do not

constitute a second order, but are true salesians, obliged

to the same perfection and

which forms the essence

to

of

exercise the same apostolate,

the salesian society." 23 A

basic equality therefore: the one religious consecration,

and the identical apostolic mission form the basis of the

equality between priest and brother. Where this is lack-

ing, there cannot be even an authentic community life.

147 b) With distinct and complementary roles

The identical apostolic mission is a complex reality,

but the distinct roles to be filled by each member must

correspond to the individual vocation of each one.

Beyond the "rights and obligations... resulting from

sacrr:d orders," beyond the service lvhich the salesian

23 ASC 24 lrly 1927 p 574.

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15.6 Page 146

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priest, within the community envisaged by Don Bosco,

must render it through his pastoral love consecrated by

holy orders, a great variety of apostolic works and forms

of service is open to the brother, some of which are indeed

more suited to his lay vocation than to that of a priest.

148 c) A deep unity

One must endeavour to understand that in the field

of education of youth it is better to create deep unity

in intention and in practice, rather than set up rigid

boundaries and clearcut demarcation lines. Diversity of

function is a reason for unity and apostolic effectiveness,

not for separation. For it can create greater solidarity

through the pooling of the qualities and talents of each

individual, and as each complements the other, it can

increase our apostolic efficacy.

"The same sons of St John Bosco must stand side

by side, complete one another, and go forward in carrying

out the aims of their identical mission... they are not

separate or divergent elements, but the heirs, instruments

and executors of the same divine plan." z'r If we succeed

in assimilating this truth of our mutual need and service,

we shall all come to understand that in the Congregation

there exists only Jesus Christ who is above all and who

completes himsclf through the ministry of each individual

for the salvation of vouth.

149 d) The lay aspect of the brother's vocation

The particular traits of the lay dimension of the

brother's vocation are the following:

he

live-s

with the characteristics proper to religious life,

his vocation as a member of the laity, seeking

"the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs

2a Don Rrcerooxr, ASC 1939 p 180.

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15.7 Page 147

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and by ordering them according to the plan of God;"

witness-

he

and

exercises his baptismal priesthood, prophetic

kingly service, and in this way truly shares

in the life and mission of Christ in the Church;

nicooonntsmeocef-rraestilpoywrneia,thasadatnihndepgrbiitnvyhateet"enmgsiaointysndpditvehailda,teuta"adnloed-rfivotehhfseesfarfCuonhmlcfuitlrishfcyihtsihn-esgpmeincaisinfsidca-

non-sacramental manner;

dedicat-ionhwisitwhoinrksa

of charity are

Congregation

undertaken

devoted to

with

the

greater

integral

education of youth, especially those in need;

tempor-al

finally, as regards the christian renewal of the

order, since he has renounced worldliness, he

exercises this form of apostolate as a religious in a most

effi.cacious manner, educating youth to the christian

renewal of work and to other human values.

In many spheres, he can play a role which cannot

be substituted: "There are things which priests and clerics

cannot do, and which you will do," said Don Bosco.z6

It is therefore necessary that we be prepared to make

more far-reaching experiments than those tried to date.

This is d.emand.ed by the times we are living in, and by

the need. to promote the vocation of the brother in all

its originality.

150 3. THE SALESIAN DEACON

Don Bosco never refused to include as capable and

complementary forces for the accomplishment of his mis-

sion, those church or lay persons which his times presented

him with.

15 BM XVr, 312.

123

15.8 Page 148

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The Council has reassessed in the ecclesiology of

LG 26 the figure and functions of the deacon. It is there-

fore opportune that the Congregation should take this

possibility into account where particular nceds of the

local church suggest, especially in mission lands.

Since the permanent deacon has a specifically diff-

erent vocation from the brother and the priest, the Con-

gregation conscious of the fact that he does not change

its nature and that, as has been said, he can be particularlv

useful in the fulfilment of her mission, will have to arrange

an adequate preparation for the ministry which is his,

planning explicitly the conditions of his life in the places

where he works, or to which he is transferred. In fact

a Congregation like ours, operating on a world-wide scale,

can assllre deacons of a sphere of action, where the needs

of the Church are more pressing. Particular requirements

will give rise to experiments in this regard, which will

proceed gradually, observing the directives of the

magisterium of the Church.

26 LG 29 and also Letteya Apostolica-Motu proprio "sacrum

Diaconatus Ordinem."

124

15.9 Page 149

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CHAPTER SIX

THE SALESIAN ''FAMILY'' TODAY

151 1. The need to consider the theme of the "family" in our

salesian renewal

The salesians cannot fully re-think their vocation in

the Church without reference to those who share with

them in carrying out their Founder's will. Consequentll,

they are seeking a greater union of all, whilst preserving

the genuine diversity of each.

152 2. The Term "Family"

This rvord indicates the rcality of interpersonal rela-

tionships, and a certain style in keeping with them,

amongst those who possess the "salesian spirit," r,vhich

is precisely a "family spirit."

This term is continually used in the salesian tradi-

tion to indicate in a generic way, the links which exist

bet',veen the salesians, Daughters of Mary Help of Chris-

tians, co-operators, pupils and past pupils.

After close examination one reaches the conclusion

that the concept of "family" is applied in a different

way to these various groups according to the nature of

their relationship. The co-operators, for example, belong

to the salesian family because both as an association and

individually they assume the responsibility of fulfllling

in the world the mission which the founder has given

them, in union with the Congregation, and in accordance

r,r,ith its spirit. The pupils and past pupils on the other

hand belong to the salesian family for other reasons,

especially the fact that they are or have been the recipients

of salesian education which ought to spur them on to

various types of apostolic activity.

L25

15.10 Page 150

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A)THE EXISTENCE OF DON BOSCO'S FAMILY UP TO THE

PRESENT DAY AND THE PROBLEM IT POSES

The problem has its origin in a rather complex his-

torical fact. In order to fulfil his vocation to sarze poor

and abandoned youth, Don Bosco sought a wide group-

ing of apostolic forces, linked together in the unity of

a "family."

153 1. Don Bosco, charismatic founder

In founding the Salesians, the Daughters of Mary

Help of Christians, and the Co-operators tolwork together

in his mission, and according to his spirit, Don Bosco

gave the Salesian Congregation a special role.

From l84l to 1888, he showed a singleness ol purpose

which can be traced through a wide spectrum of different

decisions. This was to unite all who agreed to work with

hmimustinunaitev.a..s"t1en"sUenmitbylea. m".o.n.Ignstthoeusrseedlvieffsicaunitd

times

with

we

the

Congregation... Let us be united in our common aim,

and in using the same means to achieve it... Let us be

united in a single family by the bonds of fraternal charity

which will stimulate us to help and support one another

in our work for others." 2

This driae toutards reunion and, comrnwnion even dur-

ing Don Bosco's life time took on different forms accord-

ing to the degree of participation and the types of activ-

ities which thc members undertook. Summarizing we

can cite: the work of the Oratory of St. Francis of Sales;

after 1850 participation in different ways in the work

of the Salesian Society from its origins (1855 to 1858);

participation in a manner that was juridically acceptable,

though not clearly defined, nor in f.act realized by "ex-

1 From Rules tor the Co-operators, Introduction. 1876.

2 Bollett'ino Salesi.ano, Jan. 1878 pp l-3.

126

16 Pages 151-160

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16.1 Page 151

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ternal members" "affiliated" to the society between 1864

and 1874; spiritual union with the Daughters of Mary

Help of Christians through the person of the Rector Major

from about 1872 till the start of the 20th century; and

fi.nally, from 1874 participation as Co-operators, Iay or

ecclesiastical.

Don Bosco expressed his plan in a well-known pas-

sage: "The Union of Salesian Co-operators is a very im-

portant association in our eyes. It is the soul of our

Congregation, and serves as a link whereby we can do

good together with the people who live in the world.

There exists the Salesian Congregation for those who

wish to consecrate their lives to God through religious

profession. There is the Institute of the Daughters of

Mary Help of Christians for girls r,vho wish to follow the

salesian way of life. Now we need friends and benefactors

in the world who live the salesian spirit whilst remaining

in their own families. This is what the salesian co-operators

do. They help us in our needs, and support us in our

difficulties. They collaborate with us in our undertakings

for the gtory of God, especially when we lack personnel

or funds. The number of these co-operators must grow

as much as possible." 3

There is another aspect which completes Don Bosco's

view of the co-operators. It places them in the context

of the local church whilst remaining faithful to the sales-

ian spirit. "I have studied a great deal the question of

the foundation of the salesian co-operators," Don Bosco

is reported as saying to Don Lemoyne on l6th February

1884. "Their true object is not to help the salesians but

to aid the Church, the bishops, the parish priests, under

the general direction of the salesians, in works of charity

- such as catechetics, the education of the poor, etc.

3 Point for discussion for the first GC 1877; MS of Don Bosco.

127

16.2 Page 152

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Helping the salesians means lielping in one of the numerous

apostolates existing in the catholic Church. It's true that

we shall call upon them when we have necd, but they

are instruments in the hands of the bishops... we should

not be jealous of our salesian co-operators because they

belong to the diocese, and all parish priests together with

their parishioners ought to be co-operators." E

2. The different groups and their history: awareness of a

salesian common good and of real unity

a) fhose belonging to the salesian family "in the strict sense"

{54

l. Co-operators. An awareness of the fact that the

co-operators belong to the salesian family has always

been substantially present in the clurse ol our kistory,

though a certain amount of difficulty was entailed in

establishing this juridically. Through the enlightening

grace of God, the co-operators are called to share in the

mission of the founder, according to their different states

in life, and also to share his spirit.

This awareness is found in the Regwlations of thc

Association: "The association has as its primary end, the

active life of charity towards one's neighbour and especiallv

young people in need." 5 The sanr,e fi,eld.s of apostolate are

proposed for the co-operators as for the salesian Coirgre-

gation to which they wish to be associated.6 "The members

of the salesian Congregation will consider all co-operators

as brothers in Jesus Christ and turn to them for help...

With equal libertr,, the co-operatois will have recourse

to the members of the salesial Congregation." 7

1 BM XVII, 25 quoted by P. Srerre,, Don Bosco nella storia

della religi,osi,td cattol.ica, PAS Verlag, I pp 220-221.

5 Regulations, I 1963 p 8.

e Ibid, p 9.

? Ibid, p 13.

t28

16.3 Page 153

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Pius XII on 12 September 1952, in his discourse to

the co-operators on the occasion of their 75th anniver-

sary afifrrmed their salesian identity: "salesian co-operators,

effective auxiliaries of Catholic Action... new providential

movement of catholic laity... Deeply permeated by the

salesian spirit... men and women who fully live the sales-

ian ideal... The rcquirements of your manifold work...

oblige you to attend jealously to your interior life, that

life which the wisdom of the saint of action provided for,

uhen to you, no less than to his trvofi.ld family of Salesians

and Daughters of l\\{ary Help of Christians, he gavcr a

rliiouauliensgosptlhiserpitcirosintuuuiamtelo,dnl,tlioifleeod-neesttowinhtehodatitsointsleotrrrninvarilnyagonLfdto, -erxtthewrenhaipll,esrrtefelnigco--t

tion of christian charity." a

Today the co-operators show their clear awareness

of belonging to the salesian family in their "message to

the members of the Special General Chapter:" " Fully

a.lea.re of belonging to the one salesian famil5z, because of

our common founder, our aims, the principal object of

our apostolate, our sharing of spiritual goods, and the

same superiors."

155

2. The Daughters ol Mary Help ol Christians. The

events of the period 1872-1969 bear witness to changes

in the juridical forms of the relationship of the salesian

Congregation with the Dawghters of Mary Help ol Ch,ris-

ttioa.nths e-ir

passing from dependence on

autonomy. They also reveal

the

the

Rector Major

preoccupation

of Don Bosco, his successors, and the Daughters of Mary

Help of Christians too, that even u,ith these variations,

it should always be possible to safeguard and nourish

the particularly saiesian form of the spirit of the gospel

for the mission to which thcv are called.

6 Ibid, p 28

1.29

16.4 Page 154

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1s6

3. Other rnernbers. Other religious or secular institutes

(e.g. the Volunteers of Don Bosco) or organized groups

which, in harmony with the inspiration of Don Bosco,

are called to fulfil his mission in accordance with his

spirit, belong to this family in the strict sense.

157 b) Those who "for different reasons" belong to the salesian family

"in the broad sense"

l. Pwpils and past pwpils. The way in which the

Pupils and the Moaement of Past Pupils belong to the

salesian family stems ord,inarily, as has already been in-

dicated, and above all from the fact that they are or

have been the recipients of our education in an atmosphere

in which the family spirit prevails. Educators should

ensure that these ties are lasting. The Declaration on

Christian Education is of the same mind: "Even after

students have graduated, their teachers should continue

to assist them with advice and friendship, and also by

establishing special groups genuinely inspired by the spirit

of the Church." 0 This is what our past pupils are asking

of us and what the present World Confederation of the

Past Pupils of Don Bosco intends.lo

It is to be hoped that within the movement for the

past pupils, as a result of the education they have received,

those who are inclined and gifted that way should become

organized as co-operators or members of apostolic groups

so as to participate in the spirit and activity of the sales-

ian family in appropriate apostolates within their local

church.

2. Those well-wishers and benefactors who have some

connection with salesian work can also be said to belong

to the salesian family 'in the broad sense.'

,GE8.

to Cf. Statutes art 7

130

16.5 Page 155

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3. Present day needs cause the problem of unity and

communion to be posed in fresh terms

158 a) The view of the Special Provincial Chapter

These Chapters in general have asked for a renewed

effort on the part of salesians in promoting the greater

unity and closer collaboration between those who share

in the mission and the spirit of Don Bosco.ll

159 b) The ecclesial reality of the salesian family

In fact, the background to the activity of the sales-

ian family today and of which its members should be

aware, consists in this:

which

-bectohmaets

the salesian family

a sign and witness

is

of

an ecclesial reality

the vocation of its

members through their special mission according to the

spirit of Don Bosco;

-consthiseti-nsgailonefsliidanineflefwraeimtnhtiltywhaeiyssCahonufrcsehex'rpsvritenesgasctiohhniengopefaobcpoolemutomhfueGnrsiooednlf,

and integrating various vocations, so as to show forth

the richness of the founder's charism;

rituality- ,

the salesian family develops an original spi-

charismatic by nature, which enriches the whole

body of the Church and becomes a particular model of

christian pedagogy.

The salesian family therefore, viewed within the mys-

tery of the Church must defi.ne its identity, its mission

and its form, in the light of the essential dimensions of

the Church. This requires that we speak of vocation,

mission, witness, communion, historicity, and permanent

renewal, as being fundamental components of this family.

rl Cf. First and Second Special Provincial Chapters

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16.6 Page 156

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160 c) The signs of the times

The extraordinary extent and complexity of youtk

problems today stimtlate our zealto accentuate thre red,istri-

bution of the forces at work in this sector, and to improve

their mutual collaboration. This is not simply a question

of a "strategy of action" at a human level, but of build-

ing the future together in the light of the gospel, in the

dynamism of christian hope 12 under the impulse of the

action of God who is constructing his kingdom in human

history.l3

B) UNION, GOMMUNION, AND DIVERSITY IN THE FAMILY

("in the strict sense") (one body with different com-

plementary parts)

161 1. Common elements

If we wish to trace out the elements which the various

groups of the salesian family have in common, we must

bear in mind that basically they can be reduced to the

fact that all are called to the same salvifi,c mission as

Don Bosco, a mission to be achieved in accordance with

his spirit.

It can be said that the ruission inspired by Don Bosco

is one, but that it is carried out through a wide diuersity

ol pastoral and apostolic forrns. Let us first of aII take

a brief look at the common elements.

162

a) The consecration through baptisrn, (and confi.rmation)

is the basic clement '*'hich all members of the salesian

family have in common. In virtue of this consccration

they are called by God to christian holiness. "All the

faithful of Christ of whatever rank or stature, are called

l'2 LG 10a:35a;48b; UR 2e: l2a; GS 93a.

rs LG 5; 9b; 35b; 36a; LG 42b; GS 38a;39b

132

16.7 Page 157

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to the fullness of christian life and to the perfection

of charity." la

In this sense all christians are called to share the

spirit of the evangelical counsels,ls translating and in-

carnating it in their own state of life. For the Salesians

and Daughters of Mary Help of Christians this is evident

in their profession of the religious vows, but this spirit

animates the life of the co-operators too. In their regula-

tions, Don Bosco indicates a certain similarity and mutual

attraction between the life of the salesian religious and

that of the co-operators: "No particular external apos-

tolate is prescribed for the salesian co-operators, but so

that their lives m,ay bear some resemblance to that of

those rnho live in religious commwnity they are recom-

mended to observe modesty in dress, frugaiity at table,

simplicity in furnishing the home, control of the tongue,

and exactness in the performance of the duties of their

state." In other words, "on becotning salesian co-operators,

theSr can continue to live in the midst of their normal

occupations, in their own family, and yet live as if they

lvere in fact members of the Congregation." re

163

b) Comnr,on aocation and mission. All the members

of the salesian family receive from the Holy Spirit a

special grace of enlightenment and decision in view of

the concrete need.s of poor and abandoned youth. These

two movements of 'vocation' and 'mission' are correlative

and sustain the

replies positively

particular decision of

to this grace. This

the person who

reply, it will be

noted, is cxpressed in a different manner according to

thc state of life of the individual (religious man or woman,

member of a secular institute, or baptized christian)'

14 LG 41.

16 LG 42.

t6 Regulations VI p 16.

r))

6

16.8 Page 158

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This common vocation (in the groups referred to)

is directed towards the same object. It is sufficient to

quote a few words from the Regulations of the Co_opera_

tors: "The salesian co-operators work in the same harvest

as the Congregation of St. Francis of Sales with whom

they intend to be associated." 1z

164

c) The c01n?r,to,),t, 'salesian spirit., This is the special

spirit and typical style with which the salesians, in God,s

Church, bring Christ's saving love to the youth of today:

This was

"Now it

the will of our holy

is necessary that we

Founder when he wroie

should have friends and

benefactors in the world. who liue completely the spirit

of the salesians whilst remaining in their own families.

This is precisely what the salesian co-operators do.,, 18

t6s

d) Accord,ing to a

takes its rise in their

lorm

comm

ol

on

apostolic

zeal for

lraternity which

the salvation of

youth, and expresses itself in difierent ways. The action

of all the members of the salesian family (understood as

the integral development and education in the faith of

poor and abandoned boys) is both corumwnitayian and,

fraternal, and is based on the principle of co-responsibility.

However, differences of time, place, and person will

determine the various ways in which this complex apos_

tolic action is expressed. This variety is essential li,hen

one considers the diversity within the movement itself of

the groups which make it up, and their mutual rela_

tionships, and also the inclusion of salesian action within

the

pastoral activity

In such a wide

of parish, diocese and region.

variety of expressions the .family

style,' characteristic of Don Bosco, is an element of unity

amongst the members of the salesian family, and a trait

which typifies their apostolate.

t7 Ibid p 13.

r8 Manuscript cited above.

L34

16.9 Page 159

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166 2. Differences

The type of consecration and the way of life proper

to each individual member of the salesian family give

rise to the different ways in which the salesian mission

is realized and the 'salesian spirit' lived.

A plurality of graces, apostolates and works le in view

of a common mission is an aspect of the catholicity of

the Church. The same is true within the salesian family.

At the source we always discover a d'ifferent, particularized

aocatiom.

167 a) Tke Salesians and the Dawghters ol Mary Help ol

Christians. Since they have received from God the gift

of a religious vocation, a greater commitment in fulfi.lling

the salesian mission is expected of them in accordance

rvith their type of consecration. Their chastity, embtaced

for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, is a clear sign

of an individual love for Christ and becomes "a stimulus

towards charity, as well as a unique source of spiritual

fertility" 20 in the world of youth today. God's call to

poaerty, reminding man that ultimately progress consists

in our "participating as sons in the life of our living

God" 21 makes them grateful and sensitive to the re-

quirements of poor young people. Finally with the profess-

ion of obedience "following the example of Christ who

came to carry out his Father's will, and in union with

him... they are bound more closely to the service of the

Church and their brethren" 22 and this is achieved in a

commwnal lile.

Within the Salesian Congregation and in relation to

the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians the onc relig-

le CI. LG 32c.

20 LG 42 c.

,r PC 13.

22 ET 23.

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16.10 Page 160

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ious vocation receives a further diversification from the

fact that it is lived on the basis of the sacramental con-

secration of baptism, conf,rmation and priesthood, or bap-

tism and. confi.rmation only.

168

b) This is also

whilst the secular

true for other

institutes, for

lienmstaalnecreeltighieou.s.Vionlsutnittueteesrs,

of Don Bosco," carry to maturity their baptismal and

confi.rmation consecration by the profession of the evan-

gelical counsels, united by the salesian spirit in the par-

ticular work of charity to which they are dedicated. They

achieve this without a life in common, but ]ike the leaven

which animates the Body of Christ and. causes it to grow,

they are immersed in the world's structures: "In fulfilling

this secular consecration, the 'Volunteers' take their inspi-

ration from the spiritual message of Don Bosco, whose

ideals they share, through the Servant of God, Don phitip

Rinaldi." 23

169

c) Salesian co-operators. The christian commitment

resulting from baptismal and confirmation consecration

reccives a fresh orientation from its connection rvith the

Association of Salesian Co-operators. Hence the co-

operators are immersed in temporal activities 2{ lvith

special emphasis on the integral education of poor and

abandoned

ponsibility

eynotauitlhed-bywreitihigoiuout shoawndevseerc,utlharecsopnesceicfir.actiroens.-

170

d) Other possible groups which may come together

under Don Bosco's inspiration, and whose form is recog-

nized by the Congregation, can be efficaciously present in

this family, with their values and precious ministry.

23

,4

Constitutions

Cf. GS 43.

of

the

Volunteers

of

Don

Bosco

art

5.

136

17 Pages 161-170

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17.1 Page 161

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171 3. Communion in the same basic vocation and with the

minimum of institutionalized unity

a) The Holy Spirit is tke bond, of u,nity ol those'called

together.' The foundation of our salesianity is the call

of the Holy Spirit to realize in an organic though complex

way the salvation of poor and abandoned youth accord-

ing to the spirit of Don Bosco. In this sensc, all the

members of the salesian family feel that their reciprocal

bonds are authentic. Don Bosco expressed this in the

Regrilations for Co-operators "The members of the Sales-

ian Congregation will consider all the co-operators as

brothers in J esu,s Christ.zs

The salesian co-operators are aware of this common

vocation and. express it in the "message to the members

of the Special General Chapter:" "We believe'.. that the

time is ripe for the estabiishment at every level between

salesian reiigious and salesian co-operators a mutual rela-

tionship of true fraternity. From now on, this will con-

stitute a new styie of salesian iife, both within and outside

the educative communities duly open to the co-operators'"

172 b) Institwtional utlity. The various eletnents which

makc up the salesian family all require some external

institutionalized' expression. We know with what insis-

tencc Dotr, Bosco wished to unite publicly (even if, with

grcat flexibility) thc efforts of his various collaborators'

This

this

is not

visiblc

the place to determine

unity and organization

the

will

concrete forms

assurrle' It is

suffrcient to affirm the principle - which is beyond

discussion.

The autonomy of each group of the family is guaran-

teed, so that each may fully express its own riches' But

the external and functional link between the groups

'5 Regulation IV p t3

137

17.2 Page 162

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pression of

reaffirmed.

a

common

salesian

vocation

-

is likewise

173

c) The particular role of the salesian society. Stemming

from the Holy Spirit who inspired Don Bosco to fulfil

a determined mission with a certain spirit, we take a

look at the part played by salesians in the salesian family.

In the first place, their function is one of 'stability:' they

live the salesian mission and spirit through religious con-

secration according to the fullness of Don Bosco. Their

profession of the evangelical counsels provides them with

those helps necessary for stability and coherent creativity

(as dcmanded by their salesian mission and spirit) in the

Church on the one hand, and amongst the groups that

make up the family on the other.

They also have the function of being ' aniruq.tors.,

The salesians, since they achieve the fullness of their

consecration (by baptism, confi.rmation, and for some by

holy orders) are bearers and animators, in the Church

and in the salesian family itself, of our mission seen in

its integrity:

christian life.

-

human development to the fullness of

Finally they exercise a 'unifying' function both within

the various groups in virtue of the animation referred" to

above, and externally because, in a spirit of service they

bind together the individual groups and the groups among

themselves.

C) INTEBCOMMUNICATION AND GOLLABORATION

174 1. Basic motives and aims

The reflections we have made ought to lead each

group to communicate its riches, so that they may be_

come the riches of all.

Dynamic fidelity to the Spirit and its gifts demands

this, so that the original and inventive form of each

138

17.3 Page 163

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group might achieve the 'common cause' of the salesian

family. By means of this sharing, we shall all be en-

Iightened on the releuance lor today and the authenticity

of the gift made to Don Bosco and of the gifts which

the Spirit in like manner bestows on us. We shall have

a better appreciation of the force and apostol,ic lrwitfulness

of our mission and of the method to be adopted; through

sharing and collaboration, we shall live the experience of

the

gDoysnpaeml -ic

to our mutual enrichment'

fi.delity to Don Bosco through

sharing

and

collaborating will extend the influence of his pastoral

intuition and his paternity. This will shine all the more

brightly because every increase in fraternity, unity, and

commitment on the part of those who consider them-

selves his "sons" adds to his stature. This paternity

will assume ecclesial dimensions. Don Bosco is in fact

the source of male and female religious, committed layfolk,

and consecrated members of secular institutes, resulting

directly from his work or the sanctity of his sons.

Through co-responsibility and dialogue the unstifled

natural qualities of individuals and the variety of apostolic

endeavours will help to avoid uniformity on the one hand,

and will achieve and strengthen unity on the other.

Those who exercise the service of authority have

the duty of stimulating such a contribution, which builds

up the Body of Christ.26

175 2. Content and methods of this sharing and collaboration

a) Content. Possible objects for mutual collaboration

and communication between the various groups could be:

1. the present sitwation in the preaching of the

gospel message to the young and the working classes ac-

cording to our mission;27

'6

'z7

Cf.

Cf.

AA

Ch.

3d; PO 9b.

II nos. 58-84.

139

17.4 Page 164

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2. relations with other organizations in vierv of a

joint pastoral action within the local church;

3. the rneans that will be useful for our common

formation and information iu view of the mission as-

signed to us.

776

b) Method,. Communication and collaboration are not

to be equated with dependence of the different groups

on the salesian Congregation. We reaffirm the internal

and administrative autonomy of the various groups in

their different forms.

Sharing and collaboration must take place in thc

salesian apostolate within the local church. The pastoral

situation in the local church and the specific nature of

the salesian apostolate will determinc the forms which,

bv mutual agreement, this interchange will take.

177 3. Gonclusion

The capacity to manifest unity in mission and sales-

ian spirit expressed in a plurality of forms, and the creativ-

ity of each gr-oup for the benefi.t of the others, will make

us more acceptable in the Church, the communion of

salvation, more efectizte in our apostolic work, and richey

in personal fulfilment.

"Hence the group apostolate of christian believers

happity corresponds to a human and christian need, and

at the samer time signifies the communion and unitv of

the Church in Christ, r,vho said: 'Where t',1'o or three are

gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst

of them.' " 28

18 Mt 18, 20; AA 1g

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17.5 Page 165

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CHAPTEB SEVEN

PRACTIGAL DIREGTIVES

178

The Special General Chapter entrusts to the provin-

cial conferences, chapters and councils the practical ap-

plication of these DIRECTIVES, which it offers to the

confrdres to hetp to bring about the desired renewal.

Their rnain tash will be to study the kinds of initiative

and plans of action that will ensure an eventual realization

of this renewal both on a personal and community level'

179 1. A rediscovery of the real meaning of our mission

As our MISSION is a specific element of our sales-

ian identity, these practical directives should be looked

upon as decisive for the work of renewal.

It is necessary to point out to the confrBres the

swpernatttral sense of our mission in its theological and

ecclesial aspects as a sharing in the mission of Christ

and of the people of God.

It is also important to remind them of ttre spiritwal

reso'urces inherent in our mission which help us to live

more completely our religious vocation and the spirit

of Don Bosco.

The best possible use must be made at all levels

(individual, local and provincial) of all the available ways

and means which help the confrdres to live their sales-

ian mission more generouslv. Among such helps are: a

d.eeper study of the theology of the active religious life,

discussions and talks on this subject, meetings and retreats

with this end in rrierv, a community check on the ideals

of this mission, pastoral work, etc.

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t80 2. Absolute priority of pastoral work for youth

Recognizing that the primary end of our work is

for the young, and bearing in mind the pre-eminence

and importance of such work in modern society, we have

a threefold obligation:

a) to acquire a direct hnowledge of. the young

people of today with all their problems;

b) unconditional availability for youth work at

provincial and diocesan level;

c) a re-d,imensioning of our work and activities

which wili permit us to offer a better and more adequate

service on behalf of the young, and so re-awaken in all

the confrdres Don Bosco's apostolic charity in their regard.

As a consequence, this absolute priority of youth

work will mean: on the one hand that our activity on

behalf of youth will take up the greatest part of our

time, our efiorts and our personnel; and on the other,

that even in our work for adults, according to their needs,

we shall still maintain our primary preoccupation lor

the yowng.

181 3. Absolute priority of the n'poor"

Bearing especially in mind the mission left us by

Don Bosco on behalf of boys, "especially of the poorer

classes," and also that of adults most in need amongst

the working classes,l whose faith and very survival are

being attacked; and remembering how the conditions of

the modern world multiply, often tragically, the number

and lvretched conditions of both, we must remember our

obligation as dedicated apostles to ease the lot of the

poor and help them to rea,lize an integral, material, social,

cultural and religious freedom.

I Cf. article 1 o{ the Constitutions

1.42

17.7 Page 167

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This implies certain precise decisions:

a) the gradual ckannelling of our efforts to the

poorest of the young and to adults most in need, i.e.,

to those who have the least possibility of realizing in

their lives the designs of God, whether they live in

under-developed countries or wealthy regions;

b) the correction of certain exaggerations in works

which developed in a way that does not give clear witness

of the salesian charism (for the poor) with consequent

atrophy o{ the usual congenial salesian characteristics;2

c) the inculcating of an appreciation and wnder'

stand'ing, in the light of the phenomenon of poverty and

the doctrine of the Council and the social encyclicals,

of the evangelic and apostolic validity of the campaign

for justice in the world, with the object of making it

more human;

d) the clear acceptance, in this spirit and with

the necessary elucidations and reservations, of such a

campaign without divorcing it from our direct obliga-

tion of preaching the gospel;

e) a more precise concentration of our eforts of

service to the third world, without detriment to our

obligations in other sectors equally in need.3

182 4. Our service to the illiterate

Our work for poor boys is in great demand today

especially in those countries still in course of development,

because the first aim in any plan of social development

is the provison of a basic education.a Because of this

2 Fr. RrccBRr, Letter... p 20.

3 N.B. For the practical directives in connection with Evan-

gelization and Catechesis, cf. Document 3.

I Cf. p 35.

t43

17.8 Page 168

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the salesian Congregation, through its Special General

Chapter, dedicates itself to an effective collaboration with

those social organizations which promote the cause of

justice in the world through basic education, beginning

with reading and writing.

183 5. The permanent salesian diaconate

Our Special General Chapter, in the spirit of Don

Bosco, identifies itself with the post-conciliar movement

towards renewal, one characteristic of which is the res-

toration of the figure and role of the deacon.

The eventual salesian deacon will take his place

amongst those responsible for the salesian mission with-

out changing the nature of the Congregation but rather

completing it in the practice of its salvific ministry in

collaboration with the priest, through missions, parishes,

work with youth groups, etc.

In order that experiments along these lines can be

made during the next six years, it would be opportune,

where the particular circumstances of the local church

require it, for provincial chapters and the respective

councils:

a) to study the method to be followed for its

eaentual institwtion;

b) to give candidates for the diaconate an adequate

preparation;

c) to lollow the experiruent attentively with the

local church, with a view to its future definitive realization.

184 6. The salesian brother - lay religious

With the intention of producing a more intense

"communion," even from the point of view of direct

responsibility, the Special General Chapter, after an ample

debate on the subject of the brother in the context of

our rene\\val, has decided that brothers can become mem-

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17.9 Page 169

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bers of councils at all levels (local, provincial and world).

An adequate and gradual move in this direction is there-

fore imperative in order to render this decision operative.

Therefore:

a) each plovince should undertake the provision

for brothers of an adequate religiows and theological

preparation, together wittr tecknical and. professional qwali-

fi,cations, in view of these new posts of responsibility;

b) wherever possible, posts of direct responsibility

should be given to them in the different sphercs of sales-

ian work, e.g. schools, youth centres, publishing houses, etc;

c) the main point however at the moment is to

change tke rnind and attitude ol the whole Congregation

tor,r,'ards the salesian brother;

d) with this in view, provision should be made for:

7. a general meeting of the brothels of each region'

(or at least each group of provinces) within two years ol

the close of the Special General Chapter, at which problems

can be aired and steps taken for a practical application

of the Chapter decisions;

2. a uorld meeting of brothers some time in the

following two years with representatives from each region'5

'!85 7. Pastoral work of the province in the context of the

local church

The ecclesial service rendered by Don Bosco to the

Pope and the bishops, and the new evaluation of the

local church in the present renewal, lead us to consider

the role of each province in this kind of pastoral work.

Our availability for such activity on behalf of the local

5 Concerning representation at this meeting, use could be made

of a formula analogous to that used for the election of delegates

to the GC.

145

17.10 Page 170

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church means that each province and each group of

provinces even more so, should study how best this can

be done.

This entails for provinces full co-operation with other

groups working for youth, especially in the field of cate-

chetics, and special attention must be paid to the instruc-

tions of the bishops and episcopal conferences concerned.

Technical organization is indispensable and special groups

must be set up for inter-communication and. research,

and for the purpose of promoting interest and exchange

of ideas.

But this legitimate pluralism requires more effort on

our part to preserve unity, e.g. in fostering a sense of

mission and common spirit, and in frequent and fraternal

exchanges with other provincial communities and with

the Rector Major who is the visible sign of unity.

186 8. Centre of "Salesianity"

In the conviction that a deep knowledge of our sales_

ian spirit is a big help in the renewal of the Congregation,

we recommend the establishing of a salesian centre where

the various aspects of our salesian spirit can be studied

(historical, pedagogical, spiritual, ascetical, etc.).

The scientific and pastoral work of such a centre

will help to give the confrdres, especially those in form-

ation, a doctrine that will nourish and sustain their

vocation and inspire their apostolic activity.

N87 9. Knowledge of Don Bosco's more important works

The much desired return to our beginnings likewise

demands a revitalization in the spirit of the Founder.

To effect this a knowledge of the more signifi.cant writings

of Don Bosco is indispensable. Consequently ail tke con-

fr\\res should, be giaen tke possibility ol contact with our

salesian sources in their own language.

146

18 Pages 171-180

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18.1 Page 171

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It is the duty of those in charge to provide for the

translation of whatever is considered more important for

a deeper knowledge of Don Bosco and his spirit, such

as the Memoirs of the Oratory, the Spiritual Testament,

the treatise on the preventive system, the letter from

Rome of 1884, collected letters, etc.

188 10. Educative presence amongst the young

As Don Bosco was both the father and teacher of

his boys, sharing their sorrows, hopes and joys, fidetity

to the preventive system demands that we continue the

style of life that he began

them and for them; this

p-reslievninceg

with the

amongst

boys,

them

among

should

be regarded as a duty.

In spite of the changes that are everywhere taking

place, we must know how to remain faithful to the sales-

ian spirit which requires a constant "presence." With

the young people of today however the preventive system

means that a neu kind ol presence is needed. Our educative

efficiency is linked up with a renewed fidelity to the

preventive system of Don Bosco.

189. 11. The salesians for the salesian family

It was Don Bosco's wish that the binding influence,

stabilizing factor, and driving force in the family should

be the salesians themselves. To encowrage this and in

a spirit of service, fraternal exchanges must be arranged

lvherever and whenever possible according to local cir-

cumstances. This will ensure reciprocal enrichment, greater

collaboration and a more fruitful apostolate.

We pledge ourselves to stwdy together the best way

of perfecting the work we undertake in the local church

in evangelization and catechetics in the context of the

joint pastoral plan of the local church, to study the

methods of formation and information for this purpose

and the means most apt to attain our object.

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190 12. The salesians for the co-operators

In response to the ((message of the co-operators to

the Special General Chapter," we suggest the introduc-

tion of a prograrnme lor the form,ation ol a salesian laity,

and the compilation of a volume containing pertinent

salesian literature. We also propose that a group of ex-

perts (salesians and co-operators) draft a new Rule Booh

in the light of Conciliar doctrine and the mind of Don

Bosco, which would also defi.ne the relationships at diff-

erent levels between the Association of Co-operators and

the Salesian Congregation.

191 13. The Salesians for the past pupils

Bearing in mind that the past pupils are the fruit

of our mission of education, and that this does not cease

when they leave us but rather goes on developing with

the passing of the years, and also taking into account

the many points raised during the World Congress, we

propose:

l. that tl:'e care ol the past pwpils shouid be con-

sidered one of our specifi.c and primary duties;

2. that each community study how best to keep

up this on-going education without its degenerating into

mere sentimental and nostalgic contacts;

3. that each community be ready and open to

accept whatever form of collaboration, advice and sound

criticism of our educational methods the past pupils

can offer.

148

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Document 2

DON BOSCO

AT THE ORATORY

enduring criterion for the

renewal of salesian action

18.4 Page 174

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18.5 Page 175

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DON BOSCO AT THE ORATORY

Beturn to sources and

adjustment to the times

INTRODUCTION

192

The renewal of our apostolic rvork is not finished

with the decisions of a Special Chapter; there still remains

a lasting demand for the salesian Congregation, due to

the fact that it is a constituent part of the ecclesial or-

ganism.l

The essential parts of an authentic renewal, in accord-

ance with the Council, are twofold: a retwrn (reditus) to

the sources, and an adjustment (aptatio) to the changed

conditions of our times.2

193

The acceptance of the gospel as fundamental norm

of our renewal includes also the respect for the varying

grades of its particular incarnation in each religious

society. The profi.le of the salesian is therefore the result

of Don Bosco's reading of the gospel and hence is sub-

jected to the law of dynamic fidelity.3

E.xperience teaches us that differences emerge and

tensions arise in the difficult process of returning to the

spirit of the founder, and at the same time adapting to

the needs of the modern age. There is a danger of reduc-

ing fidelity to a mere mechanical repetition, and the op-

posite danger of falling into relativism, in the name of

badly assimilated progress.

194

A proper criterion must be found which can separate

1CfUR6.

, Cf. PC 2.

s Fidelity to the spirit of the founder is "one o{ the principles

of renewal, and one of the surest criteria of t'hat any institute should

eventually undertake" (ET 1l).

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18.6 Page 176

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the authentic formulae of renewal from their eventual

imitations.

For a criterion to be ideal, it must be certain in its

function as a distinctive sign; specifi,c in the concrete

information of its reality, and uniuersal, i.e. accessible

to evervone, everywhere and at all times.

As a result, such a criterion must necessarily be

objective and external. It would seem that neither a

mere appeal to the 'spirit' of the founder, nor to his

concrete works alone meets these requirements. Not the

'spirit,' because often enough one's subjective evaluations

encroach on the matter, and give rise to a need for further

criteria; not the 'works' alone, because they are not im-

mune from being idealized and even deformed, and there-

fore need a prior assessment.

It is clear then that the criterion of dynamic fidelity

in the renewal of our specific field of work demands an

innate reality, by which we respect the functions of a

'sign,' without however identifying ourselves with one

particular work. Even a type of work more original

than the rest must always be unique co-ordinates of time

and space.

195

The Don Bosco we see in the Oratory admirably

fulfils the requirements of an ideal criterion. We must

go back to that fi.gure, alive and at work in the midst

of his boys, throughout the period of his apostolic life.

We must go back to the Oratory itself, as pictured for

us by his biographers and remember the fascination of

the early days. We ought not to look upon it however

as a concrete piece of work, as distinct from the other

works started by Don Bosco, but rather as the matrix,

the synthesis, the sum total of all the genial apostoiic

creations of our Founder, the mature fruit of all his efforts.

196

For us salesians returning to the Founder means

going back to Don Bosco of the Oratory. At his school

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we must learn how to re-act to the events of history;

i.e. the first criterion of our renewal, as salesians, must

be found in the person of Don Bosco who, in the Oratory,

first gives us an exemplary lesson of dynamic fidelity

to his apostolic vocation.

The histoly of the Oratory shows us how tenaciously

Don Bosco held on to his mission to youth' But not

even this permanent service (diaconia) which was an

unfailing characteristic in his life prevented him from

starting ail those other activities which the needs of the

day demancled. "We must strive to keep in touch with

our times and adapt ourselves to them." a

1g7 The Don Bosco of the Oratory, faithful and dynamic,

docile and creative, firm but at the same time flexible,

stands out as a model of behaviour for all his sons'5 They

are invited. to act as he did, rather than repeat in a ser-

vile rvay wkat he did; instead of indulging in a mere

mechanical reproduction of his every action, they are

called upon to understand the spirit which inspired his

work, as he himself so simply declared: "I have always

gone ahead. as the Lord inspired me, and as circumstances

demanded." 6

This was the spirit rvhich in the past assured the

success of his apostolate, and conditions today the unity

of its further d,eueloPtnent.

198 This scheme sets out to sholv above all the integra-

tion of permanent and variable factors in the apostolic

work of Don Bosco. It then seeks to show that true

adherence to our Founder demands fi,delity to one's work

with dynamic initiative, and courageous energy without

detriment to authentic fidelitY.

1 MB XVI, 416.

5 MB VII, 457.

5 MB X\\TIII, 127

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CHAPTER ONE

THE CRITERION RECATLED

199

The question of a return to the Oratory, at this

moment when we are re-thinking all our pastoral activity,

has been raised and explicitly requested by many provin-

cial chapters.l

However, when we return to the Oratory we do not

look so much for the historic events as for the idea Don

Bosco had about his mission, and the way in which he

set about realizing it.

200 1. Origin of the apostolate

If it be true that Don Bosco,s Oratory represented

the concrete embodiment of his mission, the study of

its origins brings us to the source of his ideal.z We are

struck right from the beginning by his clear-cut decision

I "It is not an institution, but rather a characteristic of the

salesian spirit which pervades every branch of apostolic work for

youth of both sexes and without distinction. By the Oratory, as

Don Bosco created it, we do not mean the institute but rather a

spirit that pervades the whole complex of rvork u,ith youth in need.

When this is understood, the Oratory

did and desired to do, and today it

recalls

stands

everything

out as the

D,monatBrioxscoof

all salesian works and a constant reminder of what a salesian should

be:' Radiografia I CIS, Lombard province.

"The Oratory, thus understood would not be just one among

many other salesian works, but the fundamental formula from which

all others derive, different works carried on by a salesian com_

munity on behalf of all the young of a particular area, with widely

differing activities. This is precisely rvhat the oratory originally

(Radiografia I CIS).

'vas

2 Fr. Rrcerooxa, L'Orator,io festi,uo, Torino 1940 p 2.

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18.9 Page 179

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to give an intelligent and faithful response to the divine call'

201

a) The d'iuine call led young John, from the start,

to that kind of work which he had seen in the mysterious

dream he had, when he was nine years old.3

This explains why some priests, now advanced in

years, who had been his companions in the early years,

recognized in Valdocco what Don Bosco, many years be-

fore as a seminarist, had described as though he saw it

with his own eyes.a

202

b) The response to the divine call was the work under-

taken by Don Bosco in the Oratory on behalf of the

young. Don Bosco himself calls his fi.rst tentative apos-

tolic efforts, just after his first dream, "a kind of Oratory."5

Don Bosco also looked on his meeting with Bar-

tholomew Garelli, and the first catechism lesson given

on that historic feast of the Immaculate Conception as

"the beginning of the OratorY." 6

He sarv in the Oratory his answer to God's call,

and his object in life: "When I dedicated myseif to this

kind of priestly ministry I determined to consecrate all

my energies to God for the good of souls." ?

203

We can reconstruct Don Bosco's line of thought on

his work either by starting from his early vocation and

passing on to his work as realized in the Oratory, or

by starting from his many activities and going back to

the motives that inspired them.

3 Arnrne, Letteva C'ircolare p 123.

a "When I was ten years old I did what I could at that age,

and this was a kinC of festive oratory" (MO p 127).

5 MB I, 425.

6 This was the beginning of our Oratory rvhich, with God's

blessing developed to a degree I could not have imagined MO p 127.

? "Don Bosco: Regolamento per l'Oratorio" in P. Bneroo,

Scri,tt'i swl S'istenca Preaenti,uo, Brescia 1975 p 362.

155

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204

A simple way of doing this is to recall his dreams

aboott his aocation on the one hand, and to read. the Ru,les

of the Oratory o\\ the other.

Let us consider the dreams as an autobiographical

reconstruction of Don Bosco's vocation. It would seem

that in his description of them Don Bosco seeks to ensure

for his mission that charism that comes from above.

Our rn ork is to clarify the ideas of the author, rather

than discuss the objective reality of the facts; hence we

can disregard some of the questions that concern the

literary aspect of the narrative.

205

The Regulations written by Don Bosco bear eloquent

witness to the slant he intended to give to his work,

even on the institutional level.

206 2. Lines of apostolic action

a) In repeated references to the dreams of his boyhood

Don Bosco reveals his fult consciousness of his duty of

interpreting them as evident signs of a higher vocation

traced out for him by specific signs from above.

The reading of these dreams, rich in biblical lore,

conjures up a Don Bosco convinced that he was called

by God to be "the shepherd of youth." This idea of

being a "shepherd" returns insistently in all his dreams

about vocatiort right from the beginning.s

207

The dreams show him as a future shepherd, destined

for the care of youth ("I was told to put myself at the

head of those children"), for u'hom Christ has a love of

predilection. ("Sinite parvulos venire ad me") and the

"most delicate and precious group of society;" e his

,'MMOBpT2I2, s46e2q.

156

19 Pages 181-190

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19.1 Page 181

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favourites rvill be the poorest and most abandoned of

youth." 10

The reason is that, precisely because they are the

most in need, they are the first to whom the gospel is

to be preachecl, and evangelical work carried on amongst

them bears the sign of divine salvation in action ("Pauperes

evangelizantur";.tt

208

The pastoral work for youth confided to our Founcler

found its basis in the true shepherd of the gospel: Don

Bosco had to be good ("Not by blows, but with kindness

and love..."), and solicitocts ("Put yourself immediately

to work to instruct...").t'

209

There are other indications that pin-point the evan-

gelical and catechetical nature of Don Bosco's mission:

teach"-arethreeawlizoerddsinofDCohnriBsot stoco'hsiswoarpkosfotlersp"oGorobaonyds

in a modest yet authentic way, but one rich in content

and

self

pedagogical

to instruct

athret m-

he teaches the catechisaa: ("Set your-

about the ugliness of sin and the

beauty of virtue");13

210

in

the-misTshioens"voorfdtsh"eI

am with you," so often repeated

bible as a pledge of authenticity

and of God's faithfulness to his promises, carries a special

idea of rnotherly tenderness in respect of abandoned boys.

One could say that Christ wanted to make himself

visible through the affectionate care shown by his mother,

to make up for the inadequacies of this poor shepherd

o{ thc Becchi ("...I will give you a Mistress" )14 and even

,0 MB XVIII, 528.

rr MB I, 32; II, 298

" MO p 23, no. 158

t3 MO p 23.

ra MO p 24.

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19.2 Page 182

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for the needs of the flock, deprived of the warmth of

a family and the love of a mother: ("What you see in

these animals... you will do for my so?rs").15

This marvellous picture, in which pedagogical wisdom

is found side by side with evangelical goodness, sums

up the ideas of Don Bosco. He wanted his sons to prepare

themselves for his mission, which was to him clearlv

supernatural, but also deeply human.

211

As desired by God in the dreams, the Oratory was

to become a house for the religious instruction of deprived

youth. It was to be especially a training ground where

they could obtain an integral formation according to the

living truths of the gospel, and r,vhere also (since the

Mistress was also a Mother), they would find a real family,

where poor orphans could discover the saving goodness

of the Father, made apparent to them through the peda-

gogy of the gospel, which is a pedagogy of love.

212

b) In the regulations of the Oratory.

Passing from the theory of the project to its histor-

ical realization, there is nothing more expressive than

t}ae Regulations for the Oratory, where the characteristic

traits of Don Bosco's pastoral work become specificalll'

salesian norms of action.

In these regulations Don Bosco pin-points the scope

of his institute: "It seems to me that the efforts made

by the word of God to gather together the sons of God

who were scattered, can be literally applied to the youth

of our time." lc

213

In this light, the Oratory acquires trote eaangelical

dirnensions. Though of their nature they are necessarily

dry and formal, the Regulations do make it clear that

15 MO p 24.

ro "Don Bosco: Piano di Regolamento per l'Oratorio" in P

Bneroo, Scy'itti sul Si,steyna Preuentiuo, Brescia 1965 p 360.

118

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the apostolic lines of the work correspond faithfully to

the prophetic projects.

214

a) The care exercised towards the young in the

Oratory is not austere, rigid or forbidding. Rather is it

h"ppy, pleasant and attractive. "The purpose of the

Oratory is

wholesome

troecoreccautipoyn.b" olTys

on feastdays in pleasing and

But at the same time it is

formative, educative, and aimed to the salvation of souls,

in accordance with the command given in Don Bosco's

dreams. "Religious training is the fi.rst aim, everything

else is secondary and merely an attraction to persuade

boys to come." 18

215

b) The Oratory is catholic, that is universal, in so

far as it is open to all boys: "have a special care for r,,r,'ork-

ing boys... but other boys, such as students, are not

excluded." Ie

The reason for this preference for the poor, the

abandoned and the backward 20 is in pcrfect harmony

with the fundamental aim of the Oratory, rvith its apos-

tolic concern for this type of boy, "because they have

greater need of assistance if they are to save their souls." 21

The Oratory is an ensemble which caters for the

whole boy, considering him as both a human being and

a christian: "to make them good citizens here on earth

and later, dwellers in heaven." 22

r? "Piano..." p 361.

18 MB IX, 295.

"According to the mind of Don Bosco, Oratories in which

catechism is not taught are nothing but games-rooms" (M. Rua,

Lettere C'ivcolari, Torino 1965, cl Arsane, Lettere C'ivcolav'i p 130)

p 388.

rs "Piano..." p 369.

20 "Piano..." p 380.

2r "Piano..." p 162.

22 "Piano..." p 362.

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216

Finally, the Oratory sets out to be:

a home for those who have none,23

a parish, for those who do not know where their

parish is,2a

a school, open to all who elsewhere might fi.nd

insuperable difficulty.25

217

c) The chief characteristic of this kind of pastoral

work is an intense evangelical charity. "This Oratory

has been placed under the protection of St. Francis of

Sales, because those who intend to dedicate themselves

to this kind of work must take this saint as their model

of charity, in good rnanners which are the seeds from

which we hope the fruits of the Oratories will grow." ze

A similar statement is eloquently expressed in Don

Bosco's lvork 'The Preventive System.'

218

It is precisely this authentically supernatural charitv

which is at the same time "incarnate" that can be recog-

nized by the boys: happy and serene, the friendship of

a true family, evoked by the motherly kindness of Our

Lady, who is the inspiration of all the work done at the

Oratory:27

and

ca-refrer,er,haettmheorsipthberee

at

in

recreation,

which the

producing a \\varm

boys can live;

persona- l

or at times of specific formation either at a

level such as times of religious instruction, or

reception of the sacraments; or at a community level,

moments of mutual help in group discussions or sodality

rneetings.

zs MB IX, 569; XIV, 90.

24 MB III, 196-197.

,5 MO p 194.

,6 "Piano..." pp 363-364.

2? MB II, 98; cf Cost. e Regol. 1966 p 177; art 86, 87, 88, 101.

160

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219 3. Permanency and contingency

In Don Bosco's mission there is therefore a definite

connection between the two relationships: vocatioi-i and

response, and programme and its realization.

We must emphasize the points which rve consider

essential for today's renewal: continuity and innoaation,.

These are, without doubt, the t'rvo co:-lstituent elements

of Don Bosco's work.

220 a) Gontinuity

In the fi.rst dream it seems as if the work rvas con-

fided exclusively to Don Bosco himself. But granted

the analogy with vocation in the biblical sense inhelent

in the style of narration, it is reasonable to admit of

the normal process of sharing and succession which be-

come more explicit from the later documentation. Indeed

in the later dreams, which confi.rmed the fi.rst ore, we

find very clear pointers to this.

At a certain point reference is made to Don Bosco's

tiredness: "Overcome by weariness I wantcd to sit down

in a neighbouring street". Such a rest, which would

have rendered his work wnfi,nished was not granted him

"but the shepherdess told me to carry oi-t." 28

He had to make sure of helpers. And it was precisely

at that moment that "several other shepherds appeared

to help me in the work which had increased beyond

measure." 2e

221 But these first helpers did not solve the problem,

because of lack of continuity: "They stayed for a short

time and then went away." This was no way of develop-

ing a successful work. A solution had to be fouird. And

28 MO p l3s

p 29 MO 135

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"then a wonderful thing happened." 30 And the wonder

was that the Oratory matured and developed to a point

which made it capable of proaiding its outn shepherds.

"Many pupils were transformed into tittle shepherds

who grew up and took care of the others." The Oratory

was able to cxtend, carrying to other areas the same fi.re

of apostolic work for the young. "And as the number

of shepherds increased, they were able to go elsewhere

and gather together other sheep and lead them into

other folds." 3l

And this was still not the complete answer. Don

Bosco lamented the lack of continuity amongst his helpers.

"Somc priests were helping me but they did not stay

Iong I had worked hard to gather them around me, but

they went away and left me alone."

Once again the lVladonna of his dreams came to his

assistance: "Do you want to know how to keep them?

Take this white ribbon and tie it around their foreheacls."

I took the ribbon reverently from her hand, and I saw

that the word Obed,ience was written on it." 32

222

In the mind of our Founder then, the congregation

with its vow of obedience is nothing else but the formula

to ensure the stable establishment of the apostolic work

which was confi"ded to him, and shared by him with his

f,rst collaborators. "This had a growing effect on my

helpers, for whilst I carried on with the work entrusted

to me, they put aside the idea of leaving and stayed

on to help me. In this way the salesian Society was

established.'' 33

30 MO p 135.

31 MO p 135.

32 MB II, 299.

33 X{B II, 300.

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223 b) Possibility of change

Whilst always keeping faithful to his original mission,

Don Bosco was ready to undertake other works demanded

by different conditions of place and time, by change in

the political or ecclesiastical sphere, or by the needs

of his boys.3a

From the outset he saw the need for a new kind of

priest, less austere and more approachable by boys.35

He knew how to meet suspicions, persecutions and

lack of means in a positive manner, reasonable but tenac-

ious.36 The fortunes of the Oratory, during their wander-

ings from the Convitto to the Rifugio, and then to fields

on the outskirts of the city are a proof of his adaptability.3T

He always insisted on trust in divine providence, but he

was amongst the fi.rst to demand work contracts for ap-

prentices;38 he offered his life for his poor boys, but he

did not reject work which seemed contrary to his original

vAolacsastiioo,nfo-r

for example, the

better class boys.

colleges at Valsalice and

He was prepared to rvork

with an anti-clerical government to settle the problem

of vacant bishoprics, despite his desire to keep out of

politics. He did not hesitate to strike out in a new direc-

tbioynta-kinwghiocnh tmhaedceaaregroefaittaimliaprnesesmioingraatntthseabOrroaatdo,ryan-d

also work on the missions.

224

These and other enterprises was certainly not uirder-

taken lightly; they were the result of docility to the laws

s{ "I have alll.ays gone ahead as the Lord inspired me, and as

the occasion demanded" (MB XVIII, 127).

35 MO p 35.

tact

36

in

Our

never

congregation

antagonizing

ohuarsopthproeneenctsh;aarancdteflreisxtiicbsilit-y

great zeal,

of operation,

in moving elsewhere, when'we cannot work where rve are (MB XI, 83) .

3? PO p 153.

38 MB IV, 295-298.

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19.8 Page 188

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of change in a living organism. The same vital prin-

ciple was always found in every new work under difi-

erent aspects; the seeking of new approaches to boys in

order to help them and lead them to God. The first

little chat he had with Bartholomew Garelli, in the sacristy

of the church of St Francis of Assisi was something

that went on and on. Don Bosco declared that he was

prepared to do anything to save the souls of his boys,

even to "raising his hat to the devil."

With such a spirit Don Bosco naturally appears to

us as one ready to face up to whatever the times demanded.

This he did deliberately even to the point of declaring,

without fear of contradiction, that he r,vas an enthusiastic

supporter of progress.3e

225 c) Synthesis: dynamic fidelity

In this way Don Bosco appears as a model both of

docility to his original charism, and of intelligent openness

to the signs of the times. In the framework of the Oratory,

he is a perfect example of this dynamic fi"delity to the

work for the formation of youth. His example is our rule.

His experience of the vicissitudes of life led Don

Bosco to confess that he felt the need to return to the

original sorll-cc of his mission in search of secure prin-

ciples: "At first," he said, after narrating his vocational

dreams, "I had only a partial understanding o{ them,

becaL,,se I had little faith in them, but I came to under-

stand them better, as they were gradually verified. Indeed,

Iater on, together with other dreams, they seraed as a pro-

gre?nnne uhen I had, to make decisions." to

226 And this is our own rule of conduct as salesians

prompted by both the desire of fidelity to our vocation,

3' MB XVI, 323

40 MO p 136.

164

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and by the necessity of giving a positive response to the

changes of the giddy development of society and history.

Reacting to the needs of concrete situations in the light

of the original mandate of Don Bosco is something beyond

mere imitation. Don Bosco encouraged us to this end

whern he wrote his confidential advice to his sons, with

the intention of putting at their disposal "a rule for

overcoming future diffrculties, by learning from the past."41

227

A return then to Don Bosco of the Oratory, as a

criterion of rene',val, is neither a stipulation a priori, nor

a kindly intuition; it is rather a dynamic act of faith

in the original mission of our Founder.

We know no other way of finding a formula for

harmonized development, for deciding rvhich works best

correspond to fi.delity to the salesian mission, for know-

ing rvhat Don Bosco would do today, i.e', what we sales-

ians ought to do now, than to return to the Oratory,

where his exemplary apostolate was born and flourished.az

rr MO p 16; cf MB V, 882; VII, 587 re: the order given by

Pius IX to Don Bosco to write his memoirs.

at "I will talk to you of the festive oratories, of that apostolate

that gave birth to all the salesian works and to our society itself"

(M. Rue, Letteve'.circolavi, Torino 1965 p 101). "The corner stone

on which our rvhole work is based is the lestive oratory" (P' Areena).

1.65

7

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CHAPTER TWO

DYNAMISM BACKED BY TOYALTY

228

The application of the basic principles for the renewal

of salesian activity implies two phases:

a) a critical exatnination to determine whether the

various works which we undertake today represent a

faithful continuation of the mission of Don Bosco;

b) a plan lor the future to ensure that our activities

correspond to the needs of the times in conformity with

the original spirit.

These are two complementary phases: to ensure

fidelity in the dynamism of today and to guarantee this

"d,ynan'tism in fi,d,elity" to our apostolate of tomorrow.

229

In setting out to make a critical analysis of our

activities of today we start from two premises: fidelity

to Don Bosco does not mean mechanical repetition of

his initiatives, but conformity with his encl and his

methods.l In the second place fldelity means an effort

to take into account modern conditions in the same way

that our founder was aware of the needs of his time.

1. Quality of the works

230 a) Basic principles

To guide the dynamic fi.delity in our works the first

task is to see whether or not they preserve intact the

I In his outline for the Rules of the Oratory Don Bosco ex-

pressly distinguishes woyh arld spi,rit "My aim is to set out the things

that we do in the Boy's oRATonv of St Francis of Sales in Val-

docco and the method by which they are done.,, (..piano...,,p 361).

166

20 Pages 191-200

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d.irection taken by Don Bosco. There are three indis-

pensable conditions for any activity to be truly salesian:

most n-eediyt; must be at the service ol yowtk especially the

-

inspired-

it

it

the

must

must

action

be completely pastoral in its scope;

be impregnated with that spirit which

of Don Bosco in his Oratory at Valdocco.

We will attempt a rapid analysis both of the nature

and. of tlne spirit of our works by means of an objective

study. This will not be confi.ned to a condemnation of

any possible deviations, but is rather concerned with

directing in a profitable manner the vital forces, convinced

as we are that a healthy criticism of our works means

in practice a mutual construction of the underlying ideal'

231 b) A problem

The application of our basic principle Don Bosco

in the Oratory at first sight seems to call in question

the validity of the work of some salesians which we hold

to be traditional. It is enough to glance around our

communities. Often one fi.nds confrdres who are not

satisfied in their life and work.

2gZ Some have an occupation which does not give them

any direct contact with youth, and they fear that they

are excluded from the true salesian apostolate. They

wonder if an apostolate which keeps them awa.\\r from

young people because of the needs of other activities is

worthy of the name of an apostolate for youth.

Others though in continual contact with young people

are dissatisfied. They have the idea that their duties,

that of a teacher for example, hinder or render imposs-

ible or precarious specifically pastoral work. And this to

them seems unjustifiable at a time when the ministers

of the Lord are getting fewer and fewer'

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Finally others even though they are immersecl in

typically pastoral work (for example in parishes or in

missions) feel that tensions arise from a lack of consis-

tency between the calls of the ecclesial mission and thc

calls of a strictiy salesian apostolate.

233 c) Proposal for solution

fs there any answer in the light of the teaching of

Don Bosco? We think there is. It was Don Bosco himself

who assigned to those helpers who were determined to

remain with him, the most varied of occupations, includ-

ing tasks which prevented direct contact with young

people. Seeing the community nature of his work he

considered them all as members of his apostolic organiza-

tion, and they felt themselves as part of the salesian

mission.

234

It was Don Bosco who sent his followers to State

Universities and subsequentlv gave them the job of

teaching normal school subjects. Don Bosco had very

clear ideas on the unity of man and of the consequent

need for a complete educative process. He knew that

pastoral activity makes both for "honest citizens" and

"good christians." In this sense he saw our schools as

a providential element in formation.2

The argument seems less conclusive when one con-

siders the sending of the fi.rst salesians to the mission

as an expansion of the Oratory, arrd similar problems

arise in the analogous situation of parish work.

235

Reflecting on the history of the Oratory and. on the

writings of Don Bosco about the missionarv ventures we

are led to the following conclusions:

-- the missions need the salesians because there

, MB X, 1018-1019

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20.3 Page 193

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are large numbers of young pagans who are waiting for

the good news of the gospel;3

cause

i-t

in their turn the salesians need the missions be-

is impossible to form young people without that

particular sensitivity which comes from a living exper-

ience of a missionary church.a

236

Thus the missions are for the salesians an essential

part of their apostolate. They are asked to work in the

missions in the way and in the spirit of their Founder.

The argument would seem to be similar in the case of

our insertion into the framework of thc local church'

2. Dynamism in our works

237 a) Actual problems

The extraordinary tensions which are at work in the

Church and in the world today make us aware of the

need of applying the basic principles to ensure an ever

dynamic fidelity to our Founder. There are some con-

frdres who look at Vatican II with suspicion and doubt

whether fi.delity to Don Bosco is compatible with a sincere

and full acceptance of the Council's message. In the

same way there catr be salesians on the other hand who

believe that many traditions are now out of date, after

the Church's teaching. For them Don Bosco was a genius

in his tirae but it would be anachronistic to follow his

methods in so difierent a context.

238 b) Proposed solution

Referring to the problem of the saint we are ablc

to see a way out of the diffrculty. There must be a simple

formula tvhich is valid for any situation present or future'

Ep 2O33; 3 568

Ep 2035; 3 s77

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Don Bosco had as a basic principle of his work filial

and devoted submission to the authentic magisterium.s

The true salesian attitude will therefore be one of

fi.delity to the pastors of the Church so that while retain-

ing our salesian identity we can even sacriflce some of

our cherished family traditions.

This formula, which for some is too simple, might

give the impression of a certain automatism which is

hard to accept in our time, and a certain authoritarianism

in the exercise of the magisterium in contrast with recent

ecclesiology.

239

So we must search for an application of these prin-

ciples in a more restrained way, more in conformity with

the history of the Oratory; there we see Don Bosco humble

and obedient, but at the same time tenacious in defence

of his charism in face of opposition from less illumined

ecclesiastics.6

The answer must be sought not on the surface but

in the deeper evangelical meeting point of the basic

principles of the Oratory and Vatican IL Notwithstanding

the apparent contradictions due to different historical

contexts there d,oes exist a true harmony which is un-

deniable. At the foundation of the ecclesiological teaching

of Vatican II we find precisely the acceptance of three

signs of the times which imply the anthropological integra-

tion of pastoral action:

5 Our pastors especially the bishops unite us to the pope,

and the Pope unites us to God." (MB IV, 226).

"I am a superior of communities, and I want to leave this

message to my subjects as a principle for the present and any con-

ditions that the future may bring: my sons, follow the opinion of

the Pope even when he speaks only as a philosopher, theologian

or private teacher." (MB XV, 443-444).

6 Cf MB X; XVIII, 124-143; CBnre, Annali I, 474-484.

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-

-

-

recognition of the dignity ol the hurnan person;

brotherl,y links among men;

true dynarn'isrn and, progress of human reality'

240

The Council was able to make these values its own,

by means of a living insertion of the message of the gospel'

This raises man to his vocation as a son ol God, transform-

ing the social human tendency into a real communion

in the mystical Bod,y ol Ckrist; and allaying the fears of

the future with the unlimited vision of a truly eschatological

christian life.7

241

In the Oratory of Don Bosco one can see assimilated

in fact this christian humanism in respect of the person

of young people, in the eflort to prepare them for insertion

into society with their natural and supernatural gifts

developed.s

c) Basic Agteement

242

The basic agreement between the principles of the

Oratory and the directives of Vatican II must not be

attributed only to the genius of an educator like Don

Bosco who went beyond the frontiers of his own era and

reached out towards the future, but also to a deeper

spiritual understanding of an apostle who reflected on

his "diakonia" in the light of the gospel, and knew how

to discover the permanent and thus ever actual values

of young people.s

? GS 5, 12 seq; 23 seq; 33 seq.

8 "No one is forced to stay in Don Bosco's houses" (MB XIII,

205); "The young are the delight of Jesus and Mary," (MB XVIII,

482); "They are the most noble preference of the King of Kings,"

(MB )(, 1081); "Let us treat the young as rve would treat Jesus

Christ himself." (MB X, 847).

s "Just as there is no soil so ungrateful and sterile which by

means of long patience cannot be finally made to bear fruit, so in

the case of man - a moral field - no matter how sterile he is he

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Thc renewal in the Church comes from her apostolic

concern. The actuality of Don Bosco and his Congrega-

tion is based on its participation in the apostolic im-

petus of the Church. The works therefore correspond

to the basic ideal and will not necessarily be fixed in

rigid out-moded structures, but will also develop in a

harmonious manner like latent seeds in the personal

uork of Don Bosco.

3. The grass.roots of all our works

24? a) Mode of the work

The 'diakonia' in favour of youth offers to the crerativ-

ity of Don Bosco's sons a wide field of new initiatives.

One could say that salcsian works sprout like branches

from a tree. Grafted on to the original trunk they are

the natural development of the work of our Father.ro

The pastoral care of needy youth in the character-

istic style of the Oratory should consequently be the

spirit that informs everv initiative of any kind.

244

It is neccssary to reconsider the traditional works

for youth. In this regard there are neither preferences

nor limits. What matters is the harmony with the work

of Don Bosco. Rather than an enumeration of possible

works it is better to concentrate our attention on the

produces sooner or later honest thoughts and virtuous acts u,hen a

guide joins his efiorts with ardent prayer to the hancl of God

in cultivating this field and making it fertile and beautiful. In every

young person even the most unfortunate, there is an accessible

point for good and it is the duty of the educator to find this point,

this

sensitive chord of the heart and

t0 "Thus the Oratory of Don

to profit

Bosco is

from it.,, (MB V, 367).

always spreading and

reproducing itself in thousands of places and difierent times, but is

always one in nature and is the heart of our Society.,, (p. Areonl,

Letleye circolari p n$.

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20.7 Page 197

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point o{ salesian action. Three principles will control its

legitimate expansion:

educato-rs; that it tends to the finding and preparation of

christia-n

that it is directed

formation of youth;

towards

the

human

and

involve-d

that it serves to

in the educative

facilitate

process.

the

meeting

of

those

b) Deep Roots

245

It will be useful to remember in conclusion two

fundamental points. First of all the vital spirit of the

marvellous work of Don Bosco was his intense interior

life. The secret of his fertility in the apostolate has its

roots in his heart. A faithful and prudent servant he was

wise enough to strengthen his mission with the powerful

help of his religious consecration.

The salesians, faithful to the call of Vatican II which

desires a more intense insertion into the apostolate of

the Church will not fail to invigorate the fidelity to their

consecration in order to renew the original vitality of

their mission to youth.

246

The fundamental principles of renewal guarantee

this exanination o{ the way we are going in our work

and will ensure our fidelity to the mission of Don Bosco.

No unnecessary limitation need be feared in the true

apostolic dynamism already in action. On the contrary,

fidelitv to the work of Don Bosco to undertake works

as yet untried to bring out his burning zeal which forced

him to choose the most advanced posts whenever it was

a case of the good of the young and to take risks r'vith

courage even to the point of appearing rash.

173

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CHAPTER THREE

DYNAMIG ASPECT OF FIDETITY

247

It would not be right to offer as a basic principle

a simple norm of prudence that would systematically

ensure that a check was kept on every fresh undertaking

for fear of possible failure in fidelity. True fidelity to

Don Bosco of the Oratory requires that we also take

as our norm our Father's own d,arangly courageous zeal

in the carrying out of his apostoiate.

248

In order to give an adequate response to the needs

of the present day there must be an expansion of our

apostolate. It remains to be seen whether the sort of

expansion required should be of a quantitative nature or

whether a qualitative change is also necessq,ry.

a) Without doubt there must be a wider fieid of

action if we are to face up to the problems of present

day civilization and remain fully faithful to our own

tradition. Don Bosco felt himself called to the salvation

of all youth. If his sons seriously believe in the same

mission, then today they will certainly discover fresh

fields and pastures new.

b) The problem however has to be outlined more

clearly than this: we are faced nowadays with situations

that are entirely new. It would seem that the problems

they give rise to cannot be resolved without a qualitative

change: this change is necessary partly because of the

goal to be achieved, partly because of the manner of

its achievement. We realize that the problems referred

to are difficult ones admitting of no easy solution. That

is why we must reflect seriously upon them.

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249 1. Quantitative expansion

We are of the opinion that our basic principle author-

izes us to undertake works that might have been unknown

to Don Bosco but which naturally flow from the develop-

ment of his apostolate.

We believe that a renewal that is faithful to our

traditional spirit and that takes into account the needs

of the present day demands:

for

you--t-h;taon

effort on the part of all;

bring out the best results

in

our

work

- with absolute dedication.

250 a) Effort on the part of all

The follower of Don Bosco at the present day must

try to understand what a truly dynamic apostolate his

was: he saw to it that EVERY available force was put

into action: clerical and lay; secular and religious; sales-

ians, co-operators and benefactors. In addition to this,

he was active in seeking out vocations and forming future

collaborators for his work at the cost of enormous sac-

rifices.1

Present day ecclesiology suggests new methods for

twhheiecxhpaanrseiobnoodfiethsenkeinitghdeormwohfoGllyodre-ligsioecuuslanr oinrstwituhtoelsly,

I Don Bosco himself makes special mention of some of these

early helpers whose names, he said, "remain indelibly imprinted

on my mind and heart. Amongst others there was John Coriasso,

now head of the carpentry section; Feliciano Vergano, now a business-

man; Paul Deifino, now a teacher of technical subjects; to these

there must be added Anthony and John Melanette, the first a phar-

macist and the second a pastry cook; Felix and Peter Ferrero, the

latter a broker and the former a compositor, and John Pioia, a car-

penter, nou' a shopkeeper." (MB II, 559; cf aiso M. Rvl', Lettere

C'ircolav'i p A9\\.

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secular. Today we are witnessing an explosion of the

Spirit driving on many generous souls to consecrate them-

seh,es to God in the world.

It was Don Bosco's desire to enlist the help of atl

possible forces in the cause of youth. For this reason

we ought to be prepared to co-operate in establishing a

Secwlar Institwte for men to reinforce the ranks of the

salesians in their apostolic work; analogous to the institute

of the Volwnteers ol Don Bosco for women.

251

The new sociological situation has lcd to the rise

of. organizations that are international in character and

have at their disposal marvellous means for the service

of mankind (uNo, unrsco, FAo, coe, etc.). Helping the

young is generally one of their objectives. Obviously

the salesians ought to welcome the opportunity of colla-

borating with such bodies.

252 b) For Youth

The Special Provincial Chapters, interpreting the

apostolic anxiety of Don Bosco, encouraged us to more

dynamic action than we have shown in the past. Instead

of passively waiting for youth to come to us, we are to

go out in search of them. There is now more urgent

need of this than ever: not only is there a continual in-

crease in the number of poor and abandoned boys, but

the future of the world depends upon them more and

more. Here are some examples of the type of youth we

ought to help in this way.2

253

- The chil,d,ren of emigrant farnilies: they have been

, "\\Arherever the sons of Don Bosco are to be found, there

his Oratory must flourish, open to all young people, so that they

can be gathered together, addressed and instructed, and made not

only good citizens on earth but also rvorthy dwellers in heaven.,,

(P. Arnnne, Letteye Ci,rcolar,i, pp 124-125).

176

21 Pages 201-210

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uprooted from their families and no longer enjoy a con-

genial social atmospherc. They are trul5r poor. Aty

organized help they receive is usually social or financial'

Their religious needs are generally neglected, or those of

the adults are the only ones catered for. We salesians

are established not only in the countries where these

emigrants rvork but in their homeland as well. For this

reason we are in an ideal position to help them.

254

ciurin- g

You'ng apprentices: these require help

the period of their qualification, but

not only

also and

especially at that difficult stage in their life when they

first join the ranks of the workers. Don Bosco was

especially concerned for them and did all in his power

to help them. We should devote our attention to the

formation of leaders, chaplains, providing meals, help for

commuters, hostels, etc.3

255

witne-ssiAnbganadosnterda,ngyoeutphh:einnomreecneonnt

years we

especially

have been

in certain

countries: the growing number of young people who run

away from home and, immature as they are, try to live

a completely autonomous life doing their own thing'

Often this means drifting into drug addiction, entertain-

ing foolish utopian ideas, giving themselves up to a life

of vice, or even committing suicide. This is the sort

of people we have to he1p. Where necessary, rulcs will

have to be changed to enable us to do so; we have to

be able to meet them on their own ground, win their

confi.dence, and make the most of the desire they have

for friendship, association and generosity.

3 "In general the Oratory was made up of plasterers, builders,

plumtrers, bricklayers, and others who came Jrom a long way ofi'"

ifttO p 129). In 1853 Don Bosco began the first teaching-workshops

(MB IV, 657 seq).

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256 c) With absolute dedication

Everyone should consider himself obliged to use all

the means that an enlightened charity suggests and that

serve in particular to exercise the three saving functions

of Christ underlined by the Council:

proac-hesThtoe

biblical, rnoaement has opened up new ap_

evangelization hardly known to Don Bosco.

The gospel message is always relevant and it makes its

appeal

success

to

of

sthuechymoouvthemoefnotsurasdtahye...TFhoicsoilsarpinrio,,v, etdheb.y.Ctuhre_

sillos de cristiandad," small communities, and the Taiz6

movement. We have to ask ourselves whether we have

succeeded in putting modern techniques of social com_

munication at the service of our work of evangelization.a

257

that

-theTheuecrheanreisutedis,

liturgical, mouernent has reaffirmed

at the centre of the christian life.

Don Bosco regarded it as the

At the present time certain

cornerstone of

factors ought

the

to

Oratory.

make us

pause for thought. There is first of all the desire on

the part of many young people, non-catholics included,

of taking part in group liturgy. Then there is the wish

to receive holy communion together as a sign of their

common brotherhood. There is their lack of patience

with canon law. As we examine our conscience in the

matter we ought to consider why it is that we have failed

a The kernel of the biblical movement is the Word of God

distributed

"It was my

to the people of God. Don Bosco was

greatest desire to gather young people

a born catechist:

together in order

to teach them

I ought to do

catechism; that seemed to me

upon this earth." (MB I, 143).

the

only

thing

that

In the preface to his fanrous Bi,ble Hi,story we read: ,.In order

to succeed in this undertaking I told a group of boys of every class

stories from the bible, noting the efiect that each one had on them.

From this I drew up the norm that guided me in the selection of

my material." (P. Bneroo, Scy,itt,i pp 560-561).

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21.3 Page 203

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to shake certain of our young people out of their in-

diflerence to the blessed sacrament.s

258

marv-elloTuhse

pastoral, ntoaentent which is one

results of Vatican II, presents

of

us

the most

with op-

portunities that Don Bosco would have been glad to

make use of. If we share his outlook and zeal then we

ought to collaborate with ecclesiastical and civil or-

ganizations:

didates--fotrtoothhheeelplppriweisnitthhothothede, npaetdioagnoaglicwalorfokrmofatcioatnecohfetcicasn,-

educat-ion

for training in the

and in literature,

use

of

audio-visual

means

of

schools,- to make our influence felt in legislation affecting

the

pro-blefmor

initiatives of

of illiteracY,

a

cultural

nature,

e.g.

to

meet

lvith

th- e

to undertake various

apostolate: language

activities that are in line

schools, organizing tours

and other initiatives for the use of free time,

a

d.esi-re

finally giving help to young

for social service or for the

people who show

lay apostolate in

developing countries.

These are only examples. The Special Provincial

Chapters have emphasized the zeal and imagination we

must have if we are to fulfil our mission.

oanf dthae5gDbaoionynsaBn(oKdsncaoi.gggahatisnveohglertehsaterteiAsmsleptadorrt,tahsneaccevneetdeodrtnhouesf'ilctihtu-ergiriMcdaBelvfIeoIlrIom,pailnt5igol)n,a

eucharistic piety. These he called "the strongest safeguards of youth"

(MB IV, 145); "the surest way to heaven" (MB XVI, l6); "the secret

oI the success of a house." (MB VII, 795)'

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259 2. A "qual-tative leap"

The reaction to certain examples of radical change,

understandable though it is, seems to go against what

Don Bosco said and did. The nature of our present study

prevents us from going into details and compels us to

remain at the theoretical level. We are living in a nerv

world that has its own authentic values, and it is for

this world that we are preparing our youth. We cannot

use tradition as an excuse for denying the existence of

these values but c&n, we speak ol toyatty white ad.rnitting

the necessity of this d.ynamic aiew?

There is a permanent tension between continuity

and change, but already a certain agreement has been

reached. AII realise the need for a synthesis. The problem

is: how much of each component are we to put in? We

are of the opinion that our criterion can help, in this

regard.

qualiDtaytnivaemlyic6fiddieffleityrednote. sOnnocteetxhcelusdeeavraeriaabclceespttehdatthaerne

obviously the way lies open for changes of. euen tke aid,est

nature.

260 a) Structure of the synthesis

Our own problem is only one particular aspect of

the overall problem of the Church,s renewal. Loyalty to

trad,itictn in fact arises owt ol our faith. Bringing the theory

dnun to tke real uorld, of mankind is the fundamental

law of the incarnation. The history of the church arises

as the direct result of these two components: the conser-

6 "In matters that help youth or gain souls for God I am ahead,

to the point of foolishness." (MB XIV, 602).

"When it was a question of anything that had any bearing

upon

ways

the great cause of what is good, Don

in the vanguard of progress.,, (MB

Bosco

XIX,

wanted to

157, 320).

be

al_

180

21.5 Page 205

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aa.tion of a deposit of faith and service to those towards

whom her saving mission is directed.

At the levcl of Vatican II two typical stages in the

advance of the people of God can be seen:

261 1) Throughott ker pil,grin'tage on eqltk the Church feels

t}ae aertical attraction of her Lord calling her to a con-

tinual purifi.cation. For this reason there is need of per-

manent reform in the Church, and we have no difficulty

in interpreting the sense of Eccl,esia sanctq, semper re-

lormanda.

262 2) In d.ispensing her diaine treasures the Church must

always be concerned about truly authentic kuman values

as well. She must therefore be open to clialogue, which

dominates the entire pastoral action of the Church at

the present day.

Our salesian way of li{e must then be influenced by

these two factors: the continual need for reform and the

need for dialogue imposed on us by the Council. These

two variables introduce points that are entirely new.

Nor must we be surprised if their synthesis demands

something new.

263 b) The criterion in action

The hypothesis then of a fundamental change does

not necessarily imply infi.delity. Yet the working out of

the synthesis will be an extremely delicate operation.

The importance of the criterion for checking our direc-

tion must be emphasized.

264

DIFFICULTIES

In the process of our renewal problems arise on all

sides. They can roughly be classified under three headings:

education, the person being educated, and the educative

action adopted.

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Sometimes we meet with circumstances that cannot

be successfully faced simply by intensifying our efiorts.

What is needed is a qualitative leap. We would like

to give some consideration to this matter:

a) A key factor in the salesian approach has always

been the use of all possible means to help needy youth.T

But with the sort of collaboration that exists today the

picture is entirely different from what it was in the past.

What fresh approach should we adopt to remain in line

with Don Bosco but at the same time ensure the maximum

apostolic effrciency?

b) As far as the pBnsou being educated is con-

cerned, the presentation of the ?nessege ol purity is one

of the characteristics of the salesian approach to educa-

tion.8 We live in an age where there have been great

advances in the field of child psychology; an age when

the segregation according to sex, traditional in our in-

stitutes, is frowned upon. What changes could we make

in the presentation of our message?

c) As to our educative method, Don Bosco wanted

no mention made of politics, for he was convinced that

such discussion would have done nothing but harm at

that time.e In the light of what the Church teaches

nowadays concerning the new structures of society and

? Cf Constitutions art I & 4.

8 "Make sure that everyone possesses this virtue and does his

best to inculcate it in the hearts of others." (MB XII, 224).

s In the Oratory "it is forbidden to talk politics..." (Reg. Orat.

2, 3; Bneroo, op. cit. p 381).

"As a priest I love my religion, and as a cittzen I want to do

what I can for the government. Knowing little of politics and mat-

ters of public concern, there would be no fear of any embarrassing

publicity being given to any service I may be able to carry out on

Your Excellency's behalf." (Ep 1, 20;2,313). Cf also nos. 12 & 13,

third decade (1846-56) of the MO pp 216-220.

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21.7 Page 207

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the civic responsibilities to which we have to form tomor-

row's citizens should we not rnake a radical change in our

tradit'ional approach?

265

Other considerations that have to be taken into ac-

count at the present day are: the modern view of parishes,

universities, means of social communication, youth cen-

tres; the new approach to collaboration with the family,

to the structure of our work. Everywhere there is a

conflict between the traditions of the past and the needs

of thc present, and tkese confl,icts call lor an wrgent solwtion.

266

ACTIVITY

The problem admits of no easy solution. The criter-

ion must be carefully applied: as we see it there are two

steps to be taken:

a) The two elements that are going to be integrated

into a synthesis must first of all be clearly distinguished.

What we call tradition must really be tradition; often

its true appearance will be concealed beneath the grime

of ages, which must be wiped away, so that we can see

the

true

We

face of tradition

must also weigh

-up pwhahsaet

of reforno.

seem to us

to

be

the

true values of the world today and make sure of their

authenticity in the secular or ecclesial sphere-phase of

d,ialogwe.

267

b) Secondly there must be an exact calculation of

what is going to result from mixing together these two

components. The result of our work must be a true

synthesis of all that is best in the past and in the present.

There must be true continuity with the genuine past and

equally there must be authentic change in keeping with

the signs of the times. In the order of judgement it is

not suffrcient that there be convergence, but the con-

vergence must also be clearly seen if it is to act as a sign.

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268

CONCRETE APPLICATIONS

An example may help at this stage. It has been

said that we have drifted away from Don Bosco and

that now there is a dividing line between the polemical

Don Bosco and his ecumenizing sons. This constitutes

a "qualitative leap." On the basis of the criterion of

dynamic fidelity can it be considered iegitimate?

We begin by exarnining the tuo elements:

attitude-

what do we mean by

was polemical? There is

saying that Don Bosco's

indeed historical evidence

for asserting it, as it is clearly seen in his behaviour and.

his writings.lo We must keep in mind however that

this attitude of Don Bosco arose out of his tremendous

love for the truth of the faith and out of his anxietv

to protect his boys from the threat of error;

activit-y

what does the conciliar outlook imply? Pastoral

involving dialogue must obviously extend to

non-catholics. This is confi.rmed by the decree "Unitatis

Redintegratio" which bids us have respect for non-cath-

olics who engage in dialogue with us, we are to show

sincere and understanding openness for their deposit of

evangelical truth.

269

Holv does ecumenism succeed in harmoniously syn-

thetizing what is authentic in tradition and what is true

t0 "lt 1847 when there took place the emancipation of the

jews and the protestants it was necessary to provide the faithful

in general and young people in particular with some kind of antidote...

protestants used every possible means to spread their doctrine.

That persuaded me of the need there rvas for a popular means of

spreading the knowledge of the fundamental principles of catholic

teaching. And so a small book was published with the title, "Advice

for Catholics." Its aim was to put catholics on the alert and to

save them from being caught in the net of the heretics." (MO pp

240-241).

184

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today? Can we see continuity and change organically

united?

There is without doubt trte continuity in the sales-

ian who is an ecumenist: he is acting in harmony with

the profound intention that motivated his father. In both

o{ thern is to be found the same service to catkolic trot'th

and the same loving anxiety concerning yowth whose laith

may be in danger.

This does not mean that change sufiers. The sales-

ian's ecumenism takes account of factors not to be found

in Don Bosco, totally unknown in the Church of his

time. Today the salesian's view of truth does not stop

at the truth expressed in our own creed but it takes

in all that is valid in tlne creed,s ol otker d,enominations'

He reaches out not only to catholic youth b:ut also to

all owr brothers who do not live in communion with Rome'

the

Ecumenical

example of

integration represents

Don Bosco. In spite

a true

of all

change from

that, it still

falls within the ambit ol dynantic fid.el'ity.

Don Bosco was not an ecumenist; but salesian ecum-

enism carries otfi wkat Don Bosco intended,, ar,d this more

perlectty and in a m,ore d,eaeloped, way. It is the natural

clevelopment of the lvork of the Oratory.

270

This is only an example. Mention has been made

of the point here only because it is not spoken of in other

documents of the Chapter and because it gives us an

insight into the problem. We shall not always finish

up with a clear picture when we formulate traditional

data, nor will it always be easy to read the signs of the

times. Our concern here is to outline the nature and

function of the criterion for renewal that remains valid

even in extreme cases.

Our criterion seems useful: it gets rid of irrelevancies

and transfers the action beyond what Don Bosco suc-

ceeded, in doing or planning; it sa{eguards us against

18'

21.10 Page 210

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the danger of twisting his spirit, for it keeps us profoundly

close to him. That is what DyNAMrc FrDELrry is all

about.

271

l) Criterion Our study covers only a restricted

field. We are merely reflecting upon a criterion applied

in a spontaneous manner. It is encouraging to think

that at the beginning of christianity ecclesial life always

preceded ecclesiological reflection.

272

2) Reneual,. Nevertheless the efiort is worthwhile.

The renewal of the Congregation does not end with the

Chapter. Because of its ecclesial nature it wili always

be necessary: "The pilgrim church is called by Christ

to continual reform." 11

However, it is not just something that we have to

put up with. We must see in it signs of vitality in search

of fresh means of expression. "Every renewal of the

Church consists essentially in increased fidelity to its

vocation." 12 That is what our criterion consists in: this

increased fidelity, this fidelity in progress, this dynamic

fidelity that was so much a characteristic of Don Bosco

of the Oratory.

273

3) Salesian renewal. This criterion has its roots in

the gospel. Don Bosco in his ptan lor the Rules of the

Oratory expressly compares that work with the saving

mission of the Word Incarnate. 13 "Through the words

of the gospel we get to know the divine Saviour come

down from heaven to gather together all God,s children

who are scattered over different parts of the earth. Mry

1t UR 6.

t2 UR 6.

Jn 11, 5 )

186

22 Pages 211-220

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I be permitted to apply those words literally to the youth

of our day... difficulty arises in finding means of gath-

ering them together or in speaking to them or in teaching

them how to behave. This was the mission of the Soz

ol God. Only our holy religion can accomplish this'" 1a

Besides the economy of the salvation of Christ rests on

two principles: the wnchangeabl,e nature of religion, for

it is "eternal and essentially immutable" and its flexibility,

in so far as "it knows how to preach the word according

to the changes that time brings and how to adapt its

message to meet of all men." 15

Don Bosco's tenacity and flexibility find their pro-

found inspiration in the gospel. This was the deciding

factor in choosing it as our permanent criterion of renewal.

We are glad that our own views are in line with

Don Bosco's mentality. At the end of his life he left

his sons his autobiography that it might act as a norm,

in overcoming future difficulties by referring to the lessons

of the past.16

In this context the lesson has great appeal. We

seem to hear St. Paul's invitation re-echoing: "Be imitators

of me as I am of Christ."

1a "Piano..." p 361

15 Ibid.

16 MO p 16.

187

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22.3 Page 213

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Document 3

EVANGELIZATION AND CATECHESIS

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FOBEWOBD

274

1. The document "Eaangelization and, Cateckesis" is

a response of the Congregation to the appeal of the Church

for a more faithful and modern service of the word.

It seeks to emphazise the most important catechetical

directives as a means of the renewal of the Congregation.

Directed as it is to confrdres of nations which "have

different situations and needs, it has taken into considera-

tion what could be called the average situation," 1 and

therefore it must be read and judged from this particular

viewpoint.

It is not concerned with giving an exhaustive list

of principles but rather with pointing out the urgency

of a change of mentality in the fi.eld of evangelization.

2. The order chosen in the pastoral directives takes

account of the diversity of conditions in the salesian

worid. The General Catechetical Directory in fact says

that "it is legitimate to set out from God to reach Christ

or the reverse; it is equally possible to set out from man

to arrive at God and the reverse. The choice of the

method to be followed in catechetical exposition depends

on the concrete circumstances in which the ecclesial

community or the individual faithful to whom catechesis

is directed, live." z

However so as not to compromise on a basic point

of renewal - setting out from the individual person so

I GCS Introduction.

2 GCD 46,

t91

22.6 Page 216

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as to

keeps

ihnelmpinhdimthteoheunmcaonunctheor icCehirnista-ll

the document

its aspects and

places the individual, the word of God and the com-

munity in a permanent mutual relationship.

This means that we can emphazise "the priority of

the word of God" as the fundamental criterion for re-

nelval, and can assert that the whole process of pastoral

development from man to Christ is inspired b), Christ

right from the start.3

3. The document wishes to bring to our notice the

rich possibilities to be found in catechesis, as the GCD

clearly indicates rvhen it says: 'Catechesis is directed to the

community, without however neglecting the individual

christian. It is linked to the othcr pastoral functions

of the Church, while retaining its own individuality. It

carries out simultaneously the r,vork of initiation, of

education and of teaching.' a

4. The Second Vatican Council speaks of catechesis

as the fi.rst and most suitable "means" of christian educa-

tion;5 the XX General Chapter in keeping with our sales-

ian tradition, stresses the educative context in which

catechesis has always been developed in our Congrega-

tion, and reveals more clearly that evangelization is the

fundamental characteristic of our salesian mission. In

consequence our catechetical activities r-row find their

place as part of the rene',ved pedagogical perspectives

of the Church.6

3 GS 3, 10-11

1 GCD 31.

5GE2.

6GE2.

1.92

22.7 Page 217

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INTBODUCTION

OUR ANXIETY OVER THE WORK

OF EVANGELIZATION

275

"Right from the very beginning this society was a

simple lesson of catechism." 1 With these u'ords, in 1868,

Don Bosco introduced his Congregation to tlre Bishop

of Casale. For him the salesian society and the art of

education to the faith were in a certain sense synonymous.

Already in the early years of his life he had learnt

the art of educating in the faith from Mamma Margarita.

It could be said that the charism of catechist passed

into little John from its natural source, the Holy Spirit,

through the heart of his mother.

While still adolescent his passion for apostolic activ-

ity grew and he learned the art o{ making the catechism

lesson an important part of his daily activity and even

of his games. He discovered soon enough that the pro-

clamation of the Good News goes naturally with the joy

of youth; and so he delighted in listening to the word

of God, and then joyfully repeating it, adapting it to

his listeners.

For John Bosco the faith became life, and life shone

out as witness, and witness becatne teaching, and teach-

ing flowered into joy. The 'Joy Club' (Societ} dell'Al-

legria) rvas the climate in which the faith of the young

saint and his companions grew; and as he afterwards

said his "delight was to teach catechism to children." 2

I

,

MB

MB

IX,

II,

61

18.

L93

22.8 Page 218

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276

As a priest, his love for the young, made him realize

that the Father and entrusted him with the mission of

bringing Christ to poor boys and his meeting with Bar-

tholomew Garelli confi"rmed this for him. Soon he organiz-

ed the lessons of catechism on a large scale choosing

collaborators from among the clergy, the educated laity,

the students, and the more sensible and dedicated bovs

of n;"'::,il?,111',n,.

approach in his co,,stit,,tio,o:

"the first work of charity will be that of gathering

together poor and abandoned boys, to instruct them in

their holy religion." s

In his work as educator he adapted the message to

fit in i,vith the concrete needs of the boys by making the

gospel an integral part of everv day 1ife. In thus educat-

ing the young in the faith he experienced the truth of

the saying: 'to evangelize is to civilize and to civilize

is to evangelize." 4

277

The salesian Congregation has inherited Don Bosco's

zeal as an evangelist. The zeal of his sons has led to a

world-wide apostolate with the establishing of centres

and works, and ner,v enterprises aimed at the strengthen-

ing and encouraging people in the faith, in order to instruct

them, so as to help them to make a living and to be good

citizens and good christians.s

In particular the successors of Don Bosco, by found-

ing the 'Salesian Catechetical Centre' of Turin-Leumann

and the P.A.S. have made genuinely possible a deeper

study and a continuous up-dating and renewal in the

field of catechetics. fn consequence the work of sales-

ians in this sector has become an integral part of the

3 Constitutions art 4.

a Pio XI.

5 Constitutions art 4-5-8

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22.9 Page 219

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ecclesial renewal of catechesis and has participated in a

notable way in the pastoral activity of the Church at

world wide, national and diocesan levels.

278

Today the Congregation recalling the apostolic zeal

of its founder and his history of evangelization and in

conformity with his spirit wishes to comply with the

fundamental concern of the Church "to announce and

promote the faith in the society of the men of today,

a society which is undergoing profound social and cultural

transformations." 6

279

The XX General Chapter considers it desirable to

endorse what the XIX Chapter authoritatively affrrmed:

"salesians, consecrated as they are to the service of youth,

especially the poorest, in order to be amongst them the

effrcacious presence of the love of God, will consider the

religious education of youth as the fi.rst apostolic activ-

ity of the salesian apostolate; it asks therefore for a re-

thinking and for

so that they may

a reorganization of

have as their main

all salesian

purpose the

"fvoorrmks-

ation of the man of faith." 7

6 GCD 1.

7 AGC XIX, I87

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CHAPTER ONE

THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD OF GOD

280

"Thus we are r,vitnesses of the bir-th of a new

humanism, one in which man is deflned first of all by his

rersponsibility towards his brothers and towards history." r

281

In this context the following doctrinal and pastoral

orientations receive their full value, and make us con-

scious of this important question: "How can one make

the gospel message penetrate the culture of the masses?

Horv does one act at the level of a developing new culture,

w'ith its new type of man who thinks that he has no

longer need of redemption?" 2 In particular how can one

bring the gospel to youth of today?

The ministry of the word takes on for us a special

urgency, and we need to become rnore familiar l,vith the

various ways in rvhich it is exercised; amongst them must

be placed "evangelization" or missionary preaching that

arouses the fi.rst act of faith, and tends to fill the nerv

realities of today with the spirit of the gospel; and

"catechesis" r,vhich vitalizes the faith and makes it more

conscious and active.3

282

The Special General Chapter gives several significant

directives meant to draw the attention of each confrdre

to this fundamental dimension of the salesian mission,

and to awaken the consciousncss of the communitv to

r cs 55.

2 ET 52,

3 GCD 17

196

23 Pages 221-230

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23.1 Page 221

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its prophetic mission. In this way each salesian living

as he does in an unbelieving world marked by the absence

of God, should be and should feel himself to be an "evan-

gelist," and a "witness of the word," and each community

should become an "evangelizing and catechizing" com-

munity.

1. Bepeated listening to the Word of God

283

To bring about this renewal it is necessary above

all to rediscover the mysterious link that unites the

christian community with the word of God. The word

"listened to with reverence" a builds up the community,

converts it to the gospel, educates it in faith and char-

ity; and the community for its part, putting itself at the

service of the word, lives it, is responsible for it, proclaims

it with the life its members live, brings to the world

a liberating power that is "leaven in the bread," and

becomes salvation for others.

The communities will be nenewed if the living and

efficacious word of God is listened to and celebrated in

such a w'ay as to give the word of God its rightful place.

284

In the apostolic church, faith in the Risen Christ

was professed in the eucharistic community, and in each

new event it was examined in the light of what Christ had

done and said. From this continual and faithful reference

to the mystery of salvation came into being under the

inspiration of the Holy Spirit the writings of the New

Testament.5

285

For the Church sacred scripture is the key for inter-

preting the history of man, for finding once again the

true plan of God, and for discovering the real meaning

{DVI.

5 Cf Lk 1, 1-3; DV ll; GCD 12.

t97

8

23.2 Page 222

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of the world. Each generation setting out from its own

experience of life and suffering, its own areas of sensitivity,

its own aspirations and its own problems, has searched

the gospel and had found there what was original, relevant

and new.

The utilization of this source of first importance and

its prayerful meditation is the foundation of the catechet-

ical renewal. But this renewal demands deep reflection

both by the individual and the community on the word

of God incarnate in history; it demands a new capacity

for hearing and seeing in every happening a continual

awareness of human problems and a ceaseless comparison

between the word of God and the events of everyday life.

286

The Church under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,

and with the guidance of the magisterium which guaran-

tees her authenticity, constantly fulfils her mandate to

renew the relevance of the proclamation of the word,

by putting the living God and the individual in com-

munication with each other; this is the mission of media-

tion which she carries out in fidelity to God and to man,

interpreting and proclaiming the gospel to each new

generation: "The fi.rst preoccupation of the magisterium

is to remove continually all the obstacles that can prevent

the power of the word of God from penetrating into the

Iives of all men and revealing to them the mystery of

the good news." 6

287

But in listening to the word of God, man finds ser-

ious obstacles, not the least of which is the monotonous,

abstract and tired explanation of it, almost as i{ the word

had grown old in the heart of the speaker. To preach

in this way is to become a bore especially to the young,

whether they are those who looking at the world with

6 Paul \\rI CIC l97l

198

23.3 Page 223

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new eyes, live the future as though it lvere already here;

or whether they are those who appear to have grown

old before their time, as a result of a mis-spent youth.

The salesian too amid the multiplicity of his tasks,

meets obstacles to a fruitful listening of the word. Al-

though tempted to hurry and to be superfi.cial he will

find the secret of his renewal above all in a serious study

of the word of God and by following the example of

Mary who listened and pondered in her heart.T

288

For this reason our communities must realize eflec-

tively the serious responsibility they have of celebrating

with greater love and care the ministry of the word of

God; of meditating on it daily in the readings in the

breviary and the lectionary, of being transformed by it,

of firmly witnessing to it, and of taking it as the yardstick

for interpreting the events of life. In this way our com-

munities will place themselves fully at the service of the

Spirit for the work of evangelizing: "woe to me if I do

not evangelize." I

2. Announce the word of God beginning from the form

of life lived by the man to whom we speak

289

The salesian community, illumined by the gospel

rnust place itself in harmony with the world in which

it lives, and within this situation sec.k a meeting point

for announcing the word of God.

"The world is not saved from without; just as the

u,ord of God became man so it is necessary for us to

take upon ourselves a way of life to some extent resembling

that of those to rvhom we are bringing the message of

Christ; without placing obstacles of privilege or language

7 Lk 2, 19.

8 I Cor. 9, 16.

t99

23.4 Page 224

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it is necessary to share the common customs especially

those of the poorest if one wants to be listened to and

understood." e

He who remains aloof from the concrete existence

of the individual cannot evangelize him; he could per-

haps make him much better instructed in the revealed

truths of religion but he will not succeed in leading him

to the Lord.

290

A renewed apostolate of evangelization and catechesis

seeks in every u,ay to become part of the concrete realities

of every day; it seeks to grasp and understand the

problems that beset the heart of man, to live the process

of growing to maturity of each human community, and

to enlighten their existence with the light of the gospel

from within human problems. Without a profound know-

ledge and an open and sincere acceptance of modern

social changes, it is diff,cult to make the message of the

gospel understandable.

291

"Catechesis cannot be indifierent to the problems

that a believer who desires to progress further in his

understanding of the faith meets today. We must knor,v

these problems if we are to meet the just demands to

which they give rise on that level which is specifically

ours, the level of faith..." 10

There is need therefore of a more topical formulation

of the faith which excludes unintelligible formulae, fruit

of cultures having little in common with the contemporary

situation. It is necessary each time to look for a lan-

guage which will be a genuine communication for those

living today because fashioned from the concrete exper-

ience of each community. "Let those who are being

, ES 49.

ro Paul VI CIC 1971

200

23.5 Page 225

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taught, especially adults, be asked how they understand

the christian message and what words they would use

to re-express it." 11

Young people in particular need a new language:

for subjected as they are to a continual and disturbing

bombardment of ideas, of assertions and of events, they

feel the need to live intensely the growth of their own

personality, to discover and re-discover the fundamental

values of life and to become immersed in the tormented

development of the society in which they live. Their

vocabulary is in continual evolution from a civilization

based on the written word to the r'vorld of sound and

sight in the age of television.

292

Their whole way of communicating with others has

a characteristic style and so the gospel needs to be pon-

dered on and reformulated in accordance with this style

so that it may be for them too a proclamation of joy.

The salesian must seek to master this language so

that like Don Bosco he can present the gospel in a simple

and sincere way, and in a manner that is direct and down

to earth.

This new interest in and concern for man and his

problems must be linked with a renewed study of theology

and of scripture so that the proclamation of the word

may be carried out "with entire fi.delity to the words

and thought of Christ, giving due consideration to the

authoritative teachings of ecclesiastical traditions, and

in interior enlightenment of the Holy Spiril." tz

3. Witnessing to the word of God

293

Evangelization and catechesis are not confi.ncd to

a mere proclamation of the word; to be credible they

11 GCD 75.

1r Paul Vl, 29 Sept. 1963

201.

23.6 Page 226

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also demand rvitness. Man finds Christ in the personal

life of the believer and in the christian community that

proclaims the message. If the image of Christ appears

to be veiled and deformed in them then men become

disillusioned. But they do believe christians who resemble

the Christ they preach.

294

Communities united fraternally in charity (the sign

of hoinon'ia) and pledged to the service of all men (sign

oI diakonia) and united by their faith in the eucharist,

become in the eyes of the world the supreme message,

which brings with it an evangelizing power that man

will be able to resist only with difficulty; the life of the

Church during the past centuries bears this out.

"From this it appears just how vital it is that ec-

clesial communities following the teachings of the Church

and guided by her pastors, eliminate and correct what

is disfiguring the image of the Church and making her

an obstacle to the faith of men," 13 because despite the

good will of many evangelists and catechists their work

can be nullified, or made very difficult, by the counter-

rvitness of individuals, institutions and works.

295

Young people in particular have a keen perception

of what is authentic. Thus the attraction that they find

in men and communities who reaily live what they preach,

and the need they have of finding incarnated in people

the values they hear spoken of, indicates clearly thc

efficacy of personal and community example in educa-

tion, and the power of a faith, that is not just preached

but is believed in and lived. What affects them rnore

than the whole and radical nature of the gospel mes-

sage is the total and radical availability and selflessness

of those who witness to the gospel. Young people will

13 GS 19

202

23.7 Page 227

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not criticize us for being too christian, but for not being

christian enough.

We marvel at the quality of faith that Don Bosco

was able to produce in his boys, and when we consider

how much he spoke to and encouraged the young and

old both inside and outside the house, we soon become

aware that the force of attraction and of conviction

that he and the community radiated, must have been

the fruit of an exceptional evangelical witness on the

part of both salesians and boys.

296

When a similar climate of witness flourishes in com-

munities especially in the educative communities it makes

the whole ol tkat cornrnwn'ity an eaangelizing force, because

it offers to each of its members that experience both

christian and divine which is indispensable for the re-

newal and prcservation of the faith. Christian faith and

christian life are unthinkable apart from a community

that helps one to experience the effrcacious love of God.

203

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CHAPTER TWO

VITAL SIGNIFICANCE OF CATECHESIS

1. Evangelization "through dialogue" in a pluralistic world

297

Our concern for the future of young people born

and baptized in the Church does not mean that we con-

fine all our efforts to them.

The true evangelist excludes nobody; he discovers

Christ in his brothers in other churches and christian

communities and has an ecumenical approach at once

generous and loyal; he commits himself to making con-

tact with those who are far from the faith.

298

He recognizes religious experience wherever it is

found: namely in man's search for God, his faith in the

absolute, and in the secret encounter by grace with the

divine, all values that are fundamental to many non-

christian religions. Such values, imperilled today by our

type of civilization, need to be rediscovered, developed,

freecl of all ambiguity, and finally made the object of a

nelv attitude on the part of christians.

Accompanying all these religious realities the evan-

gelist finds atheism "the most serious phenomenon of

our times." 1 To understand the complex nature of

atheism, to listen to the criticism it makes, to repudiate

the scandal of a distorted gospel, to recognize trre human

values and the possibility of a salvation in an atheism

1 E,S 55.

204

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lived in good faith and at the same time "to make God

the Father and his incarnate Son present to the world

and in a sense visible," 2 all this is a serious and demand-

ing task for the evangelizing Church of our time'

299

"In a world. in process of secularization, the Church

can rediscover her prophetic mission of bringing the good

news of salvation; she does not remain neutral, but judges

all realities both personal and collective that men have

to live with and she offers to all men Christ and his ques-

tion which echoes from generation to generation: 'And who

do you say that I am?' " 3

300

Youth is the most appropriate time for learning the

diffrcult art of dialoguc because it is a period of openness,

growth and encounter. The young person of today wants

to orr"r.o-e barriers, to move about without scandal in

a piuralistic culture, to give himself to everything with-

out partiality, and to refuse a gospel closed in on itself'

For the salesian it is not only a question of making

use of dialogue when he is evangelizing or giving religious

instruction;

preventive

he has

system.

alrcady been trained to this by the

The situation of diaspora in which

lhe christian and. the atheist, the protestant and the

catholic collaborate together in daily life, compels the

salesian to prepare and train his boys for dialogue con-

sidered today as a constant and indispensable need of

society and therefore of evangelization'

"Even before speaking, we have to listen to the voice

or better still the heart of man; we must understand him,

and as far as we can, respect him; and when hc deserves

it, we must support him. If we want to become pastors,

and fathers, and teachers of all men we must bccome fi'rst

, GS 2I.

3 Mt 16, 15; Paul VI CIC l97l

205

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their brothers. The climate of dialogue is friendship, or,

more truly, service." 4

It is in the light of what has been said above that

we must re-examine the way we mix with our boys and

listen to them, the respect and brotherly assistance we

give them, and our constant presence among them.

Our communities therefore must not be islands but

fllled with sympathy for the world about them, they

should live "with other men as with brothers.,,s

2. Promoting encounter with Jesus Christ, the Iiving centre

of history

30r

This is the central point of our catechesis; this is

the true renewal to which communities must look.

302

To evangelize means to proclaim the living person of

Christ "yesterday, today and for ever:,, Jesus Christ, the

Man-God, the meeting

It means to proclaim a

point of

historical

divine and

fact: Jesus

human love.

of Nazareth,

the incarnate Son of God, crucifi.ed and risen. It means

to proclaim a reality which is always present in the Church:

the community that has encountered the lord, and that,

moved by the Spirit, awaits his return; it means to pro_

claim the total Christ in his historical reality and in his

resurrection: always living among men and in the world,

as the powerful lord of history.

Catechesis presents the life of Christ as .,a Son,s

love" that enables us to "see the Father;,, as ,,the love

of a brother "who, risen and ascended to heaven, does

not leave his brothers as orphans, but sends the Spirit

for the "new creation."

Catechesis therefore does not preach a new ideology,

1ES49

5PO3.

206

24 Pages 231-240

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24.1 Page 231

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nor a system of abstract truths, but Jesus Christ as a

person who exists and his total message, in other words,

it introduces men into the wonderful fullness of his life,

so that they can acknowledge and share in the mystery

of God, the communion of the Trinity'

303 pasrokbslJeaembsuo, suatCnthherenisigtumlitsiamthaaentedCmahuemracnyhis'nstgerreoypf. llyIiftetoi,sstechleeeinamgr atihtnaawtshinoa

ln" tigtt of Christ seen as a living person and not just

a mere historicai fi.gure the vague deism that charac-

terizes certain forms of catechesis is not faithful to the

proclamation of the aPostles.

304

In particular young people precisely because they

accept only those persons who lead coherent lives of

inte[rity more willingly give themselves to a catechesis

wfricfr presents Christ as love at the disposition of all

and as he achieves the liberation of man by the total

gift of himself in sacrifice.

They question in depth the meaning of life and of

suffering, and. spurred on by their own experience, not

always helpful, o{ love, of friendship and of work they

sheimek."G6odF"otrrythinegmtoChsreinsst ecahnis

presence and lay hold of

become the only response

to an irresistible attraction'

305

But there is something that is both disturbing and

discouraging: it is that the Christ presented by us does

not always capture the interest of the young. The myster-

ious freedom that is theirs can cause them even to refuse

the redemptive presence of the Lord. A marked immatur-

ity, the result of the environment in which many live

can lead to a genuine inability to listen to the message

u Acts 17, 26-2'7

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24.2 Page 232

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of salvation, and so our catechesis fails to become the

manifest mediation of the mystery of Christ. perhaps

the language used is difficult to understand; perhaps our

catechesis does not answer the questions raised or con_

cern itself with problems encountered by the believers

of today; perhaps it is still using out-dated sermons and

instructions, couched in abstract and polemical terms; in

other words it is not a catechesis which is really evangelical.

306

For the salesian, the existence of young people liv_

ing without Christ, and a Christ unablc to find a welcome

among young people, is not just a cause for regret, but

is also a challenge and

to discover new ways

an incentive to

and take any

renew

risks

himself and

in order to

proclaim efficaciously the salvation of God, and to help

young people "to be themselves and to give authentically

their human and christian experience, helping them to

find in their friendship with the redeemer the power to

reach full maturity." z

To help people both young and old to encounter

Christ through the salesian communities, it is necessary

to have encountered him personally first of all.

3. Progressive education in the faith

307

To catechize is more than to preach or to teach relig_

ion, or to give catechism lessons;

process to help the baptized

it is

use

a complete educative

all the values of his

own personality from the point of view of the gospel,

and then to direct them toward.s an adult faith-

308

Education in the faith is a gradual and continuous

process leading to the discovery of a person. If each

person is a mystery, God is even more a mystery, and

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our knowledge of him grows only slowly and gradually

throughout life. Because of this, catechesis is needed at

all times, in every circumstance, at every age, and in

all aspects of life. It involves

faithful for the reception of

more than preparing the

the sacraments; it never

finishes its work; it is never satisfied with a wearisome

repetition of words and phrases. God reveals himself

.orrtirrro,rrly, while man only gradually becomes capable

of knowing God's plan of salvation and of making a free

response to it in faith.

This pilgrimage towards God, this gradual discovery

of his revelation in Jesus Christ involves several stages,

and no stage must be relinquished until there has been

a real assimilation of what it contains. Thus before deal-

ing with the sacraments it is essential for a man, as a

reiult of evangelization and catechesis, to have fi'rst under-

gone conversion and accepted the faith'

309

An on-going education in the faith brings about a

slow but radical transformation of man into Christ' To

form in the christian a way of thinking based on faith

means that we fi.rst set out with him to discover the

Iiving Christ, and after that educate him to see Christ

as always present, and this means that he will come to see

tthoinmgsen"tasCtCrihtrtissteedsidth, eamn,dhheewwillilllolviveearnvdithgivCehhriismtsheils{

communion with the Father and the Holy Spirit'

310

In this educative process where God and man en-

counter each other, the formation of the conscience, of

the believer takes on a

a positive and mature

special value, so that he can make

response to God's call' It is im-

poitant also to educate him to a mature freedom but

without exercising any undue pressure' In this way the

necessary dispositions are created in the believer for his

making a full response to God's action'

Catechesis, with its new methods, has its part to

209

24.4 Page 234

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play in this gradual growth, since it helps man to discover

emvuesnttubaell;yitwahlastohhiselpfrseehipmerstoonadlisrceospvoenr stehetoeGxtoedn,st

call

and

essential

for love;

content

it leads

of the moral order in

him to opt for a life

the gospel demand

of piofound unity,

lwcivhoeoriddcsecioothfefoerervnmatnlsyg,tehaliecnadcl otconhsatchireeitnycceoinnincrreeataeccleolxirvdpairnenscgse.iowInniothfotththhelesr

moral principles contained in the commandments of God,

while taking inspiration

the programme of life

from the

outlined

person

in his

of Christ, from

sermon on the

mount, and from

of God and the

his precept of charity,

love of neighbour.

namely

the

love

311

iour

Tchoenssipsetscitflhceonriigniniatslity,.roefdtuhceincghreisvteiarny

code of

ethicai

behav_

obliga_

itinsio,gna,tshwirtoheuwtghehererc, phthraeercitesypo.t"ulosor fcTotohudanastyecl,othtdoeer,aensaiisnmgaelelyseealaermfcaheitnhfot wrwhonrieckwh_

methods of putting

to believers.

across

this

originality

more

faithfully

Educating people to the faith remains for us a ser_

ious obligation, but today when we are moving towards

a culture based on dialogue and an increasing participation

ftooaoffrpDimmeoooinptraleBeteoaasnttchoe"eviinengsroypooirldredenvereer"sl,tstoh,thacbeonrnicnasagtta,e.nstcecahaylivcs,ahtateminor,ndu,,ssttaoeennvtdshiedeh.oeeynfontrdeovuerrbdtjyes.

To educate you need others.

4. Developing an integrated and committed faith

312

out

It is not possible to plan an

making it an integral part

education in

of the whole

faith with_

process of

8 GCD 64

210

24.5 Page 235

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human development. Because of this, catechesis is direct-

ed more speciflcally towards a genuine development of

the person. When faith is a fully integral part of the

tife of the believer, then there are no gaps in the chris-

tian conscience, but rather a profound unity making it

able to judge and act with energy and enthusiasm'

313

The expressions "faith and life," "committed faith,"

"integrated faith," "faith-based outlook," "maturity of

faith,;'so often found in pastoral writings of today,

indicate the real nature of a

with the vocation given to

faith

man

which, in

by God,

accordance

leads to a

unifi.cation of man at every level, such that every increase

in faith increases a man's stature, and every develop-

ment in man is a move towards the divine'

314

It is faith that frees man from the radical slavery

of sin, and from the personal and social disorders that

are

the

its consequences. Faith

world of freedom offered

invites man to

by Christ, for it

enter into

is through

him that the slave of sin becomes the son of God, and

learns to love as a christian, and to experience his own

existence and freedom as a christian. In its turn human

life with its burden of

can also experience,

trials and worries and uncertainties

through the light given by God

that faith brings, the active and transforming presence of

Christ.

315

The obligation of seeking human advancement as a

sign that accompanies the proclamation of the gospel

derives from this dynamic continuity between faith and

life. Such ad.vancernent must not be confused with evan-

gelization, but nevertheless there can be no evangelization

*fri"f, is insensitive to human aspirations' The gospel

would lack credibility if the christian did not attempt

to face up to and

today by coming

resolve the great problems

to close grips with them'

of

It

the world

is an "in-

27L

24.6 Page 236

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carnational lreed" essential to christianity and willed bv

the Son of God who "dwelt among us.,,e

I'rom the fulfilment of this ..massive obligation we

have of beir-rg coherent with regard to the gorp"1

the future of christianity, especially for the

depends

yorrg..

generation." 10

A committed faith will throw a special light on the

question which divides believers from unbelievers, namery

the way they conceive the freedom of man, arrd con_

sequently his liberation. Whoever works to strengthen

the faith of believers must bring to their attentlon tne

liberating power of the word of God, and the social and

public dimension of thc christian message; he should re_

emphasize the fundamental importance of the cross, and

educate them to see the need for vigorous struggle and

even martyrdom.

316

The salesian who is committed to developing in young

peopie and adults a faith that is an integral part oi hte,

and anxious for human progress, gains new perspectives.

New choices are being made which concern the problems

of freedom and justice, peace and development, society

and the world of work. Our work of renewal shouli

fDwooellnomwBuostshtceocaliinrnreythsietmseoaursktimeidnpleothuwetopfrodrarsc:ut,is.cMabalykwetahuyeperCixgphtrruetrsccshitei,zdeabnndys

and good christians."

The danger of a rupture between faith and life is

an ever present one for the believer, and neither can the

salesian nor the community escape the ternptation to

separate religion and culture, prayer and work, liturgy

and action, relationships and communion, with the risl

eJnl,14

r0 Rdc 97.

212

24.7 Page 237

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then of failing to get across in a personal way the pro-

clamation of the kingdom.

317

This dangerous dichotomy inevitably afiects the be-

liever's commitment to human advancement, and he thus

no longer bears witness to the presence of Christ in the

history of the world.

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CHAPTEB THBEE

THE CATECHETICAL LANGUAGE

OF THE COMMUNITY

1. Gatechizing through the actlon of authentic communities

318

The Church we want to establish and build up is

fundamentally a "communion" between christians who

come together in God's name to listen to the word of

God, and to celebrate the eucharist in union with the

bishop. It grows in time and space as a result of the

actions of men united together in joint responsibility,

just like the fi.rst christians of whom it was said: "See

how they love one another."

God, in fact, makes the practice of brotherly love a

condition for the fulf,lling of his promise to be present.

And where such love is manifested in service, it becomes

moreover a communication and a support of faith.

319

For all those who are open to faith, the community

becomes the environment in which that faith can fi.nd

nourishment. For those who are seeking faith the com-

munity proclaims the gospel through the teaching of its

catechists and the way of life of its brothers. For those

who are growing in the faith, the community communicates

a force of witness which enlightens and persuades. For

those instead whose faith is in danger, the community

brings help and support, and creates by means of frater-

nal correction the ideal atmosphere for conversion.

320

The christian community becomes in this way the

"sign" and the setting for the proclamation of the word

of God, the living "norm" for the formation of the con-

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24.9 Page 239

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science of believers, and the "sacrament" through which

Christ acts in the world.

How necessary then does it become to build up the

community, to edwcate conlrires to be in the cornrnunity,

and to train them to share in its life. When religious

instruction is accompanied by this commitment to the

education and the growth of the common faith, then we

have a real catechesis.

All this has consequences too for the "religious com-

munity" which in this matter is no different from any

other christian community; indeed it ought to be an

example and model for all communities.

Again what has been said has consequences for

catechesis, which needs to be carried out in such a way

that those preparing for baptism, pupils and faithful

are conscious of being creators of their community. The

priest, the educator, the catechist are not the only ones

to proclaim the message; those who listen also take

part in it.

321

But if communities are to become truly apostolic

and if each individual is to become integrated into the

christian community, there is a need today more than

in former times of the right method: "the group" method.

In the "group" each individual feels himself to be a

responsible member and one who is listened to. In the

"group" common attitudes help faith to maturity. In

the "group" living examples are accepted as authentic

values, and the reality of salvation becomes an exper-

ience of life.

Don Bosco q.nd the salesiqn systern kaae always edwcated,

by tke "growp" metkod. Thus the preventive system, the

family spirit, the "sodalities," the older boys committed

to acting as leaven in the mass, are all reasons in our

tradition for a re-discovery of the "group" as a new

way of evangelizing.

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2. lnitiation into the liturgical mystery

322

"In the liturgy the faithful come together, and offer

humbly to God the fruits of their acts of charity, justice

and peace and receive in return the words of life and

grace to live in the world of today the truth in charity

in union with Christ." 1

Catechesis gives the believer the experience of the

liturgy; it educates him to understand its human ex-

pression, to perceive the sign; it disposes him to the

encounter with the Father through Christ, and to the

encounter of the people o{ God with each other.

323

The liturgy in its turn becomes catechesis and with

its down to earth language expressed in words, in hymns,

in gestures, rites, actions: it reaches towards and involves

the whole man, heart, intelligence and the senses; it

proclaims aspects of the mystery of Christ; it embodies

the integral experience of the faith, transforming action

into contemplation; it presents the believer with the

opportunity of healing himself, of feeling that God has

saved him. In this way it provides a guide for the chris-

tian in every circumstance.

In the liturgical renewal catechesis has a specific

function __ to stimulate and to enlighten: above all it

is a reminder to those responsible of the nature of the

word of Christ that converts and transforms; it gives

rise to calm discussion and healthy disagreement, and

produces a change of life; it is tke sign ol a true passouer:

the tombs burst open and those who were dead rise up.

Our liturgical assemblies require that the word we present

under the form of preaching and of prayer be proclaimed

with all its force and truth, and they likervise demand

I GCD 48.

216

25 Pages 241-250

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25.1 Page 241

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that there be a more careful preparation, possibly in

community for the homily.

324

Through catechesis we remind all the baptized that

the liturgical celebrations are the sacramental expression

of the life and history of christians. We therefore

enable them to understand the bonds that exist between

the eucharist and the obligations of the community, be-

tween the Mass and the liturgy of life, between the

liberation from evil asked for in prayer and the liberation

brought about in society, between the liturgical gesture

of peace and true peace brought to the area in which

one lives. The faithful are constantly reminded that the

kind of liturgical celebration which does not transform,

which is not sincere, and becomes routine, is merely an

alienating influence.

325

Prayer too expresses this link between experience

and faith: through catechesis the heart of believers is

gradually opened to the sentiments of Christ in his filial

prayer to the Father and to the attitude of Mary at

the Annunciation, an attitude of adoration, praise, thanks-

giving and petition. This leads to a renewal in per-

sonal prayer.

326

To a greater extent than in earlier generations, the

young people of today who are committed to their faith

become bored with a type of liturgy that seems to them

solemn, or evcn magical, and scarcely concerned with

the present time.

On the other hand in their small groups, which are

a "vital necessity" 2 for young people, they have liturgical

celebrations which seem to arise from a mania for novelty.

For them catechesis needs to find a language which

, GCD 76

277

25.2 Page 242

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is more flexible, modern, and intelligible: it needs to en-

courage "their own personal efiorts, considering them a

contribution that the new generation makes to the Church.

In this way they will be helped to overcome the temptation

to drift away from the Church.s To enter more fully

into the spirit of the liturgical reform, and with the good

of youth in mind, catechists ought to be aware of the

variations allowed in the official liturgical rites, and the

numerous forms of paraliturgical celebrations, such as

bible seraices, agapd, biblical aigils, penitential seraices,

shared hornilies, group preparation lor the homily, musical

forms of liturgy, etc. In this way they can bring to life

ideas that can amply satisfy the creativity of the young

without falling into arbitrary and abusive innovations.

"Give encouragement," "make the use of the sacra-

ments easy," "show the beauty, greatness, and holiness

of religion," "never force anyone," act in such a way that

the young "are spontaneously drawn to the sacraments,

and approach them willingly, with pleasure, and with

profit;" these are clear expressions of the preventive sys-

tem which reveal the educative sensitivity of Don Bosco

and outline his sacramental pedagogy.

3. Joyful proclamation of the gospel

327

To evangelize means to proclaim real, experienced

joy, because the mystery of Christ, God incarnate, who

died and rose again, now intimately penetrates human

life. The gospel is message of joy because it gives us

the power and the courage to overcome all sadness.a

Faith is the source of joy, and joy always accom-

panies real faith. Consequently one of the characteristics

of catechesis must be our joyful witness in our work,

3 GCD 82.

a Rom. 9, 2

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in the liturgy, in the community, in life; and even when

we have to suffer. Our faith must show us that the

gospel is a breath of hope: hope in the Lord, who is amongst

us, and who is to come at the end of time; hope for eternal

Iife which has already begun; hope that brings a joy

that no one can take from our hearts;s hope that inspires

our everyday efforts to realize our human vocation.

Modern man is really in need of a spark of this evan-

gelical joy. "Catechesis provides the answer to this acute

need, showing that joy bursts out and florvers in the

Church and has its roots in the hope that comes to birth

and is fulfilled in Christ." 6

328

Here more than anywhere else it is necessary to

rediscover the genuine spirit of Don Bosco, which enabled

both the salesians and the boys to experience faith as

happiness and we must rediscover also the ability of the

community to increase the penetrating power of this joy.

The joy that echoed in every corner of the Oratory was

made a means of acquiring holiness: "We make holiness

consist in always being cheerful;" this interior joy found

its expression in the playground and in the refectory,

and especially on feastdays; it became a climate and a

way of life of apostolic friendliness; it was rooted in the

heart of the Church in the eucharist; it was brought

into strong relief by the hope of heaven beyond the bitter

end of death; it was guided by the natural presence

of Mary.

329

As a calm and confident educator and catechist the

salesian carries with him this tone of festivity, happiness

and joy into every aspect of 1ife. His catechesis is clarifled

by this cordial witness which is the fruit of christian

hope. The salesian community radiates friendly human

5 Jn 16, 22.

6 CIC Rome 1971.

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warmth, sympathy and enthusiasm which opens the way

to peoples' hearts. Renewal must lead to us rediscover

the characteristic way of announcing the "joyful nervs"

of freedom and salvation, which the salesians must convey

to youth and to the men of today. After personally

tasting, loving, and enjoying his faith, the salesian can

then communicate the secret of his happiness to others.

4. Forming new religious educators

330

The expectations of a Church and a society in evolu-

tion increase the urgency of the demand for a catechesis

capable of forming responsible christians, of revealing to

each one the real meaning of life and of showing God's

plan to men.

With this vision before us, we cannot forget that

euery ckristian m,ust be & cateckfsl; rather we must act in

such a manner that the education of men in the faith is

also a fi.rst step in the formation of christians ready to

proclaim the gospel message. Thus the evangelized are

quickly transformed into evangelists, and the believers

into u,itnesses; and the people of God, the ordinary christ-

ian is seen as a porverful reservoir of power.

331

The originality of the function of catechist demands

specific attention on the part of the one who is respons-

ible for pastoral action. The "catechist" is one sent by

the prophetic cornmunity, he is a consistent witness of

Christ, he is an interpreter of the signs of the times:

he "teaches i' i.e.he helps others to grasp and understand

the reality of God who reveals himself and gives himself;

but above all he "educates" i.e. he helps people to d,euelop

tkeir christian personality to the full.

332

As "educator in the faith" the catechist needs a

careful theological, anthropological, and methodological

preparation, without neglecting the various techniques;

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25.5 Page 245

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as an "inspirer of the ecclesial community" he needs to

complete his formation in communities that profoundly

believe, hope and love; these two facets of the catechist

it must be remembered, involve on-going formation and

up-dating. In fact, "any pastoral activity that is not

sustained by people who are well formed is doomed to

failure. The formation of the catechist has moreover prior-

ity ovcr the renewal of the texts and over the strengthen-

ing of the catechetical organization"'7

There is a great need for these apostlcs of the word

in all walks of life, in families, in schools, and in places

of work, because the need for God is always and every-

rvhere present. The Spirit of Christ, which is in the world

to free it and to save it, calls evangelists and catechists

from all sectors, but above all it calls them from com-

munities of intense ecclesial life, where the word of God

is listened to and lived, where people are a\\\\rare of the

enormous problem of evangelization and catechesis, and

where there is someone who can form catechists.

333

The demands of world evangelization and the precise

mission of the salesian Congregation require us to discover

and to stimulate the prophetic power rvhich the HoIy

Spirit has infused. into every community for the benefit

of the Church. Every salesian, besides being a catechist,

must consider hin-rself as one who {onns catechists. Eaery

salesia.n comrnun'ity mu,st stwdy kow it can eaa'ngel"ize as

a grootp and become a centre for promoting catechists'

Seen in this light the community should inspire the laity

to serve the local church, instilling in youth the desire

for apostolic action and encouraging them as soon as

possible to comrnit themselves to the rcligious education

of others.

7 GCD 108; cf n 71

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One could say that the "vitality of the christian

community depends decisively on the presence and on

the value of the catechists, and expresses itself in a special

way in its ability to prepare them." 8

334

"All this urges us to a vigilant and intense renewal.,,

It demands a catechesis open-mind.ed in its attitude

towards new cultures and new problems, to a world that

is now secularized and pluralistic; open-minded in its

attitude towards the drama of atheism and to the problem

of religious indifference; a catechesis, in brief, which is

attuned to the Church of today, where God continually

questions and calls.

"Our work begins today and will never finish. This

is the law of our earthly pilgrimage in time." e

8 RdC 184.

, ES 68.

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CHAPTEB FOUR

PRAGTICAL DIREGTIVES

1. The Salesian Congregation and its mission of evan'

gelization

335

At this particular period in the history of the Church,

the salesian Congregation must turn more decisively to

catechetics, i.e., to educating in the faith, and take steps

to see lhat each cornmwnity re11,e10s itself in such a way

as to become an "authentic community of evangelization'"

336

The Congregation will therefore make every effort:

its m-issitoon;rediscover and renew this essential aspect of

organ-izattoionhselepnignagtehde. insurpepseoartrcahn, demtca. iinntetnhaisncfeieoldf,thsoucshe

as the catechetical Institute of the PAS and other centres

of the same kind;

.'_ to assist those organizations which are trying to

spread. the word of God through the use of mass media;

can -disctuossartrhaensgeemmaetetetirnsg. s and reunions where experts

All this will be d.one according to the rules laid down

in the General Catechetical Director5'.

2.

The province

gelization

-

'ta community at the service" of evan'

337

Now that the XX General Chapter has deflned the

'provincial community,' it is evident that its structures

must help the confrdres in this work of evangelization'

223

25.8 Page 248

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It is

new

imthepreetfuosretothceatdeuchtyetiocfs,thbeowthhocleomprmoauinnictieestoangdivethea

individual confrdre, to form personnel, and to re_organize

in a way that will favour this type of work.l

a) The fi.rst Proaincial Chapter alter the XX Gen_

eral Chapter should look into the contribution made by

each community in this matter of teaching the faith and

decide what changes are to be made and get rid of

any opposing factors, which compromise the efficacv of

the work.2

b) The prouincial and his council should arrange as

soon as possible for some priests and brothers of the

province to be given the opportunity of preparing them-

selves for this work by attending courses arranged by

the local church, or should study with the provincial

conferences other plans for bringing them up to date.3

338

c) Eaery proaince should have its own specialized

service whose main task would be to stimulate the

catechetical work of each community, to keep the con_

frdres up to date in the field of catechetics, and to co_

ordinate all the activities of the whole salesian family

in this regard. For this purpose the work of experts iir

catechetics is indispensable.

At the present day spiritual retreats and courses for

different groups, young aud old, religious and secular,

demand better qualificd preachers. Those confrdres w-ho

have a gift for this kind of work shoulcl be prepared for

this apostolate and should then place themselves at the

service of the different communities.

I

,

Cf

cf

GCD

ccD

IO3.

99-107.

3 cf ccD 108-115

224

25.9 Page 249

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3. Every salesian community is a community that evan'

gelizes

339

Since the XX General Chapter emphasizes the re-

newal of salesian communities, each one of these must

develop a new mentality and outlook; it must adopt a

new 'community" style of thought and action and present

itself to the world in a new guise. It is necessary for it

to respond to the new needs because the extent to which

it is euangelical wit't be the nlea.sure ol its being salestan.

340

To this end every cornmunity must become:

A commwnity ol listeners: listening together to the

word of God, meditating together on the scriptures and

the art of living; this represcnts a completely new outlook

and should be encouraged during retreats, shared homilies,

and the like.

A probing com,mwnity: engaging in a periodic and

thorough revision of the efEcacy of the apostolic work

being done, and the role of each one, in the field of cate-

chetics; examining in particular the great diffrculties

being experienced in the work of evangelization and espec-

ially in the "teaching of religion."

A cornmunity in the local clttwch: all our work in

catechetics must be done in union with the local church

which needs our help and collaboration, and not in separa-

tion from it; we must also follow the instructions of the

local Catechetical Directory, if one exists.

An ed,wcatiae comrnunity: a direct realistic approach

to the teaching of catechetics requires the collaboration

of all the members, using all the means available (visual

aids, meetings, co-ordination, etc.) which will enable the

community to become an up-to-date catechetical centre.

A comtnunity ol action: tlne community itself must

be the moving spirit behind all this work, seeking the

225

25.10 Page 250

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help and co-operation of

pupils ._- and preparing

tphaerelantistya-nd

especially our older

other educators as

teachers and catechists. Financial priority should be given

to the preparation of catechists rather than to the erection

of buildings, even though the latter be destined for this

particular work.

4. Every salesian is an catechist

341

Every salesian is always and everywhere a teacher

of religion by reason of his vocation and mission. This

means that during the time of his formation he must

have guides who will help him to rneld together the teach-

ing of sacred science and of secular subjects, and like-

wise his community life with the direct pastoral apos-

tolate. Once he has acquired this art he can place himself

with enthusiasm at the service of the community for

the rest of his life in the all-important work of evan-

gelization and catechetics.

226

26 Pages 251-260

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26.1 Page 251

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Document 4

PASTOBAL RENEWAL

OF SALESIAN ACTION AIVONG YOUTH

26.2 Page 252

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26.3 Page 253

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INTRODUCTION

342

"It is for you young people, for you above all, that

the Church r,vith its Council has lit a light, a light which

brightens the future, your future. Be generous, pure,

respectful, sincere. And use your enthusiasm to build

a better rvorld than the one we have! Look at the Church

and again you will find the face of Christ, the true hero,

humble and wise, the prophet of truth and love, the

comrade and friend of the young." 1

The Congregation is a gift of the Holy Spirit to

the Church since, following Don Bosco, she transmits

this light to the young, especially to the poor.

Right from the very beginning it was characteristic

of Don Bosco, and with him his salesians, to adapt to

the needs of the times. The mission of bringing up the

young to be "honest citizens and good christians" was

always accomplished in ways which corresponded to their

real needs. So were born and develped the many varied

forms of activity and service within the Congregation.

Today we salesians are the heirs of an extraordinary

amount of good done by the Congregation. We also

inherit obligations undertaken in an ever-changing world,

along with a vast field of work in which new situations

and needs challenge and require our apostolic enterprise.

This creates a problem at the time of renewal, a problem

that is made worse by a critical situation for vocations,

i,vhich also affects our own Congregation.

343

The reflections of the salesians in the Provincial

Chapters and General Chapter have revealed three gen-

eral aspects o{ the problem which must be faced, with

I Cf Vatican II: Message to mankind.

229

9

26.4 Page 254

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some indication of a solution to be discerned in the answers

proposed:

- the pastoral aim of our activities;

-

-

the pastoral up-dating of salesian communities;

the reshaping of our activities and service.

344 a) Pastoral aim of our activities

We salesians have undertaken many varied activities

t- o

free time

meet the

activities, schools, forms of assistance,

needs of the young in their particular

estictu-a-

tions. We have given these activities a lull rmeaning, as

factors of total development.2 But these activities do

not in fact always serve their overall purpose suffrciently

well, and this for many reasons. To remedy this we

need to realize efectiuely that our every activity, in com-

munity or personal, is justif,ed only if it is aimed, organized

and carried owt in view of the evangelization of the young.

345 b) Pastoral up-dating of the salesian community

If we are to 'pastoralize' all our work, authentic

apostles and apostolic comm,unities are indispensable. No

constructive influence is possible unless it is supported

by an adequate pastoral preparation and an apostolic

spirituality. The young people of today are more than

ever aware of the swift and constant changes in our-

evolving world. This ties us to a constant attitude of

adaptability and creativity so as to respond promptly

to new situations and more especially to anticipate them.

AII this implies love and total dedication to the young,

as with Don Bosco. It implies study and reflection,

humility and the courage to begin again every day.

' Cf Document I (Salesians in the Church) & 3 (Evangelizatiorr

& Catechesis).

230

26.5 Page 255

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346 c) Reshaping of our activities and service

The renewal of our activity requires a careful study

of our present work and responsibilities, and a look to

the future. Besides the validity of our works and their

correspondence to situations, we must consider the prior-

ity and urgency of the needs.

This courageous and thorough reshaping of our work,

carried out at various levels as an expression of the pas-

toral up-dating of our communities and activities, will

give a new appearance to the Congregation, an appearance

in which the young wiII see a reflection of Christ.

The Special General Chapter has considered this

problem. Rather than dwell on the necessarily fragmen-

tary and limited consideration of each present salesian

work, it has chosen to take the basic and common elements

of all salesian work for the young.

The principles put forward in this treatment apply

explicitly to young people. They are also valid however

for adolescents and pre-adolescents. These are referred

to specifically only when they require separate con-

sideration.

347

The General Chapter is convinced that our activ-

ities can only become truly pastoral through the balanced

application of these essential elements. It is convinced

that in the present situation the key to renewal consists

in putting pastoral commwn'ity lile and action with its

aims and methods right in the centre.

348

The document underlines various aspects of our pas-

toral activity:

-

-

-

-

-

the principles which inspire it;

the characteristics of our service;

attitudes and action;

objectives and method: the gospel of freedom;

the principal structures in which it is car-

ried out.

23t

26.6 Page 256

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CHAPTER ONE

BASIC PRINCIPLES

349

These principles, to which salesians must constantly

return for the renewal of their work among the young,

provide the unifying and dyrramic basis of their pastoral

enterprise. By personal reflection and community dia-

logue on these principles salesians will find the pastoral

up-dating and adequacy that they cannot do without.

a) Our pastoral renewal must start from an under-

standing and a personal and community acceptance of

the d,emand,s ol the gospel, in a continuous attitude of

individual and collective conversion to the Father in the

love of our brothers.

b) The renewed vigour of the Conciliar Church urges

us to renew our service in openness to new forms of

dialogue with all that joy, hope and tension that forms

part of the lives of the young.

c) The fundamental criterion for the renewal of our

salesian work is the salesian mission to the young, espe-

cially to the very poor, following Don Bosco's pattern

of dialogue and love. With his burning love, pouring

from the heart of Christ, Don Bosco spurs us on to serve

the young. He stimulates us to a deeper discovery of

the pastoral values, searching for, meeting, mixing with,

understanding, entering into dialogue with and evan-

gelizing. He inspires an active fi.delity to these values.

d) As Don Bosco found his riches in the young, so

today the salesians rediscover in their service to the

232

26.7 Page 257

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young the richness of their own identity. The psychol-

ogical and social situation of yowng peopl,e today is more

than ever in swift evolution. Hence renewal of salesian

work requires from us:

stand j-uveangilreeattresnednss;ibility and ability to see and under-

the

new-

a deep penetration into the phenomenon of

youth culture and questioning, as an indication

of a sociological transformation;

'idolatr-ies'aogfreyaotutuhndreedrsutcaenddintog

for the deviations and

a purely natural level;

young

-peodpeldeicoaftitohnetountdheer-dliebveerloaptieodn

and up-lifting of

areas, in a social

and moral as well as economic sense.

233

26.8 Page 258

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CHAPTEB TWO

CHARACTERISTIGS

OF OUR PASTORAL SERVICE

350

Salesian work for the young is a collruuNrtv and

ecclesial sERvICE offered to all young people in general

and to each one individually, in his own real situation

of life and environment. In the light of this:

a) The young, especially the very poor, are at

the centre, taken in the social and cultural background

of the place where they live.

D) tua SALESIAN coMMUNITY IS AT THEIR SER-

vICE. It animates and co-ordinates a complex of activi-

ties and services with a pastoral aim. These are carried

out within the Edwcatiue Community, in the wider

context of the ecclesial community in which the young

people live.

351 A service offered to the young

Don Bosco had a true respect for the personality of

a youth, towards whom he always had the attitude of

a true servant: "Youth are our masters..."

The salesian never puts aside his office of pastor

and of guide, both encouraging and exacting. But he

offers his pastoral service in a f amily and fraternal

atmosphere of reasonable and responsible autonomy and

freedom. Knowing that young people today want more

than ever to play an active part in their own destiny,

he never forces them to accept things passively. Instead

he encourages them to collaborate actively in the dis-

234

26.9 Page 259

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covery and development of the various original gifts that

each one has by nature.l

On the other hand he recognizes the weakness of

youth. While always respecting their personality, he as-

sists in the strengthening and use of true liberty by

suitable and environmental means. As a true agent of

change, the work of the salesian helps them to form a

more just and fraternal mentality.2

352 A real service in the actual situation

In the whole world salesians have to face very diff-

erent situations. Our work must take into account our

responsibilities in the face of the problems and hopes

arising from the new social, cultural and religious situa-

tions of the world of youth.

We are asked to start not only from the condition

of our own work in general, but above all from the real

circumstances of youth we serve, in the family, in situa-

tions of culture, of relations, of spiritual life etc. And

all this in such a way as to suit the style and content

of our service (with continuous inventiveness) to the

changes in their needs and requirements. Our pastoral

service in fact must be aimed at the needs and re-

quirements of the person rather than at the satisfaction

of structural demands.

A total service

353

Ours is a total service, for it is offered to all people

young without distinction of age, social condition, belief,

or political opinion. Our preference is for the needy, in

the widest sense.

1

,

Mt 23,

Cf BM

14-30.

XVII

l0-[4;

AGC XIX

102, 108, 111

235

26.10 Page 260

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In this regard we accept the words of Paul VI:

"Poverty is no longer just a matter of money. It is also

the lack of qualifications, the lack of relationships, physical

and mental handicaps, family upheavals and all the

frustrations that come from being unable to belong. Isn't

it the man who does not count who is your poor man

today? The man lvho is never listened to, who is pushed

around without consultation, the man whose ar,vful lone-

Iiness can drive him to some irrevocable gesture of

despair?" r

This total service covers all the trwe requirements and,

real need,s of youth, in body, heart and soul. An integral

formation requires as much as possible an integral ser-

vice, even when this is offered in a variety of forms and

with a variety of content, according to possibilities.a

The need for culture, for lodging, for activity and

company in free time, for educational environments full

of vitality should spur us on to develop an attitude of

truly creative service.

With adolescents and pre-adolescents our activity

will be diversified with a progressive and balanced open-

ness to the values and situations of the young.

a) Progressive maturation of young people

354

Young people have to pass from their natural in-

security to the maturity of grown up men and women.

It is all a process of maturing in body and mind, and

of personal relationships, which develops into an ever

more generous giving of oneself to God and to others.

This requires that young people be progressively freed

from ignorance of normal development in regard to the

mystery of life; from slavery to self in living out their

3

r

Paul

AGC

VI, JuIy lst 1970.

XIX 183, 189, 199.

236

27 Pages 261-270

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27.1 Page 261

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instincts and sentiments; from every tendency to shut

themselves into their own private world, which is not

always serene. For all this they need someone to con-

fi.de in, someone to whom they can open up about all

their problems.

It is indispensable to enlighten young people on the

weakness inherent in man's nature. Hence they must

become convinced of the need to master their own inclina-

tions, to control their curiosity, to strengthen their will

by freely going without some comforts and pleasures

(including Iawful ones) , through constant and fervent

prayer to him who is always their trusted frierrd.

But this is still not enough. After the meeting with

themselves comes meeting with others. The child and

the adolescent need to be helped to open themselves

out to discover the values of others and to give them-

selves to others. The salesian must help them to love

God as a father, to seek the friendship of Christ, to turn

to the example and help of the Blessed Virgin and to

discover through faith the presence of God in man.

The salesian then must help young people to unite

his powers of body, mind and heart in one ideal. This

ideal is to be the best expression of self-giving either in

family life or a closer service of God which will engage

all the generosity of the heart, in an atmosphere of deep

faith and joy.5

b) Mixed groups

355

The social climate of today and the need for an

integral education suggest that in certain places and cir-

cumstances we should take on mixed groups and activ-

ities, with all the reserve and responsibility the5z sn1ai1.

This will be a reply to an educational need which requires

5 AGC XIX 194, 198

237

27.2 Page 262

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us to accept the complete young person, immersed in his

own world, and raise him up in every respect.

These activities provide and excellent opportunity

for young men to acquire an attitude of respect and

delicacy towards women, especially at the age in which

they become the object of a new attention and emotion.6

In this regard provision must be made for the train-

ing and maturity of the confrdres, the collaboration of

qualified lay-people, and for suitable accommodation.

However, the activities of truly educative mixed

groups must tend to develop formative and social interests.

This will open the way, in the right atmosphere, to

further developments determined by the realities of the

situation and by the maturity and capabilities of the

young people and their educators.

356

The programming and reviewing of the initiatives

and activities of mixed groups should be made by the

community, in accordance with the relevant criteria and

methods laid down by the joint pastoral action of the

diocese and the province.

Relations with the family

Salesian activity should take the young in relat,ion

to the family, in order to integrate, supplement and rectify

its educative influence.

It is the task of the communities to maintain col-

laboration and a deep understanding with parents in

their shared responsibility and action. There are var-

ious forms of this collaboration. The importance of this

union between the family and ourselves in the formation

of the young should spur us on to a renewal.

6 AGC XIX 196.

238

27.3 Page 263

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357 A Community service

The formation of true pastoral communities, based

on shared responsibility and collaboration, is one of the

principal objectives of our pastoral renewal.

In the first place comes the Consecrated Comruunity

in the Risen Christ, since this is the fundamental source

of salesian action. Our service, besides fidelity to God,

is also a witness to our brothers and to the young.

A11 the Edwcq,tiue Com,rnwnity then must be integrated

into our work. Besides ourselves, the parents, lay workers

and the you,'ng tkernselaes are active members, wnited in

d,ialogue and shared responsibility at aariows leuels in all

the phases of the work of education' This work should

be carried out in a real family atmosphere, with a per-

sonal but not individualistic commitment.T

Our service should be offered to the young in the

context of their natural groupings in lile and. worh. We

should seek to develop all their potentialities from the

insid,e, from their interests, according to their rhythm

and through the action of the whole group which works

on itself and unfolds on the exterior.

358 An Ecclesial service

Salesian work is part of the pastoral work of the

Church. In this sense our service to the young is of

itself ecclesial. We recognize however that the ecclesial

d.imension of our service should be thought of in wider

terms.

Faced. by the fact of youth that is quietly drifting

away from the Church, and which does not understand

her mentality, her language and her laws, we ought, not

only as individuals but principally as a congregation, to

? AGC XIX 186.

239

27.4 Page 264

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be spokesmen of the anxieties of youth in regard to the

Church, and of those of all, the Church in regard to youth.

This entails research, experiment and study.

To act "seriowsly" in this speciflc field of its apos-

tolate, the salesian congregation should ask the competent

ecclesiastical authorities for all the necessary faculties,

among them that of adapting the litwrgy to youth, as

missionaries do for peoples of different culture.

3s9

The salesians, in a spirit of collaboration and of

active participation, should share in the pastoral work

of the local churches, bringing to it the richness of our

Founder's special charism.s

This they will do by participating, as far as possible

actively, in the various Church organizations and move-

ments which are concerned with youth. Our total pre-

sence, our sensibility and our real driving force should be

the expression of our ecclesial service.

On the other hand it will be the duty of each sales-

ian community, by means of its educative work, to bring

the great ideas and directives of the Church into the

world of youth.

8 CD 35.

240

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CHAPTER THREE

PASTORAL ATTITUDES

AND AGTION

360

The salesian community, in the light of the present

day situation of youth and of the nature of our pastoral

service, should be brought to a deep renewal of its pastoral

attitudes and, sitwatiozs, seeking to re-live Don Bosco,

sent by God as father and teacher of youth.

In renewing their pastoral attitudes and situations,

as a living expression of the preventive system, salesians

should adopt the methods appropriate to the needs proper

to each stage of development, pre-adolescence, adolescence

and youth.

a) Pastoral attitude of research

361

The salesians work among hundreds of thousands of

young men and boys. But we are so often embarrassed

at the thought of the great numbers who avoid the Church

and who are L prey to alienating situations.

It is true that many young men are already helped

in their formation in our houses. But a salesian house,

even when it is open to the needs of local youth, is not

fulfi.lling its apostotic mission in the contmunity completely

if it remains the only place where salesians can meet

the young.

Like Don Bosco, and imitating the zeal and love of

the Good Shepherd, the salesians must seek out the

young where they are, going to where they live and

241

27.6 Page 266

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work. In certain places and in certain circumstances,

groups of salesians, going beyond our usual practice and

in accordance with the planning and consent of the local

and provincial communities, will have to engage in a

trwe work of ruissionary searching, entering into the life

of youth groups and activities apart from our own works.

The Special General Chapter invites us to multiply

the kinds of presence and service of salesians among the

young. Hence it considers as true salesian action a1l

that a salesian community does for the young in the

spirit of Don Bosco, whether all together or through some

of its members, witkin or apart lrom our oan uorh, or

in activities organized by ourselves or others.l

The character of this service must stem from the

prudent and counacEous RESpoNSrBrLrry oF THE LocAL

coMMUNrry in agreement with the superiors (provincial,

council, chapter) within the pastoral work of the local

church, and after studying the real situation of the youth

of the place and the solid possibilities of the community.

b) An attitude of meeting

362

Seeking out the young makes for personal contacts

with groups and with each individual. In this the sales-

ian will follow the example of Jesus, who loved and

sought after personal contact. His approach will be one

of humility and trust, modelled on the goodness of Don

Bosco. Thus he will base his pastoral relationship with

the young on respect for the person, a warm, heedful

and ready acceptance, the ability to listen with real

interest in their problems, ambitions, diversions, initia-

tives, etc.2

I

,

Cf

cf

AGC XIX

MB xvrr

104.

107-114.

242

27.7 Page 267

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Salesians should seek this progressive contact with

the young above all in the places and activities wkere

they behaae rnost sfontaneowsly. In a spirit of manly

simplicity they should seek to be collaborators and friends

of the young, so as to achieve a true spiritual contact,

deep and. respectf ul, after the style and example of

Don Bosco.

Our pastoral zeal will urge us to keep seeking for

occasions to meet the young people who are farthest

from God, even when so often they are within our educa-

tional communities. This attitude requires humility, res-

pect for freedom of conscience, willingness to suffer and

opportune sharing of their lives in the things they like best.

363

t

c) An attiude of presence

Our meeting with youth must not be merely oc-

casional, even when full of goodness and ready respect.

We must achieve a permanent presence in their wor1d,

like Jesus, who "pitched his tent amongst us," and like

Don Bosco, who created a real family with the young'

And we should likewise give them the possibility of liv-

ing their "world" also within our works-

At all costs therefore, we salesians of today must

be f aithful to this active presence, a presence which

inspires and brings new life, which meets the needs of

the young, and respects their true liberty. In this way

we shall rediscover and relive the true meaning of sales-

ian ass'isting.3

Furthermore, the congregation should look into itself

to see whether the presence of salesians among the young

produces a good effect on those especially who set the

pattern of life for others (university students, groups of

workers or the poor, young immigrants etc.). New work

3 AGC XIX 60, 108, 186.

243

27.8 Page 268

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and experiments will be needed to establish a presence

in these sectors of youth.

The collaboration of lay-people will enrich our pres-

ence among the young. It will enable us to allot our

personnel according to the real needs of the young people

of the area, with experiments in youth centres, factories,

and poor areas of cities.

d) An attitude of understanding

364

The world of today's youth is something new. Its

values and expressions are very different from our !r/ay

of observing and living. Our lasting presence and sharing

in life will necessarily bring salesians and the young to

a mutual, lively and real understanding.a

Following the example of Christ, Don Bosco sought

to love and understand the young in their real situations.

He understood their possibilities and resources, the limita-

tions and weaknesses deeply rooted in their nature. We

salesians should get to know the trend.s and requirements

of youth, the social upheavals they are caught up in,

the moral and idealogical difficulties and dangers of their

environment, their style of life, the workings of their

life together, their extcrnal show of happiness and their

internal faults and weaknesses.s

To promote this understanding, the community should

endeavour to be fund,amental,ly "young" and, human, able

to aalue al,l tke richness ol youth in tod,ay,s society.

We need to study, to reflect, to observe, to live

with and to listen to the young individually and in groups,

avoiding constant condemnation and refutation of their

values and attitudes. We must judge and understand

them in relation to their own background and mentality.

I Cf MB XVII 107-114.

6 Cf AGC XIX 1S3.

244

27.9 Page 269

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The basis of all understanding is not so much ideas and

arguments as love.6

e) An attitude of dialogue

36s

It is not enough to reach an understanding with

young people. We must also ga"in their confidence and

so arrive at a dialogue in the search for what is good.

Following the method of the gospels, Don Bosco

practised different forms of dialogue in his preaentiae

system through the channels of 'reason, religion and kindli-

ness...' 'Without forcing the pace,' he sought to make

the young gradually take responsibility for their form-

ation, as free men and as christians.

The dialogue of salesians with the young is a constant

and, patient stitnul,us to their interior liberty, a:rd initiative,

in a vital relationship of fraternal communion.

On the personal level the salesians practise dialogue

in individual conversations, as educators in giving guid-

ance and council, allorving the young "freedom to ex-

press themselves" or as pastors in personal talks, includ-

ing confession, on the problems of the life of faith, prayer

and apostolate.?

The salesian should not forget that dialogue is not

just a matter of words, but above all of witness and the

EXAMPLE OF LIVING.

Our pastoral action should help the young to pass

from the word to that life which stems from the word

of God, light of the world, made man and living among us.

The salesians, 'sent like Don Bosco from God to the

young,' place themselves by the side of the young to offer

them help in the name of Christ the Liberator.

6 Cf MO 36; AGC XI)( 192-194.

? Cf Sistema preuentiuo in Regulatiots 92-94.

245

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CHAPTER FOUB

THE FREEDOM-GIVING

GOSPEL MESSAGE'

366

The pastoral attitudes and methods of our service

to the young must be co-ordinated in view of a specifi.c

aim: 'Edwcation to a contm,itted faith.'2

Christ lived human reality to the lul,l.; every man is

called to live his own reality in Christ. This implies a

continual 'Passover' (Christ's paschal action) from a sel-

fish mode of life to full communion. The freedom-giving

gospel of the Church leads to this by means of the Pro-

clamation of the Word (religious teaching), the Celebra-

tion of the Word (Iiturgy), and the Living of the Word

(groups, communities).

The formation of a 'committed faith' has its own

dynamism which must involve all these elements. Here

is the key to the pastoral renewal of our communities

and of the whole Congregation.

We meet with adolescents and young people gathered

in more or less spontaneous groups in schools, youth

centres, hostels, boarding schools and apostolic move-

ments (Y.C.W., Catholic Action, etc.). If we are to find

our true place as educators, the only way is through a

real study of these groups and the discovery of the trends

we should help forward.

If salesian communities fail to organize their activ-

I This part is given a fuller development in the document

on

Evangelization

, AGC XIX

and

182.

Catechesis (Document

3).

246

28 Pages 271-280

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28.1 Page 271

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ities in the light of this dynamism they will be left only

on the fringe of the real life of the young, even where

the nature of the work entails close spatial proximity.3

fn these conditions the liberating message of Christ will

neither bring about the transformation of the young,

nor commit their lives in faith.

Here is a brief analysis of the complementary elements

and steps in this dyrramism.

a) Starting from the facts

367

Our pastoral service must start from the real con-

ditions of the people served. In the case of adolescents

and pre-adolescents it is their interior world which needs

to be structured, changed and opened out to the people

and things around them.

The young man, on the other hand, finds himself

caught up in a definite environment and process of his-

tory. He feels the pressing need for a transformation

in the conditions of social life.

The fi.rst step is to discover the relation and the

influence (and hence responsibility) of our action on this

real state of the young. It is the natural fi.eld in which

further progressive tasks can be undertaken. Because

of this, all our activity within or owtside our ou)n worhs,

must be co-ordinated as an authentic agent of change

in order to establish the kingdom of God.

b) ln groups - thought and lived

368

We find young people, immersed in natural groups,

frantically chasing various objectives, which very often

possess only superficial and alienating interests.

Our pastoral service must take up the task of sup-

porting and animating groups, bringing them down to

3 MB XVII 107-1t4.

247

28.2 Page 272

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reality, offerirg initiatives of real interest to the young,

stimulating their creativity and the discovery of the chris-

tian values which are often already present there.

If the opportunity is taken, ordinary life ofiers oc-

casion for the activity of groups in various sectors: social,

cultural, apostolic, recreational. Through these activities

we help young people and groups to formulate problems

and to reflect on them.a

The deepest questions of life, as raised in this group-

reflection on the basis of activity and experience, give

us a platform for communicating the faith. They create

a need in the young person for universal and definitive

answers and solutions.

'fhis dynamism ol refl,ection and actiaity in the group

helps the young to become aware of the real situation

of their life in the world.

c) Through the Word of God

369

Tke Word ol God studied and meditated on per-

sonally and in the group ieads the young to find the

response to the approach of Christ. fn contact with the

Spirit of God through the christian experience of com-

munity, he begins to share in the genuine communion of

faith and acquires a progressive christian conscience.

370

Awareness entails an analysis and judgement of one-

self and the environment. It stimulates the young to

progressive commitment both in the discovery of chris-

tian and human values and the rejection of negative values

in their own lives and in unjust social situations.s

The Word of God, accepted in individual intimacy

and given fresh life by the community in prayer, nourishes

the progressive conversion of the young person. It brings

a Cf. S'istema Preaenttuo, Regulations 9l

5 Cf AGC XIX 19s.

248

28.3 Page 273

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him to the maturity of a mentality imbued with the

beatitudes, and it frees him from the outlook of a con-

sumer society, in bondage to utility and pleasure.

We must adopt the reneued, and, up-dated, means

which ofier young people the possibility of meeting the

living Word of God: the liturgy, study and meditation

on the bible, personal reflection, group revision of life,

short but deep talks with the educator, the 'good night'

as a means of throwing light on the christian value of

events.6

d) ln the Liturgy

371

The Word of God, living and efiective in the liturgy,

enables young persons to discover and identify with the

Risen Christ. It arouses in them the paschal attitude of

death and resurrection to life. Grafted into Christ, liv-

ing and present, they believe and share in the resurrec-

tion as in an actual happening.

Through the cross Jesus becomes truly free and by

rising from the dead he becomes for ever the liberator

of mankind. In the liturgy the young unite themselves

in Christ to their brothers. They discover the sense of

a struggle for freedom from their own sin and that of

others, as from a situation of injustice and negation of

the nelv man.

The Body of the Risen Christ, received in the

fraternal banquet of the Eucharist, transforms the life of

the young, frees them from selfishness and spurs them

to some form of commitment to others, with a 'sense

of interior festivity and visible communion with the

whole of mankind.'7

6 Sistema Preaent'iao, Regulations 94.

? Taiz6: Pronouncement of the Council ot' the Young; Prea

System, Regul. 92.

249

28.4 Page 274

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The penitential liturgy in sacramental confession

brings the young to experience the joy of reconciliation

with God and with their brothers, and that true freedom

which is also "a constant striving towards holiness,

towards the absolute of the love of God and of our

brothers." 8

372

Today more than ever before we must help the young

to rediscover the value of prayer in dedicated living.

It gives fresh vigour to faith; it enables them to listen,

to seek out and to follow the Spirit; it builds up inter-

ior life and creates community in and with Christ.

In the certainty that Christ is living and present,

in the enlightened and joyful struggle for goodness, the

young can live a, sere,ne and, positiae pwrity, as a true

liberation from all selfishness, the fullness of love and

enthusiasm for apostolic commitment.

Like Don Bosco, we salesians should consider it our

special feature and characteristic to have a renewed com-

mitment especially today, to promote purity in the young,

as a sign of the presence of Christ working in them.g

By the side of the young stands Mary who is the

Mother and Helper of their lives and of the Church.lo

She is their model in christian commitment. With her

"fiat" she gives them the example of being at the dis-

position of God's plan of life by which he willed to free

all men in Christ. Faithful also in this to Don Bosco,

as salesians we renew our undertaking to bring the young,

right from their early years, to a devotion and love for

Mary Help of Christians. To this end we relive and renew

the most varied initiatives.

8

,

Paur YI, D'iscourse

Cf AGC XIX I95.

Pax

Ronaana,

22-7-71.

'0 cf AGC xIX 190.

254

28.5 Page 275

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e) For an apostolic commitment in community

373

Conversion through the word of God and transform-

ation through the liturgy makes youth groups into trwe

ckristian comtmwnities, dedicated to real, integral service

to the most needy. Thus they learn to discover, love

and build up the Church, as an effective sign of com-

munion and service. By this service they become witnesses

and faithful messengers of the gospel that makes man

free, and so they relive the undertakings of their con-

fi.rmation.

In the heart of christian groups it is our task to

help the young to live their social duties, from their

every day work to the struggle for the liberation of their

brothers and the reign of justice and love in themselves

and others.

To this end, contact and even integration with exist-

ing christian movements will be very helpful. This gives

the young a great sense of efiectiveness, a progressive

awareness of the Church, and a greater guarantee of

continuity.

True social and political commitment should spring

from reflection and prayer in the word of God, practised

in common. It is not for us to predetermine defi.nite

paths for young people, but our action must give them

the light to discover objective situations of sin, to discern

the underlying questions, to turn to the gospel, to reflect

calmly and objectively, and to choose the right course

of action, always renewed, which corresponds progressively

to the demands of the gospel.

Our help must always be at hand, as demanded

by our mission of pastors in their communities.ll

374

Like Don Bosco, we must dedicate ourselves to guid-

1r Cf OA passim.

251

28.6 Page 276

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ing, forming and developing apostolic vocations in the

Church: growp leaders and, priestly and, religiou,s uocations.

This is the crown of all pastoral work the young: to help

them to recognize their proper place in the Church, to

chose a committed mode of life on the basis of this chris-

tian vision.

This specific pastoral work for vocations presupposes

and is grafted on to our general pastoral youth rvork.

It requires a real effort to examine the value of our

action and to restructure it.

Without neglecting larger places and groups, we must

have a special care for the formation of the most promis-

ing young peopie. This task should be assigned to con-

frdres well qualifled in the knovvledge of the present values

of youth, but above all who have a great spirit of faith.

By example rather than by words they will knorv how

to arouse love and dedication to the gospel in the hearts

of the young.

252

28.7 Page 277

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CHAPTER FIVE

SOME STBUCTURES WITHIN

WHICH PASTORAL ACTION TAKES PLACE

375

The treatment of salesian pastoral action among the

\\roung takes place within certain structures which ought

to incorporate its characteristics, and in which the educat-

ir-rg community can realize the necessary pastoral attitudes.

Our treatme:rt will be concerned only rvith those

structures which are most widespread, either by reason

of the reaffirmation of their relevance or their greater

correspondence to local needs. This does not exclude the

validity of any other form which embodies the mission

and spirit of Don Bosco among the young.

We shall also consider the question of action in

non-salesiar structures.

Oratory/Youth Centre

376

The confrdres almost unanimously confi.rmed the prior-

ity and relevance of this work.l A generally precarious

situation is reported of oratories almost everywhere. An

effective fresh start is proposed. This entails an up-dating

of methods and an openness to all youth the salesians

care for, and a sensibility to local conditions.2 This

work is one of the most genuine proofs of the assimilation

I ASC 203 p 47.

' AGC XIX 134-140'. Relazione generale sullo stato della Con-

gregaz'ione, Fn. RrccBnr, 105-107.

253

28.8 Page 278

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of Don Bosco's outlook by the Congregation. Its great

adaptability had led to a great versatility and variety of

organization.

Its most common traits are:

and

you-thst,heesepxeisctiaelnlycethoef

numerous groups of

needy, with various

young boys

appropriate

organizations and activities;

ity

and-

various degrees of human and christian matur-

of commitment in individuals and groups. Like-

wise various levels of participation in the life and activ-

ities of the Oratory-Youth Centre;

educati-ve

a complex of varied

use of free time;

activities,

developed,

as

an

_- a spontaneous family atmosphere in which the

salesians, their collaborators and boys share everything,

creating a lively sense of trust and belonging.3

We find a great diversity throughout the Congre-

gation not only in organization but also in name. We

have Oratories, Youth Centres, Youth Clubs, Don Bosco

Clubs and so on. For practical reasons the Special Gen-

eral Chapter makes no attempt at a world wide uniformity

of terminology. Every province or region will use the

name it thinks most suitable in the local circumstances.

This work is a community service which has as its

aim the evangelization and religious instruction of the

youth in a certain area. Its activities are mainly free-

time activities, organized in open forms, interwoven into

the boys' lives, suited to their psychology and catering

for their most lively and varied interests.

It has a much more obvious missionary dimension

than other forms of youth work. Its pastoral action,

3 MB XVII 14.

254

28.9 Page 279

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besides embracing the families, extends to youths, boys

and children outside its walls.a

377

It is indispensable to create at educatitte commwnity 5

in the Oratory-Youth Centre. Provincials should give

priority in assigning salesians to this work, who are gifted

with pastoral creativity and suited to team-work. Lay

collaborators, besides fiIling the administrative posts that

can well be entrusted to them, enrich our pastoral action

in animating various groups, in religious instruction and

in other formative activities. Besides this, they give a

special witness to christian living in a form different

from ours.6 A special effort should be made to obtain

the collaboration of parents.

In the Oratory-Youth Centre helpers should be train-

ed from among the boys and youths who show more

ability and qualities for the various duties that can be

entrusted to them.?

The salesian and l.y personnel should be pro-

perly trained, and should undertake continuous in-service

training.

378

In this work we salesians seek to offer the young

the opportunity of overcoming self and of discovering

and developing their own resources. Hence, rather than

preoccupying ourselves with things which "attract" the

boys, we ought to arouse in them an awareness of the

great questions of life and awaken their hidden ideals.

We must guide and live their transformation, helping

them along the way of real achievement, more with the

witness of our example than with our words.8

a Cf no. 363; MB VI ll, 542: YII,54-55; XIX, 216; DBsne-

ueur, las constitutions salesiennes de 1966, 29-32.

5 Cf no. 357; AGC XIX 139.

6 Cf no. 368.

1 Crsr, La comun'itd ed,ucati'ua 15.

8 MB II, 530; III, 620; IY, 514.

255

28.10 Page 280

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It rvill always be our concern to create an id.eal

setting for a meeting of educator and subject, seeking

at the same time to form in them thc mentality of the

"new man" in Christ, so as to establish the kingdom

of God. This therefore rvill be a new mentality of com-

mitment to justice, which will make of the salesian lvork

in which it has grown up a true agent of change in human

and social conditions.

The difierent conditions of the Oratory-youth Centrc

ofier our pastoral action many means, values and. oppor-

tunities for the complete formation of boys and youth.

These activities enable us to give a recreational and form-

ative aspect to the use of their free time. The different

groups find the most varied possibilities of cultivating

their talents, of developing their social sense by living

and working together, of growing in appreciation of spiri-

tual values and of sharing in the process of freedom-giving

evangelization.

Since the help and christian formation we give the

boys rnu,st be rooted, in their lives, we admit the participation

of girls in those activities which seem suitable, bearing

in mind the real needs of difierent places.e

379

Not all the boys or youth groups rvho come to the

Oratory-Youth Centre have the same level of human and

christian maturity and commitment.

A flexible organization should allolv the existencc of

groups with a more serious commitment, both in the

religious and social fi.eld. We must recognize that one

of the present difficulties that beset this work is preciseiy

the lack of possibilities {or the young people to under-

take some worth-while action to satisfy thcir ideals of

helping their neighbour and serving God as laymen.

As the social and geographic conditions in cities are

e Cf nos. 355-356.

256

29 Pages 281-290

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29.1 Page 281

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always changing, so we too must continually review and

redimension the action of the Oratory-Youth Centre in

its various forms, adapting it to the new demands.

The activities of the Oratory-Youth Centre should

be an integral part of the joint pastoral action of the

local church. It should have a special relationship rvith

the salesian parish, if it in its area. There should be

suitable agreements and the necessary links with lay

movements and apostolic organizations, aud also with

civil youth organizations.

Schools

380

"Our world is subject to deep and rapid changes in

all sectors of tife. The population explosion, the social-

ization and regional planning of all activities and social

and cultural improvements have all had significant reper-

cussions in the scholastic field. They have provoked

crises concerning the nature, function, content and method

of education. In many countries a complete reconstruc-

tion of education is in progress, to bring it in line with

the needs of the new culture. We are all aware of the

seriousness and extent of this unrest which involves a

large part of our traditional educational field. Possible

solutions to this complex problem should be studied and

adopted in agreement with the individual Episcopal Con-

ferences which our schools come under." 10

Special attention should be given to the actual state

and mode of operation of our schools, mainly because

many confrdres cannot see how they fulfil the conditions

necessary for a full pastoral apostolate.ll

The Special General Chapter therefore calls on the

individual provincial and local communities to see whether

in our many schools, including the technical and trade

r0 cD 35.

rr PeP ist 6 & 8,

257

29.2 Page 282

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schools, the conditions are fulf,lled for a true salesian

apostolate 12 as laid down by the XIX General Chapter

and by this document.

381

The Second Vatican Council has given the catholic

school a very valid role in the present crisis. It is above

all a commwnity imbted with the gospel spirit of lreedom

and charity.ls

It is the task of everyone, educators and boys, to

build up a living community, with the collaboration of

parents.la But the salesians have a special part to play.

A priest, as minister of the word and of the sacraments

and as a pastor, has his own proper role. His work as a

teacher should fit into this role.l5 The lay confrdre, espec-

ially in the technical and trade schools, has the res-

ponsibility of giving the boys a christian outlook on

work.16. This helps the boys to enter into their profess-

ional world, with all its problems, without losing sight

of supernatural values. In this it is a great help to main-

tain contact with those apostolic movements which are

concerned with the working class.

382

For the school to be a comrnwnity, teaching cannot

be just a technical matter: it must be a meeting betaeen

persons. The teachers are required to respect the varied

gifts and individuality of each pupil. Their presence

among the boys should be a direct presence of witness,

education and gradual evangelization. Only thus can

the school be an apostolate in which they are masters

of life in truth, justice and love.l?

u AGC XrX 105.

13 GE 8; Cf Letter of Ceno. Vrrror to the President of ApEL

(Osservat. romano 13 Nov. 1971).

ra Cf no. 356.

r5 PO 4-6.

18 GS 67.

1? Cf N{B X I0l8; XVII 442.

258

29.3 Page 283

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The scholastic community is a community open to

dialogue. In it a boy can develop his personality in a

creative manner. Always within the community, he can

deepen his own searching until he discovers the true

meaning of creation and of history, which is hidden in

the subjects he studies and the craft he learns.l8

Dialogue also concerns a boy's future. The choice

of a state in life or of a profession is of the utmost im-

portance. It is the tash ol the entire pastoral action ol

the community to help the boy to know his own vocation,

to deepen his appreciation o{ its motives and to prepare

to live it fully.

Our schools will take the greatest care to seek and

guide good vocations to the priesthood and religious lifc

from among the half million boys who attend them.

Neither can we put aside their task of forming chris-

tian leaders for society, professionally and technically able

to be a christian leaven among others who have not

had a christian education.

383

Salesian schools should preserve their traditional

popular character which avoids all economic, social and

racial distinctions. When boys of different origins and

character come to us and live together in an atmosphere

of understanding and dialogue, there results an enrich-

ment of education and the formation of truly christian

friendships.

The provincial with his council, after hearing the

views of the local community, should examine ways of

solving the fi.nancia1 problem so as not to exclude poor

and needy boys. Where this is not possible he should

study the possibility of changing the type of service

that the community offers to the young.

The SGC insists that our schools should be lull tirne

18 Cf GS 61

259

29.4 Page 284

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schools. They should encourage all those extra activities

rvhich can complete the formation of the boys, in the

family spirit that belongs to the salesian house.ls

These activities should not be over-formalized. All

the educators, salesians and laymen, should collaborate

in them. According to the maturity of the boys the

development of associations should be encouraged, with

different groups for reflection and life.2o

384

They should also be open to the more urgent local

nceds for the education of poor boys and for technical

and academic qualifi.cations for the working class, espec-

iall5z fs1 those under-privileged in this respect. Using all

the rneans suggested by a creative imagination, lve should

promote more human and just ways of living, ,uvhich are

consequently more christian.2l

Special care should be taken not to create in the

boys the ambition of always 'going one better' in material

things instead of 'being better.' Liker,vise we should avoid

every evasion or alienation from the social background

of the pupils. Hence the schools should form a real part

of local society.

Salesians should try to exert a positive influence on

scholastic evolution and keep it under constant review

and rene'"val. Hencc they should propose and promote

in the educational community a constant check on syll-

abuses, on methods, on the culture transmitted, on the

values entailed, on relations with the social system, on

the image of man rvhich is formed, on religious education

and on pastoral vocational guidance.22

re Cf no. 364; Cf also CG XIX "Boarding & Day Schoo1s."

,o Cf no. 357.

2r

,r

GE 12; GS 60, 66, 85; PC

Note of the Holy See Re:

13,

the

GE 9; OA 11.

themes of the

international

Year of Education, Feb. l97l; Fn. RrccBnr, Relazione gen. ll};

ASC 252.

260

29.5 Page 285

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Our schools should rvork in intimate co-operation

with other educational institutes at all levels within the

joint pastoral action. Where possible, competent sales-

ians should seek to have a voice, directly or indirectly,

in the direction of the regional or national educational

system.23

385

To fit our schools for the aims stated above will

be to give them a new dimension, both qualitatively and

quantitatively. If a careful study shows that one of

our schools does not meet these requirements it will be

our duty to the Church, to civil society and to the Congre-

gation to courageoot'sly reneu it or close il, in agreement,

if necessary, with the local ecclesiastical authority.za

To avoid such a critical situation salesian schools

should adopt those truly pastoral attitudes which, in the

spirit and educational system of Don Bosco, turn a school

into "a boys' parish." There the salesian, in seeking,

by contacts through his presence, rvith understanding and

dialogue will bring his boys to the gospel which frces and

saves them.

Hostels and Boarding Schools

.4 hostel is att. institution i,n ahich tke boys go

to school or uorh outside tke salesian house. Tke

boarding school (or college) is an institcttion in

which the boys go to school in the salesiq.n house

itsell.

a) The service which they offer to youth

386

The hostel and boarding school meet the needs of

many families which are obliged to send their sons away

,3 GE 12.

'1 CD 35; AGC XIX 105

261

10

29.6 Page 286

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for their education or work, or who wish to provide a

more intensely christian education for them.2b

As regards hostels, we should also mention those for

workers or university students who are far away from

their families.

Boarding schools also meet one of the most serious

present problems in the field of education: that of orphans

and abandoned boys.

Besides considering the social service rend.ered by

these houses, we must also consider their scope for pas-

toral action, if we are to establish their validity relative

to the present day salesian mission. They offer the boys

a view of life and a moral and religious training which

they would not otherwise get. They help them to prepare

for an active and conscious participation in school life,

or in work, and then in society, with a christian and

apostolic outlook.26

A11 this means that it is valid to retain hostels and

boarding schools, as long as the right conditions are

created in the ed,ucational community for the pastoral at-

titudes spoken of in this document.2?

b) Pastoral renewal of hostels

387

The houses should be such as to promote the family

atmosphere that is so necessary for this kind of salesian

work. Each age-group and category should have its own

accommodation. The rules of discipline should be in ac-

cordance with the age and development of the boys.

The educators, salesians and laymen, who work in

hostels, should try constantly to keep up to date in all

that regards their work. They should be in frequent

,5 Cf AGC XIX 111.

,6 cf AGC XIX 105, 111

27 Cf nos.363-368.

262

29.7 Page 287

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contact with the schools and places of work the boys

go to, since they go to school or work outside.

The boys must be helped when possible to keep in

frequent contact with their teachers. They should also

be allowed to go home frequently so as to develop nat-

ural relations with their families. fn accordance with

their age and development they should participate in

the organization of the life of the hostel.

Activities should be planned to form adolescents into

self-reliant autonomous and consciously responsible chris-

tians. These skould not be restricted to life within the

hostel. They should lead to a d,ialogue based on the

problems of society which are reflected in the schools and

workshops they go to.28

In this way they are prepared for their mission in

the family, in society and in the Church.

c) Benewal of Boarding Schools

388

We cannot think of the renewal of our houses for

boarders unless we think of them in terms ol lile rather

than in pwrety scholastic tervns. Only within an educative

community, utilizing the situation of the boys, can pupils

and educators live together serenely and cheerfully, with

spontaneous attitudes, and achieve a gradual but ever

more intense readiness for mutual collaboration.2e

Boarders must be trained as persons with a free

and active conscience, so that they can gradually come

to live a christian life in ever greater depth, showing an

outstanding quality of responsibility, as men who will

soon have to make serious decisions before God, them-

selves and society.

,8 AGC XIX lll.

2'g GE 8; AGC XIX 108

263

29.8 Page 288

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389

Salesians should be convinced of the necessity of the

gradual participation of the boys and, when possible, of

their parents in the organization of the life and activities

of the boarders. The boys should be considered. as shar_

ing responsibility lor the educatiae work of the school. They

should be trained for the responsibilities they will progress-

ively have to take up during their stay with us.

Various initiatives should be planncd in association

with them. In accordance with the three principles of

our system: reason, religion and kindliness, we should

auoid. eaery uniustifi,ed, imposition, especially as regards the

life of prayer.

Formation for social and apostolic life, with which

the family should as

fruitful field in the

far as possible be associated, fi.nds a

boarding school. There are many

responsibilities which can be entrusted to the pupils.

Through the formation of more committed groups, led

by the teacher, the boys come into contact with the

various problems of the region. A11 this requires a flex_

ible organization.so

One problem requiring special attention is that of

perseverance. Deep convictions must be formed. We must

always keep in mind the life the boy will have to lead

when he leaves the school, rather than his life in the school,

especially as regards religious and liturgical {ormation.31

390

The SGC therefore calls on the provinces to encourage

well conducted experiments in boarding schools organized,

in aarious ways and, ad,apted, to the need,s ol the young people

of tod,ay.

Service outside our houses

391

Many young people cannot be rcached through our

ordinary works, but only in their natural environment

30 AGC XIX 108; GE 4

3r GE 4.

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and in their own spontaneous style of life. In accordance

with the educational and pastoral directives of the local

Church, and sent by the local or provincial community,

the salesians should bring to these young people a direct

prnreussetnaclewaoyf schbreistthiaencowmitrnnewsnsity-

education. However, il

uhich ta,hes responsibility,

and this safeguards continuity in the work.32

Und,er this service we can list chaplaincies and the

assistance we give to the Daughters of Mary Help of

Christians, to our co-operators and to past pupils. There

may also be other needs of the local Church in which

salesians are invited to help, as in institutions or apostolic

movements outside our houses, or in the creation of com-

munities giving a special service in pastoral youth work.

The provincial, with his council will provide for these

needs, within the practical possibilities of the province.33

392

The Special General Chapter believes this question to

be so important and topical that the whole provincial

community should be aware of it.

For this reason, while reserving to the provincial and

his council the freedom to provide for the apostolic needs

of each house, the Special General Chapter believes it

opportune that the question of salesian service outside

our houses should be treated coctrageowsly and' realistically

by the provincial chapter, which would take into account

thc situation and needs of our lvorks.

For practical measures entailed in these doctrinal and

pastoral guide-lines, see the constitutions and regulations'

3t GE 2.

33 AGC XrX 154-167

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CHAPTER SIX

PRACTICAL DIRECTIVES

393

Some extracts from the General Report of the Rector

Major on the state of the Congregation and from the

various documents that came in from the provinces prior

to the Special General Chapter form the basis for a plan

of action in connection with our renewal.l

a) In applying the deliberations of the XIX General

Chapter in connection with our pastoral work, the fruitful

nature of this type of activity was soon obvious in many

parts of the world, where it took on a far deeper and

incisive aspect. The main reason for this was that the

whole programme of work was planned and subsequently

put into effect by the community as a body.

b) This was not the case however in other places

where the whole spirit of the XIX General Chapter was

generally overlooked or applied only reluctantly.

This was partly due to the lack of co-responsibility

on the part of the community which found it diffrcult to

make an objective revision of its work and aims. In

addition to this no effective collaboration with the laity

was achieved. They should be the ones to take over

much of the administration that up to now has been

done by us, thus leaving us free for a more direct and

open pastoral dedication.

Instead, we have unfortunately allowed other im-

portant but secondary matters to occupy us to too great

1 Fa. Riccppr, On tlte State ol the Congregat,ion p 103-110.

266

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an extent, such as discipline, economy, scholastic and

sports results, etc.

c) It could be that a good preparation for, or the

inclination to meet specific pastoral needs was lacking.

Apostolic inventiveness was also missing. The salesian

mission in many areas has unfortunately not been able

to find that NBw PRESENcE which a changing world

demand.s. Muck ol the uork ol the XIX General, Chapter

has remained a dead letter.

394

In the light of all this and with the hope of a more

fruitful appiication of what has now been presented, the

Special General Chapter gives the following practical

directives:

A. Pastoral action

395 1. The renewal of pastoral work in the Congregation

and in each province will be obtained, in the opinion of

the Special General Chapter, if the following points in

the doctrine of an EDUCATTvE coMMUNrrY are put into

practice:

a) co-responsibility in the running of affairs on the

part of religious and lay ed,ucators, of the pupils and

their families;

b) The programming and periodic revision of aII

the educative work of the community;

c) the creation of a real family atmosphere in which

the active and. fraternal presence of tt " educator is i#

dispensable;

d,) tine division of the boys into groups according

to age and degree of PreParation.

396 2. The salesian educator, being responsible before God

and society for the most suitable type of practical ser-

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vice on

try out

behalf of the young, must always be ready to

new forms of pastoral activity. This creative

spirit will find its best outlet in the local and provincial

communities which will both guide and stimuiate it.

397

3. An essential element of our pastoral activity and

its natural consequence is the promotion and care of

possible religious and priestly vocations and youth leaders.

This is one of the more immediate and responsible ser-

vice we can offer.

B. Types of service at different structural levels

398

Provincial Chapters and Councils should study the

present state of affairs in relation to their service to the

Church and Youth. In the light of their findings they

showld tahe tke necessary steps to bring abowt whatever

changes might be needed in the work being done, both

as regards amount and complexity as well as its aims

and geographical situation.

To this end the following principles should be applied:

a) tli,e main criterion to be followed in deciding

whether a work should continue or be closed down is

the possibility or otherwise of carrying out real pastoral

activity there. To continue a purely mechanical and

pastorally inefficacious form of activity which merely

wears out the confrdres is inadmissible;

D) the work must meet the needs of the area where

it is situated;

c) large and complex works should be broken up

into sections, each with its own sector of operation and,

if necessary, its own personnel;

d) work for the young outside our own schools

and houses will depend on the urgency of the need for

our service in the joint pastoral activity of the local

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church, and the possibility in the light of our other com-

mitments.

399

2. Youth Centres and Services should be organized

at provincial national, or regional level as the case may

be; they should be staffed by qualified salesians engaged

full-time in such work.

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Document 5

SALESIAN WORK IN PARISHES

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CHAPTER ONE

CHARACTERISTICS OF SALESIAN

PARISH WORK

1. Salesian Mission and the parish apostolate

400

The apostolic zeal of our Father, still alive in the

hearts of his sons, and the pastoral needs of the local

churches, have led our Congregation to accept more parish

work; but such a ministry is an authentic salesian apos-

tolate only if we remain faithful to our mission and con-

tinue the special work of our Founder for the young

and the poorer classes.

401

In responding to the call of the Church to dedicate

ourselves to the care of the people of God in more efiec-

tive and direct ways, we find in the parish ministry great

possibilities and favourable conditions for fulfilling our

specific mission, the education of young people of the

poorer classes.

We can in fact make more efiective contact with

the young and come to know them better when we meet

them in their natural environment and acquire a first-

hand knowledge of their real problems in life.

In a parish we are in touch with the child throughout

the whole period of his education till he reaches maturity,

and at the same time we have a direct and continuous

relationship with his family. Such a relationship is all

the more necessary at the present day, because when

young people live in a de-christianized social milieu,

education is of little avail unless at the same time we

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try to re-evangelize the family and the society of which

they form a part.

The complexity of parish work and the search for

the best way of evangelizing a whole area makes it possible

to unite the activities of the different groups that make

up the salesian family into a fruitful common apostolate.

These groups can then become integral parts of the much

wider pastoral apostolate of the diocese, and hence an

expression of ecclesial unity.

We recall with a sense of gratitude the confrdres

who have kept the salesian vocation alive for years in

various countries where circumstances made parish work

their only possible field of apostolate.

They feel themselves fully and authentically salesian

in the life they lead and the mission they fulfil, and are

convinced that by following Don Bosco with generosity

they have increased the effectiveness of their pastoral

activities.

2. Obligation of renewal

402

The Council points out that there can be no renewal

of our communities unless they participate in the life

of the Church.I

In practice this means wholly uniting ourselves with

the local church, not only by bringing our particular

charism to parish work, but also by sharing in the com-

mon responsibility for the one mission of salvation in

accordance with the gifts which God has lavished on

his Church.

Consequently every provincial community wanting

to renew itself must consider how it can take a fuller

part in the joint pastoral action of each diocese, what

the characteristics of its service should be, and how

IPC2,

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effective it is, especially in the parish youth apostolate.

But it must be remembered that there are priorities

to be observed r,vith respect to the difierent works under-

taken by the Congregation and so, although the special

circumstances of particular countries will be kept in mind,

the first priority in every province must be given to the

direct apostolate for the Young.

403

The General Chapter, aware of the large number and

variety of our parish obligations,2 asks us to remember

that the kinds of pastoral work we undertake in our

parishes must fit in with those of the local church of

which they form a part.

In view of this there is a need for general criteria

for parish renewal, and we here put forward some pro-

posals for maintaining unity of spirit and style in the

variety of situations that exist.

To be efiective, a renewal must involve persons, flelds

of action, programming, and the method and manner

of approach.

3. Persons

404

For a Church working for the good of men, neither

new structures nor new methods are of primary import-

ance. What need to be renewed above all are the dis-

positions of the salesians themselves, their preparation,

and the trend and vigour of their work.

Parish work is complex, and it calls for a suffrcient

number of properly trained confrdres if there is to be

an effective apostolate amongst the difierent kinds of

peopie to be found in flats, schools, factories, clubs,

families, and especially in the youth section, where the

local church expects so much from us.

2 W'e have at present 665 parishes with 7,440,000 parishioners.

275"

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405

Where possible therefore a parish should have a

religious community of its own, whose members live,

pray and work together

it possible for them to

in an

attain

environment which makes

complete human, priestly

and salesian maturity. Such a community should con_

tinually re-examine its pastoral methods to prevent them

from becoming obsolete or ineffective.

To enable him to build up a community of brother_

hood and charity, the parish priest needs to have not

only outstanding pastoral ability but also the qualities

proper to a salesian superior.

406

it

The chief characteristic of a salesian parish is that

be administered by a religious community which wants

to live its specific mission in the Church. We are char_

acterized by what we are: by our mode of life as brothers,

and by carrying out our apostolate as a common task,

after the manner of Don Bosco.

407

Hence the salesian community attached to a par_

ish will:

a) try to be a sign and a witness, in the district

in which they work, of the spiritual values based on the

evangelical counsels that must inspire the whole life of

a parish community;

b) make it evident that all their work is animated

by the DA MIHI ANIMAS of Don Bosco, making them_

selves "all things to all men" simply and without reserve;

c) for the benefit of all, but especially the young,

tfhigeurpeooorfaDndontheBolaspcsoedw,hroesveiveaimtheweaxstratoordbiena.r.ythreelpigaioriushs

priest of the young who had no parish.,, s

3 MB III 197

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CHAPTER TWO

FIELDS OF ACTION

The concrete situation

408

Living as we do amongst the people, we fi.nd to

our sorrow that the thoughts and energies of men are

concentrated almost exclusively on this world, and that

for many of them God is either of no importance or

a stranger.

"Increasing numbers are in practice abandoning

their faith. To reject God or religion, or in practice

to do without both, is no longer an unusual or isolated

phenomenon as it was in the past." t

Even when the state of religion is better, there still

remain ambiguities and uncertainties. What we are now

facing is neither a society which firmly upholds chris-

tian principles and whose only problem is how to behave

in accordance with them, nor a society so dechristianized

that it needs new structures to re-evangelize it.

In such a situation it is the young who are most

likely to go astray, for they seem to be moving forward

to a future in which a convinced and active faith

neither exists nor matters any more.

And it is precisely in such a society that the parish

has to work.

409

Today the parish is accused of being less a com-

munity than an institution, of being indifferent to the

problems of modern man, of failing to evangelize t}re

1GS7

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people living in the parish, of being still a centre of priestly

power giving iittle responsibility to layfolk, and of preserv-

ing a rural-type structure no longer suited to an urban

development. This is caused by the size of its juridical

and territorial structure and from top-heavy functions.

fhe search for a solution

410

We can meet all these objections if we join in the

effort at renewal which is taking place in every local

church, and so bring about a more open and vigorous

evolution of the parish structure.

Today priests having the care of souls are increasingly

called upon to carry out their work in a more collegial

way (priest councils), either as part of a wider pastoral

set-up (zones, deaneries, vicariates), or for particular

groups (workers, immigrants, etc.). In the same way

salesians must be more versatile in realizing that their

mission is for young people and the poorer classes.

We must therefore revive in our apostolate not

only Don Bosco's spirit of self-sacriflce but also his

inventiveness and courage in meeting new situations with

new methods. Structures must be appraised in the light

of the possibilities they ofier for saving souls; the signs

of the times compel us to adapt them to the needs o{

the people.

The General Chapter invites all provincial commun-

ities to consider what specifi.c service the salesians work-

ing in parishes can give to meet the needs of local churches.

The Chapter also points out several preferred fi.elds of

work where there is need of the creative spirit of our

Founder to "open new avenues of approach to the world

of today and proclaim the gospel." 2

2 PO 22.

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a) Working-class parishes

411

When the Church calls us to do parish work, big

working class districts should be accepted by preference,

because they offer greater opportunities of serving the

young and the poor.

Many of these areas are becoming increasingly dechris-

tianized and present difficult pastoral problems which

compel us to find better ways of preaching Christ and

bearing him witness. In circumstances like this small

groups of confrdres are able to get vitally involved in

the concrete social situation, and can thus develop their

joint action, "reach the poor in their actual circumstances

and share their anguish and their hopes." 3 It is the duty

of the provincial community, in agreement with the bishop,

to investigate the feasibility of these miniature mission

groups, to programme their work and to keep in touch

with them.

b) Parishes for young people

412

We are very interested in the evolution of the parish

as a christian community, outside the traditional juridical

and territorial limits, whose pastoral activity is directed

tor,vards a particular group. With this in mind we shall

be ready to answer the caII of the bishop to run parishes

for young people, such as apprentices, university and

other students, members of the armed force, etc.

This kind of apostolate is not meant to make the

young inward-looking, but to create at youth level an

effective ecclesial service fully integrated into the overall

apostolate of the local church.

There may be also the possibility of confrdres joining

teams of secular priests for some particular task in the

3 ET 19.

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field of catechetics, or as chaplains to various youth

movements, e.g. YCW, YCS, Legion of Mary, etc. In

such cases the confrdres should be ensured the possibility

of a real community life. They should not be merely

nominally attached to a community.

c) Pastoral action among workers

413

Pastoral action and witness amongst workers is one

of the tasks which characterize our vocation to be of

service to the most needy.

Priests and brothers called to this mission must first

deepen their knowledge and understanding of the work-

ing classes and their problems, needs and hopes; of their

attitude to the faith and to the Church.

While following the directives of the local churches

they will try to establish ecclesial communities so devised

as to respond adequately to the religious and social condi-

tions of the workers.

An indispensable basis for this will be the formation

of an effective missionary lay apostolate that includes

all that is christian in the workers' ideals of comradeship

and pride, and that is committed to manifesting clearly

in the world of lvork the novel and liberating power

contained in the gospel message.

The confrdres engaged in this apostolic mission should

consider it an advantage to continue living in community,

both for the moments of prayer that it affords as well

as the opportunity it gives them of deepening their priestly

and religious life, and reflecting together on their indiv-

idual experiences.

d) Parishes for emigrants

414

The phenomenon of the migration of labour, now so

striking in its extent, cannot leave us indifferent, because

it involves very large numbers of young people who

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thus become uprooted from every family, religious and

civil structure that could have been a valid support for

their faith.

Salesians who take care of these young emigrants

should be able to work in collaboration with the salesian

communities of the countries from which they come (by

means of courses of preparation and guidance) and of the

host nations (by using every means to integrate them

into the new social milieu).

e) Pastoral repercussions of tourism

415

The phenomenon o{ tourism, involving millions of

people, is in itself a good thing, but those who are pas-

torally involvcd in it need to understand its intrinsic

values and make positive use of them. Hence we must

aim at forming mature lay people who will be real "travel-

ling heralds of Christ" wherever they go, and will know

how to offer to the tourist the active hospitality which

the Council so strongly recommends.a

Local communities therefore should commit them-

selves to an apostolate on behalf of tourists, many of

whom may be foreigners. They must be helped to be-

come part of a new christian community, even though

only for a short time. In this matter salesian parishes

have special possibilities of pastoral collaboration at both

national and international level, e.g. by the setting up

of centres of information that could be of special value

to adolescents.

Councils of parish priests should look for ways of

co-ordinating their pastoral activities in this regard.

I cf AA ll-14.

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CHAPTER THREE

THE PARISH

AND ITS COMMUNITY

, For if I preach the gospel,

that gives me no ground tor boasting.

For necessity is laid upon me.

Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! "r

The Programme

416

The Church is presented by the Council in terms of

communion, and the people of God as a community created

to be "an instrument for the redemption of all." 2

When therefore salesians are called by the bishop to

the pastoral care of a particular zone or a particular group

of the people of God, they take on before the Church

the responsibility of sharing with the laity the creation of

a community of brethren, united in love, to listen to the

word, celebrate the Lord's supper, and proclaim the mess-

age of salvation.3

A missionary effort of this kind which follows our

Lord's command is urgently needed at the present time,

but is cal1s for community not only where worship is

concerned but also in its state of life and in its action.

This will enable it to share with the priests pastoral care

for the lapsed, the unbelievers, and those of other faiths.

In this way the parish, under the guidance of the

parish priest who represents the bishop, becomes an

1ICor9,16

2LG9.

3 cf LG 26.

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integral part of the universal Church, for it is a living

cell of the diocese and its 'privileged' manifestation.a

But to be always a credible sign of the local church,

it must express and live the mission of that church by en-

tering fully into the pastoral realities of its area and region.

Hence salesian action must foster inter-parish and

inter-diocesan communion, using its own particular voca-

tion and characteristic approach to take part unreservedly

in the overall pastoral plan of the bishop, the "visible

source and foundation of unity," 5 and biending structures

and activities to offer a wider-ranging and more expert

service, especially to the young and in the catechet-

ical sphere.

We must be exemplary in our search for this com-

munity dimension at every level, not only because of

the organizational advantages but because the very miss-

ion of the Church itself calls for it.

The fundamental elements

417

Community life, evangelization and catechetics, and

the liturgy are the basic elements by means of which

the people of God, at whose service we place ourselves,

is built up into the mystical Body of Christ and the king-

dom of the Father, through the action of the Holy Spirit.

A) Community lile

Community life comes fi.rst not merely chronologically

but because every pastoral activity takes place within a

community which is always in process of ecclesial growth.

Hence if a parish, whether territorial or for specific groups,

is to "represent the visible Church established throughout

1 Cf SC 42; AA l0

5 LG 23.

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the world," 6 and achieve its mission of giving life through

the gospel to its surroundings, it must grow into a com-

munity.

Since however every community is built on lvorth-

while ideas to the attainment of which all can bring their

own contribution, and since such communities require

mutual acquaintance and friendly exchanges between their

members, it is evident that the parish community as

such is too large to overcome the inevitable anonymity

or to develop brotherly relations and a real participation

of all in the life of the community itself.

On the other hand, if the Church we wish to build

is a mystery of communion, it is very necessary that

small christian communities be formed which, like "signs

and instruments," will foreshadow this mystery.

It is the law of the seed and the leaven.

418

In these small ecclesial groups (or basic communities)

formed by families, domestic churches, youth groups, and

associations of various kinds, it is easier for people to

get to know, love, and help each other, as well as to

deepen their understanding of the faith and the gospels

in a true brotherly spirit, and finally to come to realize

the urgent need there is of bringing the good news to

all their brethren.

The permanent deacon will find a valuable place in

such communities as an inspirer and guide. But it is

vital that they resist the temptation to become inward-

looking and to isolate themselves from the real problems

of life and the local church. They must therefore keep

in touch with other groups and do this in a parish con-

text, for the parish should be the natural focal point

for such encounters.

In this way the parish becomes the family of God

G SC 42.

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which, through its link with the bishop, gathers together

the basic christian communities and makes them into a

single people to celebrate the eucharist, which is the

life of them all.

419

The chief practical means for the formation of the

basic communities are:

a) the liturgy and gatherings for listening to the

word of God, meditating on it, and drawing practical

conclusions;

b) shared prayer to strengthen union between

brothers who give thanks to the Father in Christ;

c) the exercise of practical charity towards the old

and sick, the poor, outcasts and unemployed, immigrants,

and in general all those who lack health, affection, or

property;

d,) an active participation in the life of the district,

tor'vn and nation, to help in their development and in

the solution of problems that always arise lvhen people

live together, and above all "to awaken consciences with

regard to human misery and to the demands for social

justice made by the gospels and the Church;" 2

This social obligation is essential for those who r,vant

to live sincerely and coherently the charity and faith

which is meant to be a witness to man's full salvation.

Faith must be put at the centre of life's problems to

show that religion is concerned not with fantastic or

extraordinary things out of this world, but with the

things that are the concern of everyone, though in diff-

erent ways;

e) the formation of co-responsible lay missionaries.

This must be one of our basic pastoral aims, in imitation

of our Founder who moulded so many apostles. His

?ET18

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secret for creating a community and preserving its family

spirit was to see that each one pledged himself "to strive

to increase the love of God in others." He used to say:

"Do good to one another; it will show that you love

one another like brothers;" 8

l) a very special care for the young, and a zeal

for priestly and religious vocations as being of decisive

importance for the future of the community. Young

people should be helped to discover and live their per-

sonal vocation in society and in the Church as a response

to God's love in the service of their brothers. They need

to be given motives and values rather than norms.

Emphasis should be placed on supernatural means by

educating them to a frequent reception of the sacraments

and to a life of prayer, both liturgical and personal.

They should be encouraged to feel the Church to be

part of a christian community, especially through the

practice of charity. The work of seeking and guiding

vocations must always be carried out with delicacy and

with full respect for the action of God on souls.

B) Euangelization and, catechetics

420

For this topic reference should be made to what has

been said by the General Chapter in the appropriate

document. Here it is only necessary to emphasize that

in our pastoral undertakings we must never lessen our

concern for the salvation of all the souls in the parish

and for making contact with the lapsed to re-enkindle

their faith. A christian community which fails to be

rnissionary or to evangelize is no longer a community of

the Christ who "has given his life that a1l might have

life and have it more abundantly." o

8 MB XII, 60I

'g Jn 10, 10.

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421

Serious thought should be given to the question of

the instruction of adults, especially when they come to

church to be married or for the baptism or fi.rst com-

munion or confirmation of their children. They should

be led individually to reflect on their faith, and this

reflection should be prolonged by regular meetings with

others whose faith is at a like level.

422

The renewed role of catechetics and its effective

organization in the adult and youth sectors must converge

and meet in the family, considered not only as the object

but more especially as the subject of pastoral action.

The family must be brought to fulfil its christian

duties as a means of educating the young in the {aith,

since it is precisely through the fa"mily that "the young

are brought into civic partnership with their fellow men,

and into the people of God." 10 Parents should be "the

fi.rst preachers of the faith to their children," 11 and the

fi.rst catechists. Similarly each married person will be-

come an educator and help for the other partner in the

course of their christian life.

Finally, if the christian family is the place where

the faith is really accepted it follows that the whole

family will bear witness to the gospel. To this end, groups

to intensify family spirituality should be encouraged.

Parents who are willing should be trained to undertake

pastoral action in the community, especially by prepar-

ing those who are engaged (and young people in gen-

eral) to be married. In this way the family will become

a 'domestic church,' a 'fi.rst seminary,'12 an 'open com-

munity,' and will thereby rediscover in the faith a new

dimension of love, of liberty, and of service with and

for others.

10 GE 3.

1r LG 11.

1, Cf LG ll; OT 2.

287

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C) Liturgy

Without any doubt the culminating point, the begin-

ning and end of community life, is the liturgy. Evan-

gelization and catechetics build up the community by

bringing it together to listen to the word of God and

the preaching of what Christ has done for us.

423

The liturgy makes present what it proclaims by the

joyful celebration of the risen Saviour who, there in our

midst, urges the community to live his paschal mystery

in the world. The liturgy is primarily the work of God

the Father in Christ for the assembled community; it is

also a service of love which God manifests to his people

by efficacious signs of salvation; and it is also our thanks-

giving and in some sense our response to the Father in

communion with our brothers in Christ.

424

The liturgy must always be a worthy and effective

expression of the community through the full, active and

joyous participation of all the faithful.

A 'young' liturgy, with the youthful characteristics

of dynamism, rhythm and probing, could become a means

of permanent 'reconciliation' between the young and

adults, thanks to the mediating effect of the education

given by the salesians.

425

In this field there is a precious tradition to be

preserved and strengthened: a sacramental and liturgical

formation which promotes a fraternal Jife based on the

eucharist. The frequent reception of the sacraments is a

guarantee of evangelical zeal and missionary spirit in

the community.

In the great unified liturgical design of the Church,

Mary the Mother of God has a position of the flrst im-

portance, for she carries out her service of God and her

mission in the Church as the help of christian peoples

by bringing together a1l her children in unity. Once rve

288

32.3 Page 313

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have understood the intimate bond that unites Mary u'ith

the mystery of Christ and the Church, and the part that

God has assigned her in the history of salvation, we shall

be stimulated to foster devotion to her, especially in the

liturgy, in accordance with our finest traditions.

We therefore invite the faithful to have a fi.lial love

for Mary, and a sincere imitation of the virtues of her

who is the Mother of God and our mother also.

Pastoral characteristics

426

For a general renewal of our mode of action we must

rediscover the characteristics of the spirit of Don Bosco.

We therefore emphazise some of those characteristics

which seem indispensable to the parish ministry.

427

a) The larnily spirit. If the work of the salesians

is to make them one with the people who are the object

of their mission, it must be inspired by qualities of genuine

brotherhood, affection, open-hearted friendliness, and ac-

companied by a simple, cordial and human approach.

This familiar manner will lead them to seek ex-

changes with the diocesan clergy and other religious

institutes, to foster cordial relations with them, and to

ofier them help. It will lead them to engage in dialogue

with unbelievers, and especially with those who have

some influence in the area because of their political or

administrative position or their social activities.

428

b) A constd,eration lor ind.,iuid.uals and. for groups,

so as to take full advantage of their collaboration. Don

Bosco was always a man for human relations, for dialoguc,

for friendship. He was always looking for enthusiastic

collaborators, even from amongst his own boys. We too

must be generously ropen' in sharing responsibility in our

pastoral work with lay people, who have "a proper and

indispensable role in the mission of the Church." 13

13AA1

289

32.4 Page 314

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To do this we need, as a community, to draw up a

plan of pastoral action, and then put it into effect. This

rreans that we must think always in terms of service,

so as to further the active participation of each one in

forms proposed by the local church.

Pastoral and administrative councils and pastoral as-

semblies must be signs of communion and an authentic

expression of ecclesial participation. In the matter of

the apostolate and the assuming of those responsibilities

open to the laity, our chief collaborators should be the

salesian co-operators, because they share more directly in

our spirit and mission.

429

c) Kindness and sound iudgeruenl. AII our actions,

especially in the administration of the sacraments, must

be characterized by kindness and sound judgement.

The sacraments are not our property; we are only

the dispensers of them. Indeed we ourselves have great

need of the divine gifts we dispense to others.

We must demand faith of those who receive the

sacraments, otherwise they will become something merely

superstitious or magical. Remember the text: "Do not

throw your pearls..."l4 on the other hand we have to be

careful not to "quench a smouldering wicp." rs

Christ instituted the sacraments to bring pardon and

salvation to all. There will be cases when one must refuse

a sacrament, even at the cost of personal sorrow; but

where uncertainty means a risk Don Bosco advises us

that it is better to err on the side of mercy than on that

of rigour.

430

d) Ioy. Care must be taken not to lose or waste

a very characteristic quality of the salesian spirit: that

14 Mt 7, 6.

15 Cf Is 42, 4 in Mt 12, 20.

290

32.5 Page 315

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of joy, of the spontaneous and imperturbable cheerfulness

that marked the climate of Don Bosco's Oratory.

We can intensify this joy especially by means of the

feasts which we celebrate

commemorate the hopes

ainndtheevleitnutrsgoyf-thefeahsiststowrhyicohf

salvation.

An atmosphere of unspoiled youthful happiness will

make it easy for all to experiei-rce the joy of living in

a spirit of thanksgiving to God for his liberality towards us.

In this way the celebration of feast days will re-

enkindle hope and optimism in the whole community and

make it a more constructive presence in the world.

431

The General Chapter invites all the confrdres engag-

ed in the parish ministry to intensify their zeal in ac-

cordance with the spirit of Don Bosco. It also hopes

that every salesian parish will be similar to the one

mentioned in the minutes of the Superior Chapter on

22 April 1914, Don Albera being present, A. propos of

the acceptance of the parish of St Leonard in Messina:

"The major superiors, on learning that the parish con-

sisted mainly of poor and working-class people, judged

that it would be for that reason an authentically sales-

ian apostolate, meriting God's blessing and able to do

great good for souls," 16 accepted it.

16 Crnr,L, Annal'i IY, 119

29t

32.6 Page 316

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CHAPTER FOUR

PARTICULAR PROBLEMS

432 1. Parish and Oratory-Youth Gentre

It is obvious that "the parish apostolate embraces

taoslaateneocfetshsearoyraantodryin."dirspTehnesaOblreateolreym-Yeonut tthheCyeonutrteh,

apos-

lvhile

bcing open in a missionary spirit to all the youth of the

area, must concentrate more particularly on contacting

and forming the youth of the parish.

For this reason the rector of the oratory will be

the priest in charge of the youth of the parish, and he

must integrate his work and that of his collaborators

(both salesian and lay) into the joint pastoral plan for

the area, under the guidance of the parish priest.

The effective presence and position of the parish

priest among young people and their groups must derive

not from the juridical title of his offrce, but from the

esteem and ascendancy he has obtained as a result of

his competcnce in the matter of youth problems, of the

effective help he offers, and the friendliness and under-

standing he shows.

433 2. The parish and other salesian works

A second problem of great practical importance con-

cerns the relationship between the parish and other sales-

ian works, and the maintenance of mutual harmony.

Difhculties can arise in connection with common life,

the planning and carrying out of the parish apostolate,

the tasks assigned to the confrdres, and fi.nancial questions.

' AGC XIX, 130.

292

32.7 Page 317

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It must ah,r,ays be remembered that the pastoral

and missionary parish in post-conciliar thought is a com-

munity of the faithful presided over by the parish priest

r,vho has direct responsibility for them, and where the

laity have the right to an active participation at organiza-

tional level, and in certain matters at decision level.

The parish community as such has needs, powers

and activities quite different from (and more extensive

than) those of the educative youth community.

The elements of solution proposed here evidently

cannot be applied to every local situation. These must

therefore be scrutinized and adapted to the individual

cases by the provincial with his council, after consulting

the communities involved.

434

a) Where the pastoral work of a parish is so vast

and diversified as to require a reasonably large number

of confrEres, and where there exists the possibility of a

clear separation of activities, locale and finance, then a

separate community with the parish priest as its rector

should be juridically established to run the parish. The

resulting two communities, while remaining juridically

distinct, should find ways of maintaining a close fraternal

and apostolic collaboration.

435

b) Where circumstances make it desirable to separate

the two offrces of rector and parish priest in a single

community, the rector is the one rvho is responsible for

(and the spiritual guide of) the whole religious com-

munity, including those engaged in parish work:

munity-

these latter

life, except

confrdres will strive

when the demands

to live the com-

of their parish

apostolate prcvent it, and they give what collaboration

they can to the work of the whole community, but with-

out prejudice to their own specific duties;

respon-sibitlihtye

rector

and the

wiII so arrange matters that co-

participation of all the community

293

11

32.8 Page 318

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in the pastoral activities of the parish are co-ordinated

by the parish priest in agreement with his closest col-

laborators of the great parish community, of which the

religious community is also a part.

As regards administrative relations, the norms should

be determined for each house by the provincial councils,

with the approval of the provincial chapters, taking into

account any arrangements made with the local ordinary

and any obligations towards the parish community, the

religious house, and the provincial community:

express-ed

but

in

more important than jurisdiction and duties

regulations is the agreement that springs

from a fruitful co-existence of the various active groups

who readily understand each other at a personal level

and help each other in a brotherly fashion.

436

c) But the ideal solution could come rather from

changes in perspective and mentality. In certain situa-

tions there could exist the right conditions for devising

an overall pastoral programme centred on the parish,

no longer seen as just a salesian work flanking a college

or school but itself the heart and focal point of our ser-

vice for the local ecclesial community.

Seen from this standpoint the parish becomes a

fi.eld of action which has as its centre a community of

salesians to whom the Church entrusts its mission of

spreading the kingdom of God. But this means that the

foundation of everything is no longer the 'works,' but

the living vitalizing presence of the salesian community,

which gives itself fully to the task of evangelizing an

entire zone, and of building up a christian community

in which the young are the most favoured part.

It is now no longer a question of dividing communities

but of uniting wills, inteilects and means, so as to inspire

a more fruitful work in which structures are made to

fit in with the apostolic tasks.

294

32.9 Page 319

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Under the guidance of the rector, who co-ordinates

the work of those responsible for the various sections

while taking into account each one's specific task, the

community determines the overall pastoral action needed

and the activities to be undertaken, and chooses those

'works' which best correspond to the concrete evangelical

needs of the area.

The salesian house becomes in this way part of a

nelv kind of service which is organic, unifi.ed and co-

responsible, and which seeks the human, civil and relig-

ious development of the district of which it is a part.

It becomes an open dynamic centre of pastoral action

by co-ordinating and energizing all the pastoral activ-

ities (including that of the school) so as to benefi.t in

the first place the young people of the area.

A continual attention to the "signs of the times"

will lead to the up-dating of the kind of work which

can no longer meet the needs or the concrete situations

of the christian community.

437 3. Heshaping

Social changes can profoundly modify the working-

class character of parishes entrusted to us, or make our

possession of them less justifi.able because they give less

scope to our particular kind of apostolate, or the kind

of service we wish to give to the local church.

In such a case it becomes necessary to examine a1l

the elements of the situation to ascertain in a prudent

and realistic way whether it is possible to hand back the

parish to the diocese. If this cannot be done, our apos-

tolic work, now through force of circumstances being

exercised in a social milieu not of our choosing, should

be directed towards bringing both the young and adults

to participate actively in the establishment of a more

just society, which can then become an instrument for

the evangelization of other poorer-class areas.

295

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CHAPTEB FIVE

PBAGTICAL DIRECTIVES

438 1. Co-responsibility in the local church

There is an urgent need on the part of all of us to

make good use of an important element of renewal afford-

ed by Vatican II, i.e. the rediscovery of the local church

at all levels, from the parish right up to the episcopal

conference. Consequently, in any plan of action in each

province and house, priority should be given to the way

we can best take our place with complete generosity in

the local church.

Our "exemption" should be looked on more as an

opportunity for

to increase our

service than as a

availability as we

pcraivrriylegoeut-ousrommiestshioinng.

The salesians engaged in parish work should be on

the look out for ever better and more efifrcient wa5r5 o1

fulfllling their apostolate.

Today parish work is beginning to take on an aspect

more sociological and sectional than territorial; salesian

parishes should encourage this change which can offer a

field of action more in keeping lvith the purpose of our

mission.

ol

We showld, therelore

sectional actiaity on

prepare

behalf

owrselues lor this new

of youth, emigrants

type

and

workers.

439 2. Renewal

To make the parish more dynamic and give it a miss-

ionary slant, it is necessary:

it

an

-aspteoctridmoitreofomf aanny

of those structures which give

administrative unity than a

community;

296

33 Pages 321-330

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33.1 Page 321

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and

ca-tecthoesmisatkheroiut gah

central source of evangelization

the formation of a truly miss-

ionary-minded laity, a centre of dialogue with outsiders,

of help to the poor, and of open welcome, putting the

emphasis more on example than on organization;

laid do-wntoascafrreryeloyucthporsoegnraamccmoerdsinthgattoarleocnaol tnseoedmsu,cihn

consultation with the laity who share our responsibility

in pastoral work;

modern-

to

and

give

well

it a "youthful"

organized oratory

appearance with a

section opening its

doors to all the youth of the area with a missionary zeal

which should be its chief characteristic;

ferent

-fratteorntraalnasfnodrmliviitnigntcoomamreuanlitcieosm, mtaukniinogn

of dif-

special

care about the formation of the constituent groops.

440 3. Formation

The full acceptance of this last point will bring about

a rq.dical reais'ion ol the whole gamwt ol pastoral uork and

a real conuersion to the ecclesiology of Vatican II.

The apostolic slant of the salesian mission detnands

that all its members in their years of formation should

have the opportunity of preparing themselves for what-

ever type of work they may be called upon to undertake

in the pastoral field. This must be done both on a prac-

tical level aird by study of the methods and problems

connected lvith the service of the Church.

Before a confrdre is appointed to parish lvork he

should be given the indispensable preparation of study

plus an adequate period of practical training in an

actual parish.

This preparation should not be limited to a cultural

and practical formation, but should also be both spiritual

and pastoral.

297

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33.3 Page 323

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Document 6

THE TVIASS IMEDIA

IN SALESIAN PASTORAL ACTIVITY

33.4 Page 324

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33.5 Page 325

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CHAPTER ONE

THE PHENOMENON

OF THE MASS MEDIA

"...We are on the threshold of a completely new era in the use

of mass media."l

442

For the christian "the wonderful technical inven-

tions" 2 which promote and develop social communications

are instruments prepared for him by divine providence

"to foster union between men on their earthly pilgrimage."3

443

The mass media (the press, cinema, radio and TV)

have developed beyond all measure; they can reach every

class of man and bombard him incessantly with ideas in

every field. They are major forces in the rapidly chang-

ing events of the history of mankind,.

They place man firmly at its centre; they make him

more aware of his personal dignity and of his right to

{reedom of speech, to be adequately informed, and to

engage in discussion and criticism'

But i{ man is not trained in the proper use of the

mass media, he is likely to suffer a massive assault which

could well destroy his personality. And he then suffers

the consequences: superficiality and a tendency to radical

ideas; a lack of objectivity in his critical sense and spiri-

tual liberty; confusion in interpreting news, in evaluat-

ing policies, in assessing the trend of events; and even

a loss of faith and moral dignity. He runs the risk of

CP 81, 187

IM

CP 2.

301

33.6 Page 326

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becoming emotionally disturbed and ending up in a blind

alley. Moreover the mass media undermine his self-

reliance and create in him artificial needs.

444

These dangers arise not only from the good or bad

content of the material supplied, but more particularly

from the uncurbed restraint they exercise on the human

personality. "LInder pressure of controlled planning in

the field of information, the overall effect of the mass

media is to deform the conscience without the individual

being aware of it; little by little it invades all his mental

processes and dictates attitudes which he believes to be

spontaneous." a

445

The mass media have contributed a great deal to the

proliferation amongst the young of spontaneous groups

for sport and recreation, for artistic pursuits, for work,

for mutual co-operation and support, and even for op-

position and resistance. At times the mass med.ia can

incite them to experiment in areas far beyond their own

family and social context, and embrace modes of life

and conduct which only unsettle them and alienate them

from themselves and their surroundings.

a Segreteria di Stato a "Settimana sociale di Francia" 1955.

302

33.7 Page 327

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CHAPTER TWO

THE ATTITUDE OF THE CHURGH

"He who fails to make good use of the possibilities offered

by these media to extend the message of the gospel to the

greatest possib/e number of men, is not obeying the command

of Christ."l

446

The Church, established by Christ to bring salvation

to all men and spurred on by the necessity of propagat-

ing the gospel message, has not hesitated to make use of

"the wonderful technical inventions which the genius of

man, with the help of God, has extracted from creation." 2

By her immediate adoption of the press and radio

it is clear that the Church, with maternal solicitude, not

only accepts and uses them, but even offers her col-

laboration so that these instruments, these "gifts of God,"a

may become truly efficacious in uniting and in further-

ing the progress of mankind.

447

The Second Vatican Council in its various documents,

and especially in Inter Mirifica, has pointed out the

indispensable utility of these instruments. It instituted

the celebration of "World Day" to impress on the faith-

Iul everywhere their obligations in this fi'eld. It created

the Pontifi.cal Commission for Social Communications; and

for the application of the principles and norms concerning

the mass media it published, with the collaboration of

experts from many nations, a pastoral instruction on

the subject.

,IIMcP1.126.

3 Mirand,a prorsws in AAS XXIV (195'1) 765; CP 2.

303

33.8 Page 328

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448

The Instruction: "Communio et progressio,, of 23

May 1971, which was prompted by the Council, emphazises

the change of perspective which has taken place in the

Church. A positive christian approach has replaced the

former reserve as far as the mass media is concerned.

All this is in perfect harmony with the essentials

of christian revelation. The Son of God, the perfect

image of the Father, became in his incarnation the .,per-

fect communicator" a who reveals to men the mystery

of his love and makes them sharers of his very life; .,with

the institution of the eucharist he made him a gift of

the

by

highest form

man." u He,

of communication that could

therefore, is the exemplar of

be shared

every ex-

pression, of every image, of every technique used by

man to bind himself to his fellows and to communicate

with them.

449

Along these lines "the People of God keep abreast

of the events which form the warp and woof of history,

and turn their face with great trust to the future, both

as receivers and transmitters. Indeed, they already

foresee the promise of the new spacial era of social com-

munications." 6

4cPu.

5 CP 11.

6 cP 187

304

33.9 Page 329

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CHAPTER THREE

THE ATTITUDE OF THE CONGREGATION

"t beg and implore you not to neglect this important part ol

our mission."l

450

Don Bosco showed great courage and apostolic zeal

by his forward looking attitudes in this field. "The press

was one of the principal undertakings divine providence

entrusted to me; I do not hesitate to call this means

doifvimneans.in" c2e

God himself

These are

made use of it

the words of

in the regeneration

Don Bosco in his

circular to the salesians of 19 March 1885; they form

a compendium of his thought and work, and are a kind

of "Magna Charta" for the activity of the salesians in

this field.

His love for the young prompted Don Bosco to

devise every possible means of creating an environment

which would contribute to their complete formation. He

saw in the theatre a valuable element for this formation

and for the development of the youthful personality, and

in music a vehicle for the communication of healthy ideas

and a means for creating a climate of happiness.

To the future Pope Pius XI the Saint declared:

"In this fi.eld Don Bosco always wants to be in the fore-

front of progress," 3 by which he meant that to intensify

his apostolate of the press he would always be the flrst

to adopt the ncw and most modern techniques.

r Ep IV, 321.

2 Ep I\\r, 318-319

3 I\\{B XI)(, 322.

305

33.10 Page 330

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451

Don

principal

Bosco affirmed that the press was

ends of the Congregation." 4 With

"one

these

of the

words

he charged the Society with the task of publishing and

diffusing books and periodicals especiaily aimed at the

young and at the masses. What was lacking however was

an overall programme. Salesian activity in the editorial

field is now concentrated on publications which sustain

and further our apostolate (e.g. the Salesian Bwlletin and,

other publications which lend support to various worth-

while initiatives); on periodicals aimed at the formation

and difiusion of a christian point of view; on a specialized

press (catechetics, youth apostolate, etc.); and flnally on

textbooks which seek to penetrate the scholastic and

intellectual world with the gospel message.

452

In keeping with the educational mission of our Found-

er, the Congregation developed in its early days both

music and drama as elements of recreation and form-

ation. At the present day we are witnessing a revival

of interest in the theatre and in music on the part o{

the young, but they are fi.elds in which we have no longer

any effective presence.

The appearance of the powerful mass media, espec-

ially as a means of recreation, found in the Congregation

an attitude of reserve and preoccupation, and. this led

to the issuing of a number of restrictions in the early

years. But the apostolic value of the media, the need

to attract the young to our oratories and youth centres,

the fresh formative and educative dimensions which the

mass media assumed, prepared the way in the Congre-

gation for a more open and less nervous approach.

453

The XIX General Chapter reaf&rmed that the mass

media held an important place in our apostolate and

a Ep IX, 320

306

34 Pages 331-340

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34.1 Page 331

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formulated a vast programme for making the confrdres

aware of this fact. Much valid experience was thereby

gained; "but there was no systematic, co-ordinated in-

volvement on a par with the importance and timeliness

of the mass media, so useful for the renewal of our apos-

tolate." 5 This blockage was caused by the wide disparity

in this area from one nation to another, the complexity

of associated problems, a misunderstanding of our in-

volvement, and the lack of qualified personnel.

5 Rrccont, Relazione sullo stato d,ella Congregazione, 147,

307

34.2 Page 332

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CHAPTER FOUB

THE PREPARATION OF THE SALESIAN

"Today everyone rnust have a forntation vthich will give him a

proper understanding of the basic principtes which control the

use of the instruments ol social communication in the com-

munity."t

4s4

Candidates to the salesian life must therefore be

given a gradual and opportwne ed.ucation to good, taste, a

criticq.l sense, an awareness of the moral obligations in-

volved in the choice of the reading matter, films and TV

programmes which can enrich them both intellectually

and spiritually.

A long preparation is needed. Salesians should. con-

sider the mass media as an acquisition with obvious

pedagogical and pastoral advantages for humanity. They

should convince themselves that their intelligent and

enlightened use can become a form of apostolate and,

what is more, an eminently salesian apostolate.

For an ever fresh and vibrant presentation of the

gospel, for an essential and forceful catechesis, for a more

youthful and brighter liturgy, and also for a more effec-

tive and educative dialogue, the salesian must study and

learn to use the language of his time and of his environ-

ment, and in particwlar the language of rad.io and TV

whick is so attuned to the mental,ity ol the young.

455

Salesians in formation should be instructed in the

intelligent, conscious and responsible use of the mass

I cP 64.

2 CP 52.

308

34.3 Page 333

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media in the service of souls. Only in this way can they

later present themselves as guides and counsellors of the

young. This is something which must be attained grad-

uallv and in the light of faith, the directives of the

Church and the teachings of Don Bosco. They should

also be prepared to "exercise a proper self-control, other-

wise they may be so taken up by the artistry of the works

presented or by the curiosity they arouse that they may

end up by neglecting their duty and by wasting their

time." 2 During a1l these phases therefore it will be neces-

sary to provide, with due proportion:

- a general formation for all;

as

lead-ersainsptheeciamliazessd

formation for those who will

media activities of the house,

act

the

province, or the local church;

involve-d

a

at

scientific formation for those who will become

the production level, either as writers, editors

or publishers of printed matter, or as advisers or reporters

in the field of the cinema, radio and TV.

309

34.4 Page 334

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CHAPTER FIVE

OUR GONTRIBUTION: EDUGATION

"Religious institutes should take note of the multiple and

important responsibilities which devolve upon the Church in the

field of the mass media, and should carefully consider the form

their own concrete contribution to this apostolate should take."l

Liberation

456

Every form of social communication is something of

value and worthy of cultivation as an expression of a

human "word" assimilated and coupled to the divine

word. It is not therefore the instrument itself which

should be condemned when it is made to serve an evil

purpose, but only its misuse.

We should note the enormous influence of the mass

media on our daily lives. We read newspapers, books

arrd magazines; we listen to the radio, to records and to

tapes; we rush to the cinema, the theatre and to television

sets. Mass media are necessary not only for our recreation

and amusement, but also for the spreading of culture,

for combating under-development, for the civic and polit-

ical formation of citizens, and for the building in char-

ity and unity of the kingdom of God.

It is also true that because of the poor quaiity and

even scandalous content of much of the material, the

desire for profits, and the shameless and immoral publicity

to which the latter gives rise, the fundamental values of

human lives are put at risk and misunderstood.

1 cP 177

310

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It follows thel that our specifi.c task is to mount

an operation to educate the young by removing all the

negative elements produced by the abuse of the mass

media. Our educational effort will be aimed at facili-

tating, and if necessary stimulating, in their young

minds a spontaneous and actiae liberatiom, and at leading

them towards the ability to make a "free and personal

choice." 2

Go-responsibility

457

Today a reaction has set in in every aspect of educa-

tion. The educator must elicit from his subjects a response,

and hence deaelop their critical sense, botk aesthetic and

rnoral; hence he must place his subjects in an attitude

of dialogue with the mass media.

The young must first of all be trained in the use

of the language of the mass media; they must be trained

to look beyond the instrument and see the communicator

who expounds an ideology, a system, the ideas of a pres-

sure group; they must be brought into dialogue with

him by means of suggestions, interviews, discussions,

criticism, individual and group letters, visits, and so on.

We shall have attained the desired end of our educa-

tive work when, in our youth groups and in, our co'ru,m,un-

ities, the concept ol co-responsibility has taken firrn hold.

This means that we shall no longer be satisfled with

the passive acceptance of our own interpretations and

critical judgements, but only with the active collaboration

of our audience, and aboae all, ol our ylung people, in

the manner of selecting, discussing and evaluating the

mass media.

, I},T 9

317

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Greativity

458

The educator must know how to rouse the creative

imagination of the young. The means and the occasions

are many and diverse: notice-boards, magazines, literary

clubs, camera clubs, study groups, stamp collecting, film

discussion groups, musical and dramatic societies, round-

table discussions, contacts with specialized schools or

rvith other groups having similar interests. These are

all extra-curricular activities of which we should make

full use. This is the very summit of all our educational

efforts

use of

-thetoirdienvdeivloipduinalthtaeleynotusn. g

the

genial

and

generous

THE PLACE OF THE LAITY:

FURTHERANCE OF THEIB CONTRIBUTION

459

The salesian Congregation considers the advancement

of the laity, and especially the co-operators and past

pupils, as one of the most important aspects of its re-

newal in the Church. We should therefore enter into

dialogue with them and collaborate when it is a ques-

tion of promoting the mass media. We should make

them feel collectively responsible, and urge them to under-

take duties which were previously considered the exclusive

preserve of religious. "Above all, it is the task of the

laity to introduce christian and human values into the

mass media, so that they can fully realize the great ex-

pectations of mankind and fulfll the designs of God." 3

3IM3.

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CHAPTER SIX

PRACTIGAL DIRECTIVES

To commit ourselves more effectively to the proper

use of the mass media, we propose three specific lines

of action:

460

l. The member of the Superior Council in charge

of this section should set up a central secretariate which

will: act as a centre of documentation in connection with

mass media; arrange for the proper co-ordination of what-

ever is needed for the establishment and use of mass

media; study ways and means of collaborating with other

organizations working in the same field according to the

directives of the Church.

The setting up of similar centres at inter-provincial,

national and provincial level is desirable with the sup-

port of our co-operators and past pupils; these would

have as their principal objective the support of those

associations in the field of mass media which keep a

watching brief on radio and television programmes from

the moral and educational point of view.

461

2. Our pubiishing houses and printing works must

always be conscious of their principal aim, which is the

spreading of the gospel message among the people and

especially among the young. This is one of the ways

in which confrdres attached to these works fulfil their

salesian and apostolic vocation.

462

3. Salesian publishing houses of the same country

or language should aim at a spirit of mutual co-operation

and an exchange of ideas and personnel on an inter-

national basis.

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Document 7

SALESIAN TVISSIONARY ACTION

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35 Pages 341-350

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FOREWOBD

""Gl ohafovrethcoanmdemthaaket

disciples of all

they may have

thaendpehoapvlee."ilt

more

abund-

antly."'

463

Today we are experiencing a period of crisis in the

Church and in the Congregation. At the core of the

crisis liers the decline of missionary vocations and a

weakening in the enthusiasm and drive for the missions.

On the other hand we are living in a period which

is highly favourable to a strong revival of missionary

effort. The crisis in the Church, instead of being a sign

of the decline of the missions is really a sign of increase

and development. This calls for new approaches and

new guide-lines made necessary by the changing times

and conditions, by the rise of national and international

organizations created for the development and progress

of man, and by the need for restructure.

In this situation one element emerges which offers

encouragement: the generosity of the young. They do

not lack the proper dispositions; they lack only a clear

picture of the missionar5z ideal, of the motivation to

inspire them. It is up to us to try to eniighten them,

to help thern to understand that the spreading of the

gospel by responding to the noblest aspirations of man

becomes thereby a force for progress.3

Several projects which have had their origin in our

Congrt'gation ofier us some indications of the re-awaken-

ing of interest in the missions. Thcse hopeful signs are:

r

,

Mt

Jn

28,

10,

19.

10.

3 Pope Paul's message for Mission Sunday l97l

317

35.2 Page 342

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the generosity of the Volunteers for Latin America, the

flrst missionary projects of the Volunteers of Don Bosco,

the setting up of the lay mission movement 'New World;'

the interest groups of young people are taking in the

Third World, the campaign for salesian solidarity, the

practical results of the activities of the salesian procures

and mission offices. This undeniable renewal of interest

in the missions may help some of our confrdres to red.is-

cover their own salesian vocation.

What the Council says is very true: "The grace of

renewal cannot come to fruition in communities if they

fail to extend the action of their love to the ends of the

earth, showing towards those who iive far-off the same

concern they show for their own members." 4

This revival will serve then as a kind of thermometer

for the pastoral vitality of the Congregation and an

antidote to the blight of easy-living. We must bestir

the missionary conscience of every salesian, re-study our

present methods, totally involve the Congregation, so

that by following the example of Don Bosco we may

multiply the number of missionaries.

I AG 37,

318

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CHAPTEB ONE

THE MISSIONARY CHURGH

464 1. Missionary vocation of the Ghurch

The missionary vocation of the Church springs from

its very nature and is founded on its apostolicity. The

Church received three great complementary mandates

from the apostles who were inspired by the Holy Spirit:

to carry on the mission entrusted to Christ by the

Father;l to preach the gospel to every creature 2 to raise

up disciples.s

465 2. What the missions are

To preach the gospel and to establish the Church

among those peoples, or groups of peoples, who as yet

do not know Jesus Christ this is what ordinarily goes

under the title of "mission." Hence, missionary activity

differs from pastoral action and from the ecumenical

apostolate.

Included also in missionary activity is that service

which we render to the ecclesial community still in

formation.

The preaching of the gospel and the consequent re-

establishment of the Church in areas which have become

completely de-christianized is also part of the mission

activity of the Church.a

rcf

2Cf

Jn

Mt

21,

16,

21.

15-18

3cf

{cf

Mt 28,

AG 6.

18.

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The fact that the whole Church is by its very nature

missionary, does not exclude that some of its members

(priests, deacons, religious laity) should not be set aside

and dedicated to an apostolate which is strictltr mis-

sionary; rather it requires it.5

466 3. Gontributions of Vatican ll towards this renewal

The new dilectives of Vatican II require greater

adaptability on the part of the missionary.

Vatican II sees the non-cloristian world, in a new light.

It invites us to respect non-christians in their freedom,

both human and religious; the missionary should try to

discover in the non*christian religions whatever may serve

as a preparation for the gospel in order to bring them

to the fullness of Christ.6

Atheism sometimes shows itself as a reaction to the

faithlessness and failings of christians. It is up to the

missionary to demonstrate the ever-lasting truth of cer-

tain principles and human values which we have neg-

lected.T

The concept of euangelization thus becomes enlarged.

It is no longer a question of proclaiming the gospel; it

is a question of the spirit of the gospel penetrating human

r-ealities. It follows therefore that the general advan-

cement of the human race falls within the range of mis-

sionary activity.8

467 Thre m,ean'ing 0t ecclesiality has also been lenerved.

The doctrine of episcopal collegiality has produced a rnider

5 Cf AG 27; ES III n 6.

6 Cf DH 4, 10, 1,2; AG 13; LG 16, 17; NAE 2bc.

? Cf AG t0; GS 19-21; NAE 5.

8 Cf AA 5: GS 42: AG 8; Fn. RrccBnr in ASC 261 p 35 seq.

Also Messaggi,o per la giornata m,issi,onayia del 1970; J. JcsruN, Chiese

locali e sui,luppo in "Civilt). Cattolica" 1971, III p 352.

320

35.5 Page 345

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comprehension, a closer union and collaboration among

the various episcopal conferences in the service of the

gospel.e The co-responsibility of the people of God de-

mands that missionary activity involve, in a spirit of

solidarity with the hierarchy (bishops, priests, deacons),

religious and the laity.1o E,cumenism, with its consequent

dialogue, invites us to promote, with the understanding

o{ the com.petent ecclesiastical authority, a form of co-

operation with the different christian confessions which

work on the missions.ll

The m.issionar-v Church does nothing more or less

than continue on in time and in the midst of all peopies

the work of the incarnation and the redemption. Hence

the necessity of proclaiming the word, of conversion, of

faith and of baptism for salvation 12 is alrvays valid and

timely. While according the greatest respect to liberty

of cult, the Church af&rms in the declee 'Ad Gentes'

that it possesses both an indispensable duty and at the

same time a sacred right to spread thc gospel.13

458 4. Missionary pastoral action

Vatican II has compiled a 'missionary pedagogy'

which will help to build up the Church among the people.

Missionary activity, in the mind of the Church,

bcgins with a dialogue undertaken to make the acquain-

tance of those who are to be evangelized, and to mate

them our friends. Such an endeavour entails not only

a "giving" of what we possess, but also "an acceptarce

of u,hatever is of good in thc local culture." 1a

l,oCCffELSGIIXII nnlT1;A7. A2

11

u

Cf

Cf

AG

AG

15.

5-7:

DH

2.

13 AG 7.

14 AG 1l-12.

)2L

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The period of the catechumenate begins with a

gradual formation leading to a total christian vision.

During this period it would be o{ help to be able to give

a christian interpretation to those values which the people

already possess in their culture.ls

In the meantime the local cornrnwnity begins to

assume a defi.nite form. The work of the missionary aims

at bringing into being communities of faith, of religion

and of charity, and to endow them with the three in-

dispensable elements: catechists, clergy, and religious

vocations.

We have to help the new church reach maturity so

that it can be profoundly integrated in the social and

cultural context of its own people, thereby acquiring

greater strength and stability. In this way it will acquire

its own particular personality with a liturgical richness

and an apostolic creativity all its own.16

This gradual growth to maturity undoubtedly re-

quires, on the part of the missionary, a constant and

intelligent re-examination, flexibility in planning, and a

humble adaptability.

15 Cf AG l5-19.

'6 Cf AG 19-22; ES III, n 18.

1))

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CHAPTER TWO

THE MISSIONARY CONGREGATION

469 1. A reply to the Gouncil's call

Vatican II has sent out to all religious institutes of

the active life, and even to those not strictly missionary,

an appeal for them to collaborate in the establishment

of the kingdom of God among the people on the mis-

sions. It extends this appeal also to the contemplatives

and secular institutes.l Hence, even if the "missionary

drive" were not clearly rooted in salesian tradition we

should still have to respond generously to this explicit

appeal.

47O 2. Its missionary charism

When Don Bosco was young he cherished the idea

of consecrating himself to the missions. This thought

never left him. He always {elt a strong inclination to

bring the light of the gospel to the non-christian. Don

Cafasso blocked the way by saying to him: "You should

not go to the missions." 2

Don Bosco however never gave up his missionary

dream and he realized it through his sons. "He would

often exclaim.: 'Oh, if only I had plenty of priests and

clerics I would send them to Patagonia and Tierra del

Fuego because those people are the most abandoned.'" 3

The motives which more than any others determined

Don Bosco to begin the missionary activity of his Congre-

r

,

cf AG

MB II,

40.

203-204.

3 MB III, 363.

323

35.8 Page 348

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gation were the spiritual needs of the emigrants and the

ideal of bringing the gospel to those who so far did not

know it.

471

Don Bosco wanted his Congregation to have a stlong

missionary character. In 1875 it was he who chose from

among his salesians the ten who would be sent to America.

Before he died he had already sent ofi ten missionary

expeditions. At the same time the Daughters of Mary

Help of Christians also left for the missions, rvhere they

have since rvorked side by side with the salesians. At

Don Bosco's death, in 1888, the salesians overseas num-

bered 153 or almost 20o/o o{ the membership of the time.a

The successors of Don Bosco, faithful to the spirit

of their Founder have always given special consideration

to the missions o{ the Congregation.s The XIX General

Chapter underlined the fact that the Congregation ought

to brcathe new life into the ideal of Don Bosco who

wanted the work of the missions to be the constant con-

cern of the Congregation in such a way as to form part

of its nature and scope.6

a Elenco generale della Pia societi. salesiana 1888.

5 Cf CBnra, Annali II-IV passim; ASC, index under "missioni."

6 ASC 244, January 1966 p 178 seq.

324

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CHAPTER THREE

PASTORAL DIRECTIVES

472

The heart of Don Bosco filled with joy when he saw

the Congrcgation consolidated and, even though small

in numbers, active in the work of spreading the kingdom

of God.1 The Special General Chapter noted with great

satisfaction how the salesians are engaged in missionary

activity. To assist in the diffrcult task it has laid down

the following guide lines.

1. The salesian on the missions.

Every missionary ought to feel the obligation of

studying in depth the missionary doctrine of the Church,

especially the decree 'Ad Gentes,' and consider it his

official directory.

To render his apostolate more effective, the salesian

should seek to cultivate and live a profound missionary

spirituality which would consist of fi.delity to the work

of evangelization, of courage in his apostolate, of patient

joy in the spread of the gospel, and of constant trust

in the help of Mary, the Mother of the Church.

He should consider as being timely the recommen-

dations Don Bosco gave to the fi.rst missionaries. He

should therefore seek to carry out his work in the style

of the Founder. He ought to show that he is as flexible

as Don Bosco was in adapting himself to every new cir-

cumstance by being courageous, enterprising, creative,

open to every fresh initiative.

I Cf NTB XI 386

325

12

35.10 Page 350

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He should give the greatest importance to the cate-

chism, to the preparation of catechists, teachers and

leaders, and to the fostering of vocations. Where such

works are not possible his humble witness of service and

holiness will act as an evangelizing influence and prepare

the way for the kingdom of God.

In developing countries where the young constitute

the most numerous and most promising element, the

salesian missionary should pay the greatest attention to

the apostolate of youth. A most hclpful contribution to

the development of these peoples will result from an

education to freedom and the raising up among them

of christian leaders.

473 2. Formation of the salesian missionary

We ought to concern ourselves greatly with the train-

ing of the personnel of the salesian missions: along with

those qualities which are highly appreciated by society,2

we should also inculcate in them ttre sense ol cornruwnity

and a greater openness of spirit to the human environ-

ment, and this as a service especially geared to the poor.

Right from the start the missionary should become

a man of prayer, inspired by a lively faith, possessing

an unshakable optimism and a sincere love for his fellolv

man. If he works in a spirit of self-sacrifice and apostolic

zeal, always united to Christ in obedience to the Father

and in union with the hierarchy, he will most certainly

continue the mission of the Son of God.3

474 With regard to his doctrinal formation, the study

of the sacred scriptures and catechesis must have prior-

ity, since these are indispensable for the transmission of

cf Po 3.

Cf AG 24 seq.

326

36 Pages 351-360

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36.1 Page 351

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the gospel message. A knowledge of the history of the

religions of the world will facilitate dialogue with the

non-christian cultures. The future missionary should also

be introduced to the science of missiology and the

anthropological sciences, together with a careful study of

the local languages and cultures. A11 these, where possible,

should be introduced in the environment of the mission

itself. a

It would be useful to round off his theological form-

ation, even if he is a priest, with some specialization in

what are termed the "human sciences." 5

Attention should also be given to his social form-

ation, and he should acquire some critical knowledge of

the ideological, economic and political systems widely in

use in the countries of the world, and in particular in

the countries of the missions.

Those salesians who are temporary volunteers should

also receive an adequate preparation for their service on

the missions.

475 3. Relations with the home country

Whilst we recognize the absolute need of complete

identification of the missionary with the nation in which

he works, r,ve still hold it necessary for him to cultivate

in a newer and broader sense those bonds that bind him

to his province and to his own country.

The destination of the new missionary is decidcd by

the Superior Council, but every province, in allowing one

of its members to follow his missionary vocation, does

not simply grant him the nihil obstat to go to the mis-

sions: it sends him in every sense of the word. This

4 Ct _LG 26.

5 Cf Ceto. AcecraNraN in "Bibliographia Missionaria" 34

(1970) quad. 13 p 22.

327

36.2 Page 352

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brings into relief the common missionary aocation ol the

prouince, represented and expressed in these its privileged

sons, and the missionaries feel that they are being {oll-

owed, assisted and supported by the province of which

they form the vanguard. Such bonds of course are spiri-

tual and not juridical.

Every temporary return to one's own country (which

should have neither the intention nor the appearance

of a tour) should serve to strengthen these spiritual bonds

and to offer the missionary the opportunity of fulfi,lling

his duties to his family and of restoring him physically

and spiritually, as well as allowing him to bring himself

up to date on affairs.

The province of origin should consider it its duty

to welcome these missionaries with fraternal hospitality

on their return and to ofier its generous assistance to

them, be it temporary or permanent. On his part the

missionary will ofier his contribution to tlne d,euel,optnent

ol awareness of the missions in the proaince.

476 4. New missionary endeavour

hr order to co-operate with this grace of renewal in

the entire Congregation, the salesians should live the mis-

sionary spirit in their daily lives, holding themselves

generously available for an eventual call to the missions.

We must stimulate this missionary spirit in our works.

From the very beginning of their formation rve should

present to the young salesians the ideal of the missionarv

in an objective and attractive manner, clearly demonstrat-

ing its value. We should spread the knowledge of and

promote the missionary undcrtakings of our Congrega-

tion; we should study the lives and the personalities of

our great missionaries, and above all we should cultivate

that apostolic zeal and spirit of supernatural generosity

which forms the foundation of every missionary vocation.

328

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Of special importance is the encouragement and

preparation of the laity, especially the young co-operators

and past pupils, who might offer their missionary and

technical work as volunteers. Their preparation could be

expressed through local organizations which have this

scope, even though they may not be ours.

We should evaluate the youth movements in thc ser-

vice of the missions: they exercise a strong attraction on

the young. And in order that they may carry out a

truc scrvicc, they must be trained with clear missionary

motivation.

477

The Special General Chapter appeals to all the prov-

inces and even to those who are poorest in numbers of

salesians so that by obeying the invitation of the Council 6

and following the courageous example of our Founder,

they may contribute, even in a temporary manner, to

the spread of the kingdom of God.

6 cf AG 40.

329

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CHAPTER FOUR

PRACTICAT DIREGTIVES

478 l. To encourage, co-ordinate, and promote salesian

missionary work at all levels, our society has a central

offrce or secretariate for the purpose, under the direct

supervision of thc Councillor for the missions.

479 2. The Congregation should provide for the training

of specialists in missionary and similar work. Besides

being at the service of the missions, they will also help

to keep the missionaries abreast of new ideas and devel-

opments.

480 3. The missions are an object of general interest to

the whole Congregation. Every confrdre therefore is in

one way or another connected with this work. Only in

this way can we bring into effect the 'solidarity' in the

provision of both personnel and finances so warmly recom-

mended by the Rector Major. Hence:

confrdr-es

provincials should be generous in

as have the necessary qualities

allowing such

to consecrate

themselves to missionary work if they so desire;

tions

b-y

each province

presenting the

should cultivate missionary voca-

salesians as a missionary Congre-

gation and promising the fulfilment of their ideals to

those who walt to do such work;

selves i-nfotrhmeeddiofffetrheenmt cisosmiomnaurnyitpiersobslehmosuldofkteheepCthhuermch-

and of the Congregation; let them cultivate a true sales-

ian spirit in each house and thus create an atmosphere

in which missionary vocations can develop; let projects

be also undertaken for the benefit of the missions.

330

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SECOND SECTION

Our life of communion

Document 8

THE COIMIVIUNITY OF BROTHERHOOD

SALESIAN AND APOSTOLIC

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36.7 Page 357

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481

The salesian family comprises among its members

salesian religious. These are men who follow a special

vocation, live in a fraternal, apostolic community and

dedicate themsclves totally to God by the profession of

the evangelical counsels, thus making themselves available

to fulfi.I their special mission in accord with the salesian

charism.l

482

They are called to live more intensely the mystery

of the Church which is the communion of men with one

another and with God, in view of a mission. As this com-

munion manifests and fulfils itself through a fraternal

manner of life, so the mission fi.nds its fulfilment in apos-

tolic services.

Consecration, mission, communion of life and apos-

tolate complement each other, as inseparable elemei'rts in

one and the same dynamic reatity. Thus in community

the salesian religious achieve a true balance of human

and. supernatural elcments; they follow Christ "more

nearly" 2 and embrace a state of life which "is not op-

posed to the true progress of the human person but of

its very nature greatly assists it:" 3 the community for

its part, "Iike a family united in the lord, enioys the

lord's presence." a

The particular stamp of salesian community life is

the family spirit as conceived and lived by Don Bosco

and as enriched and developed by his sons.5

1 Ct LG 44a.

,PC1.

3 LG 46.

1 PC 15.

s CI St pr. pp 187-201

3)3

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CHAPTER ONE

FRATERNAL COMMUNITY

A) HUMAN VALUE OF THE SALESIAN COM.

MUNITY

483 Bequests from the confrEres

Very realistically the confrEres have condemned. cold-

ness and superficiality in personal relationships since,

where these exist, community life fails to satisfy the

members' aspirations, or to promote fraternal union and

apostolic work, or to foster vocations.

On the other hand there is reason to complain of

the reluctance of many members to take part in com-

munity activities and meetings.l

Consequently the confrdres request that there should

exist in the community an atmosphere of greater human

warmth characteristic of family life:

esteem,- of real friendship based on respect and mutual

take

pa- rt

of

in

apostolic

dialogue,

co-responsibility

permitting

all

to

Congre-gatoiofnoipnentnheessfotormtuhleatwioonrlod,f

the Church and the

programmes and in

community decisions.2

They have in mind a very positive charity that

embodies itself in the demands of particular situations,

1

,

Riccer'i on the state ol the Congregati.on

Cf replies to istanze 110 of Pep.

p

19 seq.

334

36.9 Page 359

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environments, activities, times and people, thus making

fraternal Iriendship really possibie.

There is no intention here of denying the primacy

of the supernatural but rather there is an af8.rmation of

the prime importance of the human factor in giving the

world. a witness of the reality o{ community charity and

apostolic service, even though this must naturally be as-

sociated with the acceptance of certain limits and per-

sonal sacrifices arising from our fraternal life and mission'3

484 Openness to the signs of the times

Nowadays the twin phenomena of socialization and

personalization make us conscious that men are striving

more than ever to achieve bonds of relationship with

their fellowmen by means of which they hope to expand

their own personalities and at the same time play a bigger

part in social and personal development and progress'

As religious, we are called upon by the Council to

bring ourselves up to date through "an adequate know-

ledge of the times, peoples and needs of the Church'" 4

We must then renew ourselves in our community and

personal lives, so as to make our active work more ef-

fective.5

485 A Community for the salvation of men

This movement towards greater social and mutual

contacts must not remain on a purely human level nor

become mere mob-activity, while the desire for greater

personal expression must not be allowed to degenerate

s Documentation of the Special Provincial Chapters.

1 PC 2d.

5 Cf GS 4-10; AA 14; DH 15c; MM 45-64: St. pr I n 10; 15,

16, 21.

)35

36.10 Page 360

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into selfish individualism. To avoid these dangers, the

members must develop their contacts within the com-

munity so as to form a more integral part of it without

losing their own individuality. Through reciprocal rela-

tionships within the community, it is possible to achieve

that personal approach which produces co-responsibility,

decentralization, pluralism, and subsidiarity. These fac-

tors stimulate creativity, make it possible to consider

others as fellow-workers, bring personal activity into the

heart of our common task through free and open dialogue,

and in this way make our mission more efiective and

enrich those who participate in it.6

486 A Gommunity for maturity

Men gradually achieve maturity and contribute to

the maturity of the community in which they live when

they are in an environment which satisfi.es their funda-

mental aspirations, such as their capacity for dialogue,

collaboration, the good use of their talents, attention to

their desires, their spirit of initiative etc.?

Signs of the maturity of the individual are: openness

towards others, respect for reciprocal bonds of justice,

the fulfilment of obligations, participation in work,

interior adhesion to discipline, and fidelity to a freely-

accepted rule.

The community itself gives proof of its maturity

when instead of isolating itself, it shows itself capable

of establishing cordial, fully human relationships with

other people and other circles which have claims upon

it by reason of its life and work. Thus is established

a useful exchange of personal and community riches in

6 Cf GS 6, 25; PC 14.

7 PeP II Special Provincial Chapter,

336

37 Pages 361-370

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37.1 Page 361

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a task which shows itself ever more opportune and up

to date.8

487 A Community of authentic friendship

Since the absence of human virtues and qualities

and the neglect of the corresponding values drive com-

munities and confrdres to a state of crisis, it follows that

fraternal friendship based on loyalty, honesty, collabora-

tion, co-responsibility, generosity, capacity for renuncia-

tion, desire for team-work, must be considered an im-

portant aim of community 1ife, and it must be fraternal

friendship which creates the climate which enables the

contrdre to feel at home and esteerned for his o'uvn sake.e

The community originating from a divine vocation

and from apostolic service, must constantly endeavour to

realize among those who comprise it a true communion

of fraternal affection and friendship, which will bind to

it aII the members without exception.

Moreover since the religious community does not

escape from the dynamism proper to every human group,

it must value the helps which the human sciences give

(psychology, sociology etc). By applying such helps, a

more harmonious and balanced community wiII result,

in which the action of grace will be more fruit{ul, and

our mission facilitated and made more effective with each

member cheerfully playing his part.

488 Community meetings

Where there exists a union of souls, a true fraternity

and friendship, there is a natural tendency in every human

group for this to show itself and ever gain strength and

8 Cf Reply to istanze 110 of PeP.

, Cf AGC XIX p 86; reply of Second Provincial Chapter to

prop. 115 of PeP; ET 39.

337

37.2 Page 362

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intensity in and through common reunions and tasks

performed in common.

These meetings are consequently of the utmost im-

portance, in religious communities as elsewhere, whether

they be at fixed intervals or prompted by particular

needs or situations. Each member can help to increase

fraternal understanding by diligence in attending such

fcoormwmournkitoyrglaiftehe(rminegasls-,

whether

recreation,

for prayer, dialogue,

up-dating etc.). On

the other hand each member through his absence, would

depriue hirnseff ol sometking ualuable, show a certain lack

in his relation witk others, and. rwn the rish ol ending wp

on tke lringe ol the community.

B) SUPERNATURAL VALUE OF THE SALESIAN

COMMUNITY

489 A human and religious community

God has taken the social nature of man into ac-

count and flxed his supernatural destiny in the Church,

which is a communion of men bound to each other and

to God in Christ through the HoIy Spirit. The religious

community eminently fulfils this notion of community;

it is a participation in the life of the Trinity and should

become a witness to it. In it dialogue becomes a com-

mon search for the will of God, which requires each one's

free personal adherence.

It can be seen as a more profound response to the

desire for community living which is such a mark of

the Church and of the world today especially among

the young, as a fruit of conciliar renewal and as a remark-

able return to the spirit of the early days.lo

10 Cf PC 15 a; Introduction to Constitutions 1966 p 37

)38

37.3 Page 363

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490 An apostolic community and a religious community

God's plan of salvation is achieved in the Church,

which was born when Jesus gathered the apostles around

him, men of different backgrounds, characters and aspira-

tions, whom he considered as his friends and brothers

and with whom he shared' work, mission, community of

goods, extraordinary charisms and his own relationship

with his Father; he formed a real family with them'll

One can easily discern in Jesus' manner of acting the

pattern for religious life in community. It is therefore

called "apostolic" and represents the prime way of "fol-

lowing Christ." 12

Christ can in this way be considered as the founder

of religious community

b5z what he said.

life

-

more by what he did than

491 The first community of Jerusalem

The

proposed

6a.srstthceommmoduenlityf oorfreJleigruiosuaslemcohmamsuanlsitoiesbe' eInt

developed under the guidance of Peter and the apostles

as a fraternal community around Mary, Mother of Jesus

and of the Church.

All the members rn'ere "of one heart and one mind"

in hearing the word of God, in prayer and celebration

of the eucharist, in sharing their goods, and in charity

to the needy.

The successive vicissitudes of the Church have de-

monstrated, that religious communities are in the best

position to maintain this type of witness'13

tr

t2

Cf Mk 3, 13-35; LG 19.

PC 2 a; Mro,trr, La nostva

u'ita

comunitavia,

editior.

lit

CISI

p78

13 Acts 2, 42; 4, 32', LG 46b; PC 15.

339

37.4 Page 364

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492 The religious community in the ecclesial community

The religious cornrnwnity is a lorrn ol comrmwnion ac_

cording to the ecclesial teaching of vatican II which lays

stress on the notion of 'people of God, and ,mystical Body,

whereby in the Church 'there exists a wonderful com_

munion in which variety does not harm unity but serves

rather to manifest it.'14

the

the

This is how we must

Council that religious

hierarchical structure

unclerstand

life .while

the

not

statement

belonging

of

to

of the church, nevertheless

belongs to its life and holiness., 15 i.e., to its charismatic

structure particularly under the aspect of communion.

493 Supernatural charity the soul of the community

Communion is engendered and nourished among the

confrdres by the practice of charity which christ proclaim-

ed as the condition for his presence. charity is the greatest

witness to heavenly realities rvhen it is practised by a

community which gathers together in faith, goes forward

in hope, and lives in love.

Amongst other advantages, the religious community

gives its members 'a fraternal association in the militia

of Christ, and liberty strengthened by obedience. Thus

these religious can securery fulfil and faithfulry observe

their religious profession, and rejoicing in spirit make

progress on the road of charity.'re

The religious through their charity communicate to

one another not only the benefits derived from baptism

and confirmation but also such as stem from their profess_

14 OE 2; Cf

tnon'ianza in "Per

GozzBrrNo, La ui,ta

una presenza viva

e rel.igiosa com,e segno test,i_

dei Religiosi nella chiesa e

nel mondo," Torino LDC 1969.

15 LG 44d; PC 2; LG 44b; pC l, 5.

16 LG 43 a.

340

37.5 Page 365

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ion, through which 'they manifest to all believers the

presence of heavenly goods already possessed here below:

likewise they witness to the new and eternal life acquired

by Christ, and they foretell the resurrected state and

the glory of the heavenly kingdom.'rz Moreover when

the Church gives its approval to a religious family, it

recognizes the bonds of charity which join each com-

munity rvith all the others scattered throughout the lvorld,

already united with one another by their identity of

charism, of mission and of spirit, as also by the com-

munion of all the other benefi.ts they possess.

494 A community of imperfect men

Each member can enrich the others by his gifts or

else, because of the 'mystery of evil' conflicting with

grace,18 he can impoverish them by his limitations; in

the latter case charity could step in with patience, pardon

and fraternal evangelical correction,le especially in the

case of those whose character and temperament can causc

difficulties to common life.2o

As the community is composed of imperfect men, it

calls for the exercise of personal sacrifi.ce. All are required

to contribute by work and sometimes by suffcring to

ensure its continued growth.

It is only through the united efforts of all that the

community can advance towards a greater completeness

by overcoming the daily difficulties and tensions which

inevitably arise and which are part and parcel of com-

munity life itself.

The community, like the Church itself, must always

t? LG 44 c; ET 7.

r8 GS 13, I ab.

,"0

Cf

cf

Mt

ET

15, 18;

38-38.

ET

38-39.

34L

37.6 Page 366

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keep itself disposed towards reconciliation and repentance;

thereby it participates in the Paschal Mystery of Christ

and collaborates with him in removing its many stains

and wrinkles, through a constant confrontation with the

gospel through the practice of the 'revision of life.'21

495 Community of consecrated men

Ecclesial communion has its origin in baptism. Reli-

gious profession seeks to express this communion in con-

crete fashion and so directs the religious ideal expressed

in the three evangelical counsels towards life in com-

munity, to which it already tends by its very nature.

In particuiar, the religious:

unselfis-h

through chastity opens his heart to

love towards his brethren; voluntary

a delicate,

celibacy is

the source and strength of a true brotherhood born not

of the flesh and blood but of God;22

session-s,

through

material

his pouerty he puts his personal pos-

and spiritual, at the disposal of the

brethren, with a detachment from private interests. In

this way each enriches the others by his poverty and

gives witness to the love of God through community

fraternal charity;23

hearts -in

through tris obedience he

the common quest for

joins other minds

the will of God,

and

and

with them binds himself to direct his life towards God

and Christ, taking his share of responsibility for the

common mission.2a

,r cl AA 30 h.

'?z Cf PC 12; El 13-14; MAruRt, Celi.bato e cornun'itd., Qaeri-

niana 1969.

'?3 Cf PC 13; ET 21; Oprerus eVBcor-, Poaevtd, Queriniana 1969.

24 PC 74.

342

37.7 Page 367

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C) THE SALESIAN SETTING FOR COMMUNITY

LIFE

496 The first salesian community

Don Bosco was supernaturally inspired to create a

community of religious from within his family, of which

the speciflc function was to act as a life-giving stimulant

for the self-same mission.

He attained his objective by degrees, establishing

bonds of friendship with the better boys, testing them

in practical works of charity towards their neighbour,

next binding them by promise and finally guiding them

on to religious consecration by vows.2s

Thus the first salesian community came into existence.

In it Don Bosco appeared as master, animating force,

father and guide raised up by the Holy Spirit and maternal

aflection of Mary Help of Christians, and he was ac-

cepted as such by all his sons.

497 The community in the constitutions

In the Constitutions Don Bosco wanted to include

aII those elements which characterize a community of reli-

gious united fraternally to achieve an apostolic mission:26

the Co-ngrecgharitsiotina;n perfection was the ultimate purpose of

ones:

"p-raemsiesrstiiomn

towards the young, especially the poorer

si pauperiores sint," and hence the apos-

tolic character of the society;

,5 BM VIII, 596; Srpna, Don Bosco v 2p 153; 350-351; \\MrRrn,

Don Bosco et les Salesiens p 103, LDC 1970; DrsRernreur, Don Bosco

et la uie sp'iri.tuelle, LDC 1970 p 29; Cenra, Annali I p 30-33; Mroerr,

Carisrna permanente di Don Bosco, LDC p 97; ASC XIX pp 95-100.

26 Costituzioni art 12; Cf Dnsnelreu'r, Les consti,tut.ions sales'ien-

nes,vo71p16.

343

37.8 Page 368

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vows w-hicrheliegsiotaubslicsohntsheecr'actoiomnmthurnoioung;h' the profession of

ing

the-

common

members

life sustained by fraternal charity

"one in heart and mind;"

mak-

-

laymen-."

love and service of God;

equality of the confrdres:

zz

"priests,

clerics

and

498 The salesian community in the thought and practice of

Don Bosco

In 1869, in the comments which he made to the

first salesian community, concerning Pius IX's approval

of the Congregation, Don Bosco stated that the destiny

of the institution was bound up with the practice of com-

mon life: this consists, he continued, in the joy exper-

ienced by brethren living in harmony: 'habitare fratres

in unum:'

tion

of-

in

the

unum locum,

common life;

physically

in

every

manifesta-

and

rv-ill,

in unum spiritum:

i.e. charity;"

"there

must

be

unity

of

mind

through-

in unum

obedience

agendi

of the

finem, which is the attainment

common mission: the scope of

the society which is the moral and scientific education

of poor and abandoned boys.z8

The advice which he left as a souvenir in his will2e

can be seen also as the conscious inspiration of his activ-

ity as founder and superior. He showed a great capacity

for dialogue, for sharing responsibility, eaen witk tke yottng-

est ol kis helpers; he knew how to harmonize in apostolic

and missionary work the diflerent skills of persons who

37 BM XII, 152; Bqerno, Religiosi nuoui, per 'il mond,o d,el la-

uoro, SEI p 27.

',8,

MB IX, 571 seq; see also

cf MB )(YII 257, 265.

constit.

art

13.

)44

37.9 Page 369

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were temperamentally very different: he could find the

right job for everyone suited to his temperament ability

and formation, so that all felt satisfi.ed.

499 The family spirit

The family spirit is a basic element in the salesian

community. This spirit informed all Don Bosco's wolk;

it was something alive, a fact of life for his first helpers,

and thus salesian tradition was shaped and formed by

it from the very beginning.

It wouid seem that this unmistakable prerogative

consists in a climate of shared affection based chiefly on

mutual esteem and confi.dence and leading on to fraternal

rapport and sharing of all they possess by the confrdres.

It is maintained by reason, kindness and the spirit of

faith which creates the freedom of the children of God.

Some of the fruits of the family spirit are a fraternal

manner of exercising authority and obedience, dialogue

and co-responsibility in initiatives and work.3o

Within the family setting, young confrEres merit

particular attention, to enable them to integrate their

energies into the rhythm of the common life and thus

mature them for the task of continuing the salesian mis-

sion; they in their turn, by their own speciai perceptive-

ness, can sometimes clearly discern the problems that

events pose for the community life and action.3l

500 Charity more urgently directed to those in greatest need

The family spirit reveals itself most remarkably in

the particularly attentive charity it shows towards those

most in need of it, viz. the sick and the elderly. Members

see in their suffering confrdres the sign of Christ the

redeemer: they welcome them, surround them with af-

s0 Cf Document I re: Salesian Spirit p 77

3r CI Regola San Bened,etto n 3.

345

37.10 Page 370

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fectionate care, and help them to understand the value

of their role of sacrifi.ce and prayer in sustaining the

common apostolate. As regards the elderly confrdres,

the community offers them gratitude for the work they

have accomplished, and enlists their help in tasks of

which they are still capable, and seeks the benefi.t of

their advice and experience. The understanding, comfort,

prayer and delicacy of the community can strengthen

and enlighten those who are wavering in their faith

and vocation.32

Guests shall be honoured as coming to us in the

name of Christ.33

501 Optimism and joy 34

In the salesian community the keynote is optimism,

an optimism derived from a supernatural vision of salva-

tion, from abandonment to providence, and from faith

in man and human values according to the christian

humanism that the Church recognized in Don Bosco. Ioy

is also a mark of the salesian community, a joy supported

by hope which is the fruit of interior peace and the en-

joyment of shared goods.

502 The superior in the salesian community

Like Don Bosco the superior is the centre and animator

of the community of his brethren. He exercises his author-

ity by way of service payi,ng due attention to tke abilities

and charisrns ol each member, and keeping in nrind, the

co,n/tvno% good, and tke deuel,opment ol tke community. He

shares responsibility with all the confrdres in the fulfil-

ment of the common mission, with fidelity to the rule

3, Cf replies to n 110 PeP.

33 Mt 25, 35-46; Heb. 13,2; ET 3t; Cf MB IX, 39; XI, 313;

XIII, 850 etc.

3a Cf Document I p 77.

346

38 Pages 371-380

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38.1 Page 371

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and to discipline whose guardian he is and by fraternal

correction,3s but above all he must 'preside in charity.'a0

He must in fact be a brother who, in imitation of Jesus,

takes his place among his brethren as a revelation and

sign of the fatherhood of God.37

503 Gonstant evolution of the salesian community

As the successive changes in the constitutions and

regulations testify Don Bosco's sense of realism led him

to a continwal up-d,ating ol his communities; his practical

sensitivity induced him to adapt to the constantly chang-

ing situations and to the different environments in which

his work was spreading, though he was careful to preserve

its aim and spirit.38

Don Bosco has thus impressed a particwlar dynamisn+

on his cornmunities, uelcorning and encowraging opportwne

experimentation.se The salesian community arose from

among the young and is directed towards them. It uil,l,

go o?t, reneuing itsell through adaptation to aaried circwrn-

stances 'in the lnanner desired and practised, by the founder.

Thus there has come into existence a community

which, according to the mind and practice of Don Bosco,

is not uniform but flexible; in it the confrdres have the

rector as their guide to enable community life to run

more smoothly and to plan and co-ordinate apostolic

activity.

35 ET 25; Const. n 102; also Document 12 re. Obedience.

36 IRENEUS, Adaeysws Haeyeses, III, 3.

az "(Abbas) Christi enim agere vices in monasterio creditur"

San Benedetto.

38 WrnrH, Op. c. chap.8, 9, 10, 12, 18; DnsnAMAUr, Les Const.

sales'iennes.

3e Ct Annal'i della soc'ietd, salesi,ana, I, ct,. 2; here we are given

a descriptio of the transfer of the Oratory from the Ospizio, to outside

schools, school in the oratory, foundation of colleges, closing of

works, e.g., Marassi, Mirabello etc.

347

38.2 Page 372

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CHAPTER TWO

APOSTOLIC COMMUNITY

504 The salesian mission in the church

Salesian religious exist as cornmunities of consecrated

men called to an identical mission, and thus fulfil an

apostolic function and participate in a particular way

in the mission of the Church.

Christ and his apostles lived together in common to

preach the kingdom and bear witness to it: the com-

munity at Jerusalem did the same to establish the king-

dom in being; and similarly salesian corrunownity lile is

established to lwlfil an apostolic rol,e ir the Church, as an

extension of the charity which unites the confrdres to

each other and to Christ.

505 Community open to the church

The salesian community participates in the life of

the Church, is a sign of communion with it and also

shares in its mission of salvation. It is therefore alert

to the needs of the universal Church, with which it keeps

in close touch, and is careful to adapt its structures to

its apostolic task, that its special charism, part of the

riches of all the people of God, may be applicable to the

times and places in which it operates.l

Consequently salesian communities, avoiding any

ghetto mentality which would turn them in on themselves,

and cultivating at the same time their olvn charism, will

1 Cf LG 44b; PC 1, 2, 8: CD 35; ES 2, 22-40.

348

38.3 Page 373

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collaborate with the local church and other reiigious

families by their witness and pastoral action as a 'spec-

ialized body' providing an apt service of a special type,

whose autonomy is recognized by the Church through

the granting of exemptiorr.

506 World, provincial and local communities

Just as the universal Church is expressed in the

pluralism of the various individual churches and basic

groupings, so the salesian Congregation is made up of

provincial communities which are the setting in which

these operate that prouide the concrete place and' lnq'nner

i.n whick the salesian aocation i,s fwlfi,lled.

The communion between these groups is deepened

and fostered by their common charism and mission, by

the spirit of Don Bosco, by the sharing of possessions

and experiences, by solidarity on all levcls, and by the

service rendered to the pastoral work of the Church'

Tnr pnovrNcrAl coMMUNrrY IS RESPoNSIBLE FoR THE

coMMUNroN bctween the individual communities and for

their insertion into the salesian service we render to the

local church.

507 OutwardJooking communitY

The community shares in the dynamism of the Church

and is intended for and open to the service of its fellows,

offering to all the benefit of the graces which the Lord

has showered on us. It joyfully cultivates and enlivens

rvith its faith the relations which bind it to other people

and backgrouncls whether through kinship, inspiration,

r,vork or icleals, or on the grounds of duty, suitability,

friendship or charity.2

, CfLG 45b; CD 35, 3; reply of Provincial Chapter to n 113

of PeP.

349

38.4 Page 374

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By these external contacts, the community expresses

its relationship with the world but is also enriched by

the integration of fresh spiritual values into its mission

and is thereby the better able to fulflI its apostolic action.

This must be the case especialiy with our boys and

iay-helpers in all the different kinds of work and activ-

ity, forming with them an ed.wcatiae cornmunity. The

confrdres inspire this work from within, dispensing the

riches

spirit

of the salesian communion

also to the boys through

and extending the

the ever-more

lamity

perfect

application of the preventive system. In this way an

atmosphere is created in which vocations can grow.

508 Community and apostolic life

Salesian community life is directed towards our apos-

tolic mission. Hence the composition of the community,

its structure of life, work, organization, and timetable

should be such as to facilitate the work of the apostolate

in so far as community life, its needs and forms of ex-

pression have a bearing on it.3

Every community must make the effort to overcome

the inevitable tensions which arise in religious life, so

that its individual members manage to achieve as Don

Bosco did, a union between the demands of common

life and those of the apostolate, two distinct but in-

divisible facets of apostolic charity.

To ensure an orderly development of community life

and greater ef,frciency in the apostolate, it would be a

good thing if the members were to have a certain stability

in the offi.ces they hold.

509 Unity and pluralism

A characteristic of the Holy Spirit is the pluralism

of the charisms which he confers for a specific mission

s Cf ES 2, 25; CD 35, I

350

38.5 Page 375

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in the Church; hence the individuals in the community

must always bear in mind the unity of the common mis-

sion, while the cormrmwnity itselt, under the guidance of

the superior, musl be aaare ol and as far as possible respect

the aariety ol personal chq.risms and gilts a making use

of them for the common good.

It is this deference which makes the community's

apostolate more fruitful and enables it to measure up

to the manifold needs of the world and of the Church,

without being forced to stifle personal initiative.

For his part the individual salesian seeking to adapt

his particular charism to that of the community, can

discover in himself new resources and original means of

expression hitherto undreamt of.

510 Towards new forms of community

The Church calls on the religious communities to

organize themselves according to the requirements of

new situations and to try out experiments in the re-

newal of community life and in up-dating their apos-

tolic mission.s

Hence our communities large and small must be re-

newed, so as to be "constantly animated by prayer, and

marked by the generous mortifi"cation of the 'old man,'

by the disciplines necessary for the formation of the

new man, and by the fertility of the sacrifi.ce of the cross."6

For us religious of active life, the prime witness

must be service on behalf of the Church's own mission.

a Cf I Cor 12, 13; I Cor 14, 12; Rom t2, 6; PC I b; ET 32, 33;

CauerBn, Realtd, car'ismat'ica ed eccles'iale nella uita relig'iosa in "Per

una presenza viva dei religiosi nella Chiesa e nel mondo," Torino

LDC 1969 pp 229-281; see also reply oI the Provincial Chapters

to rt 32 of PeP.

5 Cf PC 2; 3, 4: ES 2, 6; ET 2, 5, 6.

6 ET 41.

35t

38.6 Page 376

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This is the touchstone we must use in evaluating var-

ious experiments, such as "fraternities" or "small groups"

or "small communities" as they are called.? These are

to be considered as something created by the needs of

the times in which we live, and a call of the Holy Spirit

to be welcomed with docility.

The Nrw FEATURE of this type of community is

the intense communion among its members, but more

particularly the call to insert itself into special types of

life and work, where a witness of charity and christian

enterprise is needed especially among people on the fringe

of society. This work can take on a permanent form

and can have a salesian slant as the little group cares

in a special way for the young people in the area rvhere

it lives and works. It acts in conjunction with the prov-

ince and confrdres, and in turn with the local church.

511

From ali these points it is evident that we can des-

cribe the sALESTAN REr.rcrous coMMuNrry as a group of

people called by the Holy Spirit to live their baptismal

and religious consecration in common through a parti-

cular mission in the Church, and who find in Christ

the purpose of their existence, and who regard their

witness of the paschal mystery to the world as their

motive for the particular service they offer to their breth-

ren, especially poor and abandoned youth, according to

the charisrn of Don Bosco.

Thus the community, fruit of the grace of God, be-

comes a sign, of the ecclesial communion , an instrwment

for pastoral action, the lwllness of interpersonal rela-

tionships, and a way ol lile in the realization of the sales-

ian spirit.

7 Cf Peur YI, Di,scourse to Swperior Gemerals, 22 Nov. 1960

(Bollettino UISG, I and 2 trim 1970); ET 26, 35, 40.

352

38.7 Page 377

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CHAPTEB THREE

PRACTICAL DIRECTIVES

512 1. The provincial communitY

The General Chapter is of the opinion that thc re-

newal of our religious and salesian life must be based

fundamentally on the nBnrscovERY AND RE-EVALUATIoN

oF THE pRovINcIAL coMMUNITY as the bond of union

between the different local communities, the other pro-

vinces and the whole Congregation. This new outlook

allows the salesian to become more convinced of the

spirit of solidarity between all the confrlres of the pro-

vince, and encourages him to carry out his apostolic

r,vork in the context of the local church.

It is tke dwty ol the froaincial chapters and. cowncils

to defi.ne the common aims of the province as a whole,

and then to study how these can best be carried out

and to make the necessary decisions, beginning with the

most urgent cases.

513 2. Renewal and simplification of the local community

As the General Chapter XIX cmphasized the figure of

the salesian as such, so the Chapter XX has conccntrated

its attention on community.l The community is at the

very heart of the reirewal which this Chapter has been

concerned to bring about in the Congregation in response

to the specific requests of the confrdres.

Guided by this spirit which demands a new approach

I Cf Second Special Provincial Chapter a.

353

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and organization, after careful study but without undue

delay 2 the following experiments should be tried out:

a) the breaking up of large communities into separ-

ate communities, or at least their division into small-

er groups;

b) simplifying works that are too complex, so that

the activities of the confrdres may be more homogeneous;

c) the making of a distinction between the sections

where the community lives and where it works, as long

as this does not hamper our work and is considered to

be possible, convenient and for the common good;

d) forming separate communities made up of con-

frdres who are all doing the same specifi.c kind of work

for co-operators, past pupils, chaplaincies etc, or who are

r,vorking amongst the young but outside our own premises

(e.g. in schools, clubs, youth centres etc.) or who are

doing special work in the local church.3

514 3. The composition and functioning of the communities

A) IN FoRMING A CoMMUNITY THE FoLLowING SHoULD

BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT:

provide-; the requirements of the apostolic service we

ate

the-

the fundamental laws

life of a community,

of psychology which regul-

facilitate apostolic work

and promote charity;

to

keep-

the need for a certain stability which will help

the community together and promote continuity

d-iscsipalvinineg. of course the legitimate demands of religious

2 PC 4; ES 2, introduction.

3 Cf ET 33; 27 First Prov. Chap. and 10 Second Prov. Chap.

together lrith a large no. of confrdres have requested this.

354

38.9 Page 379

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B) AS FAR AS THE RUNNING OF THE COMMUNITY IS

CONCERNED:

ity

in -acceoarcdhanccoemmwuitnhitythweilgl eonrgearnailzeanitds

life and activ-

provincial re-

gulations;

arrange-d

each confrdre witl abide by whatever has

and will avoid destructive individualism.

been

515 4. Small communities

As already mentioned in the doctrinal section, ex-

perimentation with 'small' communities is permitted but

the following conditions must be observed:

a) they remain part and parcel of the provincial

community through which they are linked to the Congre-

gation and to the local church;

b) they are not a challenge to the religious life,

but a response to the need lor a better way ol offering owr

seraice, especially in areas where evangelization is difficult

and where the religious needs of the young are neglected;

c) they are therefore in line with our vocation and

mission, because their aim is to give a new impulse to

the missionary ideal of Don Bosco;

d) 'rather than offering their members an easy kind

of life the work is more exacting.'a Those confr,bres con-

sidered suitable for trying out this type of work must

bind themselves to a strict evangelical life rvith 'a reciprocal

and fraternal acceptance of responsibility;' 5

a) the feasibility and actual nature of these com-

munities is left to the study and decision ol each, proaince,

including also the question of the exercise of author-

ity in them;

4 ET 40.

5 ET 40.

355

38.10 Page 380

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l) the provincial and his council rvill make a per-

iodic examination with the group concerned of the progress

of the experiment, and should the lack of success or

progress require it, will suggest new experiments likely

to produce better results;

g) finally, the members of these groups should be

ready to return to normal salesian communities to enrich

them r,vith their experiences. All forms of 'small com-

munities' or 'fraternities' which are rnerely cxpressions

of escapism from normal community life, or a mcans to

solve personal p.roblems or to satisfy a spirit o{ indiv-

idualisrn, are not to be allowed.

516 5. Communication within the Congregation (and outside it)

The following ditectives are made with a view to

keeping the con{rdres adequately informed:

A) LoCAL LEVEL:

a) arrangements should be made for community

meetings where a1l are lree to express themselves and

there is the possibility of discussion, but always there

should be respect for the opinions of others and the com-

mon aim of seeking God's will;

b) there should also be some means of passing on

whatever items of news concern the life of the community.

B) rnovrNcrAl LEvEL. A detailed news-Iettcr should

be distributed, which will constitute a 'forum' for an

exchange of views and other topics of general informa-

tion for the common interest of the province.

C) wonrn LEVEL. There should be timely publica-

tion of matters of interest to all the confrdres especially

those of world-wide application or when theye is a. qwes-

tion of sometking that might harrn the Congregation or tkat

cowld be urongly i,nterpreted. In this latter case it is the

356

39 Pages 381-390

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39.1 Page 381

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duty of the superiors to issue an objective account of

the incident in question which every confrdre has the

right to know about. Each confrdre however must be

conscious of the fact that all communication inside the

Congregation or among outsiders mwst be suck as to kelp

and not hinder the common good. It must never be used

for purely selfish interests, especially when these conflict

r,vith the common good, the apostolic mission of the

Congregation, our family spirit, or due respect for per-

sons and truth.6

6 Cf CP 29, 30, 42.

357

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39.3 Page 383

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Document 9

THE PRAYING COTVIN/UNITY

39.4 Page 384

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CHAPTER ONE

PBAYER IN A CHANGING WORLD

517

A fact to take note of: today in the Church in regard

to the life of prayer we have with us a crisis which is

serious and preoccupying, yet at the same time it brings

with it signifi.cance and promise. This crisis has reper-

cussions also for us in our own circles.

sl8

We believe it is possible to pick out the causes of

this crisis. On the one hand we have a whole range of

circumstances and facts that have their origin in the

different types of milieu (sociological and cultural, ec-

clesial, salesian...) in which we salesians are necessarily

caught up. This happens both at the personal and the

community level. On the other hand we have the deep

crisis of faith that is causing turmoil in the world in its

state of change and in the Church in its process of re-

newal. This clearly afiects us too.

There are then diffrculties connected with prayer.

This is above all the case when we consider the change

of the image of God and consequently in the manner of

conceiving the relationships betlveen man and God.

519

All these difficulties can thrust themselves in a nega-

tive sense (and indeed they do so) into our life of prayer,

both the community and the personal prayer.l But at

iteohmuespsheaamxsaeismti-imnaetthio-enyaonpfdrceowsneesncwtieiasnhcfoetoratusntndreasftosertohaciscreawnsieitohwnepfdoarrdteiacduiscleaarr--

I Cf Fn. RrccrRr, State ol the Congregat,ion, p 27,29,31-32.

36L

39.6 Page 386

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tion to our prayer-life. This is the very centre, indeed

it is the true secret of the renewal of our salesian voca-

tion today.

520

At the personal leael, these diffrculties can help us

to purify our faith making it rest fol its foundation on

the word of God. As well as this they compel us to make

a truly personal thing of our faith; this faith then reveals

itself as an encounter and a personal commitment to a

supremely loved THOU demanding from us an attitude

of constant availability. This purification of our faith

and the turning of it into something persona,,L will help

us to overcome that temptation, which is particularly

strong today, to think prayer useless and thtln to simply

substitute it by service, even generous sertvice of our

brothers. The attitude of availability will in its own

turn allow us to make that steady progress from a

Iife of prayer to an authentic prayer-l,ite.

521

At the cornrnwn'ity leael, tlne diffrculties amidst which

we fi.nd ourselves have already, here and there, stimulated

positive research into new forms of authentic piety. These

then should help us to rediscover the irreplaceable value

of our community in our life of prayer. In effect com-

munity prayer produces various effects. It becomes a

guarantee of the presence of our Lord amongst us;2 it

allows us to go on all the time discovering the presence

of God living in the history of man and in the world;

it also urges us on more strongly to an apostolic com-

munity effort and dedication which is marked by greater

boldness and readiness to seize every opportunity'

522

Our apostol,ic work will have to draw fruit from these

serious diffrculties. In fact if we want to "reveal the

3 Cf Mt 18, 20; Jn 13, 3S:17,21; also Inst'itwt'io generalis de

Li,twrg'ia Hovarurn r 9.

362

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authentic countenance of God" 3 in an adequate and

valid way we must rediscover nea forms of relationships

to him. These must be forms more in harmony with the

ways of thinking of modern man, and particularly of

the youth of today. We must also teach

this more by personal witness than by

prayer, even from the human point of view,

iwsyooaunrdthau--thetnahtnaicdt

need of man. We must show that it is necessary in order

to acquire and guarantee peace of heart, to hold on to

a balanced interior spirit and to haae that real personal,

experience ol trwe ioy.

3 GS 20c

363

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CHAPTER TWO

OUR RENEWAL IN THE IIFE OF PRAYER

Heartfelt appeal for renewal

523

In a situation like the present one, which is at once

both preoccupying and promising, we are called to a

rcnerved commitment to our life of prayer. We arc con-

vinced that "faithfulness to prayer or the abandoirment

of it

life."

1miWrroeratrheecvonitvainlictyedotrhdaetcaodnelyncae

of the religious

spiritual rebirth

and not a mere set of nerv structures will give the go-

ahead to a new era in the history of the Church. The

Church invites us to cultivate a type of prayer, and above

all mental prayer, which is really valid in its quality and

rvhich is in full correspondence with that spirituality

which is the mark of our vocation.2

We must overcome all trace of danger of formalism.

We must feel ourselves urged on not "by u law to be

kept, but by the awareness of the intrinsic importance

of prayer in itself and of its pastoral and ascetical use-

fulness." s

s24

The obligation to reneu,al must be actualized at the

personal and community level. The two aspects of prayer

(personal and community) are really inseparable. We

cannot set them against each other or eliminate one at

I ET 42; Cf ET 45; DoN Bosco, Introduct'ion to the Consti.tu'

tions: Practices of Piety.

'

s

Cf ET 2,2l; PC

Laud.i,s Canti.cum

3a, 8c.

in AAS

83

(1971)

543;

Cf

Inst'ituti,o

gen.

de L.H. n 9.

364

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the expense of the other. Rather we have to integrate

them together into one vital unity that enriches both.

qr(

Both the individual and the community share re-

sponsibility in that process of acquiring spiritual maturity

to which we have aII dedicated ourselves by our religious

profession. The Church "in receiving the vows of those

who make their profession" a takes to itself the respons-

ibitity for their vocational task. Each one of us must

therefore feel responsible for fostering the development

of the apostolic vocation of the community "as sttch."

A praying community cannot establish itself as such if

its members arc not personally men of prayer. It is

in the measure in which we are such men of prayer that

the praying community becomes a living reality. In this

regard. every single person should bring his irreplaceable

contribution to the different moments of a community

meeting for prayer, even by the mere fact of his physical

presence. His presence always has the value of witness

and mutual stimulus.

s26

The rector, as guide of the community, has a particular

responsibility in the question of the life of prayer' In

his conferences, in his private discussions, and above all

by his example, hc must rouse in the confrdres a sense

of nced and a taste for prayer. He must seek to create

suitable conditions that will favour prayer, safeguarding

the right of each confrdre to prayer. In consequence of

this he should avoid entrusting them with burdens that

could detach them from prayer, and he should help them

to remove any such obstacles that may have arisen.

The prayer of apostolic religious

527

Our life of prayer must above all receive its inspira-

tion from Christ our lord and Mary our mother under

the guidance of the HolY SPirit.

4 LG 45; cf Il,T 7

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Christ our Lord

528

Our Lord Jesus is the swpren+e ?ntq.% of prayer. His

is the prayer that is the norm for all ages and times.

During his life on earth he continuously gave us examples

of prayer; the evangelists show him to us frequently in

the act of praying; we see him taking part in the com-

munity prayer of the Temple and the synagogues and

in the private prayers recited by pious Israelites.s Even

risen from the dead and ever living "he prays for us,,6

there with the Father.

his

p"rTahyeerd, ainildyeaecdtiivtitsyporaf nJgesfursomwaist"clzosienlysluinckheda

with

way

as to reveai "that prayer was what animated his mes-

sianic ministry and his paschal passing over." 8

529

The substance of our prayer is an insertion and a

participation in the prayer of Christ. Together with all

the Church this prayer prolongs the glorif,cation of the

Father

rection

hinasthfiexerdeditemfoprtieovneroifnmeatenr.niJtye.seusPbrayyehrisenreabsulers-

us to discover the living meaning of our adoption as

sons of God. It is the basis of our apostolic service direct-

ed to all men, our brothers, particularly towards poor

and needy youth. Precisely because we are sons of one

common Father we are brothers and servants of all.lo

Prayer must not only enable us to win in those

moments of temptation and depression of the apostolic

life, but it must maintain kindled in us the joy and en-

5 CfMk 1I,25 seq.; 14,19;15,36; 19,13; Mk 1,35; 6,41-46;

7,34;8,

6, tt.

1;Lk2,4l-49;3,21-22;4,

t6;5, t6:6, 1,12;10, 2t seq.; Jn

6 Heb 7, 25.

? Inst. Gen. de L.H. n 4.

8 rb.id_

e Cf. Inst. gen. de L.H. nt 6-7.

10 Cf Mt 5, 45; 23, 8; 25, 40-45; Lk 9, 48; I Jn 3, l.

366

40 Pages 391-400

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thusiasm of our total self-giving to God in the service

of youth and the peoPle'11

The Holy Spirit

530

In our apostolic life the Holy Spirit, the one and

only Master of the interior life, gives us "the grace to

uncover the countenance of our Lord in the hearts of

men." 12 He it is who guides us in the diffrcult work of

searching out and finding God "even in the conditions

of existence today, marked by a {aster and faster pace

of life, and by the din and the promptings of the moment-

ary passing realities." 13 The world however must indeed

be a reality "present at the very centre of our life of

prayer and self-ofiering." 1a We must therefore learn from

Jesus, under

template the

the

plan

guidance of the HoIy Spirit, to con-

of redemption for all humanity in the

heart of our heavenly Father, in order that we might

make this plan also actively our own. Like Jesus we

must learn to tie ourselves to God in our apostolic activ-

ity and to burn with apostolic zeal in our prayer'

Mary our Mother

531

Our Lady, united to Christ as no other creature was,

stimulates us to imitate her docility in faith towards

the HoIy Spirit. It is in this way that Christ grows in

us and that we can feel ourselves to be "sons in the Son"

in our dealings with the Father. In us, in the likeness

of Mary, grace received must become grace developed

and in which we play our part. This must happen above

all in the apostolic commitment which we took on with

our religious profession.

1r Cf II Cor 1, 4; LG 43; DoN Bosco, Introd,wct'ion to Const-

"Practices of piety."

12 ET 44.

13 ET 33.

14 ET 49.

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Gharacteristics of our spirituality

A) DoN Bosco,S LIFE AND THAT oF THE SALESIAN AS

TRUE LITURGY

532

Don Bosco showed in himself and wanted for his

sons a piety that was simple, concrete and deep.ls

The revealed word assures us that the real Temple 16

in rnhich the liturgy ol tke apostolic lile is celebrated is

the community of faith (the true family which binds us

and our young people together). It consists in the joyous

announcement of the Good News which is Jesus Christ,l?

the centre of all history and the final meaning of human

existence.

533

Don Bosco lived it "in the spirit of truth," 18 practis-

ing "a religion that was pure and. unspotted.',1e in alite

totally consecrated to the service of poor and abandoned

youth and in his dedicated unceasing task of destroying

sin, the cause of every evil in the world.

534

By untiring work, which Don Bosco wanted as a

distinctive mark of our spirituality, he inserted himself

into "the priestiy people who reign on earth.,, 20

It was in fact by work that he made it his intention

to collaborate actively and efhcaciously with God,s sav-

ing plan, thus obeying the command "to have dominion

over the earth" 21 in order to transform it to the service

of man. By work carried out in a spirit of love he glorified

God and offered himself as "a host that was living and.

acceptable in a real act of spiritual cult.',22

r5 Cf Constitutions 152, 153, 155.

16 I Cor 3, 1,6-17.

r7 Cf Rom 15, 15-16; Phil 2, t7; CoI 3, 17; SC l0-12

18 Cf Jn 4, 24.

" Jam 1, 27; Cf MB XVIII, 258.

'o Revelations 5, l0; cf Regulations.

2r Gen I, 28.

s, Cf Rom 12, l.

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It was precisely his concrete and existential laith that

was the foundation of this bringing together of basic

elements which led him to a profowd wnion witk Cod

and which made of him a real, conternplatiae in his actiuity.

It led him to discover God in the reality of each day,

and goaded him to the never ceasing task of liberating,

by means of work, all those realities so often soaked in sin.

535 We must interpret the importance given by Don

Bosco to the practices of piety in the light of this spiri-

tual attitude. For him they were also, over and above

their function as means of personal sanctification, moments

of training in order to collaborate ever more intensely

in the work of transforming the world according to

God's plan.

536 This bent of the spirituality of Don Bosco seems

particularly suited to our world today and an urgent

necessity for our own renewal.

Only by celebrating the liturgy of our apostolic life

in all its fullness shall we overcome any danger of sheer

humanism. We will do so by praying in such a way

that even our life of duties undertaken and of activities

will become a stimulus and indeed the matter itself of

our prayer.

The times of community prayer, the liturgical celebra-

tions, the eucharist in a special way, will not be an in-

terval or a flight from the concrete reality, but they will

constitute its "culmination and its source." 23 They will

be the most effective and intense sacramental expression

of human history and of our apostolic work.

537 Then that will become a reality in us which was

already so in the life of Don Bosco, and which is stated

in the "Laudis Canticum:" "The entire life of the faith-

23 sc 10

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ful constitutes a true leitourghia by means of which

they offer themselves to God and to men in a service of

love, uniting themselves closely to the action of Christ

who by making his dwelling amongst us and offering

himself has sanctified the life of all men." 2a

B) Oun pBnsoNAL AND coMMUNITy LrFE oF pRAyER

a) Renewed. aision ol the praying comrnwnity

538 Those moments of strong explicit prayer in which

the faith, unity and apostolic charity of the community

fi.nd expression, food and renewal are absolutely necessary

for each community. These are moments of reunion in

prayer of our "little church," that expression of the great

"praying community" which is the universal Church.

539 Our fraternal and apostolic community comes to be

and is constituted as a real praying community when,

cts ct, co?,nlnunity:

are

cau-singit

is

our

consciously

Lord to be

aware that

present and

all of us together

that we are really

participants in this presence;

tion

on-

*

it sees the common response to the love of elec-

God's part which has made us brothers;

it sets up a living and sincere dialogue, not

however with a general God of some sort, but with the

God "of our history" who expects from us a community

undertaking the specific mission he has entrusted to us.

The dialogue is one of searching out in Faith, of col-

laboration in Hope, in the total availability of the Love

of Charity.

The community dimension in its own turn must be

one of the most precious fruits of the mystery of the

indwelling of the Trinity in our hearts, a truth too great

for words.

2a Laud,i,s Canticum in AAS (1971) 533

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b) The uord of God that calls us together and, qwestions ws

540

The apostolic salesian community, called together

by the word of God, Iives its life centred round this same

word. It allows itself to be illumined, guided and con-

stantly questioned by it.

From the moment when the word of God became

Man the authentic word of God is always one that takes

flesh in history.2s It is continually revealing the mystery

of God and his love for us, his saving plan, the divine

promises oI his kingdom which we, helped by the risen

Christ, must convert into reality. This word of God,

more particularly by frequent reading of Holy Scripture

as also by means of the signs of our time, reveals to us

what God wants from us and calls us to make it present

in human history.

It is therefore a concrete word, which questions our

community and each of us personally on the here and

now of our existence. It is a "living and effective" 26

word, "working unceasingly" 27 and of necessity calling

for a reply which will be expressed in our personal and

community Iife.

This constant discovery within the ordinary daily life

of a Christ who is living and at work, and who reveals

the deep and ultimate meaning of the world and of man,

this fruit of an evangelical faith and mentality, is made

possible in a very particular way thanks to the practice

of the Reaision ol Life.

c) The change ol keart

541

The word of God calls us continually to a change or

conversion of heart and spirit 28 which being the sovereign

rs Jn 1, 14; 8, 35; Rom 1, 3; Gal 4, 4; Heb l, 2: 13, 8; DV 4.

s8 Heb 4, 12; EpI;. 6, 17.

2? DV 8c.

28 Cf Lk 13, 3-5; also Decree Dutm canon'icarulm rei practice

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grace that it is, should be constantly requested from the

Lord, Father of mercy.

The authentic nature of our response lvill be brought

into relief on the one hand by frequent celebration of

the sacrament of penance at the personal and the com-

munity level, and on the other by a tife of austerity as

an expression of our penitential attitude.

We affi.rm that our penitential attitude, in line with

the spirit of our own Founder, has an ascetical char-

acter that is conspicuously apostolic. Don Bosco left us

a programme very dear to his heart, "Work and Tem_

perance." He asked us to be ready to end.ure ,,heat,

cold, thirst, hunger, toil and scorn, whenever these things

serve for the greater gtory of God, the spiritual profit

of our neighbour and the salvation of our own soul.,, 29

He encouraged us to practise that penance required in

trying to make the preventive system work perfectly.3o

This for us is a specif,c aspect of the apostolic life celebrat-

ed as a real liturgS, of life.

d) The ewcharist centre ol tke apostol,ic cotnruunity

542

The eucharist is the climax and the source of action

and holiness in the Church. fn an objective way then

it is the living centre of the praying community.

It is true that christian prayer does not exhaust

itself in the eucharistic liturgy alone, but it prepares for

it, accompanies it and follows it. Above all, it helps

to create in

had at the

the heart those same sentiments that Jesus

Last Supper and on the Cross, so that we,

like him, might become "an eternal offering." sr

and administration of the sacrament of penance to religious (Dec

8,1970).

2, Constitutions 188.

30 Cf Regulations 97, 109.

s1 Heb 9, 28:' 10, 10-18; Cf Lk 22, tg.

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In a spirit of faithfulness to the constant tradition

of our family, we must feel the need to establish again

the "centralness" of the eucharist in our personal life

and that of our apostolic community dedicated to educat-

ing youth, in the richness of a vision renewed in accord-

ance with Vatican II.32

543

In this renewed vision the eucharist appears above

all as the "sacrament of ecclesial unity." In the unceasing

task ol constructing the commttnity it is precisely the

eucharist that is the fundamental and decisive instrument,

the "sign and cause" of that unity,33 at the same time

both the leaven and that which is demanded by unity.

It is, in other words, the sign of that unity which is the

goal of our life. It is such horvever, in the measure in

which irr reality we already live and dedicate ourselves

to the task of arriving at communion rvith each other.

Only in this measure is the sacrament also a "cause"

of unity.

Communicating ourselves rvith Christ signifies accepf-

ing into ourselves not only his " Flesh" but the whole ol

his "Person." Namely it means to commit ourselves to

model our own mentality so as to think as he thinks

about life (the beatitudes), about men (the new com-

mandment), about God (the Father). It means to rvill

that which he wills (the will of the trather), to will the

good of those he does (all men), and to do so as he does

(even unto death). In particular it signifies the mak-

ing of the word listened to in the liturgy the life of our life.

On the other hand the eucharist is the point of

departure and the point of arrival of all the apostolic

3' Cf DoN Bosco, Preuentiue Systeno II; Reg. 92; 1\\{B 6, 185-

388; 7, 795', 12, 610-641; 17, 271-272.

33 LG 11a; cf LG 3; 7b; ll; 26a; CD 5b; PO 6e; UR 2a;

ET 47-48.

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activity of the community. And so in the light of and

with the strength of the eucharist "pastoral charity" an

must be constantly strengthened and developed; the same

applies to the apostolic drive of the salesian community

and also of each of its members.

All these central aspects in the ecclesial dynamic

quality that is proper to the eucharist are expressed

admirably in the eucharistic concelebration. It signifies

and at the same time causes the unity of the whole Church,

the unity of the priesthood of Christ participated in dif-

ferent forms and at diflerent levels by all the members

of our apostolic community.

Finally, we must value in a special way as intimateiy

connected with the eucharistic sacrifi.ce those sacrifi.ces

that the christian life in general, and the consecrated

apostolic life as such, bring with them. The fact is that

"at the moment of our religious profession we are offered

to God and the Church in intimate union with the euchar-

istic sacrifi.cc." 35 This brings it about that "the trials

we shall meet, the misfortunes and unjust sufferings that

strike dowrt our confrdres" take on a real apostolic and

redemptive signifi.cance.36

e) Liturgical prayer

544

Christ's priestly role is extended by means of the

Church which unceasingly praises the Lord and inter-

cedes for the whole world "not only by the celebration

of the eucharist, but also and specially by means of the

Divine Offrce," the hymn of praise and thanksgiving, the

prayer of intercession and o{ petition which "Christ united

to his Body lifts up to the Father."

34 PO l3d; 14b; 15b; Cf SC 10a; CD 15b; 30f; UR 2a;

AG 9b.

35 ET 47.

36 ET 49.

374

40.9 Page 399

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Faithful to the example of Don Bosco who, in his

own day, was seen as, and indeed was, a real innovator

in the field of liturgy for youth, we accept the trend,s and,

the Chwrch's new approaches in tke l,itwrgical f,eld uitk

real enthusiasm and we mahe them ours in a practical

active way.

In particular a community celebration of the Divine

Offrce "is to be preferred to the individual and almost

private form when possible," 37 since "when a community

is united for the reciting of the Divine Off,ce it manifests

the very nature of the Church at prayer and appears as

a truly wondrous Sign." se

f) Deaotion to Mary Help of Christians.

54s

The long and uninterrupted marian tradition of our

family, founded on the conviction that "Mary did it all"

because she is the "Foundress and the one who sustains"

our work, must continue to give its character to the

spirituality and apostolic mysticism of the sons of Don

Bosco.3e

It is in the field of the Church on its pilgrim journey

that, according to Vatican ff, we must place the marian

heritage that is the specific commitment of our family.

We must see to it that the devotion to Mary Help of

Christians, by reaching the depths wished by Don Bosco,

attains the fuil scope given it by him.

Our times are no easier than his,ao and our era, like

his, is painfully troubled by radical changes.

In the social change of direction that the world today

is asking from the Church, the presence of Mary, Mother

of the Church and Helper of the baptized, is an impulsive

3? SC 83-84; Inst. Gen. de L.H. nn 6-7.

38 SC 27 a; cf Imst. gen. de L.H. m 9, 26, 32, 37, 40.

3e Laudatis Cant'icunt, in AAS 83 (1971) 532.

1o MB V, 155; XIV, 18; XVII, 439.

375

40.10 Page 400

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force and an efiective stimulus. The act of invoking Mary

as "Helper of Christians" corresponds fully to some of

the deepest hopes of contemporary man.a1

Devotion to the HeIp of Christians should arouse

in us, as it did in Don Bosco, an ardent apostolic zeal

in the struggle against sin and against a view of the

world and of man alien to the Beatitudes and the New

Commandment.

In our hands, this devotion must be a powerful in-

strument to rouse up a dyrramic "sense of the Church"

in the baptized of our day.

546

In all Don Bosco's pastoral lvork, as also in his

spirituality, there is a lively and eschatological sense of

Iife lived with the attainment of eternal salvation in view.

This spiritual attitude informs salesian work and

more particularly salesian piety, which he wanted to have

a strong youthful slant, to be enriched by community

participation, by paschal joy, by a spontaneous adherence

to actual life, with simple and lively prayer accompanied

by festive and inspiring music.

eBsopsecWoc'isahllemynitnhodergtacheneliezdebedrcaistiiniovnethoeisfffetwhctaeyoe,f upacrshasayureriisrntgs-earnvihdcaeadsnit-nicipDaaontnd-

ing in faith the deflnitive meeting with the Father.

h) Personal lile ol prayer

547

Our spiritual life does not exhaust itself by par-

ticipation in the sacred iiturgy alone, and not even in

extra-liturgical community prayer.az We have need of a

true, authentic, living personal prayer.

4t MB \\rII, 334.

42 C{ DH l, 4; 11; 1S; GS 2b, 3b, 4d; 6,9,23,24,25, 30, 55

95; AG 7c; 8; NAE 5; AA 8; l4b.

376

41 Pages 401-410

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41.1 Page 401

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This personal prayer is nothing other than a profound

loving dialogue between God who initiates it and we who

accept it.a3 It develops unceasingly in the measure in

which the presence in us of the Holy Trinity and our

participation in the divine life are real living realities

to which rve advert.

548

Personal prayer is an absolute necessity in order

that community prayer, particularly the liturgical one,

might be ever more fruitful, and in order that we might

avoid a participation in it that is mechanical and a sheer

formality. It then becomes a real indispensable prepara-

tion for fully living the liturgy. At the same time it is

thus an extension of and a witness to the fact of hav-

ing lived the liturgy authentically.

In moments of discomfort, of uncertainty and of

crisis, and these are not absent from the apostolic life,

as also in the great decisions to be taken, personal and

intimate prayer will be the light to make clear the path

and the strength to walk along it. The more the dif-

fi.culties increase, the more shall we have to strengthen

the quality of this communication with our Father in

imitation of Jesus who in Gethsemani, tortured by anxiety,

prayed more fervently.aa

549

Personal prayer, rvhich must accompany the diligent

reading of Holy Scripture and receive the substance of

its food from it,as will flnd some of its most signiflcant

manifestations in the following ways: in those moments

in which we recollect ourselves "in our room to pray in

secret to the Father:" aG in that daily meditation which

is of such vital importance for our apostolic commit-

13 sc 12.

aa Revelations 3, 20

15 Lk 22, 44.

46 DV 25.

377

41.2 Page 402

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ment: in the dialogue with Christ our Lord really present

amongst us in the eucharist when we go to visit him:

in the examination of conscience made each day which

will allow us to discover our real situation before God

concerning the commitment we have accepted with our

religious profession: in the love and devotion as sol1s

towards Mary Help of Christians and Queen of all apostles.

550

One particular aspect to underline is that involved

in the type of personal prayer most loved by our Patron

St Francis of Sales, brief spontaneous prayer or ejaculatory

prayer. According to him, it is in ejaculations that "the

great task of piety is founded." a7

Don Bosco too attributed great value to this form

of prayer, even as an occasional form of substitution for

mental prayer.as

If an interior attitude of faith and love habitually

accompanies us in our apostolic activities, we shall be

impelled to express spontaneously to God, with our heart

more than with our lips, that which love suggests, even

in the most critical moments of our work.ae

4? sc 12.

III a8 Oewules,

p 100

4, Constitutions 155.

378

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CHAPTER THREE

FORMATION IN PRAYER

551

Christian prayer, a real gift of God, is also the fruit

of instruction.l The one Master of it is the HoIy Spirit

who, present in us, cries out from the depths of the heart

"Abba, Father!" Nevertheless a pedagogy of prayer is

also necessary because that same Spirit asks from us as

free men eflort and collaboration.

s52

Formation in prayer requires that we cultivate a real

initiation both in the fundamental elements of prayer

(liturgy, and also biblical and spiritual theological initia-

tion) as well as in certain conditions which show them-

selves to be particularly decisive in this regard. Of these,

we draw attention to purifying the heart, self-denial,

interior peace, and in a special way "the silence of all

one's being." z This last is not a simple absence of noise

and of words, but it is born from the need of always

advancing more in intimacy with God "loved above all

and without limit;" 3 it is a silence which can place us

in the condition of really listening to God, and of iden-

tifying ourselves ever more with his plan of redemption.

According to the teaching of Vatican II,a the sales-

ian must be initiated, not only into the spirit of prayer,

but into prayer itself, a prayer consisting not only of

simple discussion type reflections, but of communion of

heart. It is 'to speak of love with one whom we know

loves usl'In fact in prayer, it is not a case of reflecting

1 Cf Lk 11, 1.

2 ET 46.

3

I

LG

PC

44a.

6b; ES

2,

21

379

41.4 Page 404

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on some truth, but of placing ourselves, in deep simple

faith, into the presence of God our Father or of the risen

Christ, listening to his word and allowing it to penetrate

into us, seeking his rvill in order to conform to it ever more.

In particular, the youlrg confr6re, even from the

first years of his formation, must be initiated into the

apostolic character of our prayer, so that he ma5, 6aps

of his life a real and constant liturgical celebration. Under

the guidance of the Holy Spirit and rvith the help of

spiritual direction, he must feel encouraged to progress

in the way of prayer in order that he might arrive with

enthusiasm at the summits of holiness in the apostolic

Iife in inritation of Don Bosco.

553

Furthermore the pedagogy of prayer must tend to

create in the salesian, in a form that is wholly special,

those attitudes that will assure a real and growing life

of prayer.

It presupposes therefore formation for a serious con-

secrated life in the midst of which prayer really stimulates

to solid and u,ell defined apostolic tasks and commit-

ments. It also presupposes the experience of a rich and

deep community life as a condition which in a special

way is the determining factor for the dialogue exper-

ience with God in prayer.

Since christian prayer, in so far as it is a personal

dialogue with a God who gives himself freely, is a move-

ment that is profoundly free and the fruit of a serious

personal choice, lge ?nust lorrn to a just and spontaneows

authenticity in prayer. We must educate for an attitude

of constant research into the motivations that stimulate

us to meet and have dialogue with God as individuals

and as a community. It showld be an attitude that is con-

tinrt,ally fl.exible and. creatiae in its seeking out of prayer

tltat whick is always neu and reneued.

In this way we avoid any danger of formalism, mere

380

41.5 Page 405

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habit and passivity in the practice of the common and

obligatory forms of prayer. These r'vill be enjoyed as

the fruit of a progressive personal conquest.

554

Formation in prayer life must progress in graded

stages in such a way that it moves along in harmony

with the diflerent phases of psychological development

and vocational commitment into which that growth u'hich

is our formation is divided.

Prayer is a living reality continuously at work and

b1, this very fact it can never be something completcd

aatntidturcoleunodfedcoontfifn.uoTuhsisafnadctpearbmoaunt epnrtafyoerrmcaatilolsn foinr

an

all

of us. It is necessary therefore that each province should

provide all those means and helps for its confrdres which

will ensure that there is a progress which is constant,

at depth, and alwaYs renewed.

Finally, the pedagogy of prayer requires the timely

preparation of real masters of the spiritual 1ife.5 They

must be able not only to instruct r'visely, but also, and

above all, to draw with them, by their example, the

young confrdre to a prayer that is livcd, continuous and

dedicated. It is also necessary that they should have

real pastoral experience and the ability to relate to

other pcople.

555

In imitation of Don Bosco's docility to the Pope's

teaching let us set ourselves to put into practice the

advice of Pope Paul VI: "Be really aware therefore of

the importance of prayer in your life and learn to apply

yourselves generously to it. Faithfulness to daily prayer

always remains for each of you a fundamental necessity

and it must have the first place in your Constitutions

and in your life." 6

5 Cf PC t8; OT 5a; ES 2, 2l

6 ET 45.

38t

41.6 Page 406

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CHAPTEB FOUB

PRACTICAL DIREGTIVES

555a Within a year of the close of the Special General

Chapter, every confrdre should be given the opportunity

of a 'Spiritual Week' on the various themes and central

problems of the Chapter.

555b Courses of an ascetical-pastoral nature (second noait-

iate) should be organized by groups of provinces, and

these should last approximately six months. Attendance

at such courses should be left to free choice and offered

preferably to confrdres who have already been engaged

for several years in the active apostolate.

555c Each province should send a reasonable number of

confrdres for courses in spirituality in the next six years.

555d Other practices of piety, in accordance with sales-

ian or local tradition, are left to each provincial chapter

to decide. Among these could be the First Friday, the

24th oI the month in honour of Mary Help of Christians,

the iast day of the month in honour of Don Bosco, the

Way of the Cross on the Fridays in lent, salesian and

patronal feasts, prayers for the dead, etc.

555e Each community should expand the biblical, theolo-

gical and spirituality sections of the library of the house.

555f It is hoped that a real community of life, faith and

mission in each house will favour the practice in the

most opportune way of the practice of the Reuision ol

Lile, especially in times of monthly and quarterly retreats.

This Reaision ol Life, if well understood, is a prac-

tice which educates the mind in an evangeiical way and

helps us to find in the ordinary round of our daily life

the Living Christ, who is working himself and who calls

others to work with him.

382

41.7 Page 407

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THIRD SECTION

Our consecration

Document l0

SALESIAN CHASTITY TODAY

41.8 Page 408

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41.9 Page 409

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FOREWORD

556

The renewal of the religious life in the Church demands

from salesians the task of making relevant their mes-

sage of purity.

It is a matter of urgency for them to become part

of an evolving society by trying to enrich it with those

values which are especially part of our vocation.

The XIX General Chapter has already pointed out,

in no uncertain terms our task in this matter: 'both as

a Congregation and as individuals, salesians must be

acutely aware of the fact that they have a special mes-

sage of purity to transmit to the modern world. They

have a message too for ]/outh whom they must help to

train to be vigorous in their practice of purity.' 1

In the hope of making an effective response to the

requests of confrdres,2 ancl contributing to an ever more

vital transmission of this message, the Special General

Chapter has taken inspiration for its doctrinal and pas-

toral ideas for lenewal from the teaching of the Vatican

Council II and from the salesian traditions.

I AGC XIX pp 84-85.

2 C{ "Ecco cid che pensano i salesiani della loro Congregazione

oggi" vo1 II pp 96-111; Pre-capitular Scheme 1l b, pp 34-41.

385

41.10 Page 410

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CHAPTEB ONE

THE WORTD SITUATION TODAY AND ITS

BEARING ON OUR CHASTITY

557

Some of the values of the modern world that have

led to progress and the enrichment of human life are

much appreciated by young people.

We mention them briefly: growth developments of

the human sciences and of modern social customs have

greatly increased the value that must be given to the

htouumchaenspaelrlsolenv-els

it is

not

called 'personalization' and it

excluding his sexuality which

assaults him on every side and is reflected in youth in

a strikingly marked way.l

558

At the same time we are witnessing the re-evaluation

toefmapctsomtomrueninittyerhpuremtahnuismman-

resloactiioanlizsatiinonte2rm- s

that at-

of total

equality of persons and sex. In particular it is worth

noting the existence of a general and precocious tendency

towards life in common for mixed groups, by way of

preparation for life.

It also needs to be pointed out as a combined effect

of this personalization and socialization, a fact that has

strong influence on youth, namely the increased presence

of women and their participation in every sphere of activ-

ity outside the domestic circle.3

1 Cf GS 12, 25, 27; Pre-capitular scheme 11 b 'salesian chastity'

nn

l-,9;CSfLGpSr

pp 22-26.

24-26; St

pr

p

22-26.

3 Cf GS 9,29,49,60; AA 9; St pr p 32.

386

42 Pages 411-420

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42.1 Page 411

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559

These values offer a vast field for salesian action

but not without repercussions on our own religious life

and its activities. Hence it becomes very necessary for

salesians when faced with the questionable manner in

which these values are presented, to react always and

everywhere as true salesians without hesitation and with-

out worries of conscience.a

It may also happen often that our mission brings

in its wake responsibilities that entail greater collabora-

tion with women, religious and lay women alike.s The

similarity of the apostolic aims, the work itself, the com-

mon difficulties and sufferings, and the consequent need

for mutual support can give rise to risks that must be

neither underestimated nor faced superfi.cially.

Then there is the case of confrdres who live in a

state of disquiet, either because the new social and cul-

tural conditions have brought them to a situation of

crisis, or else when faced with the sacrifi.ces that religious

chastity imposes on them they are tempted to repudiate

their obligations.

Help offered for their recovery, although at times

dif&cult, must be neither neglected nor delayed. It should

be evident that it is not just a question of safeguarding

such confrEres, mere preservation could bring dissatisfac-

tion and frustration in its wake, it is rather a matter

of supporting them and of helping them to persevere

in the task they have begun.6

a Cf RrccBn.r, Report on the general state ol the Congregati,on,

pp 6-9.

5 Op. cit., pp ll7, 157.

6 Op. cit., pp 38-42.

387

42.2 Page 412

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CHAPTER TWO

PERSPECTIVE FOR A RENEWAL

OF THE LIFE OF GONSAGRATED

CHASTITY IN GELIBAGY

560 1. Attitudes with regard to human values

Vatican Council II sets out for us the most recent

attitude of the Church to human values. Dealing with

the values of created things, it is easy enough to see

that

and

they are specifi.cally related

marriage. The Council is

ctoleachr ainstitiyts-

sex, love

acceptance

of such values, without any hint of pessimism or man-

icheaism.l

Ir rs trB pATH To RENEwAL To BE FoLLowED.

561 In particular the constitution 'Lumen Gentium' sees

in christian marriage a lvay of life which can and must

lead to an ir-icrease in faith, hope and charity. In this

way it becomes possible to attain to the one holiness

rvhich is offered to all by the Hoiy Spirit of God.2

In its turn 'Gaudium et Spes,' whose doctrine em-

braces the world, declares that 'Christ has poured out

the abundance of his blessings on married and family

love,' a love flowing as it does from the source of divine

charity and patterned orr the model of his union with

the Church.3

Again 'Lumen Gentium' underlines the fact that the

profession of the evangelical counsels brings with it the

1 Cf LG 11, 32,41; GS 12-14; 27-29; 47-52; 60;67; GE 1, 8

2 Cf LG 41.

3 GS 47-52.

388

42.3 Page 413

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'renunciation of goods that most certainly are of value

in themselves.'4

From all this it necessarily follows that the free

choice of celibacy for the sake of the kingdom, instead

of resulting from a low opinion of marriage, draws strength

and its preference from its intrinsic value

mysterious and sacramental value of the

-Chufrrocmh,

the

the

mystical Body of Christ, in which can be found the raison

d'6tre of both religious chastity and of christian marriage.

562

The same d.ocument places proper emphasis on the

positive aspects of the human body 5 and the part that

sexuality must play in the development, maturation and

the gradual manifestation of the human personality. Since

God created the sexes as complementary, one to the

other, with the mission to preserve, propagate and protect

life,6 he ofiered them also the way of showing and ex-

periencing this reciprocal love and make it fruitful' But

he also made it possible for man to give up this love and

fulfil himself through another love he chooses in prefer-

ence,

helps

tuhsattoofunCdherrissttaJnedsuasndanednaobflehsisusnetioghabsosuerr.t

This

that

chastity consecrated in celibacy instead of involving the

renunciation of the capacity of human love and its enrich-

ment, places the religious in a deeper and more vital

relationship of love with God.

Far from diminishing and frustrating a man it can

fulfil him. It can deepen in him a capacity for dialogue

and communication.T It can inspire a man to transcend

the forces of sexuality and become part of that love

which surpasses every created love. It can bring him

1 LG 46,

5 Cf GS 14; CD 12.

6 Cf GS 49-51; GE l, 8.

? Cf cS 19, 92: DH 9-10

389

14

42.4 Page 414

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more easily into direct communication with God.8

2. Need of maturity to live in consecrated chastity

563

The doctrine o{ Vatican Council If concerning the

relationship between human values and religious chast-

ity emphasizes the need for a slow and progressive work

po-ef raspnoaneraavllailtenylg-etolicwathlhecicehplisbwyaciclhlyomlliovagekidecapilnopsarsoicbfuelesllsyafcmooranstducerioevueslcohpwoiinacgey

as a total self-giving to God. This presupposes a genuine

and serene reverence not only for sexuality and human

love, but also for women the collaborators of man in

the mystery of salvation.

For this the Council demands that the candidates

for the life of consecrated chastity for the sake of the

kingdom e should be able to give themselves to God with

an undivided heart... and have a proper understanding

of the duties and the dignity of christian marriage, which

is a sign of the union of Christ with the Church;10 and

yet they should know how to appreciate the superior

excellence of virginity consecrated to Christ which makes

a complete gift of both body and soul to God through a

mature and deliberate choice of pure magnanimity.ll

Thus seen in the light of the gospel, celibacy for

the kingdom appears as a choice of a real life, unique

and well worthy of a man who is called to it. When

accepted and lived in its fullness 'it is capable of develop-

ing the whole human person'12 ancl brings him towards

'...the perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the

fullness of Christ.'13

8

,

Cf

cf

PC

Mt

1, 5, 12.

19, 12.

ro Cf Eph 5, 32.

rr oT 10.

12 PC 72.

rs Eph 4, 13.

390

42.5 Page 415

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564

It is worth remembering however that to open oneself

to receive this singular gift of celibacy is to accept a task

which never ends. The weakness of the human condition

is always there to prove it. It is for this reason that

the Church most opportunely suggests that there be no

neglect of 'those ascetic norms which are guaranteed by

the experience of the Church, and which are no less neces-

sary in the world of today.'l4 In the same way those

called to this way of life should 'renounce those things

which are in themselves lawful but not expedient'15 and

turn aside 'by a kind of supernatural instinct from those

things which could endanger chastity.'re

There is this to add, that in spite of continual vigilance

over oneself the force of the sexual part of us continues

to show itself in different ways. At such times the need

is to quiet the tension by faith and by love in the con-

sideration of the value of the steps taken and its rela-

tionship to fidelity to the choice of a way of life which

aims at reproducing that of Christ on earth.

565 3. Value of evangelical celibacy

Vatican Council II not only re-assessed the value of

the vow of chastity in the religious life and in the Church

but it also opened up new vistas.

In the Conciliar Documents there is a revealing in-

novation, the order in which the religious vows are pro-

ficenhsasperseIdntfiedtiysreeecandhcneadthnfegooebrddeocd.ghiTemanrsaacttieditcyit-ico-onntaphsloltiyisvtuetothrirotedynree.ro_wfisoathbsnee-odCiwehnpculoaervc.ildeThrwtayshied-ne

14 PO 16.

15 0T g.

16 PC 12.

r? C{ LG 43; PC 1.2-14

)9t

42.6 Page 416

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it points the way and traces out the direction for reach-

ing the only holiness there is to which all the faithful

are called, makes this selection: after martyrdom, it says

of the counsels which the Lord gave to his disciples for

their observance, 'among them there excels the precious

gift of divine grace given to some by the Father 18 so

that with an undivided heartle they may the more readily

consecrate themselves to God alone by virginity and by

celibacy.'20

In its turn the decree 'Perfectae Caritatis' deepening

and completing the previous doctrine attributes to this

spgaaicfrttriacamulesanprtescoigiafnlsofauflvnhacettaiioovnenn-ilynriitnchheesosC, fahanurdractshhei-t

the universal

considers it 'a

most efficacious

way ofiered to religious to dedicate themselves generously

to the service of God and to the works of the apostolate.'

It underlines the intimate connection with the practice

of 'true fraternal love' among members of the religious

community.2l

566

The importance given to these elements by the Council

gives explicit confi.rmation of the value that the evan-

gelical tradition has always given to celibacy for the

sake of the kingdom and it adds to the renerval of our

life of chastity a strength that reinforces the salesian

effort to live

to the young

and transmit wherever we

- the luminous message of

aprueri-ty. especially

18 Mt 19, 1l; I Cor 7, 7.

ts I Cor 7, 32-34.

20 LG 42.

2t PC 12.

392

42.7 Page 417

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CHAPTEB THREE

REDISCOVERY

OF GERTAIN THEOLOGICAL

DIMENSIONS OF CHASTITY

1. Theological dimension

s67

Religious chastity is a gospel reality. It is born,

grows and develops as a power flowing from the Incar-

nation, which frees from corruption and the uncertainties

of the world.

It is a grace, still more, a privileged gift of the Father

to all who ask for it.1 By inviting them to follow him,

Christ himself shows that not everyone is able to under-

stand the value of renouncing marriage, but 'only those

to rnhom God gives his grace.'2

Not all are called to imitate, and in certain measure

to show men 'that form of life that the Son of God em-

braced when he came into the world to do thc will of

the Father and which he offered to his disciples who

were to follow him.'3

He who accepts this gift opens himself to an intimacy

with Jesus Christ and enjoys his special presence to the

point of becoming a sign and symbol of the charity which

unites the Saviour with the Church and which in its

fulJness will only appear in heaven.a

r

,

Cf LG 42-43;

Mt 19, 11.

pC

S,

t2;

OT

l0;

PO

16

3 LG 44,

1 Cf PC 12; LG 42; ET 13.

393

42.8 Page 418

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He who lives in faith and love the gift of gospel

celibacy expresses through his baptismal consecration all

the richness of the paschal mysterv in a singular and

eminent manner.

568

This close bond between evangelical celibacy and the

Pasch of the Lord is full of consequences and requirements.

Here are some:

liberat-ionP.aMscahnisdebaedfowreithevCerhyrtihsitn, griseelssetao

mystery of

a new life

freed from the bonds of sin;5

maturi-ty

so also chastity;

and a new life, it

to

has

arrive at the richness of

to pass through the dark-

ness of renunciation, through suffering and through a

Iiberating death;

of

per-fectthcuosnttihneenCceoutonucicl haefsfirtmhse tdheaetptehset

'observance

instincts of

human nature' and warns religious that 'strengthening

themselves to keep faith with their profession' and 'hav-

ing belief in divine help, they do not trust their own

strength, but practise mortifi.cation and the custody of

the senses.'6

2. Gommunity - Ghurch dimension

s69

The Passover of the Lord is not only a mystery of

Iiberation, it is also and primarily the mystery of 'covenant

and communion.'

It frees us in order to bring us together with all

our redeemed brothers to the communion of life with

the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.T

Religious chastity by the power it draws upon from

its relation to the paschal mystery brings us to the per-

5 Rom 6, 1-11

?6 1PJCn112,.3.

394

42.9 Page 419

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fection of charity to God and to our brothers. It cannot

be kept in isolation neither does it ever close in upon

itself. It has a need to reach out to others, in prayer,

in love and in action. It is the sacrament of charity,

sign of brotherhood and service.

fhis vital force shows clearly the community di-

mension of religious chastity. It must express itself in

this community if it is to become at all fruitful and then

the community in its turn contributes to its support

and makes it come alive.

Religious chastity creates a characteristic style of

inter-personal relationships in the community, it gives

rise to new bonds of solidarity and it makes the com-

munity fully and universally open to the demands of love.

570 tahnedreFgoiesrnaethlrwoisuasryelsyascooopnnestenhcetraoftreatdhtecerhnvaaasl tscittoyemr-mcoubmencitmoymu-ensitiyjnoyowofuhtishclhey

Church and of men through its evangelizing activity,

whether missionary or through education or in the help

it gives to others. For us the salesians we go to youth,

especially poor youth in need.

In this service our chastity, through the community

in which it lives, increases our power and frees the

fervour of charity from all that hinders it.

3. Eschatological dimension

571 of chAasgteitnyu, inseignrelaignidouasnctiocmipamtuionnityof-thefrukiint gadnodmsuwphpoosret

amdevmebnetrsaonfdefvuelrlyneresnsewweedaswalaesitia-n

is an ideal that the

community must strive

after, as the members live and work together day by

day. The loftiest eschatological realities of christianity are

made present and visible in a prophetic and expressive

manner in the salesian community that lives its vocation

to consecrated chastity. Such a community in fact ex-

395

42.10 Page 420

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presses and anticipates here on earth the virginal union

with Christ the elect will experience on his return. In

the meantime it gives witness to a way of life with rela-

tionship based on love and total availability towards our

brothers, and it is a sign in a world which will pass away,

of that future life to which God calls us. Thus it represents

to the eyes of the believer that wonderful marriage which

unites 'the Church to Christ... her only Spouse' and that

will only be shown 'in the future time.'I

With good reason salesians and every salesian com-

munity can give witncss to the heavenly riches they

even now possess in an incomplete way through faith,

and which they hope to possess totally when the promises

of God are fulfilled. Our chastity will show itself alive

especially to the boys and with it the power of the HoIy

Spirit and the liberating love of God, and the lovablness

and availability of Jesus Christ. Finally so as to strengthen

this witness the salesian will try to model himself on Mary

the 'image

to have its

and the beginning of the

fulfi.lment in an age yet to

Ccohmuerc.'hewHheichwiilsl

call upon her frequently, will try to imitate her example,

remembering that her life 'is the model for all.' 10

8

,

cf PC

LG 68.

12.

to PC 25.

396

43 Pages 421-430

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43.1 Page 421

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CHAPTER FOUR

SOME SALESIAN ASPECTS OF CHASTITY

s72

Don Bosco chose to live a life of evangelical celibacy

in order to express his great love for God and to carry

out his mission as father and pastor to poor boys ac-

cording to his vocation as a priest. His total self-giving

to the Church and especially to youth fostered a quality

in him which was as genial as it was creative and produc-

tive of new works, he found optimism and joy in his apos-

tolic work and his zeal showed itself in inexaustible drive.

The very high regard he had for chastity is seen in

the enthusiasm and emphasis with which he was accus-

tomed to speak about it whether in public or in private.

He looked upon purity not just as another virtue, but

as a concrete way of loving God and as a life style that

presumes and contains lvithin itself all the virtues. This

is why he placed it at the very centre of his teaching

on education.

As a founder he considered purity decisive as an

element in the religious life: 'It is by means of chastity,'

he wrote, 'that the religious achieves his objective of

being consecrated to God.'1 He demanded from his sons

the witness of chastity as the characteristic sign of the

life and of the apostolate of the Congregation; 'what

should distinguish us from all others' -- this is the teach-

ing of

teristic

Doof nouBroCscoong-reg'awtihoant,

must be the

is the virtue

special charac-

of chastity. It

has to become the pivot of all our actions... we need an

I MB XIII 799

397

43.2 Page 422

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invincible modesty and great chastity... this will be the

triumph of the Congregation.'2 'The Lord would destroy

the Congregation if we were to fail in matters of chastity.' 3

The re-reading of these words of Don Bosco in this

context throw light on perennial gospel values, and the

pages written by the saint on chastity transmit all the

rich actuality of his teaching for today. In the introduc-

tion to the Constitutions (1966) we read: 'The virtue

supremely necessary, the great virtue, the angelic virtue

to which all others form a crown is the virtue of chast-

ity. Who possesses this virtue can apply to himselfthe

words of the HoIy Spirit -_'together with her all good

things came to me.'4

It is not here necessary to underline the fact that

Don Bosco was himself the living example of his own

ttehaecphoinwger-

showing

of witness.

thereby

that it

can be done and

573

It is in the light of this teaching and example that

the salesian lives, day by day, his own life of service

in the Church and for his boys. For him, as for Don Bosco

before him, chastity will be seen as the incarnation of

love, which comes from God and leads back to him.

In the salesian way of life demanding evangelic chast-

ity as its basis there is a particular commitment to charity.

In the letter of Don Bosco from Rome written in

May 1884, he asserts the necessity of loving the boys

and to be loved by them in return so as to guide them

the more easily along the path ieading to a christian

formation. 'The boys are not only loved, they them-

selves must know that they are loved.'5

This one of the foundation stones of the salesian

, MB XII pp 244-245; cf X 35

3 MB XIII 83; cf XI 299.

4 MB V p 167 seq.

5 MB XVII p 110.

398

43.3 Page 423

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system

which

m- akroeosteodf

in reason, religion and loving

education a work of love.

kindness

-

For this reason Don Bosco insisted that before enter-

ing the Congregation one must measure and assess one's

own strength. He has to love all together and each one

separately as living signs of the love of God and of the

kindness and humanity of Jesus Christ.

This is the way of our chastity. Boys growing to

manhood through the salesian who loves them will fi.nd

Iight, strength and enthusiasm enough to grow in purity

and through it also in his christian life.

399

43.4 Page 424

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CHAPTEB FIVE

PRAGTICAL DIRECTIVES

1. Support for chastity provided in the renewed salesian

community

574

It is urgent and necessary that the salesian com-

munity whilst seeking to renew itself from every point

of view should strengthen those aims which will help

each confrdre to live a cclibate life of consecrated chast-

ity and bear effective witness to it.

The General Chapter emphasizes the following points

which are of obvious importance:

a) in accordance with the mind of Don Bosco,

every community must be a family where each confrdre

feels perfectly at home, where he is accepted and loved,

where his qualities and gifts are recognized, and where

he has his own specifi.c part to play in the pastoral work

of the community. In this family, rich in supernatural

goods, the salesian should find those aalwes uhich any

larnily natnrally ofers to its members, especially while

they are young, to lead them to full maturity and keep

them efficient;

D) there must prevail at all times a friendly at-

mosphere which can give birth and subsequent growth

to friendships rich in comprehension, human warmth and

christian spirit;

c) in moments of weakness special help will always

be available to advise, offer fraternal correction, and

encourage the confrdre to overcome his personal difficul-

ties. In this way the community as a whole will be enabled

to provide an example of evangelical witness to all.

400

43.5 Page 425

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2. Evangelical celibacy - an authentic and original way of

life for today

575

No one can ignore or underestitnate ttre objections

raised today against the choice of a celibate life.

These have to be faced especially, though not exclusively,

during the years of formation,l and they cannot be solved

in a superfi.cial or sentimental way nor be discussed only

from a dialectic angle in an efiort to overcome some

passing difhculties or moments of crisis. The salesian

knows that the ultimate reason for his choice is his pref-

erential love for Jesus Christ. He also knows that as

this choice has been made in answer to a divine call, he

can always count on the help of grace.

Therefore whilst he goes conscientiously about his

duties and willingly accepts the trials associated with his

renunciation, he remains strong in the ideal he has em-

braced and integrates into a harmonious whole the gifts

of nature and of grace rvhich make up the man o{ God.

And so, as he moves towards the conquest of his

ideal, he will experience the fact that the choice he has

made is indeed a valid, original and up-to-date way of life.

3. Chastity - an incentive and guarantee in our pastoral work

for vocations

576

It is the bounden duty of the Congregation to giae

to tke youLng a special lnessage ol pwrity the source of

priestly and religious vocations. This is as much our

task today and in the {uture as it was in the fi.rst cen-

tury of salesian history; indeed there is greater urgency

today than in the past. The efiectiveness of our pastoral

lvork for vocations will always remain linked with the

transmission of this message.

1 Cf PO tO; PC tZ: OT l0; Sacerdotalis coeli.batus; AGC XIX

83; Rrccrnr, Relazione generale sullo stato ilella Congregazione, pp 6-9;

Schema precapitolare 11b, P 43.

40t

43.6 Page 426

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If our boys can see that the salesians live this life

of chastity with joy and perseverance, they will begin

to appreciate the sign it represents; they will also be-

come aware of its value and beauty, and will not be

discouraged by the arduous task involved if ever the

grace of the HoIy Spirit should move their hearts to

follow Christ and hear repeated those word.s: "Come,

follow me" (Matt. l9-Zt]t.z

I Mt 19, 2t

402

43.7 Page 427

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Document 11

SALESIAN POVERTY TODAY

43.8 Page 428

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43.9 Page 429

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CHAPTEB ONE

THE GONSCIENCE OF THE CONGREGATION

577

A) The theme of poverty brings us face to face with

one of the key problems that the Congregation has to

confront at the present time, with one of the tasks that

is considered a basic sign of renewal.l

We would like to grasp the more important aspects

of the increased sensitivity of the confrdres, and the

troubles and expectations of the whole Congregation.

s78

B) In their new rules the salesians rvant a more

genuine poverty, one not merely made up of lifeless

juridical norms, but one that is clearly euangelical; they

want to see an end to the "poverty of permissions,"

and the way open to an honest imitation of the poor

Christ.2

And while they deplore the extension in the Congre-

gation of the disturbing phenomenon of the middle class

mentality with its quest for comfort,s they want to see

a poverty that is a concrete witness to personal detach-

ment and to sotidarity with the world of the poor.

On the other hand a need is felt for greater personal,'

'ization in the practice of poverty: "a more adult poverty,"

one which is practised in a responsible and conscious

manner is highly desirable.a

579

C) The salesians are especially sensitive to the col-

lectiue uitness of poverty. As a matter of fact the poverty

Cf I CIS II, p 112.

Cf I CIS II, p 114-116.

Cf I CIS II, p 133-134; RrccBnr, Relaz. gen

Cf I CIS II, p 117.

p 12.

405

43.10 Page 430

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of individuals must necessarily be conditioned by the

poverty of the institutes themselves.

580

D) There is a general consensus in the Congregation

that we must refute with solid facts the repute of wealth

that we have acquired in some places.s

Seriows qwestions yrust be faced:

In view of the changing sensitivity of the times, is

the impression of grandeur in many of our institutes

compatible with a life of effective poverty?G

Should not our solidarity with the poor bring us to

share their lives, their insecurity, their struggle for lib-

eration ??

Are our works a seraice that always answers the new

needs of the poorer among the young?

E) There is a growing awareness that the community

itself, no matter on what level, world-wide, provincial or

local, should be a witness to poverty:

charact-erizwedithbay

style of life that

the example of

is simple

generous

and

and

austere I

constant

work;e

with

th-e

with the exclusion of any

rich and the powerful;10

collusion

whatsoever

of

luxu-ry,wgiathinaodr eetxecremsisniveed

struggle

comfort.

against

every

form

F) More especially we salesians are in agreement in

declaring that our poverty must be directed al,ong the

lines ol our mission: as a matter of fact as sons of Don

Cf PeP istanze 136.

Cf PeP prop 143; I CIS II, 127-129.

Cf I CIS IT, p 121.

Cf I CIS II, p 127.

Cf I CIS II, p 120; Rrcconr, Relaz. gen. etc. p 12.

t0 Cf I CIS II, p 129.

406

44 Pages 431-440

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44.1 Page 431

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Bosco we have assumed a historical obligation of service

to poor youth.11

In this sphere the salesians are becoming more and

more aware of their responsibility vis-d,-vis the problems

of under-development and, in general, of the efforts to

achieve human and christian progress in the fi.eld into

which they are called to work out their mission.lz

581

Faced with the complexity of the problems enum-

erated we are fully convinced of the need for change,

of the urgency and the breadth of the decision to be taken:

the Congregation "must change its course," 13 but we are

fully conscious that this will be the result especially of

a renewed mentality, of a readiness to listen to the signs

of the times, and fidelity to the gospel and to the spirit

of Don Bosco.

1. The cry of the poor

582

Let us listen to the signs of the times in the "cry

of the poor" which is today louder than ever, and dramatic

even to the point of violence.la

In a world that is totally given over to progress

we cannot but be aware of the tragic picture of poverty

made up of personal want and collective misery, of

abandonment and moral degradation.

583

The insistent appeal of the poor comes especially

Jrom the masses in the under-deuel,oped countries ol the world.

Here poverty shows itself in the large majority of

our brothers, most of whom are still young, and who,

in spite of their fatiguing toil, do not succeed in attain-

1r Cf I CIS I, p 80 seq.

1, Cf I CIS I, p 92-94.

13 ASC RrccBar 261, p 1109.

11 cf ET 17.

407

44.2 Page 432

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ing a level of life in keeping with human dignity, but

who are forced to live in a state of profound alienation

and of uncertainty.

The very economical and political structures which

are tied up with the dynamics of the consumer-society

bring about conditions of poverty characterized by ex-

ploitation and inequality between the classes, by the lack

of proper housing, and by undernourishment leading to

misery and starvation.

This reality is often accompanied by other forms of

life on the fringe of society be they social, cultural or

moral, characterized by such phenomena as illiteracy,

family disintegration and delinquency.t5

Even in developed countries we hear the cry of the

poor amidst the contradictions of tt,e "consun'ter ciuil-

ization."

On the one hand we find serious social injustices

that give rise to groups of individuals who live on the

fringe of society; on the other hand, lvhere the standard

of living is higher, we encounter a degrading form of

moral poverty. The victims of this latter, insensitive to

the values of the spirit and to joys of sharing, make

idols of money and pleasure, and become alienated from

their fellow men, falling easy prey to sexuality, drugs

and delinquency.

s84

In the socialized world where the tendency is towards

an ever more effective equality among the social classes,

and work is elevated to the dignity of "the honour, right

and duty of every citizen" we f,nd contradictions and

deviations which lead to the myth of economic progress,

the idolatry of work, and the limiting of personal freedom:

this gives rise to the worrying risk of the impoverishment

of spiritual values, especially among the young.

15 Cf PP; CELAM Medellin; CLAR Pobreza.

408

44.3 Page 433

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In addition to all this our attention is drawn by

the phenomenon all around us of urbanizatioz: in the

disorderly growth of the cities we find the new poor,

grouped especially in the slum regions of the outskirts;

new forms of exploitation and dominion are fomented

and conditions of sub-human life are created and herc,

the weaker ones, especially the young fall easy prey.t6

585

Faced with this painful picture of poverty, we sales-

ians (drawn by the poverty of Jesus and following in

the footsteps of our Founder, who was deeply involved

in the situations of his own times) , are called upon to

question ourselves, so as to produce "a change of men-

tality and attitudes." 17

2. The image of poverty in Jesus

586

Our poverty is a free, original and hwman ckoice that

can only fi.nd meaning in the mystery of Christ. It is

the imitation and the sharing of the poverty of Jesus,

the Son of God, who "though he was rich, yet for your

sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might

become rich." 18

In his life and in his words we discover even if it

is paradoxical, the redemptive value of the emptying of

self 1e and the gospel meaning of being poor in response

to the christian ideal.

587

Deeply rooted in Israel, and thus closely linked to

"the poor of Jahweh," 20 Jesus procl'aims the beatitude ol

poaerty 21 as a religious attitude to life, as a recognition

16 cf oA 8-13.

I? GS 63; Cf ET 17

18 2 Cor 8, 9.

1, P}:^tl 2, 7.

2':or

Soph 2,

Mt 5, 3.

3;

3,

11.

409

44.4 Page 434

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of the fact that earthly goods are God's gift to all men

and as a joyful search for the kingdom 22 based on trust

in the promises of the Father.23

Consequently he appreciates things, he uses them

with simplicity,2a but he also preaches renunciation and

d,etachruent from earthly goods,z5 from the members of

one's family,26 and even from life itself 2? lor the sake

of the kingdom and as an expression of total availability

for the mission.zs

sB8

So that his message of interior poverty might be

more fully welcomed, he freely chooses to be "the son

of a carpenter," 2e belonging to the working classes and

sharing the conditions of the needy.3o

Jesus loves the poor and he teaches us to see him

in the needy person.31

He makes the euangelization ol the poor the object

of his entire mission, so that they may be freed from their

oppression.s2

With the audacity born of love, Jesus denounces in

a prophetic manner the abuses of the rich and the power-

ful.33 He seeks no privileges for himself 3a and he lays

the foundations for a new social order.3s

,, cf Mt 6, 3.

23 Mt 6, 25.

24 Cf Mt 11, 19; Mk 2, 19

25 Cf Mt 6, t9; 19, 21; Lk 14, 33.

26 Cf Mt 10, 35-37.

27 Cl Lk g, 24.

18

,,

Cf Mt 10,

Mt 13, 55.

9

seq.

30 cf Mt g, 20.

31 Mt 25, 37.

3' cf Lk 4, 19.

33 Cf Lk 6, 24; 13, 31-34.

34 cf Mt 17, 24-27.

3E Cf Lk 6, 27.

41.0

44.5 Page 435

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And finally he teaches the beatitude of giving, pro-

claiming that "It is more blessed to give than to receive." 36

The message of Jesus remains active and moving in

the first christian communities for whom poaerty becomes

"co,lnmotnio%" expressed in the sharing of temporal goods

and service to the poor. This is the result of the unity

in mind and heart of the earlier communities. Commun-

ion and service create in the community that serenity

and joy which is an anticipation of the defi.nitive joy

of the christian and a "powerful witness of the resur-

rection of the Lord." 37

3. "The spirit of poverty and of love the glory and sign

of the Ghurch of Ghrist."$

589

Faced with the "cry of anguish" 3e of the poor of our

lvorld, the Church acquires a new awareness of its mission:

"Christ was sent by the Father to bring good

news to the poor, to heal the contrite of heart,

to seek and to save what was lost. Similarly,

the Church encompasses with love all those who

are afflicted with human weakness. Indeed she

recognizes in the poor and the suflering the like-

ness of her poor and suffering founder. She does

all she can to relieve their need and in them she

strives to serve Christ." ao

In the Church we religious are called upon to give

the clearest possible testimony of the message of poverty,

of the love of Christ, and of the true face of the Church

herself:

36 Acts 20, 35.

37 Acts 2, 42 seq; 4, 22 seq; 6, I seq

38 GS gg.

3e PP 3.

40 LG g.

4tt

44.6 Page 436

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"Mother Church rejoices at flnding within her

bosom men and women who more closely follow

and more clearly demonstrate the Saviour's self-

giving by embracing poverty with the free choice

of God's sons..." 41

Vatican II and more recently the magisterium of the

Church shows us the meaning of religious poverty and

they help us to uncover in it the gospel mystery and

those aspects that are more appreciated by our own time

and age.a2

a) Following Christ

590

The poverty of the religious is first of all an act ol laith.

In following the poor Christ, religious live the evan-

gelical mystery of poverty as people who recognize that

their whole life is a gift from God and "entrust themselves

to the providence of the heavenly Father." a3

They appreciate earthly goods as of value but relative,

given to man for the development of his personality and

for the service of his brothers. And so they use them

with simplicity and detachment,aa "ro, permitting them-

selves to be ensnared by the seductive wealth of pos-

sessions, of knowledge, and of power," a5 but giving to

the goods of the earth the significance and the purpose

manifested in the eternal plan of God.a6

b) Witness and sign

591

The interior evangelical disposition translates itself

into concrete and shining witness.

11 LG 42d.

4' Cf PC 13; ET 16.

13 Cf 13 b.

41 Cf PC 13; ET 18.

15 ET 19.

{6 cf AA 7.

412

44.7 Page 437

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Tending towards holiness with "joyful and balanced

austerity" a? the religious "sufiers in his daily life the

trials, even external ones of authentic poverty" as which

make him effectively one with the world of the poor,

to the point of his going to join them in their condition,

to share their anxieties.ae

This witness of effective poverty becomes for our

fellow men the sign of the liberating presence of Jesus

in the world, of the primacy of the kingdom of God 50

and of the divine value set on earthly goods and of all

human progress.

c) Charity and the service of the poor

592

Religious poverty has its roots in charity.

Interior detachment and exterior austerity are no

ends in themselves; they proceed from love and translate

themselves into love.

And so the religious "loves the poor rvith the ten-

derness of Christ." 51 Here the religious reflects the pre-

occupation of the Church herself lvho "recognizes in the

poor and the suffering the likeness of her poor and suffer-

ing founder. She does all she can to relieve their need

and in them she strives to serve Christ." 52

In the service of humanity along these lines, since

concrete solidarity with the poor forbids all compromise

with any form of injustice,s3 it is the special task of reli-

gious at the present time to "awaken consciences in the

face of the drama of misery and the needs of social justice

as set out in the gospel and the teachings of the Church" 5a

1? ET 30.

48 ET lg.

4' Cf ET 18,

50 Cf Mt 6, 33; LG 44

51 PC 13 e.

52 LG g.

53 cf ET lg.

54 ET lg.

41.)

44.8 Page 438

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and to do a1l he can to promote human ennoblement and

the development of peoples.ss

d) Wotk

593

Living by one's own work is today a form of life

that is especially expressive of real witness to poverty

in a generous service.

"Subject to the common law of labour," 56 religious

"witness its human significance" 5? and they make use of

it to earn their own livelihood and to give concrete help

to the poor.

e) Poverty, communion and participation

s94

Religious poverty becomes a witness and a sign to

an eminent degree if lived in community.

Religious, in imitation of the first christian commun-

ity, manifest the spiritual bond that unites them, by

placing the fruits of their labours at the disposal of

all.58

The Church points to this collective witness of poverty

with particular urgency. It will manifest itself both in

the fraternal sharing of goods among the confrdres and

the institutes, and also in the other needs of the Church,se

leading to the avoidance of all "counter-witness' in the

community (luxury, excessive wcalth, accumulation of

goods) .60

55 Cf PP 12 passim

s5 PC 13.

n E't 20; PP 27.

58 Cf ET 20.

5' Cf PC 13.

60 cf PC 13.

414

44.9 Page 439

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f) New forms of poverty

595

It is in this spirit that the Church makes an appeal

to the inventiveness of religious and asks them to adapt

courageously the existing forms of their poverty to the

needs of the world of today, to search out "new forms

of poverty" 61 so that their poverty may become more

realistically fruitful.

4. Don Bosco poor on behalf of the poor

596

"I prefer to be poor... I think more of paradise

than all the wealth and money in the world." 62

The life of Don Bosco the poor man is lived from

the time when Iittle Johnny addressed these words to

the heirs of Don Calosso right up to the time of those

other words spoken on his death-bed to Don Viglietti:

"Have a look in my pockets... I want to die in

such a manner that people will be able to say:

Don Bosco died without a penny in his pocket." 63

Don Bosco, the son of Mamma Margaret who was

herself a perfect model of poverty,Gl was poor by vocation

and also because of the fi.rm conviction that had its roots

in his acute evangelical sensitiveness.65

We find the expression of the characteristic traits of

this poverty in an unshakeable trust in divine providence,

in austere simplicity, exemplary temperance, an almost

sacred regard for thrift and economy which led him to

61 PC t3; ES II, 23.

6r MB I, 217-218.

63 MB XVIII, 493,

6{ cf MB r, 296.

65 Cf ASC 253 (Rrccrnr) p 541

415

44.10 Page 440

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look upon money as a gift and an instrument of doing

good.

During the whole span of his life he was detached

from earthly goods and money, but with a spirit of joy

even in the midst of privations so as to be more available

and freer to give himself.

Don Bosco, himself so poor, wanted a poor Congre-

gation as well and one totally committed to the service

of poor youth. He maintained this explicit, decisive and

absolute determination without the slightest deviation or

hesitation for the whole of his life.66

The warm words written in his last will and testament

still re-echo:

"Love poverty... our Congregation has a won-

derful future prepared for it by divine providence

...When we begin to live lives of comfort, our

Congregation will have run its course." 67

597

Don Bosco taught his sons a poverty that was both

genuine and functional, and directed towards the fulfi.l-

ment of his mission.

This poverty implies:

correct-mepaenrssotnoalmdeatianctahimnewntoraknsd

the diligent search

for poor boys;

for

as if e-vercyothuirnaggedoeupsecnodnefid.deonnceusi;n God and tircless work

ing it --allIIoaitottlkeoinnfgcoerfoisrnealftnhdbeuatrpepmlrigeucicoihautsifnogcrotmnhvoeincwetiyoo,rnkb;tuhtastpeGnodd-

will provide for the morrow.68

66 cf ibid.

57 MB XVrr, 271-272.

68 Cf Srrrra II pp 413-414.

416

45 Pages 441-450

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45.1 Page 441

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Sensitive to the signs of his times which gave much

credit to hard work, and ulged on by interior zeal, Don

Bosco wanted a Congregation that was established on

tireless hard work:

"We are living in times in which it is necessary

to work." Go

"Even the wicked knou, how to appreciate us

when we reallS, work unselfi.shly and untiringly."zo

"Prayer is always necessary, but today work in-

tensc work, is also necessary; otherwise we shall

head for destruction." 71

More than anything else he wanted all his activities,

as well as the work of his salesians to be exclusively

exelcised on behalf of poor youth:

"The world will always receive us with pleasure

as long as our concern is always for those children

who are poor, the needier ones of society. This

is our true wealth that no one will take away

from us." 72

Among the recommendations given to the first mis-

sionaries, Don Bosco gavc an injunction that still re-

echoes today for all his sons:

"Take special care of the... poor... Let the world

know that you are poor in clothing, food and

abode, and you will be rich in the sight of God,

and will win the hearts of men." 73

598

The whole salesian tradition re-confirms the basic

69 MB xrlr 126.

xI 70 MB

168.

7I MB xlx 157.

72 MB KYII 272.

xI 73 MB

389-390

41,7

45.2 Page 442

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traits of this picture of poverty as lived by the Father

and passed on as a precious heritage to his sons.74

?a We woulcl like to bring to light a few elements of salesian

tradition having recourse to the sayings of the successors of Don

Bosco.

rvork

-*'ilPi obeveurstyeleisssaunnleinsdsistpheenwsaobrlled

s'ign

sees

of our apostolate: "Our

and convinces itselI that

we are not after wealth or comfort" (Rue. Circolare 3l Jan l9O7

p 438).

and

r-enuSnacleiastiiaonn.poCvfeRrtyrceinrcoloudNeBs

a personal ascetism of detachment

in ASC 82, p 9l passim; AreBne,

Circolave 23 April 1917; Rrccpnr in ASC 253, p 549 seq.

be

pla-cedOuart

works, "money like every other possession of ours

the sevuice of our rn'iss'iorz" in ASC 253, p 514-559.

must

"Dear sons, I beseech you... to give your attention to the

multitudes of children who are begging for help and who surround

you on all sides...; you should be ready to make any sacrif,ce to

alleviate their sufierings and to rebuild them in body and in soul"

(Rrxernr in ASC 57, p 967).

unmis-takWabolerhhiesrit"atghee

glorious livery of the

left us by Don Bosco."

salesian," "the great

(Rrccrnr in ASC 253,

p 563).

mon

l-ife,Ainn

essential means for the exercise of poverty is the com-

view of u'hich the "salesian becomes one with the whole

community." (Rur, Circolare 37 JarL 1907, p aal).

In this spirit we should cultivate solidarity both with the

poor and betr,r'een houses and provinces (Rrccrnr in ASC 253, p

ians

-of

As a goal that is particularly urgent and real for the sales-

today "the struggle against under-development" is sug-

gested as something "that touches the very essence of the Congre-

gation" (Rrccrnr in ASC 261, p lll0-llll).

418

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CHAPTEB TWO

BASIC FEATURES OF SALESIAN POVERTY

s99

The evangelical need to follow Christ, the invitation

of the Church to pay heed to "cry of the poor," the teach-

ings and the magnetic example of Don Bosco, all these

are for the salesians but the beginning of the renewal

of their poverty. Desirous of responding to the entreaties

of the gospel, the Church and the world of today, the

General Chapter presents the Congregation with a des-

cription of the basic features of renewed salesian poverty.

600

We are of the opinion that two features are really

essential today to the poverty of the salesian religious:

WITNESS AND SERVICE.

These tu'o torms of incarnation of poverty are demand-

ed and they are mutually complementary: witness cannot

be a mere empty external exhibition, nor can service of

the poor be rendered with the ostentation of wealth

and power.

Both witness and service have a common root: charity,

charitv towards God that is translated into charity towards

our neighbour as a gift from God to our brothers.

As a matter of fact Christ "became pool so that we

might become rich;" that is, he willingty took upon him-

self the condition of poverty, giving witness to it as a

humble worker and in solidarity with the poor. But he

did this with the intention of giving himself totally to

men. In the same way the witness of poverty on the

part of the religious, having its origins in the love of

God and neighbour, must of necessity express itself in

the gift of self and in the effective service of the poor.

419

45.4 Page 444

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Charity gives drive to every form of poverty: it

ensures that our witness is both modest and obliging,

and our service both humble and transparent.

601 1) SERVICE

Our poverty has its foundation and its full meaning

in the light of the salesian mission.

Following Christ who had come "to preach the gospel

to the poor," the salesians who are sent out in the name

of Don Bosco to impart a christian education to "poor

and abandoned youth," give expression to their poverty

first and foremost as a total giving of themselves and of

all they possess in the service of needy youth.

"Today more than ever Don Bosco and the Church

send us preferably to the poor, the under-privileged, the

ordinary people." 1

This salesian service is accomplished especially in

work, in apostolic activities, and in our various under-

takings.

602 a) Work

Work is the most eloquent and concrete expression

of salesian service on behalf of poor youth.

Sensitive to the trust given to us by our Father

when he said: "Today work is absolutely necessarY, and

not just work but hard work," the salesian gives prac-

tical expression to his poverty by taking his work ser-

iously, remembering that those who do not have to earn

their living by work are the rich.2

603 b) Apostolic activities and our works

Our apostolate and our works are the service that

we salesians, in fidelity to the charism of Don Bosco,

1 AGC XIX in I'SC 244, p 8l-82.

2 RrccBnr in ASC 253, p 44-45.

420

45.5 Page 445

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offer to those in need in those places where we have been

called by providence. And so the choice of activities,

the location of our works, openness to the needy, the

services that we render, all these must be the mirror

of our poverty.

Conscquently all the enterprises so characteristically

salesian must be focused on this basic service which the

salesians render in the Church.

This type of service will also lead some salesians to

reach out more directly to the poor, to iive with them

and to share their sufferings.3

In particular, as a real response to the needs of our

time, salesians in all activities and works of the Congre-

gation must become ever more conscious of their obligation;

true

"e-duicnatrieognartdo

to "under-development" to

freedom," an instrument

provide a

of human

and christian progress;a

ization-to

in the world

provide here

of comfortable

too "education

living and social-

to freedom" from

the worship of material things, from the degrading forms

of moral poverty, and from every form of technological

depersonali zation.

604 2) WITNESS

Imitation of the poor Christ, after the splendid ex-

ample of Don Bosco leads the salesian as an individual

and the community as a whole to live a style of life that

is a concrete and meaningful witness to poverty.

Self-donation and unselfi.sh service, while showing that

we place our persons and all our possessions at God's

disposal in our brothers, demand a life of detachment

and of real poverty; this makes us one with the world

3 cf ET 18.

a Rrccrnr in ASC 261, p 68

42t

45.6 Page 446

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of the poor and credible witnesses of the message of the

beatitudes.

605 a) Personal witness

The salesian, living in accordance with the beatitude

proclaimed by Christ gives a personal manifestation of

his own poverty in aol,untary renunciation as well as in

interior and. efectiue d.etackrnent lrom earthly good,s. He

does all this in a spirit of joy full of confi.dence in the

word and the promise of God the Father.

This personal commitment to poverty which the sales-

ian lives "not just in word, but in deed and with love," 5

is an indispensable condition for building up a commun-

ity that is poor and for making service of one's brothers

efficacious.

Consequently every salesian, sustained by the pro-

phetic strength of faith and by a keen sense of responsi-

bility, lives a life of real poverty:

l) in a way of life on the personal, leael, that is

simple and austere, which refuses those comforts and

conveniences that are commonly associated with the

middle class;

he remembers and re-lives the temperance that was

characteristic of Don Bosco regarding living-quarters, food,

ciothing, holidays and travel, and even the temperance

he practised when sick; and he is ready to share in some

way that insecurity which accompanies the life of the

really poor;

2) in tireless aork, that takes on the appearance

of total commitment to the mission;

3) in tke use ol things: he sees his time and his

talents not as something personal, but as something con-

5 MB XV 184.

422

45.7 Page 447

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secrated to God and placed at the disposai of the brothers:

his profession of poverty does not prevent him from

retaining for his own personal use with the permission of

the superior, those things that are required for an ef-

fi.cacious apostolate; nevertheless in his management of

money and material things he never forgets that he is

poor and that he must be content with what is necessary.

606 b) Collective witness

The witness of poverty is particularly meaningful

rnhen lived in community. "To be poor," St. Francis

of Sales tells us, "means living in community." 0

Imitating the living example of Jesus and of the

early christians, for whom poverty meant to give, to

share, i.e. in charity understood as sharing, the sales-

ians come together in community, placing ali their talents

and personal qualities and the fruit of their work in com-

mon so that all may be used in the service of the poor.

In this way our poverty becomes comrnunity ol goods

for the service of the poor, something that is essentially

tied in with the salesian mission; it is not a mere re-

nunciation of economic goods, rather it is a special way

of using them for the benefi.t of youth and the poor;

in other words it is a sign of our practical charity for

the needy.

But we must not forget that the credibility and the

effrcacy of our "community of goods" entails true col-

lective witness of detachment and real solidarity with

the world of the needy on the part of the whole com-

munity. "Communities as such should aim at giving a

kild of corporate witness to their own poverty." z

This corporate witness will be lived in practice:

6 Oeuvres de St Frangois de Sales, Ed Annecy, vol IX p 229.

7 PC 13.

423

45.8 Page 448

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1) in an austere style ol co?n?non life: we must feel

that we are closer to the poor by being frugal in food,

by refusing all that is superfluous, and by aiming at

functional simplicity in our buildings. We will be helped

in this by contact with poor boys, with simple folk, by

honest dialogue with them and by sharing their suffer-

ings and dif&culties;

2) in the nn&nner ol possessing: rne place everything

that we have and are in common for our mission; truly

sharing the use of goods and their administration, rve

all feel that we are responsibly involved in the poverty

of the family;

3) in the genelouts expression ol solidarity with the

houses and provinces of the Congregation and with thc

Church and the world in their need.

607

As a powerful means towards an effective witness to

poverty and as an incentive to continual renewal, sales-

ians should faithfully carry out a periodic commwnity

assesstnent. This would consist in a sincere revieu, of

the kind of witness and service they offer, and in doing

this they would humbly and loyally place themselves face

to face with the ideals proposed by the gospel and their

mission.

Don Bosco has left us salesians a whole programme

o{ life in his own motto: "worh and temferance." Like

him we too in offering a service of tireless work and a life

of joylwl temperance will be giving to all who come in

contact with us a witness that cannot be contradicted.

3) SOME SPECIAL QUESTIONS

608 1. Evangelical poverty or sooio-economic poverty?

In the exercise of poverty we are often faced with

an important objection: Is religious poverty a mere inter-

ior attitude of renunciation and availabititv for service

424

45.9 Page 449

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("evangelical" or "apostolic" poverty) or should it neces-

sarily involve an eflective solidarity with the poor even

in the socio-economic sense ?

So as to give a correct answer we must distinguish:

a) poaerty as priuation of the goods of this world,

which are necessary so that men may live in a human

manner: as such it is something evil. It is denounced

in scripture as something that is contrary to the will

of God and often the fruit of injustice and sin;

b) euangelical poaerty as a basic attitude of every

christian, is the attitude of openness to God, of the

availability of one r,vho places all his trust in God. It

involves appreciation of the goods of this world, but not

to the extent of fi.nding satisfaction in them, since the

superior value of the goods of the kingdom is recognized;8

c) the poverty that Vatican II desires from reli-

gious is a poaerty-sign, pouerty-sacrament, a poverty that

wants them to be committed in an unmistakable manner

to be "poor both in fact and in spirit." e

Just like all other christians, religious tend torvards

evangelical poverty. So as to be a sign in the Church

of the blessedness o{ this poverty, they freely and iovingly

take on themselves the self-same social conditions of the

needy o{ this world and they share in their privations.

They do this to witness spiritual liberty vis-d-vis earthly

goods, to serve the poor and help them in their efforts

to free themselves. In this they follow the example of

Christ who shared all the consequences of our hurnan

condition in order to save us.

609

d) Without any doubt we must bear in mind that

the concrete picture of the socio-economic poverty of the

8

,

CELAM

PC 13.

Medellin

14,

4.

425

45.10 Page 450

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religious and consequently its value as a sign depends

on the diversity of the charisms of the individual religious

families. Allowance must also be made for different en-

vironments and countries, different cultures and civil-

izations as well as particular situations.

This simply means that the exercise of poverty is

subject to the principle of pluralisrn and it must be

courageously outlined by each religious Congregation.

Within the Congregation itself the responsibility lies with

the regional or provincial communities, rvith reference to

the needs of the different places and the urgency involved.

True as this may be real solidarity on world-wide level

must never be neglected; this sense of solidarity leads us

to discover and share in spirit the tragic conditions of

poverty that exist in distant lands.

610 2. Witness or service

There is yet another worrying question that troubles

the salesian in his exercise of poverty: how is it possible

to reconcile a witness of poverty leading to total solidarity

with the world of the poor with the functional and struc-

tural requirements of education ? Is it possiblc to be poor

in an institute which in some places takes on the ap-

pearance of grandiosity? The solution of this conflict,

which sometimes takes on the proportions of a real "ques-

tion of conscience" regarding fi.dclity to the salesian voca-

tion, would appear to be along the same lines as that

given by Don Bosco himself. He showed the salesians of

his day a type of poverty which was authentic, but at

the same time functional, and always directed towards

the accomplishment of the mission. With thc daily exer-

cise of this poverty Don Bosco whilst remaining austere

in his individual and community life did not hesitate

to look for all the means necessary for the developing

of his work.

426

46 Pages 451-460

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46.1 Page 451

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As a matter of fact, by becoming involved in the

mission of the salesians, we are of the opinion that the

fi,rst and rnost irnportant uitness ol the salesians is tke

aery seruice itsell which they offer to youth, especially

to the poorer elements, through their own labour and by

placing all their talents and everything they may possess

at their disposal.

In rendering this humble, generous and evident ser-

vice which moves us to give constantly to the needy,

we are necessarily led to avoid all counter-witness, rvhich

would place us in open contrast with those whom we

set out to serve and would annul the efiectiveness of

our activity.

611 3. Formation in poverty

Poverty is a choice that demands a delicate and

formed conscience. This is so because our daily effort to

maintain fi,delity is continually menaced by an almost

unconscious attachment to the bourgeoisie.

Thus there must be a real education in poverty that

must begin in the formative years of the young confr6re

and be continued and enriched throughout the whole life

of the salesian.

We would like to outline some aims of this formation.

612 a) Outlook

It is necessary to develop in the young salesians,

right from the earliest years, an outlook that is able to

discern the essentials of salesian poverty:

of

Chr-ist,

sharing

to the

in the

extent

mystery of the impoverishment

of a sincere renunciation of the

goods and the ostentation of this world;

of the-mistsoiotanl' availability of the person in the fulfilment

427

46.2 Page 452

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a

socia-l

conversion from an individualistic mentality

preoccupation with the common welfare;

to

- a special love for the poor.

613

This mentality should be translated into action in

daily life within the formative community.

The young salesians will be trained in a very prac-

tical manner to live his poverty every single day:

work,

--eveiinnn

a life of austerity and sacrifi.ce;

fidelity to study and their training to regard

manual work, as a means of gaining one's

livelihood;

of

the

--woriiknnergtshe, enleecaroornsnisitncygioinutossnhtehasirsninokgf;atlhoengwwoirtlhd

of the poor,

them, enter-

ing into friendly and open contact with them, and shar-

ing in the efforts to integrate them into society.

And flnally the young salesian should be trained in

the responsible use of money, fully introduced into the

knowledge of the economic aspects of life and invited,

when it is appropriate, to take part in the administration

of the whole communitv.

4. Administration

614

To promote the spilit of poverty in the Congregation,

the General Chapter cannot remain indifierent to the

fi.nancial and administrative aspects of the life of the

communities.

The community in fact possesses those goods that are

necessary for it to comply with the requirements of its

mission; the Church asks us also to give corporate witness

to poverty in the possession and use of these goods.1o

In addition to being a necessary requirement for a

,o Cf pC 13; ET 18

428

46.3 Page 453

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correct evaluation of the goods at the service of man,rl

wise administration is also instrumental in giving clear

witness to poverty.

Our religious poverty demands that our adminis-

tration be such as to exclude the accumulation of and

excessive preoccupation with material goods, and to dis-

courage speculation, gigantic enterprises, and every form

of counter-witness.

We know that we are administering the goods of

the poor, in keeping with the words of Don Bosco:

"Remember that what we have is not our own but it

belongs to the poor; woe betide us if we fail to use it

properly." 12

The General Chapter offers a few indications that

will serve for the renewal of the administrative aspects

of our houses:

615

a) administration and economy are the task of the

uhole comrmunity: all the confrdres should feel truly res-

ponsible for and involved in the economic running of the

house; because of this the means of community sharing

in the administration must be developed (estimates and

accounts, schedules, community audits...);

616

b) for greater effi.ciency of service certain confrdres

are entrusted with ordinary management but the choice

of confrdres is made with the approval of the rector and

under his control; confrEres who assume administrative

ofhces perform a true service to the whole community;

they sacrifice their time and energy in work which is tir-

ing and thankless so as to create for the whole com-

munity those conditions that are necessary for more ef-

fective pastoral activity.

P'r

cf GS

MB V

65.

682.

429

46.4 Page 454

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They should make every effort to get acquainted

with the principles and the norms of a healthy adminis-

tration; they should remember that they should not act

like proprietors, because they are merely the trustees of

the goods of the community; their administration should

be conducted with great care for the good of all, and

infused with justice and charity;

617

c) finally salesian administration, characterized by

service, will be always open to the collaboration and

participation, in ways and forms that are deemed most

expedient, of lay experts and of all those to whom we

render service.

430

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CHAPTEB THREE

PRACTICAL DIREGTIVES

With regard to the renewal of poverty, the General

Chapter proposes some practical directives, on the pastoral

and apostolic level, which it considers to be particularly

urgent.

618. 1. Readjustment of our work

The General Chapter stresses the importance attached

by today's world to a collective sign of poverty, and the

urgency of a renewed commitment on the part of the

whole Congregation in its fi.delity to the image of poverty

as desired by its Founder.

It recommends therefore that

the provincial chapters, which should be convened

as soon as possible to arrange how the decisions of the

General Chapter are to be applied, should consider the

following points as fundamental in the work of re-

adjustment:

a) a serious examination of the state of poverty

in the province as a whole;

b) a decisive rearrangement of our work, according

to the requirements of our particular mission, under two

complementary headin gs :

work

for-a

a greater social

better world;

awareness

in

our

apostolic

among

th-e

a geographical

socially poor;1

rearrangement

of

our

work

I Cf Document I n l, chapter I "I destinatari della nostra

missione."

431.

46.6 Page 456

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c) amongst our plans for readjustment in the next

six years, a primary place must be found for the cultural,

professional and pastoral qualification of our confrEres,

who constitute our onlv riches.

619 2. Experiments

Accepting the invitation of the Church to bear witness

to poverty in new ways, and realizing that a really ef-

fi.cacious renelval is often enough the result of initiatives

of particular groups of people, the General Chapter en-

courages opportune experiments in new forms of witness

and service among the very poor according to the mis-

sionary spirit of Don Bosco, and the readiness to ofier

our help wherever there is more urgent need.

These experiments, on both provincial and local level,

must have the approval of the provincial and his council.

620 3. Our buildings and poverty

The life of poverty, as an obligation of the whole

community, binds each and every member in a common

responsibility. To reduce this responsibitity to a practical

plane and to make sure that our institutions bear witness

to poverty it may be useful:

a) to separate the administration of the work itself

from that of the community; and, if possible, make a

distinction between the living quarters of the community

and the rest of the work;

b) to seek the collaboration of the laity in the

administrative section of the work, eventually electing lay

representatives to the board of administration;

c) to give to those who are in any way associated

with our work a periodic account of its economic situation.

The General Chapter would like provincial chapters

and councils to study the possibility of applying these

suggestions in their own local conditions.

432

46.7 Page 457

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621 4. War on the soft and easy life

In order that the poverty of each salesian should

be a sign of his following of the poor Christ, the Gen-

eral Chapter invites every confr6re to be resolute in oppos-

ing the soft life.

Each one should joyfully accept an austere way of

Ii{e, depending on his superiors for money and personal

needs, and accepting willingly the inevitable limitations

and privations associated with the life of one who is poor.

Each member should bear in mind that his personal

poverty is a constituent element in the building up of

a poor community. The General Chapter especially invites

all the confrdres to renew in themselves that assiduous

and enterprising spirit of work which, according to Don

Bosco, was to be an expression of our evangelical poverty.

Each member should feel obliged to follow a daily

timetable of work not inferior to that of any labourer.

Indeed in our present difhcult situation each one should

be willing to work overtime to help towards the qualifi-

cation of our personnel and the maintenance of our

essential lvork.

622 5. lnsurance

The salesian community lives by the work of its

members and puts all its trust in the help and assistance

of divine providence.

But since rve participate in the life of the working

class, it would be as well to make use of health insurance

and other forms of social benefi.ts according to local usage.

The General Chapter invites the provincial chapters

to study the possibilities in the light of local circumstances.

623 6. Solidarity

To produce a real spirit of solidarity amongst the

confrdres and the different communities in the Congre-

gation, the General Chapter suggests:

433

46.8 Page 458

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a) that the provincial communities should make

determined efforts to remove obvious differences in the

Ievel of poverty between houses of the same province;

b) that provincial conferences should study with

sincerity and charity how to help with personnel and

fi.nances etc., the poorer provinces of the group;

c) that following the example of the primitive

Church, and as a practical demonstration of fraternal

charity, each province, notwithstanding its own fi.nancial

limitations, should study how it can help to solve the

economic problems of the Congregation as a whole.

434

46.9 Page 459

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Document 12

SALESIAN OBEDIENCE TODAY

46.10 Page 460

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47 Pages 461-470

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47.1 Page 461

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CHAPTEB ONE

DEMANDS OF RENEWAL

"Throtrgh the profession of obedience religious offer to God

a total dedication... unite themselves to the saving will of

God... moved by the Holy Spirit to imitate Jesus Chrisf.

Superiors should exercise authority with regard for the human

person... in such a way that the religious co-operate with an

active and responsible obedience".l

624

The need to deepen and renew the understanding

and exercise of obedience and of authority is something

really and urgently felt by many confrdres. They ask

that renewal to be carried out with fidelity to Don Bosco

in accordance with the suggestions and the spirit of

Vatican fI, and in keeping with the historical context

of the times in which we live.

The vgorld today is characterized by a combinatiotr

of phenomena that exert a powerful influence, even iu

the religious field, upon the concepts of obedience and

authority and their practice.

The value of the person is strongly asserted. Intrinsic

as it is to human nature and proclaimed by the gospel

which raises man to the dignity of God's son, this value

is deeply felt and emphasized today. Man asserts his

adult maturity for he does not want to be a mere object

of history, but he wants also to be a subject of the his-

tory of which he is part. He asks for the recognition

of his liberty, of his right to choose his own course of

action and of exercising his own spirit of creativity.

I PC 14.

437

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The ever increasing inter-d,epend,ence between men

compels them to unite and to feel their co-responsibility

as both individuals and as a group.

A secularized society asserts the autonomy of temporal

values. The rhythm and the present nature of history

makes us feel the need for diversification in our activ-

ities and for taking into account each one's capacities.

Obedience and authority are often seen as instruments

of efficiency and utility. Hence their use should both

foster and harmonize the creativity and enterprise of

communities and individuals, by acknowledging and utiliz-

ing the capacities of all.

625

A num,ber of stru,ctures no longer meet tod.ay's need,s

in an ad,equate mq.nner. Those who have the responsibility

of governing experience increasing difficulties in carrying

out their task and sometimes they adopt a pureiy passive

attitude of not interfering, of not acting, of not taking

the necessary measures, even when they ought to.

The various elements and tendencies, characteristic

of modern society, have a considerable part to play in

the evolution now taking place in our Congregation, and

this includes obedience and authority. Under the stimulus

of strictly religious motives, and also because of the needs

of the modern age, some progress has been made in the

search for an active and responsible obedience; in the

beginnings of a fraternal dialogue; in the exercise of co-

responsibility.

However, as always in times of profound transform-

ations, ideas and attitudes appear that are unbalanced

and irreligious; a kind of intolerance of all forms of author-

ity; an anti-establishment attitude; a weakened sense of

religious discipline; widespread contempt almost for the

efficacy of the rules: and, on the other hand a difficulty

which superiors experience of adapting fully to the new

ways of exercising authority.

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When faith is weak or perhaps is undergoing a crisis,

a mentality begins to appear which no longer clearly

perceives tlire swperior aalwes ol religious obedience. In this

way there is danger of conceiving authority and obed-

ience too much in purely human terms.

626

What is wanted now is a renewal in our notion ol

obedience which will take into account the just needs of

the times which will respect the values of the person and

the community, and which will reaffrrm with vigour its

supernatural value. We need a renewal with regard to

the way we practise obedience, so that there will be a

more serious attempt to pursue as a community the ends

of our religious life, and fulfiI our mission.

What is wanted is a way of wielding authority which

makes it a real service in the gospei sense, to each in-

dividual, to the community, and to the mission of the

Congregation. There is the wish too, for a more determ-

ined application of the principles of subsidiarity, of decen-

tralization, and of co-responsibility.

439

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CHAPTER TWO

OBEDIENCE TODAY

A. PRINCIPLES

627

Religious obedience is a concrete expression of our

christian faith. This means that it is much more than

relationship of a simple social dependence of the subject

on the superior. It is the genuine vocation of a disciple

who is committed not only to the imitation of but also

to a sharing in the life and mission of Jesus Christ, the

centre of all human salvation. Jesus' obedience to his

Father sums up his life and the easter mystery of his

death and resurrection. It reveals at one and the same

time his identity ol Son. and Servant, and shows him

united in an ineffable and absolutely unique way to the

Father and hence his total submission to him. Our obed-

ience draws its real origin from our baptismal incor-

poration in Christ and in the love uniting him to the

Father and our brothers.

628

The Church which "in Christ is a kind of sacrament

or

of

sign and

the unity

inosftraulml menatnkoifndin"tiImianteheurneioanrtwhliythjoGurondeaynids

always listening to the Spirit. She continues Christ's

obedience by her fidelity to his mission "of establishing

among all peoples the kingdom." z

Because it is a religious community the salesian com-

munity as part of the Church, shares its life,3 and filled

with the Holy Spirit, wishes to live intensely this dis-

LG 1.

LG 5.

Cf PC 2.

440

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position of Christ of listening to the Father and of an

obedience that saves.

On entering the Congregation the salesian having

made the vow of obedience takes completely as his own

the will of God, and commits himself with Christ to being

entireiy at God's service, and to living in a community

of brothers according to the Constitutions he has freely

accepted.

629

Since religious obedience is a vital element of the

Church "the mystery of salvation" it is a disposition

which is also a sign for the use of those who are sons

through baptism, so that they can live totally submissive

to the Father. Religious obey men, not for what they

are in themselves, but because they can help them to

follow Christ and to show them concretely what God's

will is: "they submit their wills to another person on

God's behalf in pursuit of an excellence surpassing

what is commanded. Thus they liken themselves more

thoroughly to Christ in his obedience." a

630

We find the will of God in the many "signs" which

manifest it. The more important of these signs are the

happenings and concrete situations of the present moment,

whether they be of general importance like "the signs of

the times" or of particular importance like the needs,

the emergencies, the demands and the problems of each

hour, place, community and individual These signs how-

ever cannot always be interpreted with clarity and ease.

To discover their meaning we need above all an attitude

of faith with the light it brings. Ttre gospel, is the supreme

rule and the first means when carrying out this search,

while the magisterium of the Church, aided by the Holy

Spirit, gives us authentic guidance in this sphere.

4 LG 42,

44t

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The Constitwtions form another instrurnent which is

specifi.callv ours. They are, ro to peak, our gospel, aiew-

point for understanding realities in depth. The fact that

they have been approved by the Church is a guarantee

for us that they give us a practical and safe road to foll-

ow, while at the same time they unite us in a spirit of

obedience to the Church.

631

A sign of special importance for us is the spirit and

the ruission of the Congregation. We know that the plan

of our father means that our life is lived within certain

well-defined limits. This leaves us however with ptenty

of scope for research but the plan involves certain limita-

tions, and so gives us a true indication of what God wants

from us. Whatever therefore opposes the mission and

the spirit of the Congregation cannot be God's will for us.

Within these limits, there is a specifi.c role, seen as

a practical sign of the divine will for the community at

all levels, and for the superiors who guide it responsibly

in fidelity to the gospel, the Church and the Constitutions.

Among our superiors the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ,

will have the first place.

B. THE EXERCISE OF OBEDIENCE

1. ln a spirit of communion

632

Our search for the will of God will be above all an

act of coru,rnwnity. Relations between confrdres who do

different types of work must be imbued with the family

spirit, which is characteristic of the salesian community

and makes it one in heart and soul. Such confrdres do

their duty in a spirit of humble service,s while being

aware of their limitations and human weakness they seek

5 Cf LG 32; ET 25.

442

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to live their consecration together by fulfiIling their mis-

sion in a spirit of generous and joyous self-donation. Thus,

in the service of the common good, obedience and author-

ity are exercised as two complementary aspects of an

actual sharing in the offering of Christ: for who exercise

authority there is a question of serving the brothers ac-

cording to the Father's plan of love; while by the ac-

ceptance of their directives, religious follow the example

of the divine master and thus collaborate in the work

of salvation.6

2. All co-responsible

633

Christ has given to the Congregation the invitation

of working to bring his kingdom about and to carry out

a saving mission among men. Each and everyone of us

is responsibie for making charity live in the community,

and for fulfilling our common mission in the world, as

well as the personal mission which is one's individual

vocation.

Vatican II has stressed the principle of co-responsibil-

ity in the Church and in each Congregation. This co-

responsibility is carried out in both life and action in

three stages searclt, decision and, execution.

Search

634

The search for the witl of God is no easy task for

the community and for the individual, if we consider the

obscurity of faith and human weakness. Hence the im-

portance of comrnwnity dialogue in which each confrdre

can in all sincerity and loyalty contribute according to

his talents and knowledge but always bearing in mind

the good of the community and of the souls entrusted

to them. This will be done not only in order to reach

6CfET25

443

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important decisions but also for considering questions

affecting daily life.

In a constructive spirit of open dialogue and genuine

availability, everyone should help the superiors to fulfll

their diffrcult task of guide and their work on behalf

of the confrBres. By means of a frank exchange of ideas

and in fraternal unity all will work together to find out

what is the will of God; the search will be carried out

in a particular case by the superior together with the

confrdre concerned when it is a case of an individual

problem; and with the community when the decision to

be taken concerns it directly.?

Decision

635

In ordinary life many decisions arise spontaneously

from common opinion. When it is necessary the super-

ior as moving spirit of the community and because of

his duty of guiding the confrdres towards an active and

responsible obedience 8 but also of deciding and also com-

manding what must be done 0 will proceed in such a

way that his final decision will be the natural outcome

of the interplay of ideas. In many cases however he will

have to try to obtain a unity of wills and of hearts even

in a diversity of opinions. For the more important decis-

ions he should canvass the opinion of the competent

council, or of a group of confrdres or of the whole com-

munity, whichever seems necessary. Sometimes where the

house council itself has only a consultative value the

superior in his wisdom will take its opinion into account

when making his decision. Even though the decision

need not reflect the majority opinion the superior should

decide differently only whcn he has clear and valid motives

Cf ET 25.

cf Pc 14.

PC 14.

444

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for so doing. He however has chief responsibility for the

community, as also for its relationship with the whole

Congregation, rn,ith the local church and with the out-

side world.

636

Co-responsibility carries with it the application of the

principles ol swbsidiarity and ol decentralization even in

decision-makinq. When a general directive is enough,

then apart from the encouragement and co-ordination

needed, further decisions must be left to those responsible

whether individuals or teams. This wiII help to prevent

paternalisrn on the one hand and 'infantilism on the other,

and make possible a respect for and a true growing to

maturity.

Execution

637

It is at the moment of execution that obedience is

translated into action, and brings to light the riches of

personal initiative and the generosity of sacrifi.ce. The

whole community or the individual concerned, will unite

freely, responsibly and actively with the Father by deeds,

that is, by carrying out what has been decided. They

should do this as an act of faith ahvays, but especially

in cases rvhere the decision does not accord with their

own opinion. They should do it freely and willingly,

with loyalty and responsibility. Thcy will take what

steps are necessary within the limits imposed by the

directives given, co-operating fully and cordially as lov-

ing members of a family erren when the work is very

varied. While community decisions need only to be taken

occasionally, their practical execution will irtvolve in each

one the virtue of obedience. fts value as witness r,vill

be discovered especially in the remorseless daily round, the

unceasing availability it demands and the generous and

joyous giving of oneself to the m.ission commanded. With

such a disposition a real spirit of commuirion can be

445

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created, a spirit which is essential if we are to fulfil, in

a co-responsible manner, God's plan in our daily life.

3. For the Church

638

Communities which are alive to the needs of the local

church of which they are a vital and active part, should

share in the pastoral plan for the whole area, and do so

in obedience to the bishop while remaining true to their

ou'n spirit and mission.l0 Each confrdre must realize that

he is working within the limits imposed by obedience,

for the saving mission of the Church and carrying out

therefore in his job an authentically ecclesial work.11

4. The obedience of free and mature persons

639

Co-responsibility when exercised at all levels iir ac-

cordance with the directives of Vatican II (which in this

too wants the dignity of the human person to be acknow-

ledged) will help the religious to grow in maturity. In

the earlier stages this maturity will appear in free and

fraternal discussions, and in constructive and respectful

criticism. It will also appear when decisions are acccpted

co-responsibly in a spirit of faith and community love

rnhich overcomes all individualism. In its execution this

maturity is manifested by loyalty, personal initiative and

one's own creativity, by solidarity and team spirit, and

by fldelity to the common rrission. Obedience will no

longer be a childish act, but a mature disposition: it will

not be a renunciation of the will and the personality

but rather a resolute will to carry out God's will in

preference to one's own desires. This is the way for men

to become truly free.

10 cf cD 35.

rr cf ET 50.

446

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5. Gonscience and obedience

640

Where all the confrdres are sincerely committed to

living the gospel spirit generously, in fidelity to the teach-

ings of the Church and the example of Don Bosco, in

a co-responsibility based on a real meeting of minds in

a family spirit, the exercise of obedience and authority

can be very much facilitated. However because of human

wcakness and human limitations some diffrculties, even

grave ones, can arise. At times there can be a conflict

betrveen the au,thority ol the sotperior and, the consc'ience

ol tke religious. In such a situation help can be found

in the principles and doctrinal directives, derived from

faith, given recently to religious in Eaangelica Testifi'catio.

"Need we repeat that conscience on its own is not the

arbiter of the moral worth of the actions which it inspires?

ft must take account of objective norms and, if necessary,

reform and rectify itself. Apart from an order manifestly

contrary to the laws of God or the Constitutions of the

institute, or one involving a serious and certain evil

s-upeinriowrh'sicdheccaissieonthsecroencisernnoaobfileigladtiionn

twohiocbheyth-e

the

cal-

culation of the greater good can vary according to the

point of view. To conclude from the fact that a direc-

tir.,e seems objectively less good, that it is unlawful and

contrary to conscience would mean an unrealistic dis-

regard of the obscurity and ambivalence of many human

realities. Besides refusal to obey involves an often ser-

ious loss for the common good. A religious should not

casily conclude that there is a contradiction between the

judgement of his conscience and that of his superior." 12

641

Whenever there is a contrast between what the reli-

gious holds to be the will of God in his regard and the

12 EI 2g

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obedience, the life and commitment of the community;

between the view he has of certain situations of the

mission and of the apostolate and the view of the super-

ior and the community, there shoul,d, be open and. patient

dialogwe. The solution cannot be imposed unilaterally by

the superior. The community can also be consulted. The

conscience of the individual must be respected but at

the same time the community unity and the values of

religious life have to be safeguarded. In the cases where

dialogue with the immediate superior has not brought a

solution it is advisable to consult competent people, if

necessary chosen by common agreement. When no solu-

tion is found appeal must be made to higher authority.

If it should happen that after all this the religious

has to forego there and then or even always what he

believes to be desirable, it will be good for his faith if

he remembers that he made his religious profession freely.

Because of this he should accept sincerely and coherently

the dispositions and the directives of the Congregation

speaking and acting through its responsible channels.

Such acceptance is so necessary that it cannot be refused

if one wishes to continue to be a living member of the

salesian Society.

6. Ascetical aspect of obedience

642

Religious obcdience presupposes a disposition of at-

tention and docility to the interior voice of God. This

demands from us a constant purity of heart, and an

overcoming of self in accordance with the spirit of the

beatitudes. Participation in the community union and

mission can demand from us detachment from our own

projects and enterprises and the loyal acceptance of those

of the community and of the superiors; it can require

us to set aside our own desires however legitimate and

profound they may be, all things that can make obed-

448

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ience a real crucifixion. It would be wcll to remember

that the ultimate reason for obedience is found in our

intimate participation in the life of Christ who u'as obedient

even to death on the cross, and who through obedience

merited his resurrection and our redemption. By his

obedience the religious like Christ offers in oblatior-r what

constitutes the deepest core of his personality, t,is will.

In this same oblation however he flnds the supreme

realization of himself on a supernatural level and thc

greatest fruitfulness with regard to God's kingdom.

643

In order to realize or maintain his oblation he must

often have recourse to that source of charity which is

also the continuation of Christ's oblation, the Ewchq,rist.

He will meditate upon the splendid and encouraging

example of Mary's obedience 13 who more than any other

creature shared in the easter mystery of the redemption

by her total acceptance of the saving will of the Lord

and her offering of herself together with her Son for the

salvation of mankind.

'3 cf LG 56, 60, 63, 65

449

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CHAPTER THBEE

AUTHORITY TODAY

644

Eaery com,munity (local, provincial and global) is

called to give rvitness of docility and availability to the

will of God. In these communities the members obey

according to the different functions that each exercises.

An essential role in the community is authority, for

it is needed to build up and maintain the union of ideals

and of hearts in charity, to help in the interpretation of

what is the will of God with regard to the community

and each member and to guide and co-ordinate the work

of the confrdres in the {ulfilment of their mission. "...The

presence and acceptance (of superiors) are indispensable

in every community." r

The Constitutions approved by the Church,2 are the

source of the superiors' authority.

Every superior must carry out his duty in a spirit

of evangelical humiiity.s He must set an example of

fidelity to God,a and have a profound sense of responsibiiity

realizing that he will have to answer to God for his

brothers.5 Our model is Christ who mirrors the Father's

love for mankind and lvho came not to be served but

to serve.6

I ET 25.

'1Cf LG 45a.

a3 Ccff1MPte2t05,,328..

6 Cf Heb 13, 17; PC 14; CD 15

6 cf Mk 10, 45.

450

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64s

In the salesian community (Congregation, province,

house) the superior represents Christ who unites his fol-

lowers in the service of the Father.? He remains a brother

amollg brothers and seeks in and with the community

that is ever obedient and docile, the will of God in ac-

cordance with the Constitutions. At the same time he

is the moving spirit and the guide of the community.

646

To exercise evangelical authority among his brothers

means that the superior is there to serae tkeru,, after the

example of Christ who gave his life for all men.8

The service the superior gives to the members of

the community is manifold:

a) to be the guide of a religious community means

to commit oneself seriously to the renelval of the specific

common vocation, to probe deeply into its spirit, and to

revitalize its mission according to the real needs of the

times and in the light of the gospel ai-rd the founder;

D) since the bond which unites the members of

the community is before all else charity,e the superior

will do his utmost to foster and maintain fraternal com-

munion. He will manifest his goodness of heart as a

sign of the charity with which God loves his brothers;

c) he will dedicate himself principally and gener-

ously to the care of his community; like a good shephcrd

he will see to it that every confrdre has all that is neces-

sary or useful for his spiritual 1ife.10 He r,r'ill endeavour

to equip himself well for carrying out his task of teacher

of the community, especially with regard to the religious

life and the particular apostolic mission of the commun-

ity. In this way he will be able to gain as well the res-

zcf PC 14.

,cf 8Cf Lk 22, 26-27; Jn 13, 14; ET 24

PC 15.

r0 cf ET 26.

45r

48.6 Page 476

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pect and sympathy of the confrdres thus making obed-

ience easier;

d) it is the duty of the superior to promote a good

salesian spirit and sound religious discipline, in accordance

with the Constitutions, and to do this for the benefi.t

of the whole community and not just lo obtain order through

a merely lorrnalistic observance. In this task he will seek

the real good of the confrdres rather than their approval.

Every member of the community should co-operate by

accepting u,ith sincerity and constancy the obligations

incurred by the confrdres by their religious profession.

The superior should be capable of assessing personal

situations and circumstances so that he can act rvith

prudence and great understanding;

e) the religious life does not exempt religious from

temptations and crises. The superior should help the

confrdres to be faithful in fulfilling their religious and

apostolic duties. He rvill seek to look after them, to

win them over, to guide and encourage them by his word,

example and prayer. Whenever the need arises he should

rebuke and correct them but lvith tact, at the right

moment, and above all lvith brotherly charity;

l) the superior has the duty of seeking the will

of God rvith regard to the community and thc confrdres.

He should initiate dialogue and guide it in an atmosphere

of faith and charityi he should sum up the discussion

by making appropriate decisions; and he should encourage

all to carry them out faithfully. When he makes a decision

he should remember his own fallibility and hence take

into account the opinions of others. In things of greater

importance he should not make a decision without consult-

ing his council. He should act with prudence and with

courage; and in the uncertainties of daily life he will

find help in a deep faith in God, the example of Don Bosco

and the directives of thc Constitutions;

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g) it is a duty and a charity of the superior to

be always at the disposal of the confrdres, so that he

can listen to them and guide them. This he should do

above all in that personal dialogue with the confrdres

which is so much a source of tight and consolation, of

courage and support;

/z) he will encourage within his community a sense

of being united with the other communities, with the

province and with the Congregation, by means of in-

formation made available, by respect, esteem and affec-

tion shown and even, when necessary, by a readiness to

give brotherly assistance.

647

Besides being fully aware of his responsibilities and

his duties the superior must realize, especially today, be-

cause of the increasing complexity of salesian activity

that he ought to share and apportion the responsibility

throughout the community. Each confrdre has a par-

ticular responsibility which he shares with the other

members, for the good of the community and the mission.

453

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CHAPTER FOUB

DON BOSCO'S WAY OF

SPEAKING AND ACTING

"Obedience is the basis on which the whole of our Society

is built... if obedience reigns we shall form one body and mind

to love and serve God".'

"Charity will be the habitual characteristic of the superior... this

will facilitate a family of brothers united around the common

f ather".2

648

Don Bosco by his words and example is our guide

for the renewal of the notion and exercise of our obed-

ience and authority. His ways of thinking and expressing

himself were naturallv conditioned by the mentality and

customs of the times in which he lived. When however

we study Don Bosco as a whole and all his teachings

and his conduct towards his salesians then we can fi.nd

in him essential ideas for that renewal which is wanted

today. Sometimes these ideas are fully developed, at

other times only partially but still capable of elaboration.

He is convinced that obedience helps us to achieve

the aims of the consecrated life, to bring about unity

especially of minds. In particular he frequently points

out how obedience is a complete rvillingness to accept

work that God asks of us for the furtherance of his king-

dom and the salvation of men, and that it also helps us

to carry out the mission given us by God in a spirit of

I Don Bosco's talk to the members of the salesian Society,

11 March 1869, BM IX 573.

2 Letter of Don Bosco to the salesian communities at \\rai-

docco, Mirabello and LarLzo, 9 June 1867, MB VIII 829.

454

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fraternal collaboration and more effectively. "ff we as

members of this body, that is our Society, accommodate

ourselves to whatever task we are given to do, and if

this body is animated with the spirit o{ charity under

the guidance of obedience, it will contain in itself the

principle of its own existence as well as the energy of

doing great things for the glory of God, the good of souls,

and the welfare of the members." 3

649

The lamily spirit is a fundamental idea and guiding

principle of Don Bosco. In his writings and talks he

referred to it frequently; it encouraged him when begin-

ning his work and as it progressed; he would remind his

salesians of the need for it whenever he saw any signs

of deviation. He wanted his community to be a well-

balanced, orderly family living in harmony, with love

reigning supreme, and inspiring its life, its work, and

all mutual relationships. In it the superior was to be a

friend, a brother, a father. He once wrote to a salesian

whom he had just appointed as rector of a house: "Go

in the name of God, go not as a superior, but as a friend,

a brother, and a father. Let your power to command

be charity, so that you will be able to do good to all and

harm to none." a

And to Don Rua, the rector at Mirabello he gave

this rule of action: "Seek to make yourself loved rather

than feared; when you command or correct make it always

clear that you are motivated by the good of the con-

frdres and not by caprice." 5

6s0

While he wanted in his communities a family spirit

3 Don Bosco's talk to the members o{ the salesian Society,

1l March 1869, MB IX 573.

a A letter from Don Bosco to Fr. P. Perrot, the new rector

at La Navarre, 2 JuIy 1878, MB XIII 723.

5 MB \\TII 524.

455

48.10 Page 480

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that was serene and open, Don Bosco nevertheless demand-

ed real obedience from his followers; an obedience that

was authentic, full, generous, ready, humble, simple, sin-

cere and cheerful. In his conference to the confrdres at

Yarazze on the strenna of 1872 he spoke of "true obed-

ience which leads us to embrace cheerfully those things

we are commanded as good because they are imposed

on us by God." 6

For him a full obedience was one founded on faith.

He himself was obeyed easily and willingly, because he

was greatly loved and esteemed. But he insisted that

obedience to himself or to other superiors must not rely

too much on sympathy or other human motives; he wished

the motives to be higher ones derived from faith "Obed-

ience must not be something purely personal, but reli-

gious. Don't obey merely because such a superior com-

mands, or because the command is graciously given, but

be obedient because you are sure you are doing God's

will." 7

Don Bosco, who was so resolute in asserting the mean-

ing and value of obedience, showed by word and example

that whoever is superior must always be ready to give

a true, humble, dedicated, loving and ever-willing ser-

vice to all the confr6res entrusted to his care. "Let us

treat as though they were our sons those over whom we

have any authority. Let us place ourselves at their ser-

vice, just like Jesus who came to obey and not to com-

mand. We should be ashamed to give the slightest im-

pression of domineering and should not rule others ex-

cept to serve them with joy. This was how Jesus acted

towards his disciples." 8

6 MB X 1037.

7 MB X 1112; conference given by Don Bosco to the saiesians

16 September 1875, MB XI 356.

8 Letter written by Don Bosco to the salesians, 2 lamary

1883, Ep IV, 205 n 2395. Don Bosco is speaking of the type of

456

49 Pages 481-490

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49.1 Page 481

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At the same time, Don Bosco declares that anyone

who has the responsibility of being superior has real

authority. He has the task and the responsibility of

making decisions and of giving the necessary orders. He

is to be the guide and moving spirit of the community,

of the confrdres and of all their activities. "ff a society

like ours is to make any progress it needs to be well

organized; there must be those who command, and those

who obey. In the body there must be a mind that con-

trols its movements." s

651

The relations between Don Bosco and the confrdres

were not those of a father with his young children. He

always treated them with delicacy and respect, even if

they had lived and grown up with him right from their

earliest boyhood, and he always gave recognition to their

talents. He entrusted important tasks to them, treated

them as adults and placed them in positions where they

felt encouraged to grow in maturity. He thrust them

ahead with confidence; he gave them their instructions

and accompanied them with advice and encouragement,

but at the same time he urged them to act on their own

responsibility. He was not deterred even by their youth

and inexperience; he knew that by giving them important

duties he would make them his collaborators and mature

. and capable men It is to his credit that ke turned, unASSu?n-

ing men into real personal,ities.

652

Don Bosco created a vast and complex work that

can truly be called "his;" but when he spoke and worked

with his collaborators he made them realize it was the

relationship he desired between salesians and their pupils, but it

also gives an excellent expression to his desire regarding the rela-

tionship between superiors and confrdres.

e Don Bosco to the members of the salesian society, 11 March

1969, NrB IX 573-575.

457

49.2 Page 482

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"work of all." He asked and showed real appreciation

for the participation of all in his work and mission, and

not only at the time when they were actually carrying

out what had been planned and arranged. Between him

and his sons there 'ffas a genuine, trustful and continuous

dialogue. Thus he kept no secrets from them while at

the same time he kept them informed of everything and

never hesitated to ask their opinion and he always listened

to it. "The fact that he kept no secrets from them filled

them with even greater affection for him and his work,

with immeasurable gain for that essential solidarity and

union which is strength." 10

And when the salesian Constitutions were to be the

subject of collegial decisions, he submitted his own per-

sonal ideas and plans for examination and approbation

by the competent bodies.lr

T};e Biographical Mem,oirs gives full documentation

of the manner of speaking and acting of Don Bosco;

his successors and the General Chapters have made refer-

ence to his teachings in their directives and exhortations.

653

The confrdres ask today that all that is genuinely

valuable in the teachings of Don Bosco become the in-

spiration and the norm of our communities. They believe

that the essential and profouird meaning contained in his

teaching is in harmony with the spirit of Vatican II

the needs of the times and their own aspirations.

10 Annali. I, 307.

11 MB XIII 243.

458

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CHAPTER FIVE

PRAGTICAL DIRECTIVES

Education in the renewed concept and practice of obedience

654

An active and responsible obedience demands a clear

understanding on the part of every confrdre of the new

manner of practising this virtue of religious life, which

today requires greater depth and a greater spirit of faith.

To create this new mentality it is recommended that:

a) ttre confrdres be made aware of this renewal by

means of conferences, community meetings and suitable

readings;

D) all authority should be exercised in such a way

as to favour that requisite maturity in the confrdres which

is necessary for the responsible commitment in community;

c) each province and each community should set

about this work of renewal on a systematic basis.

Training in the exercise of authority

6s5

An ever increasing need is felt of capable and well-

prepared superiors at all levels. This demands an ade-

quate preparation. The proper fulfilment of the offrce of

superior should therefore be the result of a careful form-

ation which includes:

a) a remote preparation, during which by means

of personal study, discussions and the exercise of author-

ity at subordinate levels one learns how to speak with

others, to collaborate and to take responsibility;

6) a proximate preparation by means of prayer,

459

49.4 Page 484

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spiritual retreat and attendance at suitably arranged study

COUTSES;

c) a periodic up-dating through meetings with

superiors.

Training in dialogue

656

In the daily life of the family and in all apostolic

work there must be a spirit of dialogue.

This demands:

a) an effort to establish inter-personal relationships

in confi.dence and respect; to accept one another with-

out prejudice, and to reduce to a minimum the instinctive

attitude of self-defence;

D) an opportunity for all to participate and col-

laborate in the life and activities of the community;

c) sincerity, a spirit of faith and humility to accept

the opinions of others, avoiding the misuse of discussions

to get across one's personal ideas or those of a parti-

cular group.

Training in this spirit of dialogue in order to make

it more fruitful, can be helped by suitable literature on

the subject, community discussions under the guidance

of the superior or other competent person, and the tech-

nique of group dynamics.

460

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FOURTH SECTION

Our formation

Document 13

FORIVIATION FOR

SALESIAN WAY OF LIFE

49.6 Page 486

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49.7 Page 487

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INTRODUCTION

1. The Present Situation

6s7

The rapid evolution of society, which often happens

in a disorderly fashion, together with the ensuing change

of mentalities and of structures, makes a profound im-

pression on the formation of candidates to the salesian

life, and on salesians themselves. The young men in

formation some more some less reflect the situation and

problems of the world today.l

In general the climate in our houses of formation is

much the same as that prevailing in the majority of

similar institutions: we find a spirit of generosity, sin-

cerity, authenticity, awareness of the needs of the con-

temporary world, eagerness for freedom, fear of being

psychologically conditioned by houses of formation, in-

tolerance of rules and of any authority that is not fraternal,

thirsting for experiences and yet fearful of being cut off

from life, hesitation to become involved in ties that bind

too far into the future, lack of an authentic apostolic

mystique, which provokes, as a reaction, an activism that

often ignores or fails to understand recollection, silence,

prayer; little appreciation for study that is not regarded

as 'pastoral.' z

Hence it is not easy for those responsible for form-

ation to fulfil their delicate task. It becomes more dif-

ficult when there is no continuous atmosphere of family

spirit reigning between confrdres in formation and those

I Cf Relazione generale sullo stato dell,a Congregazione'. Intro. 2

, Cf op. cit., p 63.

463

49.8 Page 488

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responsible for formation, and when differences of opin-

ion and ways of acting increase and divide the members

of the staff themselves.

These and other difficulties, not always successfully

overcome, lead to the following consequences: the number

of confrdres, especially the young, who leave the Congre-

gation, increases.s The number of novices is very much

reduced in these last years.a There are young men who

do not find sufficient motivation to make up their minds

to enter the Congregation. Candidates for the aspiran-

tates in many provinces have dropped considerably in

number.5 Some have been closed.6

Though well aware of this alarming situation of world

proportions which intimately concerns the very life of

the Congregation, the Special General Chapter with an

optimistic eye considers what has been done, and fosters

the hope of resolving these problems positively, relying

on the good will of all, both of young men and of those

responsible for formation.

2. Scope of this document

6s8

As a help to the solution of the important problem

of formation, the Special General Chapter does not propose

to produce a general theoretical tract on human, christian,

religious and priestly formation. It merely wishes to give

the general outlines of a salesian 'Ratio Institutionis,' which

can be developed by the various provinces in agreement

with the norms of the local churches and the needs of

the various countries. Hence it merely indicates guide-

lines which, in the field of formation, allow for appiications

corresponding to the needs of our times, in fidelity to

Cf op. cit. , pp 33-34

Cf op. cit. ,p56.

Cf op. cit. ,p43.

Cf op. cit. ,p62.

464

49.9 Page 489

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Christ, to the Church and to the genuine mind of Don

Bosco.T

In this task, the Special General Chapter has taken

as its starting point the diffrculties, the needs and the

aspirations that the confrdres expressed through tt,e Special,

Prouincial Chafters and the replies to 'Probletrus qnd

Possibitities.' Throughout the whole treatment of the

topic of formation, it has tried to bear in mind and answer

these vital questions raised by the Congregation. It has

studied both Vatican II and the post-conciliar documents.

It has wanted to be faithful to the mind of Don Bosco.

These are its central terms of reference.

3. lmportance of formation

6s9

The importance of formation is fundamental. On it

d.epends, to a large extent, the personal realization of

every salesian and the unity of spirit of the whole Congre-

gation. It has a decisive incidence on renewal because

'the suitable renewal of religious communities depends

very Iargely on the training of their members.' 8

It directly regards the personnel in formation, but

also whatever affects and concerns all the confrdres, for

each one at his own level is engaged in a process both

of continuous personal adaptation to the requirements of

our mission and of continuous spiritual growth, and is

also responsible for the vital communication of the sales-

ian mission and spirit by means of his owrr witness.

4. Formation centered on the salesian religious vocation

660

Throughout the entire period of formation the com-

mon elements and the basic principles of the salesian

religious life will be stressed in a really meaningful and

? Cf RC Intro

8 PC 18.

465

49.10 Page 490

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coherent way. In fact both the brothers and the future

priests, each in his own way e all share in a full and identical

manner in the same salesian religiows uocation.

However, fidelity to this common vocation ought not to

prevent the states proper to the brother and to the priest

from being safeguarded.

In this document more insistence will be given to

formation to the common salesian vocation. However we

must not forget that whilst for the candidate to the

priestly life the Congregation is called above all to re-

structure or, better, to improve the formation curriculum

already

brotkers

laid down for

it is a, matter

the most part by the

uery olten ol bui,lding

Church; lor the

up, or ol eaen

creating tkat formation procedure that will guarantee the

harmonious and complete development of their human

and religious personality, in view of the educational and

apostolic mission to which they are called within the

Congregation.

, Cf LG 43.

466

50 Pages 491-500

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50.1 Page 491

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CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL ASPECTS OF

FORMATION

661

l. Eaery rnan receiaes lrorru God,, in a personal uay,

the inaitat'ion to make his orun being an kistorical, lree and,

responsible response to his creatiae and sauing act.r

Every vocation, as a manifestation of the incalculable

richness of God, ought to be profoundly esteemed and

cultivated with the greatest care.2

AII Christians, in virtue of their baptism and con-

fi.rmation, share in the priestly,3 prophetic a and royal

role 5 of Christ.6 To each one of them the Father confi.des

a particular task in the Church of Christ, which cor-

responds to a vocation in the midst of the People of God.

662

2. Tke Christ'ian, by m,eans ol an awthentic ed,ucation

in tke fa'ith, perceiaes in tke eaeryday reality ol his life,

read in, the light ol the gospel, kis own specifi.c aocation

'in the Chwrch.

Hence the essential of pastoral care of vocations is

an authentic christian education,T which enables the young

men to perceive in their ordinary lives, understood in

the light of the faith, their orvn specific vocation in

the Church.

I Cf PP 15.

2 Cl Relaziona op. cit., p 6.

3 cf LG 10, 34.

4 CI LG 12.

5CfPO2.

RF 5.

Cf OT 2

467

50.2 Page 492

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Our Society, which has received the specific mission

of evangelizing youth, is called to realize this vocation

work within the Church. In a particular way, it has the

mission of helping youth to define their own position

and to discover their own roles in the human community

and in the Church.

Salesians should take special care to help in the

formation of those whom the Lord has called to a total

consecration to himself for an apostolic mission.s Provided

that a young man fi.nds it with the right conditions and

assistance,e the following can be suitable and sufficient

environments to foster the attainment of the level of

vocational maturity required for entry to the novitiate:

the family, the school, associations, and youth groups

of a formative and apostolic character.l0 The aspirantate,

as an environment characterized by an intense vocational

orientation, is still a valid form to help youth discover

their own vocation and consciously correspond with it.

Vocation orientation, whilst it achieves the fund-

amental aim of helping all boys to discover and develop

their own vocation, will still be the natural source of new

members for the Congregation.

663

3. Tke cand,id,ate to the salesian l,ife and the salesian

in formation, seek in tke Ckurch a, sure way and a stimulus

lor tke up-to-d.ate deaelopment ol their uocation.

The basic guide-line of the Church on the formation

of religious is that each institute must maintain and

dynamically develop in its members, according to its

particular character, the authentic spirit of its Founder

in line with its mission.ll

8CtPC24

,CfRC5.

RF7

r0 cf oT 2.

1I Cf PC 2; RC Intr

468

50.3 Page 493

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These and other guide-lines given by the Church,

above all n. 18 of. Perlectae Caritatis, are to be borne

in mind and applied in the formation of salesian religious.lz

664

4. The candidates to the salesian lile and the salesian

in forrnation achieue their christian atr,d, religiows deaelop-

rnent fol,loaing tke supreme law of the gospel.r3

To follow Christ and imitate him is the fundamental

obligation of all the baptized, since it is through baptism

that they share in the very life of Christ.la To follow

Jesus more closely and to imitate him more perfectly is

a choice made by those baptized persons, yiz. religious,

who have received from God the special charism of the

religious vocation. This vocation is realized in a total

offering of themselves for a specifi.c mission of service to

men for the good of the Church; it does not represent an

exceptional gesture at all but is the constant rule of

their lives, lived not only afectiaely bttt also efectiuely,

i.e. in concrete and habitual forms of 1ife.15

The young salesian, a product of the times in which

he lives and works, must answer this specific call of God.

It is the task of his formation to help him in this complete

gift of himself to God by following and imitating Christ.

To achieve this, his formation must be centred on the

person and mystery o{ Christ, and founded on the mys-

tery of the Church and a living experience of faith.16

It must be carried out in a spirit of prayer and nourished

asatcrtehde sgcerinputuinreessaonudrcethseolfitucrhgryis,tiaanndsapbiroivtueaaliltlyt:he-

the

mys-

I Cf PC 18; RM ES OT RF; Ratio delle varie conferenze Epi-

scopali Nazionali.

r3 cf PC 2b.

r{ Cf Rom 6, 3-4.

rb Ct Per una presenza uiua de'i religiosi nella Chiesa e nel mond,o,

LDC pp 227-228.

16 cf sc 9.

469

50.4 Page 494

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tery of the eucharist,l? the fount and apex of the christian

life.l8 Mary, most holy, ought also to be presented in

the mystery of the word incarnate and of the Church 10

and in her role of Help of Christians.20

665

5. The candidate to the sq.lesian l,ife and the sal,esian

in lormation achieae their personal d,euel,opment taking into

accownt the concrete sitwation ol the present world, uith its

need,s, s'ince tkey liue and act in it as men, as ckristians and,

as salesians.

The sum total of the needs and aspirations of our age

strongly influences every true formation.2l

Don Bosco had to a very high degree a sense of

awareness of the needs of the times: in view of this he

mapped out the salesian Society and knew how to adapt

it to the social and spiritual aspirations of his times.

His fi.rst collaborators were formed in this spirit. Today

it is a matter of urgencv to revitalize this characteristic,

especially in the sphere of formation.

Like Don Bosco, the salesian must be able to read

the signs of the times. Modern society, with its rapid

and profound changes, demands a new type of marr,zz

capable of overcoming the uneasiness caused by changes,

and of continuing to look for solutions rather than take

refuge in ready-made answers; disposed to learn and to

face up to new situations, to enter into dialogue with

an open mind, to accept the fact of inter-dependence and

to practise solidarity; capable too of distinguishing what

is permanent from what is changeable, without going to

17 Cf PC 6; ET 4j.

18 Cf UR 15.

H cf LG 54.

,'or

,,

Cf

cf

Cf

LG 62-67;

GS 4-10.

RF 2.

PeP,

ist

181

470

50.5 Page 495

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extremes; and capable finally of living as a religious in

a secularized rvorld.

The structures of formation, adapted to the needs

of the times, of places and of the people involved, will

need to be pluralistic, decentralized, flexible and functior-ral.

In fact a young man ought to be formed in corrtact

with the real environment in which he lives: his family,

young men of his own age-group, and true salesian life

rvith its apostolic activities. All this is to be carried out

with a view to the service he will have to give, in harmony

with his personality and his individual characteristics.

In an atmosphere of open, constant and sincele

dialogue,23 he will feel co-responsible for his own form-

ation and, in proportion to his orvn maturity, for the

running of the house.

666

6. The nouice or salesian in lormation imbibes in an,

awthentic, personal and. uital uay the spirit, style ol lile

and, aork proper to the permanent charism ol Don Bosco.

All this will require a living synthesis and a certain

style of spiritual life, of balance and of human relationships.

These are all elements that represent so many traits of

the personality of the salesian, and which ought to be

seen as the objectives of his speciflc formation-

667

a) The salesian style of spiritual life should be:

Saviour-; centred on God the Father and Christ thc

kindnes-s

expressed in a style of charity,

of St. Francis of Sales;

inspired

by

the

to

disco-versGusotdaionuerdSbayvioaurcoinnchrisettoeryfaaitnhd

that enables one

in human events;

and

of

-joyn, oeuvreisnhiendthbey

a hope that is a fount of optimism

midst of difficutties and sufferings;

'13 Cf RF 24; Intr. 2.

471

50.6 Page 496

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istic

an- d

enlightened

marian;

by

a

piety

that

is

simple,

euchar-

tempera-ncee;ngaged in a really ascetic life of work and

in

whi-ch

and finally

evangelical

lived in

chastity

a form of consecrated life

is manifested in an educ-

ational style of loving kindness, obedience is practised

in a family spirit, and poverty is lived as temperance,

untiring work and service to poor youth.

668

b) The style of hwman balance of the sons of Don

Bosco is marked by a willingness to adapt to the circum-

stances of an intensive and variegated work programlrle,

by simplicity and austerity of life, by an ability to fit

in with plans easily and gracefully, by joy and optimism,

and by a desire of continual self-improvement.

669

c) The style ol hwman rel,ations, full of joviality,

sincerity, loyality and enthusiasm, makes the salesian

capable of communicating with peoplc, especially the

young, with an understanding attitude, ready for dialogue

and service; capable too of genuine friendship, with spon-

taneity and delicacy.

This style of brotherly relations, characterized by

lamily spirit, ought to make the salesian community one

of fraternal love, based on the identity of ideal and mis-

sion, which harmonizes obedience with freedom, over-

comes natural likings and antipathies, which recognizes

and promotes the richness and the worth of each of its

members, which makes friendship possible and which has

in its life of prayer and its listening to the word of God,

especially in the celebration of the eucharist, its found-

ation 2a and at the same time its most beautiful ex-

pression.2s

,4 Cf PO 6.

15 Cf PeP 70-71

472

50.7 Page 497

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670

7. The noaice or tke conlrire in, lormation acqwires

this salesian spirit by being initiated into trwe salesian lile

and by exercising himsell in the apostol,ate proper to owr

mission.

According to Don Bosco, a salesian, even during his

novitiate, ought not be formed in isolation from real

salesian life. For him the exercise of those works that

will be carried out for the whole of his life plays a decisive

role in formation, for his is a Congregation of educators,

not of contemplatives or penitents.26 He wanted the

young to be formed by living a real salesian life of apos-

tolic work proper to our Congregation.

Hence the salesian spirit that the confrdre in form-

ation must acquire is assimilated in the exercise of our

mission, which is to evangelize youth, especially the poor

and abandoned 27 and to form them according to the

spirit of the preventive system. This spirit is lived and

almost incarnated in the life of the salesian community.

671

8. Fol,lowing this lormatiue process uhich lasts the

uhole ol one's life, the salesian u'ill, succeed. in liaing in

the salesian spirit, the mystery ol kurnan salaation, kar-

monizing, as Don Bosco d,id, tuo lwndamental aspects ol

one sole reality:

a) the realization of one's own personal aspirations,

and of one's baptismal and religious consecration;28

b) perfect solidarity with the human community,

especially of the young, with their problems and aspira-

tions, ever in evolution, and in keeping with the salesian

mission amongst all men, christian, non-christian, and

non-believers, in a total service of love and witness.2e

26 Cf SrBr,re, Don Bosco nella stov'ia della religiosi,td cattolica,

vol II pp 386-392.

t? Cf Const A 1.

,8 Cf LG 46.

2' cf LG 40-44-46.

473

50.8 Page 498

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672

9. In the lormatiae process in a community united by

charity and under the leadership ol the superior, tkose confuA-

res responsibl,e lor lormation haue a specifi,c and necessary

ntission to accomplisk.so

The success or failure of the lenewal of formation

depends very much on the capacity of those immediately

in charge of formation. Hence confrdres chosen to hold

a formative role in the Congregation ought to be keenly

aware of the extent to which the formation of the students

depcnds on thcir way of thinking and acting.31 Further-

more, those responsible for formation should always mani-

fest both by the example of their lives and by word of

mouth an attitude of unreserved fidelity to revelation,

to the magisterium of the Church and to the directives

of the Congregation, in whose name they form young

salesians.32

As far as possible the group of formation personnel

should include people with diflerent and complementary

personalities, since it is only in this way that various

models of behaviour can be offered to the young men

in formation.

The formative community should constantly take its

inspiration from the first apostolic communities and from

the homely community of Valdocco, animated by the

quickening presence of Don Bosco and by the spirit of

kindness of St. Francis of Sales.

Those with a formative role and the young men in

formation should live in close communion of life, action

and spirit under the leadership of the superior.

But formation must be the result of the harmonious

action of all the confrdres, both of the local and of the

provincial community. Everyone should feel that he

30 cf oT 5.

3t Cf OT 5; PC 18

3, cf RF 97.

474

50.9 Page 499

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belongs to the formative community in such a way as

to communicate by the example of his own life the

authentic values of the salesian vocation,3s and to foster

amongst the students joy in their own vocation.3a

33 cf oT 2.

31 cf oT 5.

475

50.10 Page 500

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CHAPTER TWO

DETIBERATIONS OF THE GHAPTER

A. GENERAL ASPECT OF FORMATION

1. Some aspects of human formation

673

The human maturity of those inTcourse of formation

should be developed in a way that will produce an inter-

ior balance indispensable for the religious and sales-

ian life.

Some indications on this point are given here below:

a) Use of psychological and pedagogical sciences'

A regular and systematic use should be made of

psychological and pedagogical aids (psychological charts,

medical cards, etc.) in the context of a theological ap-

proach. It should not be restricted merely to diffrcult cases.

This will help the young brothers to get to know

themselves better and will favour their development. It

will also be a great boon to those in charge of formation,

helping them to adapt their approach to individual cases.

But in all this we must not lorget owr bownd,en duty

to resfect personal freedom, the dignity of the individual

and professional secrets.

b) Gontacts with the family'

674

During the time of formation, as in the whole of

salesian life, relations with one's family must be main-

tained. Just how this is to be done and the frequency

ICfRC ll; RF 39; Enc. Sacerdot. coel'ib. 63: OT 11

3CfRF 12.

476

51 Pages 501-510

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51.1 Page 501

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of visits will depend a great deal on the needs of filial

love, the efficacy of such contacts and the exigencies of

religious life. The families should be helped to collaborate

in the maturing of their sons' vocations, whilst respecting

their freedom.

c) Maturing in human relations

675

They should develop a sense of mission and a con-

stant disposition to be of service, which will euablc them

to trcat everyone, young and old, with undcrstanding,

discretion, and kindness.3

To facilitate an effective sexual maturity everything

of an artificial and negative nature should be avoided,

particularly in contacts with women. It is true that

simple contact with the feminine rvorld is not in itself

a solution to the emotional problems; indeed, if badly

conducted it can be damaging. But young salesians should

educate themselves with the help of those in charge to

adopt a natural attitude, unequivocal and clear, in order

to understand just what consecrated celibacy means.

d) Extra-curricular activities

676

Following the example of Don Bosco, due importance

should be given to physical and cultural activities which,

though not strictly belonging to the academic curriculum,

can be of immense help in formation, e.g. gymnastics,

sport, music, declamation, theatricals, etc. Special at-

tention should be paid to artistic formation, as this is

of great importance in pastoral youth work and litur-

gical action.

2. Growth in faith: integration of faith and life

677

To get to grips with the ever-changing perspectives

in man's relationships with the rvorld and with God, an

3 Cf OT 11a; RF' 51

477

51.2 Page 502

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adequate training in faith is needed. Therefore this per-

iod of formation should:

that

ha-ve

present earthly and human realities as values

in themselves their owrr consistency and good-

ness which ought to be recognized as such;a it is in the

world that God works out our salvation;s

of a cl-earpduirsitfiyncthtieonfabitehtwoefetnhotsheeinesfsoermntaiatlioanndbywmheaatniss

only accessory;

right

a-ssetsesamchenttheomf

how to find in thc word of God the

the world and its values, and to

hear in created nature the voice of God;6

-wornldoat-nadlwpinaoyimnsetrnoe,cutootgtneoinzaethbdloes-tehebomefintthogesfohrroimsweentdoCtahhsereiscptureliansreizntehcdee

society that God is the only absolute good.

In this way there will be produced a vital synthesis

between human effort and religious values.?

3. Spiritual guidance

678

Recognizing the importance of spiritual direction dur-

ing formation and to facilitate its practice and make it

ever more efficacious and profitable, the Special General

Chapter reminds all that:

a) it is essential to distinguish between the two

sections of spiritual guidance: cont?tuotnq.l and personal

(i.e. of the conscience);8

b) in a community with the task of formation the

superior is in charge of the spiritual direction of all the

ncf GS 36-41.

,cf 5C{ GS 62.

GS 62; RF 58

7Cf GS 43.

8C{ oT 8.

478

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members of the community. He does this through con-

ferences, 'good nights,' public and private exhortations,

talks, and the exercise of paternal authority.e

Over and above this the superior is also the 'magister

spiritus' of the young confrdres in formation; in other

words his is the ultimatc responsibility for the work of

formation in the community and in the individual

members,lo

c) on the personal level, the salesians in formation

have the right to choose their own director of conscience.

In accordance rvith the mind of the Church 11 and follow-

ing salesian tradition and the example of Don Bosco,

the superior of the community is also the spiritual director

proposed to, but not imposed on, each confrdre.lz It is

obvious that a serious preparation is indispensable for

such an important mission; nevertheless the young con-

frdres in formation may also make use of confessors and

other capable confrdres.

When fraternal gatherings are used in a common

effort to discover God's will they favour charity, make

the apostolate more fruitful and bring a spiritual joy to

the common life. But psychology, experience with souls,

and the constant practice of the Church all teach that

though they can help they cannot take the place of spiri-

tual guidance.

4. Personal experience

679

To keep this formation in touch with

important for personal development and

raeafulittyur-e

most

apos-

, Cl ASC 244, p 99.

10 Cf ASC 244, p 96.

11

t,

Cf

Cf

OT 8.

ASC p

95.

479

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taoslpaetects-

the General Chapter wishes to emphasize

which are essential for sound formation:l3

some

a) fhe house of formation and its environs

For the young confrdre's contact with society to be

natural, the house of formation itself, at whatever level,

should take an active part as a sal,esian comrnttnity in

the life of the local church and neighbourhood wherever

it is carrying out its cultural and apostolic mission. It

would not be sufficient for the integral formation of the

young confrdres if individually or in groups thev merely

made contact with the neighbourhood.la

b) Social-cultural environment of formation and specialization

The basic formation oI all, whether priests, possible

future deacons, or lay religious, should take place, unless

special reasons require some exception, in the social-

cultural environment where their future work lies. Special-

ization can take place abroad, but preferably only after

some years experience in the apostolate.

c) Use of mass media "

The use of the means of social comnrunication is

an indispensable channel for a wider contact with human

reality. The intellectual, spiritual and technical prepara-

tion of young confrdres in the right use of these means

should be intensified. This will help them to face the

complex problems of the modern world which demand

an answer from the Church.

d) The young confrire and apostolic work for youth

A gradual and well prepared participation in youth-

work, preferably under our own auspices, is to be favoured.

Cf RF Intro. 2

t4 Cf RF 12.

Cf IM 16.

480

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This is necessary to give the young confr6res an idea o{

the problems of youth today and of their evangelization.

But its main purpose is to strengthen their own salesian

spirituality and give a pastoral slant to their studies.

All this should be done under the responsibility of tkose

in charge ol formation.

e) Manual work

Those in formation should also prepare themselves

for a life of sacrifi.ce by generously ofiering their help in

the ordinary manual work of the community. This en-

ables them not only to bear witness to poverty, but to

understand the real diffrculties of life in the world. Work

outside our own environment however ntust haue the

authorization, ol tke proaincial uith the consent of kis cowncil-

5. Community Life

To ensure that the community of a house of form-

ation is a really formative one, the following points should

be observed:

680 a) A community of fraternal love

The real values of obedience and liberty can be-

come integrated in the life of the community only through

authentic and brotherly exchanges backed by a common

identity of ideals and mission.lG

Nowadays many seem to think that a community

should be built on 'homogeneity.' By this they mean

a special affinity of character, ideas, mentality, etc., and

a friendly spontaneity. There is no doubt about the

human value of all this, but the needs of charity on which

a religious community should be built 17 demand that

16 cf. 81" 25-27

r? cf PC 15.

481

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real homogeneity should be sought not on natural affin-

ities but on the desire to liae togetker in Christ. The young

confrdre therefore should be helped along these lines to

experience a real community of love by accepting un-

conditionally the brothers God has given him, uith q.ll

their good. and, bad, points, and by overcoming his likes

and dislikes. Real and deep friendships can and should

develop in a community of brothers, but they cannot be

considered a binding requisite for the formation of the

community.

681 b) A celebrating comrnunity (i.e. eucharistic celebration) 's

The formative community must be a praying com-

munity, and the Mass should be at one and the same

time its heart and the best expression of its unity. The

holy Mass therefore should be the centre and pivot of

the whole period of formation. But the daily Mass must

not be reduced to a mere external obligation; it must

be the result of a convinced and intended participation

which is a sign and index of that spiritual maturity so

necessary for the religious life.

This kind of participation is the result of education

in a living faith (catechesis).

682 c) Community dialogue

Formative activities should be carried out in the

atmosphere of an open, constant and sincere community

dialogue. The very nature of the formative process re-

quires this, because it involves a vital communication

and assimilation of values.le Only in this way can the

hopes and aspirations of those in formation be made to

confront the realities of the practical salesian life in an

18 Cf ET 48.

1' Cf RF Intro. 2; RF 24.

482

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atmosphere of fraternal collaboration and co-responsibility.

One result of this will be a natural limitation of personal

values for one who lives in commr:nity.

683 d) Ihe formative community

It is important to understand that no single formula

will automatically solve the problem of building up the

lormatiue community. The young confrdres must begin to

understand, and this above all from the good example

of those in charge of them, that the so-called 'communion

of spirit' is arrived at only by the patient work of self-

renunciation and an openness to others. This is probably

the most important experience they must undergo and

they should be directed towards it by means of opportune

community reflections.20

e) fhose in charge of formation

With the intention of seconding the desire of the

Church 21 and keeping in mind the request of the Congre-

gation, the General Chapter lays down the following:

684

a) In order to be genuine and eff.cacious guides of

the young confrdres, those in charge of formation should

have had a period of practical and apostolic experience,

they should be individuals who are at the same time

both very understanding from a human point of view

and endowed with a supernatural spirit; they should bc

epoarstailyncaeptporodaacyh.aTblhee-y

this is something of great im-

should also try to cultivate, after

the example of Don Bosco, a balanced character, self

control, an open mind, sinceritlr, optimism and serenity.

685

b) The confrdres destined for this type of work must

,0 cf RF 46.

,r Cf pC 18; OT 5

483

51.8 Page 508

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have a well-ordered preparation in the various sectors of

salesian life:22

religious life and of church-world relations; the essentials

of apostolic spirituality and contact with modern culture;

a fed,agogical and psychological leael: a

fundamental knowledge of pedagogy, an understanding

of modern youth, and education in human relations;23

the

spi-rituoanlittyheosf aDleosnianBolescuoe,l:tahne

intimate knowledge of

preventive system and

the life of the Congregation;

tke Pastoral level: a practical working exper-

ience of our apostolate.2a

686

c) The personnel in charge of formation must always

be abreast of the times. Centres of salesian spirituality

should be founded which among other things will help

future members of formative communities to prepare

themselves from a salesian point of view for their work.2s

7. Doctrinal and technical formation

687 a) Seriousness of intellectual work

Professors and students should approach their intel-

lectual and professional studies with that degree of ser-

iousness that will enable them to announce the gospel

message to the men of our time, bearing in mind the

ever-increasing demands of modern culture.26 They should

remember that this 'doctrinal formation must not consist

simply in an exchange of ideas but must tend rather to

a real interior formation of soul.' 27

22 Cf RF 34.

23 Cf RF 35.

,, Cf RF 37.

25 Cf RF 3 1-36.

26 cf RF 59.

2' cf OT 17.

484

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688 b) lntellectual formation of brothers

In the formation of brothers, theology should per-

meate all their culture. Indeed it is in the iight of theology

that formation and instruction acquire their deep sign-

ifi.cance. The level of theology however will be propor-

tionate to the grade of culture attained in the other

branches of study and qualiflcations.

Brothers should likewise be acquainted with philos-

ophy, psychology, pedagogy, catechetics and other sciences,

all of which are indispensable in the formation of an

educator, and especially a religious educator. But it

must always be kept in mind that formation must be

apostolic and pastoral, and involve practical application

of the principles studied theoretically.

689 c) Link between profane and religious culture

A11 the doctrinal and technical formation should be

such as to bring about a proper synthesis between ser-

ious, profane culture (seeking and respecting human

values), and a solid religious formation, even from a

cultural view-point. Cultural and technical formation

should not be an end in itself but should rather lead

the confrdres in formation to the attainraent of a com-

plete human and christian development.

690 d) Salesian teachers in non-salesian institutes

Whenever possible salesians should obtain places on

the teaching staff of those institutes, seminaries and

study centres frequented by our confrdres.28

e) Salesian study-centres

These should have an adequate and well qualified

salesian staff, supplemented by non-salesian professors

whenever necessary or opportune.2e

,8 Cf RF 2I

,, Cf RC 38

485

17

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f) Permanent formation and refresher coutses

In the overall arrangement of studies in each province,

provision should be made {or initiatives which will guar-

antee a permanent type of formation, and a cultural and.

professional adaptability to the needs of the times.

B. STAGES OF FORMATION

691 1. Gontinuity of the formative process

The difierent phases of formation should be linked

one with the other. To ensure this there should be a

co-ordination of all the stages of formation on a provincial

basis and a periodic exchange of ideas and views between

those working in this sector.

692 2. Vocational work

a) Projects in spiritual formation and service

These, as well as social, missionary and apostolic

action amongst the young should be developed; thev

help to predispose their hearts to the divine call. They

should be frequently reminded of the pressing needs of

the Church and of the world, and especially of the young

people of the 30 present day. Respect for their personal

freedom should not prevent us from helping them.

b) Adult vocations

Following the example of Don Bosco every effort

should be made to help those candidates for the priesthood

or the religious life who find it difficult to follow their

vocation because of their age.31

30 cf oT 2.

3r Cf Const. A 6.

486

52 Pages 511-520

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52.1 Page 511

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c) Collaboration in work for vocations 32

We should enlist the collaboration of the Daughters

of Mary HeIp of Christians, the co-operators, Volunteers

of Don Bosco, past pupils and other associations, and

the families with whom we are in contact, in promot-

ing vocations.

d) Presenting our salesian vocation in its two forms

Whilst promoting vocations in general, Iet us not

forget our own salesian vocation of both the priest and

the brother (tay retigious). Brothers as well as priests

should take part in the work for vocations.

e) Candidates for the salesian lay-religious life

The various provinces should as far as possible en-

courage vocations to the brotherhood amongst the pupils

of our technical schools. Likely boys should be looked

after by a iay religious himself and should carry out an

apostolate amongst the other pupils.

f) Examination of the success of vocation work

The number of vocations is a gauge of our apostolate

amongst the young. Lack of vocations (priestly, religious,

or as lay leaders) is a sure sign that we have failed to

help the young to find their true christian involvement

during the stages of their education. A serious examination

at provincial and local level of the whole question of

vocations would help the province, every community, and

the individual confrdres to realize their individual res-

ponsibility in this regard and encourage them to set an

exarnple that will help the young to respond to a possible

call of the Lord with great generosity.

3,CfRF8

487

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3. Preparation for the novitiate

693

Should a candidate ask for a trial period before the

novitiate, this should readily be granted. Such a period

might even be advised by those in charge of formation

in certain cases, and possibly even outside the houses

of the Congregation. In deciding what method to fol-

low, the assistance and guidance of the candidates should

be clearly provided for.33

4. The novitiate

694 a) Relations between novices and professed

These should be as natural as possible because form-

ation, especially that of the novitiate, must be the result

of the common effort of all the community.sa The latter

must be a real 'formative community' and as such be able

to show by its way of life the authentic values of the

salesian charism.35

b) Clothing ceremony

The clothing ceremony, or bestowal of some dis-

tinctive badge, should be left to the d.ecision of each

province.

5. Admission to first profession

695 a) Standards required

The following criteria should be followed for admission

to the vows. The novices should have:

a) sufficient health, and a qualifi.cation that will

make them useful for salesian work, or (in the case of

younger candidates) the ability to acquire one;

33 Cf RC 4-12

31 Cf RC 28.

35 Cf RC 5.

488

52.3 Page 513

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D) adequate d.evelopment in the art of human rela-

tionships. This wilt help them to esteem the personal

dignity of their confrdres, especially from the point of

view of spiritual values;

c) a complete and balanced emotional life that will

enable them to relate to other human beings in a serene

and selfless fashion, and to use with inward freedom the

heatthy human values of one's life context, as sources

of creative joy;

d) such a deep christian experience as to enable

them to recognize the Father and Christ as the only

reason for their existence, and to consider all other values

as merely subordinate to the work of salvation;

e) a knowledge of the salesian spirit suffrcient to

inspire them to accept with enthusiasm the mission proper

to our Society and to place all their energies at its disposal.

b) Besponsible entry into the congregation

Entrance into the salesian religious life signifi.es for

the candidate an undertaking so serious that it must be

the result of a personal d.ecision taken in collaboration

with the community rather than a simple unilateral

decision ot'ad'ruission.' It is true that only the superiors

can admit a candidate to vows and orders in the name

of the Church and the Congregation,s6 but this action of

the superiors, the expression of their judgement or opin-

ion is fund"amentally a help offered to those in formation

to enable them to take a responsible decision before God,

the Church and their own conscience.

s6 cf oT 2.

489

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6. Period of temporary vows

696 a) Tirocinium

So that the vital experience of the tirocinium may

be truly formative, it should be done if possible in groups.

The beginner should find in the community, and espec-

ially in the superior, an attitude of understanding, encour-

agement and support which will favour his development.

697 b) Renewal of vows

In considering the question of the renewal of tem-

porary vows the superiors should make a clear distinction

between the process of maturing in the individual, and.

his unsuitability for the salesian life. Therefore those who

do not give hope of ever being admitted to perpetual

profession, should not be allowed to renew their tem-

porary vows.37

698 c) Be-admission without a second novitiate

Whenever a member who left the Congregation legit-

imately, either at the end of his temporary profession

or with a dispensation from his vows, asks to be re-

admitted, the Rector Major with the consent of his Council

can admit him in conformity with the prescriptions of

Renovationis Causam no. 38, ll, without the need of

repeating his novitiate.

A temporary departure before the perpetual vows

should not be considered a normal phase of formation

but an exception to be made only in those cases where

a personal review of his position on the part of the relig-

ious requires it.

37 cf RC 6.

490

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d) Preparation for final profession

The perpetual profession, as the culmination of relig-

ious commitment, should be preceded by a convenient

period of preparation.38

7. On-going formation - training plan

699

Each province or group of provinces should draw up

a training plan, so as to ensure the availability of con-

frdres who are speciaiists in the different kinds of sales-

ian activity.

38 cf RC g.

49L

52.6 Page 516

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CHAPTER THREE

TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENTS

700

l. The Special General Chapter has limited itself to

pointing out the principles which shall govern salesian

formation; it desires the existing norms to remain in

force until the various provinces, in accordance with

art. 106 of the Constitutions, have decided on their own

plan. In the meantime provincials and their councils

shall make only those changes which they feel to be

necessary and urgent in the light of what has been said in

this document (i.e., the document on formation).

701

2. During the next six years:

a) provision must be made as a matter of urgency

for the necessary up-dating of the confrdres. This will

be done through the official magisterium of the Congre-

gation, and by the organization of intensive courses of

study and reflection, and of other activities, especially at

provincial level;

6) all the brothers should be given the possibility

of frequenting regular courses of theology and cate-

chetics which will make them more competent in the

teaching of religion.

492

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CHAPTER FOUR

SALESIAN PONTIFICAL ATHENAEUM

(Pontificio Ateneo Salesiano - P.A.S.)

Practical Directives of the Special General Ghapter

702

The Special General Chapter ratifies the general trend

of the Statutes of the P.A.S. in respect of its structure

as a Salesian Pontifical University with the following

principal characteristics:

A. as a uniaersity:

a) primary concern for teaching and scientific

research;

b) academic autonomy within the limits laid down

by the statutes, and the economic support necessary to

ensure its ef&ciency;

c) a teaching staff adequate in numbers and qual-

ifications;

d) open also to external students, ecclesiastic

and lay.

B. as pontifi,cal:

a) at the service of the Church for spreading

christian ideas and promoting knowledge in the specifi.c

field of the salesian mission;

b) faithful to the catholic magisterium and tradition.

C. as salesian:

a) directed and sustained by the salesian Congre-

gation, in the light of the ecclesial context of Vatican II;

493

52.8 Page 518

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b) at the service of the Congregation for promot-

ing its mission and unity at the level of scientific research

and teaching;

c) primarily for the formation of salesian personnel;

d) a centre of stimulation, teaching and research

in the following fields:

tem

of

D-on

education,

Bosco;

with

special

emphasis

on

the

sys-

and

by

D--onpsaBalsoetssociaroan.ll

work for the young, and catechetics;

spirituality, especially as realized in

703

2. The Special General Chapter declares that the

speciflc object of the P.A.S. must be tke stud,y on salesian

lines ol youth and, its problems, chiefly from the follow-

ing aspects: theological and pastoral, catechetical, educa-

tional, psycho-social, etc.

For this reason every faculty and institute of the

P.A.S. in its approach, methods and content of its courses,

shall aim clearly at this object.z

3. The chief scope of the P.A.S. is to give to its

salesian undergraduates a university formation, conferring

degrees and other qualifications, with a view to the dif-

ferent forms of apostolic work proper to our Society and

the preparation of teachers for studentates of philosophy

and theology.s

4. The accurate selection of confrdres, both professors

and students, for the P.A.S. is of the greatest importance,

both as regards stability in vocation, personal equilibrium

1 GE; Normae quaedam; Regulations 321,323; Statuta Gene-

ralia:,aSrGt C2,dlo; c2u,m2e;n3t ;13-4,;

5; 6,

Sta.

7; 21, 22; 27,

gen.: art 2, 2.

1.

3 Regulations, att 322; Sta. gen.: 2, 1-2; 27, l.

494

52.9 Page 519

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and religious spirit, as well as their qualifications and

intellectual aptitude and ability.a

701

5. The Superior Council, on which the P.A.S. must

directly depend through the Councillor for Formation or

a delegate, will study a system of exchange of professors

between the different salesian centres of higher studies

throughout the world, so as to promote:

a) a stable provision for the basic staff of guaranteed

international character;

D) reasonable assistance by those provinces in a

positiou to provide teachers for limited periods, without

prejudice to their owrl needs.s

6. Since the P.A.S. is at the service of the whole

Congregation, the proainces 6tre obl,iged to prouide botk

teachers and, stud,ents at the request of the Superior Council.6

7. Bearing in mind the primary objective of the

P.A.S. and its fundamental importance for the renewal

of the Congregation, every province shall undertake to send,

stwdents to tke P.A.S. periodical,ly, subsequently keeping

in close touch with those in charge there.?

Temporary directives

705

8. The Special General Chapter has d,ecided, tkat the

Superior Cowncil should, nominate a post-capitul,ar coru,-

mission in immediate dependence on tke said Council,, akick

aill put into effect whateuer is necessary lor the reneual

ol the P.A.S; in particwlar its task will be:

a Regulations, art 326.

5 Stat. gen., art 3, 4; 5; 20, 4; 30.

6 Regulations, 328.

? Regulations, 325.

495

52.10 Page 520

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a) to draw up a plan within a prescribed time for

effecting the necessary reforms of the P.A.S., to ensure

that it shall fulfi.l its role as a university and attain its

objects of a salesian and formative nature laid down by

the Special General Chapter;

b) to revise the statutes so as to bring them fully

into line with the directives of the General Chapter and

the mission of the Congregation;

c) to consider which faculties and institutes of the

P.A.S. should be strengthened, created or suppressed, and

to take the necessary steps to bring about the re-

adjustment;

d) to make suitable plans to guarantee the develop-

ment of the "centre of studies on Don Bosco," and to

consider the advisability of setting up a "Higher Institute

of Salesian Spirituality;"

e) to consider the question of a revision and unifica-

tion of the administration of the P.A.S., and to seek the

means most suitable for guaranteeing a deflnite economic

autonomy suffrcient to sustain its specifi.c objects;

l) to draw up norms which will ensure, in accord-

ance with the statutes and in the light of the post-capitular

situation, a proper re-shaping of the teaching and student

body. Amongst other things these norms shall indicate:

1. the respective competence of the religious and

academic authorities, especially in the matter of the selec-

tion and preparation of professors;

2. tlne previous academic course obligatory for

all proposed members of the teaching staff;

3. the 'academic quota' of study, work, publica-

tions, etc., required of all professors;

4. the procedure to be followed, and the com-

petence and responsibility of academic and religious auth-

496

53 Pages 521-530

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53.1 Page 521

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orities in the matter of promotion, transfer and dismissal

of professors;

g) to consider, how the houses of residence and

formation can be separated from the academic centre,

so as to ensure the realization of the fundamental objec-

tives of both;

h) to consider, in consequence, the desirability or

otherwise of the P.A.S. continuing to exist as an inde-

pendent province;

i) to determine the procedure and the fixed periods

within which the practical directives decided on by the

Special General Chapter in the light of the diagnosis

prepared by the Capitular Commission for the P.A.S.

shall be carried out, so as to make it possible to present

to the next General Chapter an exhaustive evaluation of

the work of the next six years.

497

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FIFTH SECTION

Organization of our Society

Document 14

PRINCIPLES AND CRITERIA

OF ORGANIZATION

OF OUR SOCIETY

53.4 Page 524

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53.5 Page 525

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CHAPTER ONE

OUR STRUCTURES

706

l The religious life is of its nature charismatic, tor

this reason it has a spiritual dimension and here its vitality

is to be found. From the very fact that religious are

human and have specific goals to attain together there

is the need to have an organization as in any other society

and this has need of structures.

2. These structures must be at the service of the

community and of the individual members so that they

may be able to fulfi.l faithfully their vocations. For this

purpose from the beginning our Founder fixed the main

structures and expressed their consequences in the Con-

stitutions.

3. Our structures have the concrete purpose of sustain-

ing the life and activity of the Congregation, by creat-

ing a series of stable bonds linking the roles and functions

of the salesians, and by establishing a series of internal

and external relationships to help them to attain their goal.

4. They should help to realize the two complementary

elements: those of wnity and, plurali,ty. In fact our struc-

tures should make possible the expression of the diversity

of personal qualities and the values of every community

and region, and facilitate adaptation to the educative

and pastoral demands of the different social-cultural

circumstances and of the local churches. Pluralism of

ideas, of opinions, of endeavour, of work, of activity,

of the forms of concrete living, demand of our structures

a greater spiritual and juridical unity because our mis-

,01

53.6 Page 526

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sion is one, our consecration is identical, as also is our

spirit; and the diversity of abilities and duties ought to

be directed towards the exchange of ideas, collaboration,

and that unity which is fraternal and ecclesial communion.

707

5. Our constitutions and regulations because of their

structural nature, presuppose a continuity and stability

in time, but with a dynamic rather than a static char-

acter, Iike that of a living organism. They are fixed in

so far as they must respect the end, the spirit, the char-

acter proper to our Congregation and its best traditions,l

but at the same time they are changeable with regard to

the way of life, prayer, activity and government 2 in order

to allow the Congregation to flourish, to develop and

to adapt to the times.

6. Since the structures are dependent upon our

specifi.c vocation and not vice-versa, any renewal must

maintain fidelity to the spirit of our Founder and to the

concrete demands of our religious and apostolic life. When

properly assessed, our structures have a special importance

in the field of practical work. fn practice it is these struc-

tures that allow renewal to take place, or strengthen or

weaken it, because they formulate and transmit the com-

mon lines of thought and action.

7. In the overall structural frametvork, besides those

concerned with government there are the structures of

our activities, of formation, of economics, of adaptation,

of contacts, etc. These are considered elsewhere in the

appropriate sections. The essential ideas of these dif-

ferent structures are expressed in the articles of the Con-

stitutions. Here we limit ourselves to the structures of

government, which have as their main aim the organization

r,CCffPPCC32. ;85 2, 6.

502

53.7 Page 527

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and smooth functioning of all the others, and as their

immediate object to establish the organs of government

and consultation, and to render eflective the service of

authority in order to co-ordinate the duties, the initiatives

and the activities of all the salesians.

8. The subject matter that these structures are con-

cerned with has a style and a language of a juridical

nature, but it is still true that they exist for a pastoral

purpose. In point of fact our Congregation belongs to

the Church and in this communion we become one; hence

our structures, even those of government, have the purpose

of effecting this communion of all salesians and so of

reaching out

the young.

to

the

objects

of

our

mission

-

primarily

503

53.8 Page 528

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CHAPTER TWO

PRACTICAL DIRECTIVES

A. Ecclesial sense

708

As a living part of the people of God, the salesian

Congregation fulfils a mission of ecclesial interest. We

must therefore listen to the words of the other members

of the Church, in which all share in the work of develop-

ment and in the general good. We must not be content

merely to iisten carefully to the advice of bishops, other

salesians, and other Congregations and movements, espec-

ially those concerned with boys from the working classes,

but we should explicitly seek il.

As a consequence it behoves each provincial and

General Chapter to be convinced of this necessary openness

and to study the best ways of realizing it in practice.

B. Adaptation

As pastoral requirements are always changing we

must be ready to re-examine our own methods from time

to time and make the necessary adjustments. This how-

ever should not be done in a haphazard way which would

only disturb the equilibrium necessary for community life,

but with due care and attention, and the preparation of

a clear plan for actuating and adapting ourselves to the

new forms. Whenever this adaptation necessitates radical

changes we should not attempt them without due care

and attention and the provision of time for study and

for prudent and serious experimelts.

The favourable outcome of such experiments can be

504

53.9 Page 529

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guaranteed only if we are clear about the purpose behind

them, the means at our disposal, a frank assessment of

the results on the part of the whole community, and

the courage to make any modifications which might be

necessary. We must be on our guard to see that what-

ever is initially only an experin'rent does not automatically

develop into an irreversible choice.

C. Technical services

Lack of preparation and a makeshift attitude are no

substitute for proper organization. Use must be made

of the advice o{ experts and the service of technicians

when planning our work. To assure them absolute freedom

in their work of research, investigation, study and ex-

periment, they should have no juridical authority; their

usefulness lies exclusively in the technical services they

can offer.

D. Gharacteristics of our structures

709

Whenever the different organs of government feel

the need of creating new structures of modifying existing

ones in conformity with the authority given them by

the Constitutions and General Regulations, they should

make sure that these are sober, functional, and clearly

defined. The scope and extent of the undertaking must

be adapted to the times, places and urgency of the work

in hand. This demands a certain flexibility which will

facilitate changes that may become necessary as the

project develops.

505

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54 Pages 531-540

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54.1 Page 531

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Document 15

STRUCTURES AT LOCAL LEVEL

54.2 Page 532

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CHAPTER TWO

PRAGTICAT DIRECTIVES

1. The local community assembly

710

Where convenient in the judgement of the local com-

munity, there should be established the 'communal and

pastoral assembly' made up of the salesians and their

collaborators, inclwd,ing the boys.

As far as possible it should be representative of all

sections of the house engaged in pastoral and educative

activities.

This assembly will try to create a spirit of commun-

al and personal co-responsibility, among all those who

are working towards a more effrcient fulfi.lment of salesian

work and activity.

It will be a consultative body and should meet at

least twice a, yeq.r.

The details of its composition and mode of operation

are to be decided by the individual communities.

711

N.B. When the confrdres are consulted about the

choice of members of the provincial council, they should

keep in mind also those lay religious capable of holding

such an of,fice, and the advantage of having them as

members of the council

2. Pastoral structures

712

Our structures aim at being pastoral in nature.

They exist in order to help the community and its

work to become a christian leaven in its surrounding area.

They should favour the integration o{ faith and Iife,

509

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because our human mentality, conscience, activity and

relationships with others

have need of conversion

-by

indeed the

the saving

whole

word

of

God.

Our work cannot be constructed on the basis of a

separation between the sacred and profane.

Our structures must show how all things worth doing

are intertwined and yet united in Christ.

But whilst it is true that the sacred and profane

are distinct, they are not divided and should not be

carried on in such a way that one section ignores the other.

The salesian therefore will not adopt a unilateral

attitude either in regard to the profane (studies, mass

media, sport, free time) or the sacred (prayers, religious

teaching, chapel, apostolic work).

He witl not, for example, give undue emphasis to

the scholastic side to the detriment of the formative-

apostolic aspect, and vice-versa, but he will try rather

to harmonize all the needs of the pupils.

In this way not only shall we have a better chance

of caring for the 'whole human person,' but we shall also

be more in line with Vatican II, which states that the

greatest mistake being made today is the separation of

faith and daily life.l

If it is true that the work of salvation through educa-

tion depends fi.rst of all on men, or better, on educators,

then we want to ofier them structures of a kind that will

be a help and not a kindrance to their awthentic pastoral, zttorh.

ICfGS43

510

54.4 Page 534

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Document 16

STRUCTURES OF GOVERNTVIENT

AT WORLD LEVEL

54.5 Page 535

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CHAPTEB ONE

THE MIND OF DON BOSCO

713

Structures of government serve only as a means to

achieve certain ends in a society. According to the diversity

of the level, they should highlight and underline certain

values even if these are not absolute and cannot be

separated from the sum total of all the other values in

the same society. The structures at world level must

guarantee, defend and promote one of the greatest of

these values, i.e. the liuing unity of the Congregation.

This appears quite clear both from the mind of Don

Bosco and from the specific functions of central struc-

tures in a Congregation which, like our own, is world wide.

714

The ideas of Don Bosco have for us a very special

importance because they are an indication of the spiritual

patrimony which we cannot neglect, even in the realm

of structures. In fact they show us the line we must

follow to achieve our rencwal.

Don Bosco wanted a tru,e religious Congregation and

he wanted it well organized in such a way that there

should be side by side with an inlormal lna.nner ol exercis-

ing awthorily, a structure pedagogically built around the

person of the superior. For Don Bosco the task assigned

to the superior of maintaining unity is a primary function.

Its purpose is to guarantee harmonious development and

to ensure the permanence of the charism, the spirit and

the work. For Don Bosco unity was an indispensable

condition for the survival of the Congregation.

We take some relevant quotations from the many to

be found in the Biographical Memoirs and in his letters.

5L3

54.6 Page 536

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715

a) The Congregation was born with a clear under-

standing of the importance of its unity. In the letter

to Archbishop Fransoni 1 it is stated:

"To preserae wnity ol sPirit and discipline, and to put

into practice means which have proved useful for this

purpose, we have formulated some rules, after the manner

of a religious society..." 2 Irt the letter to Canon Zap-

pata, the Vicar General, Don Bosco gives as his specific

reason for founding the Congregation the " greater need,

lor a secwre and, d,efi,nite linh to wnite our spirits and preserve

unchanged those customs which will prove most useful

for the good of souls." 3

As soon as the Congregation was approved (1869),

Don Bosco gave a conference outlining his programme

and revealing his concern to ensure unity as a basic and

indispensable element: "...For a Congregation like ours

to prosper, it must be well organized,. A religious Congre-

gation, like the human body, is made up of a head and

members, some subordinated to others, and all of them

subordinated to tke kead. There must be only one head,

since there is only one body; if we had two or three heads

to this body, it would be a monster." a

716

b) For Don Bosco, unity took practical shape around

certain pillars which were the rules and the superiors,

seen as the incarnation and the guardians of the rules:

"Amongst us the superior must be everything. Every-

body must help and assist the Rector Major in every way.

E,veryone must form a single group around him. The

Rector Major has the rules; lrom tkese he rnwst neaer deaiate,

otkeraise there is no longer one centre but two: the centre

1

,

June 1860.

BM VI 63I.

. Ep 1, p 263, 23 March 1863

1 MB rX 672.

5L4

54.7 Page 537

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consisting of the rules and that consisting of his will.

Instead the Rector Major must be the rule incarnate,

so to speak: the two must form one reality. And what

applies to the Rector Major in regard to the whole Society,

applies to the rector in each house. He must be absolutely

one with the Rector Major and the members of his house

must in turn be one with him. He too must be the em-

bodiment of the rule..." Then after recognizing the neces-

sary autonomy in the discharge of each one's office, he

writes: "But we must always look to the centre of unity." s

717

c) Looking to the future, Don Bosco foresaw some

real dangers to this essential unity. And so he warned

his sons and recommended that the links between the

Oratory and the individual houses should be drawn closer.

"I am afraid," he said, in November 1878, "that these

ties are getting weaker. As long as we have as rectors

in the colleges men who have been educated by Don Bosco

himself, things will go well. But now we are getting rec-

tors who have spent only a short time with Don Bosco

and there is the danger that we shall see these cordial

relations diminishing..."

To avoid this danger and to consolidate unity, he

added: "The Superior Chapter must be relieved of these

duties which regard only the Oratory, and must be actively

concerned with all our colleges..." 6 And he concluded

with a surprising statement: "Up to now we have gone

ahead in such a free and easy manner that if we went

on in the same way any rector so inclined could start

a schism. Today of course such a thing cannot happen

because of the affection everybody bears towards Don

Bosco." 7

6 MB XII 81: {rom Don Bosco's talk on the occasion o{ the

meeting of rectors, 3 February 1876.

6 MB XII 885.

7 September 1877.

5t5

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In the fi.rst General Chapter Don Bosco had already

expressed the same fear: "We are still in the early days.

Our numbers are not very great, and up to now the

Oratory has been the one centre for everybody. But as

we go ahead, unless we study every means for stengthen-

ing this link, we shall soon fi.nd ourselves in a different

state in which there will be unity among us no longer.

We must do everything possible to bind ourselves together

in one single spirit." e

718

d) The structures and organization Don Bosco gave

his Congregation and especially this insistent demand for

unity were not simply a product of the centralizing ten-

dencies of his times. They were an intrinsic necessity

arising from the concrete set-up that he wanted to give

to his Congregation. In a conversation with Don Barberis

he brought out the difference between our Congregation

and others which had at their beginning the help of

learned persons who were associated with the founder:

"With us," said Don Bosco, "it is different. They have

all been taught by Don Bosco. They are the fruits of

thirty years of incessant and exhausting work, but it

has had this advantage: since they have all been educated

by Don Bosco, they all follow the same methods and

system."

And after pointing out several drawbacks inherent

in the other method, especially regarding the lack of

unity, he concluded: "No one will understand the im-

portance of this point unless he has thought carefully

about what exactly Congregations and religious orders

are. But if he ponders over the causes of the growth

and decline o{ the different orders, and on the divisions

which so many of them underwent he will find that it

8 MB XIII 286.

5t6

54.9 Page 539

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all happened because of a lack of a homogeneity right

from the beginning o{ the order's foundation." e

In 1864, when sending Pius IX the project of the

Constitutions, he wrote this preface: "The purpose of this

society, as far as the members are concerned, is none

other than to invite them to be united in spirit among

themselves so as to work for the greater glory of God

and the salvation of souls." Then he added a request

for jurisdiction on the following grounds: "The members

of the Congregation have as their object the exercise of

the ministry towards the young, a delicate and diffrcult

task, and one moreover learned by experience and long

study, and cspecially by living and dealing with the boys

rve wish to take charge of. This experience and unity of

spirit wouid be very dif&cult to acquire and maintain

unless the Superior General had full jurisdiction over the

members of the Society." ro

719

Historically then the salesian Congregation rvas born

and developed from an original nucleus (the Oratory at

Valdocco) of intense community life, with a single vital

centre of unity, the person of Don Bosco. This rela-

tionship with their Father and Founder was maintained

even when the first nucleus split up and made found-

ations in Europe and America. These new foundations,

rvhile possessing the necessary autonomy required by the

work they had to undertake, and their own distinct

identity which they acquired in adapting themselves to

local conditions, always remained united to the mother

house. Indeed they considered it a condition for their

survival to maintain constant contact with the centre,

from which they received inspiration and energy.

This "unity relationship" had as its vital term of

'IgOMMBBXVIIII

221;

623.

cf

also

XII

300

5t7

54.10 Page 540

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reference the person of Don Bosco. When he died it

became focused, so to speak, in veneration, esteem, res-

pect, filial affection and submission to the Rector Major,

who was always called the successor of Don Bosco. It

was a concrete way of expressing the uninterrupted link

which joined them to their Founder and Father.

The link with Don Bosco, or better the continued

presence of Don Bosco in our works, was expressly recog-

nized by Pius XI. After reading the decree on the hero-

icity of the virtues of our holy Founder, the Holy Father

revealed his admiration for our unity and expansion in

the world: "It is very comforting to think that this great

and marvellous development goes back directly and im-

mediately to him. Yes, he himself continues to be the

director of it all, not simply the distant father, but the

author who is always present, always operating in the

perennial vitality of his directives, of his methods, and.

especially of his example." u

11 MB XIX p 82

518

55 Pages 541-550

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CHAPTER TWO

UNITY AND DEGENTBATIZATION

720

Today, a hundred years later, the Congregation has,

through the goodness of God, attained world-wide dimen-

sions. Side by side rvith the legitimate plurality of our

work, in the rich diversity existing between provinces

scattered throughout fi.ve continents, there is felt an ur-

gent need to clarify and to reinforce the essential ties

of unity, to keep intact the original proiect of our holy

Founder and maintain the life and effrciency of the Con-

gregation.

Our mission and consecration to God, the spirit which

animates us, the bond of charity, the love for our Founder

and Father, are all component elements in our unity.

Unity at world level finds its fi.rst expression in the

Constitutions. These mark out for the whole salesian

rvorld the fundamental outlines o{ our credo, our life and

our mission. But they are not suffrcient by themselves.

There must also be an effrcient central government which

promotes and assures the necessary co-ordination, which

encourages and favours the convergence of the different

currents, by their nature divergent, into an organic unity.

At the different levels (local, provincial and world

wide) the centre rvhich in Don Bosco's mind guarantees

unity is the respective superior. For the Congregation,

considered in its totality, this "centre of unity" par ex-

cel,l,ence is the Rector Major with the Superior Council.

For this reason, without wishing to deny or misinter-

pret other values and elements in the organization and

structure of the Congregation at world level, we have

been at pains to emphasize the fundamental value of

unity. Indeed it would be no exaggeration to say that

the structures at world level are the "structures of unity."

519

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This prospect demands from all the confrdres an efiort at

understanding and goodwill so as to overcome a certain

narrow-mindedness which imprisons them inside the neces-

sarily limited and restricted horizon of their local or

provincial community. Such a narrow view prevents

them from seeing in all its richness the world-wide dimen-

sion of the Congregation, which is, as it were, an efif,cient

and docile body at the service of the Church. Indeed

it oftens happens that the legitimate demands of life,

pastoral activity and the necessary adaptation to the

geographical and socio-cultural circumstances, easily gives

rise to tensions and forms of expression rvhich can in

fact compromise unity.

The unity we are discussing is a unity of rninistry which

must organically unite everyone in the same vocation.

Today there is an urgent need to increase our unioir

with each other. Unity of ministry requires as its indis-

pensable, complementary and integrative element, decen-

tralization, which is the concrete, practical expression of

swbsid.iarity.

Leaving to the lower organs what can be done by

them, the central government, besides its function of sup-

plementing and correcting, must keep these powers which

it cannot renounce without causing directly or indirectly

a split in our essential unity.

Decentralization makes provision for the necessary

distribution of power. Thus we have a more rapid and.

less complicated solution of problems, increased effrciency

and a more comprehensive valuation of personnel.

The concrete realization of this decentralization is

more evident in the structures at regional, provincial and

local level: this is where decentralized powers find their

expression. But an orderly and fruitful decentralization

must be brought about gradually and, in accordance with

the practice of Don Bosco, must be preceded by a suitable

period of experimentation.

520

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CHAPTEB THBEE

PARTIGIPATION AND CO.RESPONSIBILITY

721

The superiors at world level are also the expression

of the participation and co-responsibility of the whole

Congregation. Through the difierent superiors elected

by the General Chapter the effective will of the whole

Congregation is expressed: and so it experiences its unity

and universality.

Another expression of this participation and union

is found in article 8, according to which the superiors

at all levels participate in one and the same authority

and exercise it in union with the Rector Major for the

good of the whole Congregation. It must be remembered

that amongst us the authority of the different superiors

does not immediately derive from the designation by the

members, but has its origin in the act of the canonical

erection of the society. Therefore there exists in the

whole Congregation only one nucleus, only one centre of

authority. And this authority received from the Church,

comes through the elective wiII of the General Chapter

to fi.nd its centre, according to the Constitutions, in the

office of the Rector Major and the Superior Council. The

nomination of superiors at provincial and local level

formally depend upon this ministerial centre. This does

not mean that the superiors at these various levels have

their authority delegated from the Rector Major. They

have their own ordinary power, which comes however

from the one source.

In the article referred to another very important

aspect is emphasized: i.e. the preoccupation and interest

which all the superiors must have for the good, the unity

52t

55.4 Page 544

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and the increase of the whole Congregation, over and

above their immediate concern for their own field of

action and for their own communities.

722

Participation assumes more and more concrete forms

in the different consultative bodies made up of experts

or superiors according to their competence and office.

Such bodies must be organized from the centre to promote

the good of the Congregation, to clarify the more complex

problems and to seek for solutions.

In its more stable form, we see this participation

in the work of the Superior Council which shares with

the Rector Major concern for the government of the

whole Congregation. The participation of its members is

an expression of co-responsibility, and in some cases has

specific obligations as, for instance, when their deliberative

vote is required. This is the case in matters of greater

importance for the life and functioning of the whole

Congregation (the nomination of superiors, the opening

and closing of houses, provinces, etc.) Besides this specific

participation the members of the Superior Council have

special duties assigned to them by the General Chapter:

these they must carry out under the responsibility of the

Rector Major.

In this way the central government assumes its own

proper characteristics, with two functions of special im-

portance: contrmunication and seraice.

The task of the superiors, and particularly those cn-

trusted with special work, is fundamentally one of co-

ordination and communication. Their duty is to promote,

stimulate, guide, encourage, animate and offer a valuable

technical service through the different secretariates and

technical offices. In this manner the whole Congregation

puts itself at the service of each individual community.

522

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CHAPTER FOUB

REGIONAL STRUCTURES

723

To obtain a greater union of the provinces with the

centre, and a more satisfactory cohesion and functional

co-ordination among the provinces themselves the XIX

General Chapter introduced "ad experimentum" the figures

of "Councillors entrusted with groups of provinces" (called

Regional Councillors) and "Provincial Conferences." 1

On the whole this experiment can bc considered to

have had a positive result. This is evident from judgements

expressed in the first provincial chapters.2

Even the second provincial chapters with 88.llo/o,

and the confr6res with 77.87 o/o confirm its validity. In

the "statement on the condition of the Congregation"

we read: "We consider that the continual contact of the

Regional Superiors with every part of the Congregation

has been providential in enabling us to know the real

state of things, in guiding us and helping us towards a

solution of difficult problems, in providing the centre

with information about the experiences of the provinces

and interpreting their desires." 3

In the course of this experimentation it became clear

that after some understandable uncertainty in the first

years, a necessary settling down period, in which their

1

,

ASC n 244, p 21 seq.

"With the exception oI

two

provinces,

all

the

others

confirm

the need for a Regional Councillor. Nineteen provinces want them

to be increased in number with well defined duties;" see Radiograph

of first provincial chapters, IV p 95.

s Statement on the condition of the Congregation, SGC p 160

523

55.6 Page 546

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duties lacked precise definition, the so-called "vertical

link" worked quite well, but the "horizontal link" proved

less satisfactory because of certain real and intrinsic

difficulties.

In practice, in most of the regions, there rvas lack-

ing that indispensable common denominator (the same

social, cultural, geographical conditions, affinity of races,

languages etc.) r,vhich could facilitate horizontal rela-

tionships in these provincial conferences. This is why such

conferences existed only when there was a large group of

provinces belonging to the same nation, as in the case

of Italy, Spain, Brazil, Argentine and India.

In almost all these cases there were defi.nite advan-

tages: "Experiences were compared, problems of common

interest were considered, and practical and idealogical

unity was achieved. A certain co-ordination and col-

laboration in various activities was obtained. Some defects

were also brought to light, as for instance too much dis-

cussion of problems without any definite conclusions being

reached as to what action should be taken, a lack of

unity in the execution of collegial decisions etc." a

Convinced therefore of the substantial validity of the

experiment, the Special General Chapter reconfi.rms this

structure at regional level, improving it and making it

more precise.

It gives to the Regional Councillor a more clearly

differentiated role as representative of the provinces whose

interests, good etc. he must promote. But to strengthcn

his position as member of the Superior Council and put

iicntodnoissnpideeanrspiatabrlgeowfooidtrhtthhthaeetdhiosetchhseahrrogmueledomfbbheeisreslde-uctteiedasns-doltehiltyisdbisdyeentmhoest

regional group of provinces concerned.

a Fn. Rrccrr., Relaz'iome general,e swllo stato della Congrega-

zione, p 162.

524

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At a horizontal level, a precise distinction was made

between "a provincial conference" and "a group of prov-

inces." There will be a provincial conference only when

the affinity and similarity of problems and situations

permit a closer bond between some provinces.s In all

other cases there is only a "group" in which the link of

the province with the centre is predominant. But other

forms of inter-provincial link-up and co-operation is not

ruled out but rather encouraged.

5 Art 6l

525

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CHAPTER FIVE

STRUGTURE OF DECENTRALIZATION

724

a) The regional structure is one ol d,ecentralization.

It provides in fact a juridical platform for transferring

(in accordance with the requirements of the times for a

greater efficiency and a less complex exercise of author-

ity),1 to intermediary levels those powers and functions

which before were exercised by the centre. Two signif,cant

points should be noted here:

l. the offrce of the regional councillor not only

makes it possible that in decisions taken by the Super-

ior Council the requirements, desires and situations of

the different provinces be kept in mind, but aiso that

such decisions can be made through continuous dialogue

with the individual provinces;

2. the conferences, when they function properly,

have a vast scope and can bring about much more ef-

fi.cacious action than in the past, through their analysis

and study of problems, their co-ordination of common

salesian effort in such sectors as formation, qualification,

up-dating, discipline, apostolic initiative, etc.

D) Obviously a juridical structure is no guarantee of

perfect functioning. The reality is still in the course of

formation and must be constructed little by little. Before

this structure produces the results the Congregation ex-

pects from it, it will be necessary:

l. that everyone make an effort to rise above the

narrow and restricted vision which sees and interprets

everything exclusively in relation to his own province

rES2, 18

526

55.9 Page 549

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and which loses sight of the openness he should have,

not only for the needs of the local church and the world

community, but also for the needs of the neighbouring

provinces. With these there could and should be mutually

advantageous dialogue with each province offering its

own collaboration, contribution and resources for the

enrichment of the others;

725

2. that right from the start there be an incessant

promotion of a spirit of unity and charity. This will

enable every form of particularism and collective egoism

to be courageously overcome, and concern for the good

of the whole Congregation and of the provinces in the

respective group or conference will be properly and gen-

erously broadened.

c) The deliberations regarding these conferences and

inter-provincial co-operation will be effective only if the

superiors concerned have:

1. the indispensable qualities for creating among

themselves a real and fruitful collaboration, i.e. an openness

of mind which will enable them to view the problems

with a wider and deeper vision and in a larger and more

transcendent context rather than in their plain, immed-

iate reality;

2. a disposition which makes relationships and

clialogue with others easy and sincere.

527

55.10 Page 550

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Document 17

ADIVIINISTRATION OF TETMPOBAL GOODS

56 Pages 551-560

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56.1 Page 551

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726

The first duty of the members is to safeguard the

basic values which constitute the end and characterize

the activity of the salesian society, i.e. to preserve intact

the genuine religious and apostolic content given to them

bv the Founder.

This task is confided to communities of men who,

in order to live, act, organize themselves, begin and con-

tinue apostolic activities, must have economic resources,

the very things from which they have detached them-

selves by their vow of poverty. It could therefore happen

that religious would attach themselves anew to these

things, make misguided use of them, be incapable of ap-

preciating the intricacies involved, or waste them through

lack of understanding or due preparation, or through

neglect or abuse.

It is easy to see therefore u,'hat importance attaches

to the selection and training of good administrators, and

holv indispensable it is to provide at every level a well-

ordered administration, capable of proper control and

using modern techniques proportionate to its importance.

Such an administration, whilst borrowing many of

its structures and methods from the field of business and

commerce, must nevertheless embody the norms and moral

principles proper to a religious Congregation. In all their

activities the members will look upon temporal goods as

a means for attaining the specific aims of the Society.

Those in charge of the management of such goods,

as well as being scrupulously careful to provide a sound

administration which ensures the collective and individual

observance of poverty, will act as custodians of the goods

of the Church and will not allow any arbitrary or personal

use of them.

531

56.2 Page 552

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By bearing constantly in mind that what they are

administering is the precious fruit of the rvork of the

confrdres and a tangible sign of that providence which,

taohnlrlo,cutahglechuytlhawetioiglnlenb-eeroaosbfitlyeouatrnodbpesrnaecesrfeiafirc.vcteeosrsa-

sometimes beyond

enables us to carry

loving fidelity and

bear witness to poverty in a way that will draw down

the blessing of God on the Society, inspire trust in the

confrdles, and stir up benevolence amongst men.

532

56.3 Page 553

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SIXTH SECTION

Go-operators and past pupils

Document 18

THE SALESIAN CO-OPERATORS

56.4 Page 554

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CHAPTER ONE

DEGLARATION OF THE SPECIAT

GENERAL GHAPTER TO

THE GO.OPERATORS

in reply to their message of 2 July 1971

727 Dear co-operators,

We, the members of the Special Gcneral Chapter,

have received the sincere and troubled message you ad-

dressed to us. We have carefully studied your words and

thank you for it.

On the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Concep-

tion, 130 years after the start of our work, the Special

General Chapter approved a document on the identity

and vocation of the salesian Society today.

This document entitled "The Salesians of Don Bosco

in the Church," has given full treatment of the salesian

family in general and of the various groups which con-

stitute it in difierent forms and at different levels of

activity.

Among these groups you, the salesian co-operators

are listed in a special manner.

In the light of your message and of the document

we have approved, we would like to give you our frank

repISr.

What we put forward is not a document but rather

a collection of reflections on the principles we have dealt

with and approved, so that together with you we can

come to conclusions and decide upon concrete obligations.

535

56.5 Page 555

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1. Today's historical context

728

First of all we can tell you that we, like you, are

conscious of our new social and ecclesial context and

the decisive consequences that result from it, because of

our mutual relationship:

a) the evolving social world in which we live urges

us to avoid any form of isolation or self-sufficiency and

demands the unification of all forces to reach the ends

proposed. This must be brought about in a more ef-

fective manner;

D) within the Church the re-discovery of the People

of God as the central concern in the history of salvation,

brought as a consequence a new attitude to the laity,

they were now to take their proper place of co-respons-

ibility together with the hierarchy and religious families.

This now offers us the opportunity of realizing the great

project of Don Bosco

the will to work with

h- imthaenduninionhisofwaalyl

those who

for youth.

had

We believe that in the social and ecclesial context

in which you have asked us for help to discover your

own identity within the salesian family, it in no way

runs counter to the

result of his timely

urgent today.

oinrtiguiintiaolnde-sigbnuotfmDaoknesBiotscthoe-

the

more

2. Discovering identity

To discover the true identity of the co-operators,

the problem demanding our immediate attention, we must

go back to the original idea of Don Bosco himself.

729

Faced as he was with the presence of many evil

forces, the more harmful because they were united, and

also faced with an abundant harvest before his very eyes,

his heart was moved to prepare a whole regiment of

apostles, united and disciplined for a work, both decisive

536

56.6 Page 556

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and efficacious for the salvation of youth now abandoned

and in great need.

Some of those who offered themselves, responding to

a call from God, decided to remain 'permanently at the

Oratory, to live a common life with Don Bosco and put

themselves under his command.'1

Others instead, drawn more to the life of other

christians, 'lived in their own homes' each committing

himself according to his state and opportunity to an

apostolic life which in some way reflected, completed and

enriched that lived by the former group. All indeed as

they committed themselves for service on behalf of youth

committed themselves to work 'in the salesian spirit.'2

The form their work was to take would not be identical,

it would vary according to the actual situation of each

one, and the real need of youth in a particular place

and at a given moment.

In the mind and heart of Don Bosco, then, the sales-

ian family is one. The original unity of this family has

its roots in the existence of a common spirit and mis-

sion of total service to the young and to working people.

Thus it shows itself, to be at the higher level, a real com-

munity in which all members are integrated according

to their proper qualities and specific functions, and in

the different forms of life possible in the Church.

730

The co-operator as Don Bosco imagined him, is a

true salesian-in-the-world, that is a christian, be he a

layman, lay religious or priest, who, even if he has no

religious vows, follows a vocation to holiness by offer-

ing himsel{ to work for the young in the spirit of Don

Bosco, in the service of the local church, and in com-

munion with the salesian Congregation.

1 P. Sreue, Don Bosco, vol 1, p 140.

, Cf First General Chapter lar,. 1877.

537

56.7 Page 557

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This reappraisal should now bring us to a radical

change of outlook.

In fact it is necessary to see clearly that being a

salesian co-operator is to answer a true call: it is to ac-

cept an authentic salesian vocation, to follow a true

apostolic vocation. "Through divine grace you have been

enlightened and called to share in the mission of the

Founder, in accordance with your state of life..." 3

731

Don Bosco went on developing the idea of this voca-

tion. In his various writings we find him expressing him-

self on this point with strong and decisive words.

The vocation of the salesian co-operator is essentially

a call to serve in the Church. The salesian co-operator

has not been thought up as a helper to the salesian Con-

gregation, but as a helper of the Church in the many

needs that arise. Your "real scope is assisting the Church,

bishops and priests, under the guidance of the salesians."

You are "instruments in the hands of the bishops." a

The kind of service demanded by your vocation

should be appropriate and flexible, that is it should be

directed towards a more rapid and more effective ser-

vice of youth wherever they fi.nd themselves in danger.

Your service is boldly offered to those who have need

of it. The forms of your service will depend on the needs

that from time to time face you and you should never

draw back from difficulties of any sort.

The salesian way of doing things normallv requires

your presence among those you are helping: you should

alwavs be there "wherever there is evil to be prevented

or good to be accomplished." 5 The lay character of the

larger part of the co-operators assures this beneficial

3 Document 1.

4 MB XVII 25.

5 Boliettino Salesiano, January 1878

538

56.8 Page 558

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christian presence everywhere, something that is more

urgently required today than ever before.

Finally salesian service is realized in unity. Impressive

indeed is Don Bosco's insistence for unity among his fot-

lowers: "If there has ever been a time when union among

good christians was judged useful for spreading and sustain-

ing good and obstructing evil, today it is so necessary

as to be indispensable."

We must all "bring about union with one another

and with the Congregation. We should be united in

striving for the same goals and by the same means...

We should unite ourselves as members of the same family

with the bonds of fraternal charity." 0

This move towards unity was a dominating preoccupa-

tion in Don Bosco's mind, and in it there is a truly funda-

mental nucleus that guarantees in a particular manner

the union of all and the apostolic effi.cacy resulting from

this union. The Rector Major the common head and

father of the salesians and the co-operators is this centre.

As the successor of Don Bosco we find in him a stabiliz-

ing influence, the surest guarantee of an organic and

productive unity.T

3. Who we are who are for you

732

We are "your religious brothers." You have mention-

ed this in your message and we acknowledge it with joy

and understanding, for the simple reason that Don Bosco

rvas the first to say so and he often referred to it: "The

members of the salesian Congregation look upon ali the

co-operators as their brothers in Christ Jesus." a

We have indeed taken note of our specifi.c and decisive

role in the salesian family:

6 Ibid.

7 Cf Regolamento 1876, V 3

8 Regolamento 1963, p 13.

539

56.9 Page 559

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l) we believe we are the sure and steadfast link

expressly desired by Don Bosco as a guarantee of unity

in the same spirit, of apostolic efiectiveness in our com-

mon mission, of perennial vitality in the work he founded,

of enthusiasm for vocations and strength in establishing

a vast, well-organized movement for the welfare of poor

and endangered youth;o

2) we believe that we have to be more and more

the power-house of this apostolic movement of baptized

people, who in the spirit of Don Bosco place themselves

entirely at the service of the Church for the salvation

of youth.

Hence, we feel that you are concretely involved with

us in the problems and apostolic anxieties of our Congre-

gation, to the point of thinking that without you, not

only could we not carry out the fullness of our mission,

"because of the lack of personnel and materi&I means," 10

but we would not even be what Don Bosco wished and

wanted us to be.

4. What you are for us

733

In the draft of the deliberations drawn up personally

by Don Bosco for the First General Chapter in 1878

(the manuscript is still preserved) we read words that

throw ample light on the nature of your association in

relation to the salesian Congregation: "The Association

of tke salesian co-operators is a most important association

for us, it is the aery sowl ol the Congregation."

It would be impossible for us to think up grander

words, or ones which better express who you are. Hence

we are convinced that if these words are not to become

a dead letter we have to take them very seriously and

, MB V 691; VII 611; X 663; XI 85

ro Capitolo Generale I 1877.

540

56.10 Page 560

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draw from thcm the conclusions they contain for our

renewal.

In the tight of this declaration we feel the necessity

to be always true to ourselves, that is to be always more

salesian and more religious.

Your close presence urges us to greater and more

dynamic fldelity to the common salesian vocation which

we ourselves want to live as religious, that is as baptized

individuals who have set themselves the ideal o{ cvan-

gelical li{e: chastity, detachment in poverty, availability

in obedience.

On the other hand, you co-operators in the mind

of Don Bosco will be co-responsible with us within the

sphere of your vocation, for the future of the salesian

family. You are our fi.rst and essential collaborators, dif-

ferent from other 1ay collaborators: "You are our col-

laborators in whatever is to be done for the glory of God,

but especially where we lack personnel or material

means." 11

5. Our obligation today

734

In this decisive moment of renewal which in spirit

brings us near to those feverish hours experienced by

Don Bosco ',vheir he lvas founding his family, all of us

feel called to help you however varied or well-defined

the task may be.

We think just as you do that "the time is ripe."

We believe that we must look after the seedling which

Don Bosco planted 100 years ago, we must take definite

steps forward in producing, especially in this field, the

"fi.nished product" the creation that Don Bosco con-

ceived and outlined by a stroke of genius.12

We have become fully aware of the fact that we

rr Ibid.

1' Cf NIB XI 309.

54t

57 Pages 561-570

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57.1 Page 561

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would be traitors were we not to succeed in this under-

taking: and we are convinced that it is with good reason

that you have sent us your appeal. With deep fidelity

then to our Founder we declare ourselves ready and eager

to "revitalize your association so that the splendid project

set on foot by our Founder may be restored." 13

This fidelity itself urges us to enable you to "be-

come conscientious, honest collaborators together with us,

not under us; not only as faithful and docile executors,

but as individuals capable of apostolic responsibility." rr

But always, it should be well understood, in the ecclesial

context of common pastoral activity.

This work will permit us "to restore at every level,

as you yourselves suggest, a truly mutual and fraternal

relationship, which will constitute from now onwards a

new style of salesian life both inside and outside our

educative communities." 15

6. Realizing this task

735

Analogous to our own, your salesian formation whether

spiritual or apostolic must be the first of our urgent pas-

toral tasks. In this way we feel that we are complying

with your desire, namely to "make an authoritative in-

vitation to the salesian priests so that iir their capacity

as preachers and spiritual directors, they make them-

selves available for the formation and spiritual direction

of the co-operators."

The goal of this formation should be the full realization

of the specific task which awaits the greater part of you

as lay peopie, and that is, the christian transformation

of thir-rgs within our reach in a salesian manner.16

13 Message 2 Ju1y 197 1

la RrccBnr.

15 Message cited above.

rG Cf LG 36-37; AA 7.

542

57.2 Page 562

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We cannot and we must not take your place by

doing ourselves what is yours by right.17 But we do

rvish to be near you, so as to be able to help you, with-

out excessive direction, so that you can take your place

and perform your task in the common undertaking of

building up the Church.l8

Yet another step, in keeping with that splendid plan

so dear to the Founder, will be your sharing with all

the consequences that derive from this, in the planning,

realizing and evaluation of the pastoral plan of the sales-

ian community to which you belong.

736

The local delegate will always be near. But we want

to stress as strongly as we possibly can that in keeping

with Don Bosco's idea all the community should take

to heart the task of finding members for your association.

The community has to be interested in setting up and

holding together our salesian co-operators in order to en-

sure the welfare of the young which is the essential motive

for our presence wherever you are.

To deal more concretely with this renewed vision and

to assure you of our common effectiveness, the Special

General Chapter has decreed that a commission made up

of salesians and co-operators prepare a draft of new Rules

for local experimentation which would be a synthesis of

those drawn up by Don Bosco himself and incorporate

the new vision of the laity in the Church.

We must here recall that away and beyond all or-

ganization, however necessary, absolute priority must be

given to our pastoral

dividual co-operator.

care

-

the formation of the in-

7. Some areas of your work in the common mission

These reflections lead us to the point where we can

draw attention to some spheres of the salesian mission

1? cf GS 43 b.

18 Cf AA 25; LG 2t

543

57.3 Page 563

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which we can share more and more with you, even if

with different goals:

1. attention to those sectors and problems where

youth today finds itself in greater need of spiritual and

social direction;1e

2. preoccupation with family problems in general

and more especially those dealing with education of

children or the preparation of young peopie for marriage;z0

3. serious concern about catechetical instruction in

its

to

present form

the needs of

-theutsileizciunlgaritzheodsesomcieeatyn;sz1which

correspond

priestho4o. dse-a-rchfofrorrealingdiouthseliffoes,teersinpegcoiafllyvofcoartiomnisss-iontahrey

vocations;22

5. commitment to rvorld justice, making use of all

means politically and socially acceptable;23

6. participation in world apostolic movements,

especially those connected with the welfare of the young;

7. christian influence on means of social com-

munications.2a

These tasks and others too can be undertaken by

you in the schools, clubs, youth centres and other in-

stitutes of the Congregation, in addition there is also open-

ing in environments not specifically salesian.

In particular we shall take steps that your activities

be more fully directed, according to your own possibilities,

preparation and the demands of our own educational work;

IO Cf GS 7; A,L 12; Regolamento 1876 IV 4.

,O Cf GS 52; AA 11; GE 3.

,I Cf LG 3S; GS 62; CD 30; AA l0; Regolamento 1876 IV I

,, C{ PO 11; OT 2; Regoiamento 1876 IV 2.

,3 Cf LG 36; GS 75; 88, 90; AA 13.

,I Cf IM 13; Regolamento 1876 IV 3.

544

57.4 Page 564

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we shall also study holv best to entrust to you other

apostolic activites that are more in keeping with the lay

nature of your association.

We are deeply grateful for your closeness to us, your

affection and your trust.

You will bc pleased to know that the Special Gen-

eral Chapter has already sent out an appeal to all con-

frdres, sincere and to the point, it witl also be welcomed

by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.

We are always united to you in prayer and in the

love that all of us bear our Founder. Mav our Blessed

Lady help us all.

Rome, Christmas l97l

545

57.5 Page 565

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CHAPTEB TWO

DECLARATION

OF THE SPECIAL GENERAL CHAPTER

CONCERNING THE CO.OPERATORS

"...practical directives f or renewing among salesians their

interest in and commitment to the co-operators...".'

Dear Conlrdres,

737

The Special General Chapter has dealt, along gen-

eral lines, with the salesian family and the various groups

which form it: this treatment is noted in the document

on the identity and vocation of the salesian society today,

a document that is entitled "The salesians ol Don Bosco

in the Ckurch."

Previous to this the General Chapter had received a

message, Rome 2 July 1971, il had been composed by a

representative group of co-operators from various nations.

The message expressed things deeply felt and vital,

towards the end you find these words: 'either nou or

neaer again.'

We have answered this letter in a frank and clear

manner. But nolv we wish to address you personally

in an equally open way. We would like to mention to

you some practical developments of the principles con-

tained in the document that was approved by us, and

we do this in the hope that some concrete proposals

and conclusions may be reached.

I Document I

546

57.6 Page 566

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738

We would like first of all to give expression to a

preoccupation that we feel at this time. The XIX Gen-

eral Chapter gave us its own document on the co-operators,

a document that was approved by acclamation as gesture

of homage to Fr. Ricceri who had just been elected as

new Rector Major; but, if we are to be honest with our-

selves, the results have not been very encouraging.

On the other hand, if lve are to judge from the data

that has come to us from the different special provincial

chapters, there is a certain feeling of uneasiness, a kind

of discomfort in the Congregation as a whole, but one

that is mixed with a keen desire for a true and defi.nitive

rediscovery of the personality of the co-operator as con-

ceived by Don Bosco. On all sides there is a longing

for some decisive action to give rebirth to this association

of these "true salesians-in-the-wor1d."

We ask ourselves what is the reason for this and

we believe that we must answer in this fashion: the stroke

of genius of Don Bosco regarding the co-operators has

not as yet been understood by everyone in its depth

and in its consequences. Hence it is necessary to study

the idea of our Founder once again to discover the real

identity of our brothers, the co-operators. Here are a

few points to meditate upon.

Faced as he was with the presence of many evil

forces, the more harmful because they were united, and

also faced with an abundant harvest before his very eyes,

his heart was rnoved to prepare a .ivhole regiment of

apostles, united and disciplined for a work both decisive

and efficacious for the salvation of youth now abandoned

and in great need.2

Some of those rvho offered themselves, responding

to a call from God, decided to remain 'permanently at

'2 Cf Bollettino salesiano, agosto-sett. 1877

547

57.7 Page 567

▲back to top

the Oratory, to live a common life with Don Bosco and

put themselves under his command.'3 Others instead,

drawn more to the life of other christians, 'Iived in their

own homes' each committing himself according to his

state and opportunity to an apostolic life which in some

way reflected, completed and cnriched that lived by the

former group. All indeed as they committed themselves

for

to

wseorrvkice'inonthbeehsaalfleosfiaynouwtahy.c'o4mmTihtteedfotrhmemtsheelvier swaolsrok

lvas to take lvould not be identical, it would vary ac-

cording to the situation of each one, and the real need

of youth in a particular place and at a given moment.

739

In the mind and heart of Don Bosco the salesian

family is one. The original unity of this family has its

root in the existence of a common spirit and mission of

total service to the young and to working class people.

Thus it shows itself, to be at the higher level, a real com-

munit5, in which all the members are integrated accord-

ing to their proper qualities and specifi.c functions and

in the difierent forms of life possible in the Church.

This means, and we must acknowledge this with all

clarity, that the salesian vocation is "salesian" before it

is "religious." This also means that the salesian charism

extends beyond the limits of our Congregation. The

co-operator therefore, according to Don Bosco's original

idea is a true s&lesian-in-the-world, namely a christian

who follows his vocation to holiness by involving himself,

even lvithout religious vows, in work for youth ol ordinary

working people, in the spirit of Don Bosco, for the ser-

vice of the local church and in communion with the

salesian Congregation.

And this is the reality that can bring about renewal

3 P. S:rBue, Don. Bosco, voi 1 p 140, l34.

a First General Chapter 1877.

548

57.8 Page 568

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and we have to think seriously upon it if we are to have

any hope for a really true and stimulating rebirth of

the co-operators. We stand, in d,ire need of a rad'ical change

ol ruentality at all leuels.

As a matter of fact, as long as the co-operators are

looked upon as something extraneous to us, as mcrc oc-

casional helpers, as lay people who are useful yes, but

not really indispensable, as lay people rvho when all is

said and done we cannot do without if we want to give

full expression to our apostolic work; as long as this is

our attitude we will have shown that we have not under-

stood the mind of Don Bosco; neither will we be in a

position to bring to fruition his original and splendid

project.

Who the co-operators are for us

740

In 1877 Don Bosco prepared an outline of his plan

for the 1st General Chapter. In that draft he declared

clearly that the association of the co-operators "is the

soul of our Congregation."

This really bold assertion by Don Bosco, has we

believe a practical value for us today. The image of

the co-operator in fact, as Don Bosco wanted it, does

not diminish in any way our own reality as salesians

and as religious, but rather it demands a still deeper

authenticity.

a) This image should add to our vocation as sales-

ians a dynamism and a vigour of a special stamp. Indced,

if the co-operators, as salesians-in-the-world,, must be

zealous, energetic, and efficient, how much more so must

we be? Did not Don Bosco want us to be like a power

house, the guarantee of this dynamic apostolic action?

b) As religious, we can and should be, both the

"signs" and "witnesses" in accordance with our specific

vocation, fi.rst and foremost for our brothers, the co-

operators.

549

19

57.9 Page 569

▲back to top

741

In their turn they should feel moved and encouraged

to be involved in an apostolic life: they can cast their

eyes on us who have been so taken up by it that we have

given ourselves completely in chastity, poverty and

obedience.

In the mind of Don Bosco, as seen in his writings,

the co-operators are co-responsible with us, in keeping

with the character of their specific vocation, for the

destiny of the salesian family. They have und.erstood

this and mentioned it in their message. This means that

they are our fi.rst, direct and necessary collaborators, es-

sentially different from other lay collaborators: "...our

collaborators in whatever is to be done for the greater

glory of

means."

G5odW, bituhtowuht etrheewsee

lack the personnel and

collaborators we may

material

say, wc

are not what Don Bosco planned and wanted us to be.

On the other hand, Vatican II teaches that the laity

should share with priests and religious, especially if they

happen to belong to the same religious family 6 one r,vay

or another, a more realistic outlook so that the efficiency

of pastoral work may be increased.T Using the language

of his time Don Bosco wrote that the co-operators ensure

that the Congregation" fights the battles of the Lord

with more audacity." I

Hence the co-operators have been called to give us

a specifi.c and essential contribution in order that we

may understand all the more realistically what the world

is, and that we may work in it all the time follorving

the salesian way of life.

5 Dolq Bosco, Progetto per I Cap. Gen. 1877.

6 Cf PC 22; AA.25.

? Cf LG 30, 31, 36, 37; PO 9; GS 43; AA 25.

8 Bollettino salesiano, genn. 1878.

550

57.10 Page 570

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What we are for the co-operators in the mind of Don

Bosco

742

We are their brothers in religion. "The members of

the salesian Congregation should look upon our co-

operators as so many brothers in Christ Jesus..." e It is

truly interesting to see how the co-operators have under-

stood this and how they have stressed this same point

in their message.

The Congregation consequently has a certain part

to play, a part that is both specific and unchangeable.

It is called to be the centre of unity for all those who

feel drawn to pursue the youth apostolate according to

the spirit of Don Bosco. It is to be the dynamic prin-

ciple of this "unity" which is somewhat like the dominant

idea Don Bosco had and which is presented to us as a

very urgent and meaningful need in these times of ours.lo

"...'We must be united with one another and with the

Congregation... Let us then unite ourselves by fixing our

eyes on the same goal and in using the same means to

reach it... Let us unite ourselves as members of one

family, bound by charity that urges us to help one an-

other and support one another in our work for our

neighbour." rr

And so for our co-operators the Congregation is the

safe and steadfast bond which Don Bosco expressly wanted

as the solid guarantee of unity and fidelity to his spirit,

of apostolic effectiveness in our common mission which

he entrusted to all of us, of apostolic audacity, of response

to the needs of our times, of perennial vitality in the

works he founded, and of courageous progress in one

e Regolamento, IV.

t0 Cf MB X 1311; BolL sal., agosto-ott. 1877

r1 Bollettino salesiano, genn. 1878 p 1-3.

551

58 Pages 571-580

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58.1 Page 571

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large and well organized movement for the salvation of

poor and abandoned youth.l2

Our commitment

743

In our determined work of renewal, which draws us

very close to those diffrcult hours Don Bosco faced when

founding the Congregation, we are all called to a manifold

but well-defined task towards the salesian co-operators:

a) first and foremost, the task of living to the full

and of seriously cultivating the salesian spirit, so that

we can awaken and develop in our co-operators a deep

salesian apostolic vocation;

D) the task of studying this fi.gure, as Don Bosco

had imagined it, in its most genuine form so that we can

produce the "fi.nished product" of the plan which was

only outlined by our Founder;13

c) the task of revitalizing the association so that

it may finally correspond to "the wonderful project that

was so dear to our Found€r;" ra

d) the task of ensuring that the co-operators be-

come "conscientious collaborators and whole-hearted co-

workers, who work side by side with us, and not under us:

not just as faithful and docile executors, but individuals

who are capable of shouldering apostolic responsibility," rs

all this however within the context of the overall pas-

toral p1an.

These tasks will enable us to "establish on all levels

a really fraternal relationship which will fashion from now

on a new style of salesian life both inside and outside

the educative communitv." 16

,, Cf MB Y, 692; YII, 622; X, 663; XI, 85.

'3 cf MB xr, 309.

ra Message cited above.

15 RtccBnt.

16 I\\[essage cited above.

552

58.2 Page 572

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How to accomplish this

744

a) Analogous to what we must do in our own ranks,

our very fi.rst pastoral care will be to undertake the sales-

ian spiritual and pastoral formation of individuals. Above

and beyond every preoccupation for organization which

is also necessary, our fi.rst pastoral care will be the form-

ation of individuals. In their message this was precisely

what the co-operators asked for. fn words that leave

no roorn for misunderstanding they ask us to make our-

selves "available for their formation and spiritual di-

rection."

b) A second urgent need we must feel is this. We

must see to it that they are given in all seriousness and

with all the consequences that flow from it a share in

the planning, realization and evolution of the pastoral

plan in those salesian communities to which they belong.

Their presence, under special circumstances and for

well defi.ned problems, on the councils, be they local or

provincial, will both enrich the deliberations and be an

eloquent proof of the seriousness we are giving to re-

newal efforts.

c) To be engaged in real pastoral activity particularly

under the aspect of recruitment in the ranks of the young.

As a matter of fact to accept the commitment of a co-

operator is to follow a true calling; hence it is to accept

a genuine apostolic aocation. And so greater attention

should be paid to the quality rather than to the number

of the candidates.

Even if the increase in numbers be rather slow, their

enthusiasm will always remain high, for our work will

grow in security and efficacy.

d) The aim of their formation is to help them attain

a standard whereby in the spirit of Don Bosco they are

able to fulfil competently their specific mission of christ-

553

58.3 Page 573

▲back to top

ianizing temporal things 17 which they have to accom-

plish whethcr they work along side us in our institutes,

or in activities under their own direction.

e) To attain the greatest apostolic and pastoral

efficiency among co-operators the local delegate must

always be near by. Given the importance of this sector

it is clear that the delegate of the co-operators will be

a member of the counsil, in accordance with articles

188-189 of the Constitutions. But we wish to stress par-

ticularly the fact that in the mind of Don Bosco, it is

the whole community that must undertake the respons-

ibility to be fruitful in fostering vocations for the as-

sociation. It is the whole community that must be sin-

cerely interested to train and involve the co-operators as

an instrument ("longa manus") that will assure better

results in the youth apostolate, an apostolate that is the

essential motive for our being present in any partic-

ular place.

74s

Before ending we r,vould like to renelv once more

our heartfelt appeal:

who

w-as

let us

always

rediscover the thought of Don Bosco

daring in his plans and courageous in

carrying them out...

ing to D- onleBtousscog'sivgeennueiwneliifdeeatol...this association, adher-

dently

-deslieretdubsyreh-ilmau, nbcyh

this movement of ours so ar-

adopling equal enthusiasm and

courage to surround ourselves with christians rnho are

really imbued with the desire to work for the salvation

of youth and people of the working classes.

We should not be surprised on the other hand by

the fact that not aII of us will fullv understand the im-

17 Cf LG 36-37 AA.

554

58.4 Page 574

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portance of this appeal and of the new attitude that

we must take. Don Bosco himself had the same exper-

ience: his own first collaborators misunderstood him in

this regard... As a matter of fact, in 1874, when he fi.rst

spoke of this project of the co-operators to the members

of the Chapter, several voiced their objections, looking

upon the association as just another confraternity, or a

simple sodality, similar to the many that existed already,

and as such of little or no importance. But Don Bosco

only smiled at all this and then said: "You have not

understood my idea at all." 18

One hundred years later, after a careful study of

the documents of Vatican II is it possible that we could

deserve the same rebuke ?

Dear confrdres, in this re-launching which is in com-

plete harmony with the needs of the Church and the

signs of the times and at the same time an act of fidelity

to Don Bosco, may we be helped by her who has always

been and remains always the Foundress of our work and

our Help, the Mother of God.

18 MB X 1309.

555

58.5 Page 575

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Document 19

SALESIAN WORK FOR PAST PUPILS

58.6 Page 576

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CHAPTEB ONE

ORIGIN AND NATURE

OF THE PAST PUPILS ASSOGIATION

746

The origin of the past pupils' association, as is well

known, can be traced back to the initiative of a small

group of twelve artisans of the Oratory of Turin who,

with Carlo Gastini at their head, came to Don Bosco

to express their heartfelt gratitude to him on his feastday,

24 June 1870.

Within a few years this spontaneous and informal

practice became a tradition. The "attraction" for the

saint passed on to his sons and found its practical ex-

pression in the past pupils' movement, today spread

throughout the whole wor1d.

A continuous movement, strengthened by the theology

of the laity of Vatican II has given a more organic form

and new apostolic possibilities to the association, which

was the first of its kind.

The organizational structure of the association con-

sists at local level of the union or branch; groups and

lceevllesl;,atthteheNpartoiovninacliaFleldeevreal t-iont;haenFdedaetrathtieoni;ntaetrnnaattiioonnaall

level, the World Confederation.

Membership of the association is open also to past

pupils who are not catholics; obligations arising from our

faith naturally are not binding on them.

747

The association obviously does not include within its

ranks all past pupils

and interpreter.

-

but it acts as their representative

559

58.7 Page 577

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The past pupils who join the association can and

should be considered:

1) the primary means of contact with the great

mass of

a means

ptoasbtripnugpiblsac-k

a leaven

those who

and at the same time

have strayed from the

practice of their faith;

2) an aid, by no means secondary, in the work

of education of the Congregation, for here it can fi.nd

co-workers well qualified by their expertise in their own

particular field and above all by their own christian witness.

560

58.8 Page 578

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CHAPTER TWO

PAST PUPILS' VIEWPOINT

748

The Statutes of the World Confederation of past

pupils states that the movement "springs flom the interest

and afiection which binds the past pupils to the salesian

family for the purpose of maintaining and developing the

insights received at the school of Don Bosco. Thus the

salesian spirit will be spread by individual and collective

action and the values received from the salesians im-

printed on their lives." 1

The concluding motion of the Centennial World Con-

gress (1970) proposed that "the Organization ol the past

pwpils ol Don Bosco, born and nourished through his

inspiration and that of his sons and successors, preserve

these characteristics, and that in dialogue with the Rector

Major and superiors, it take its part in the mission of

the Congregation and of the Church.

The congress recommends that within the salesian

communities, status and authority be given to the Delegates

lor the past pwpils and that more time and the necessary

means be made available so that they can fulfil more

effectively their irreplaceable function of moral and spiri-

tual guidance." 2

749

The document containing "The more important ideas

and directives of the Centennial Congress" emphasized:

a) the pressing importance of the problem of youth,

1 Introductiot Statuta Conled,eraz. mond,'iale.

2 Proceedings Congresso Mond,iale, p 207 seq

56t

58.9 Page 579

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in view both of its extent and gravity today, with a

view to participating in the specific mission of the sales-

ian Congregation;

b) the need of preparing the pupits to become

members of the association of past pupils and the necessity

of meeting the special needs of youth today who no longer

wish to be passive members of an organization but desire

responsibility in the running of the association and its

activities." 3

In the memorandum presented by the World Con-

federation to the fi.rst commission of the Special General

Chapter on the 30 July l97l in section III A (a) it is

stated "whenever a salesian educates and instructs a boy,

preparing him for manhood, he is forming a future past

pupil. Hence advantage should be taken of every op-

portunity for making known and appreciated the as-

sociation ol the past pupils."

7s0

The views of the past pupils can therefore be sum-

marized as follows:

a) all past pupils belong to the salesian family in

view of that special bond forged by their being educatecl

in a salesian school, oratory, house of formation, etc.;

D) the Congregation should be more keenly aware

of its responsibility and should seek to impart a greater

awareness and concern among the confr6res for this area

of salesian work which should be considered one of the

more important sectors of its apostolate;

c) past pupils should assume more direct respons-

ibility in the running of their association;

d) delegates should be able to fulfil effectively their

duty of spiritual assistance and their function as the

3 Proceedings Congresso Mondiale p 287

562

58.10 Page 580

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lir-rk between the past pupils and the salesian commun-

it1, and hence should also be members of the house council.a

751

The past pupils intend to play their part in the

mission of the Congregation and of the Church:

l) as witnesses to the pupils and their families of

the validity of the education received;

2) through active collaboration in the Congrega-

tion's work of education;

3) by seeking to spread salesian spirituality;

4) through a special effort within the association

ol past. pwpils for the return of those who have lapsed,

within school and family environment for the welfare of

youth, in collaboration with other organizations of past

pupils of catholic schools;

5) by greater involvement in social, political and

ecclesiastical activities. 5

a Memorandum presented to the I Commission A 30 July 1971

n III C, 3b.

5 Memorandum cited: n I B.

563

59 Pages 581-590

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59.1 Page 581

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CHAPTER THREE

OUR RESPONSE

"The past pupils are the result of our work, the fruit of our effort,

the reason for our existence. lt is clear that a congregation

dedicated to education we do not educate for the school but

tor life. Real life for our pupils begins when they leave our

houses." 1

"lf through a genuine renewal we made more of our apostolate

among the past pupils, I believe we would be making one of

our most important contributions to the Church and society

today." z

752

The Special General Chapter, in its search for ways

and means of renewing the apostolate of the laity, is

glad to acknowledge the expression of deep attachment

to the Congregation and readiness to be of service, made

by the Centennial World Congress 3 on behalf of the past

pupils. The Chapter wishes to endorse the appeal made

to it to promote among the salesians eflective interest in

the association and decisive action on its behalf.

The Special General Chapter, therefore, in order to

meet one of the great needs of the salesian mission in

education today and in line with the recommendations

of the World Congress, invites all confrdres especially

those who deal with pupils in the upper school, to take

particular note of their special responsibility in respect of

the past pupils.a

r

,

DoN RrNerot quoted in AGC

RrccBnr in ASC n 262-270.

XIX

p

160.

s September 1970.

a Rrcconr, Relazi,one generale sullo stato della Congregazione,

p 139 seq.

564

59.2 Page 582

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1. Basis of our involvement

7s3

a) Our mission as christian educators and salesians

is the fundamental reason for our involvement with the

past pupils.

b) The Second Vatican Council has outlined the duties

of christian educators towards their former pupils in the

declaration on christian education: "Even after students

have completed their time at school, teachers should con-

tinue to assist them with advice and friendship and also

by establishing special groups genuinely inspired by the

spirit of the Church." 5

c) When providence sends a boy to our institutes

there arises between him and the salesians a relationship

which will never end, and from which our continuing

responsibility springs. The past pupil must feel he can

always rely on his educators to help him in important

decisions and in the carrying out of his family, profess-

ional and social responsibilities.6

d) trvery educational undertaking, as that of the

salesians, must make its contribution to that renewal

called for by the Council in the training of the laity.

Characteristic of the Church today is the active invol-

vement of the laity. Consequently, the renewal of the

Congregation must be linked to a closer and more effec-

tive co-operation with the past pupils.

It is in this wider context demanded of the Church

today that our activity among the past pupils finds its

true significance.

e) It is our duty to continue the work o{ Don Bosco,

who inspired, sustained and encouraged the organization

of the past pupils. He considered the formation of youth,

5GE8.

6 Cl Rector Maior's letter to the sales'ians in ASC n 262.

565

59.3 Page 583

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not as an apostolate which ends with the school days but

as a preparation for life.

2. Our duties towards the past pupils

754

Our relationship towards the past pupils arises spon-

taneously from the friendship which unites us in one

single family. In response to the appeal of the past pupils

for more apostolic involvement we declare our readiness

to provide that spiritual guidance needed for an ever

deeper christian life and to give to each according to

his capabilities the opportunity for an authentic apostolate.

For this reason we should maintain close contact

with them in their family, professional and social life;

we should seek to guide and encourage them to assume

responsibility in public life and in the mission of the

Church; and we should invite them to co-operate with

us in the work of the Congregation.

This involvement with the past pupils must be con-

sidered not as a marginal but as an integral part of the

life of the house.T

Hence:

755

a) The whole community (rector delegate and con-

frdres) should show interest in all past pupils, whether

members of the association or not, and should invite and

welcome them to share in the life of the salesian family.

Past pupils should experience in every salesian a friend,

educator and guide. The community should offer every

possible assistance in the organization and activities of

the association and give the more committed greater scope

for apostolic activities.s

b) The delegate, as the representative of the rector

7 AGC XrX 163.

8 AGC XIX 163.

566

59.4 Page 584

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and the whole community, has an important and ir-

replaceable role in respect of the past pupils as co-ordinator

of activities in this sector. The importance of his primary

task of spiritual assistance is universally recognized by

the past pupils; and hence the need to choose carefully

confrdres for this office.e

c) It is the duty of every salesian to ensure that

his pupils have an adequate knowledge of the past pwpils'

association so as to facilitate their becoming members of

it. In this way they will be able to work out in their

lives that spiritual and apostolic commitment for which

the whole of our education should prepare them.

d) The past pupils feel, as individuals and as an

association their responsibility to take an active part

in the christian renewal of society. The salesians share

this awareness and desire to promote, as far as lies in

their power, this mission of the past pupils to the world.

In view of their spiritual responsibilities to the

association the salesians will:

a) endeavour to assist the past pupils to study and

confront with courage the particular problems of the local

church and society;

b) to help them to offer themselves to the cause of

social justice and assume their responsibilities in public

life in accordance with the recommendations of the local

hierarchy.

, AGC XIX 162.

567

59.5 Page 585

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CHAPTER FOUR

CO.OPERATION BETWEEN

PAST PUPILS AND THE CONGREGATION

756

Conscious of the invaluable assistance received from

the past pupils in the fulfilment of their mission, the

salesians wish to assure the past pupils of their continuing

support and friendship:

a) the past pupils bring to the Congregation the

riches of truly authentic human values of which lay

people have direct experience in their family, professional

and social lives. Contact with past pupils enables our

communities to be more open to the needs and problems

of life and hence of our own work among the people

of today;

b) past pupils can be invaluable co-operators in

the task of education o{ each salesian community, both

among the boys and their families, and by taking part

in and bringing to the various councils of the house their

experience and professional or technical skills;

c) this co-operation with past pupils can be extended

to all sections of apostolic activity through which the

Congregation is at the service of the Church and society.

Thus the past pupils share, each according to his

capabilities, in the specifi.c mission of the Congregation

and, through the human and religious values lived out

by them in the spirit of Don Bosco, extend its influence

and ef&cacv.

"Love your association; be faithful to it; and above

all seek to radiate its spirit to others. Witness springing

from the teaching of Don Bosco will be clear, generous,

568

59.6 Page 586

▲back to top

and open and bring with it serenity and joy. Of this

witness our world has urgent need. The Church asks

this of you today through the authoritative voice of the

Vatican Council If." 1

I Paul VI to the past pupils, 23 September 1970

569

59.7 Page 587

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CHAPTER FIVE

PRACTIGAL DIRECTIVES

FOR THE RENEWAL OF SALESIAN WORK

FOR THE PAST PUPILS

7s7

1) AII the confrEres should recognize their respons-

ibilities towards the past pupils and in particular the

need for a steady preparation of the present students to

become worthy past pupils as good christians and upright

citizens.

2) The salesian community must be alive to the

problems of the past pupils, and to this end a member

of the house council should be appointed to take care

of them.

3) Every community should be ready to accept what-

ever help, co-operation and advice the past pupils can

give. This includes also a healthy criticism of our methods

of education and o{ our work for boys.

4) The first duty of the Congregation towards the

past pupils and their leaders is to inspire them with

the apostolic spirit of Vatican II. This can be done by

means of common study.

5) The past pupils should be encouraged to take a

more direct and responsible part in the work of the Congre-

gation on behalf of the local church. In this way, r,vhilst

still engaging in the activities proper to their own

association, they could also become co-operators, but this

must be by their own free choice.

6) Salesians recognize the association ol past pwf>ils

as a duly constituted body of laymen with the rights

570

59.8 Page 588

▲back to top

and duties proper to such a group; this was emphasized

during their World Congress. It is left to their offrcials

to see to the government of the association, and in gen-

eral to accept the responsibility for its corporate life.

7) Salesians should be acquainted with the Statutes

and Rules of the past pupils so as to be able to offer all

possible assistance in making the association functional

at all levels __ local, provincial and worldwide.

8) In drawing up the programme of the activities

of the house, a place should also be found for the work

connected with the local past pupils.

9) Speciat attention should be paid to the care of

the new recruits, i.e., those who have just left our in-

stitutes and are still finding their feet in the world. They

should be helped as much as possible, especially when in

moral or material diffrculties and when they are com-

pelled to live at a distance from their families because

of their work or studies. In this way they will gradually

be enabled to take their proper place in society, in the

church and in the world of work.

758

l0) Every salesian work should have a local centre

for the past pupils, with its own delegate and office'

I l) When necessary or opportune, one or more of

the of&cers of the association at the appropriate level

(local, provincial, national or world) should be invited

to take part in salesian council meetings, though only

with a consultative vote.

12) The leaders of the association should be en-

couraged to play their part in the affairs of the modern

world by collaboration with other organizations (eccles-

iastic, civil, local, provincial, national, international) and

particularly with other associations of past pupils of other

religious Congregations, so as to make their contribution

to the shaping of the modern world.

57L

59.9 Page 589

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13) The following suggestion of the XIX General

Chapter should be put into practice: "We should com-

mence in the course of formation to prepare the confrdres

to grasp the importance of the past pupils' movement,

and through practical study to become acquainted with

its organization and activity." 1

I ASC 244, 163

572

59.10 Page 590

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Document 20

POST-CAPITULAR PROGRAIVTME

60 Pages 591-600

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60.1 Page 591

▲back to top

The most urgent items

759

1. Beforc leaving the General Chapter let provincials,

and delegates meet together at provincial, inter-provincial

or national level to decide on some common points, leav-

ing at the samc time ample scope for the creativity and

initiatives of the individual provinces in connection with

the general objectives.

760

2. The provincial chapter rvill be the focal point of

renewal. Its preparation will be the most opportune

means to enlist the participation of the confrdres in the

study and the implementation of the Chapter decisions.

3. The provincial with his council will fix the date

for the convocation of the provincial chapter, which must

be completed within a year of the closing of the Special

General Chapter.

4. It would be better however to have the elections

of the delegates of the houses and the province as soon

as possible (after the confr,lres have had the opportunity

of reading the Chapter documents and taking part in

general meetings as may be thought best).

5. As soon as such delegates have been elected they

should:

a) study the documents in depth;

D) collaborate with the rectors, to ensure that the

local communities understand not only the decisions but

the line of thought of the General Chapter;

c) play their part according to their possibilities

in organizing meetings for groups of confrdres.

575

60.2 Page 592

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6. As soon as the delegates have been elected the

provincial will call an informal meeting of the rectors

and delegates to consider what has to be done and to

ensure proper co-ordination of the work.

7. Where convenient preparatory commissions should

be set up to study the various themes.

To these commissions confrbres should send their

proposals and study contributions for the application of

the Chapter directives, and for the decisions to be made

at provincial level, and also for the drawing up of the

Provincial Directory.

761

8. If the delegates to the General Chapter are not

already members of the provincial chapter, they should

be invited to be prescnt as experts.

9. The provincial chapter must make its decisions in

accordance with the tasks assigned to it by the Gen-

erai Chapter.

The more important decisions concerning re-shaping,

the possible re-siting of works, the directory, etc., should

be preceded by exhaustive study on the part of technical

commissions.

If necessary the provincial chapter may spread its

work over trvo sessions.

10. The deliberations of the provincial chapter, after

ratification by the Rector Major and the Superior Council,

will be revierved after three years by another provincial

chapter as prescribed by the Regulations.

11. Provincial conferences (re-organized shouid the

Rector Major, after consulting with those interested, deem

it desirable) should take the necessary steps to implement

as soon as possible the immediate tasks assigned to them

by the General Chapter. Every effort should be made

to avoid the promulgation of fresh documents and

declarations.

576

60.3 Page 593

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12. At a convenient time the Rector Major and some

members of the Superior Council will arrange meetings

with the provincials of the different regions to take stock

of the progress that has been made in the implementation

of the directives of the General Chapter. Before this

meeting takes place the provincials must send to the

Superior Council a report prepared by them and their

Council and approved by the provincial chapter, setting

out how the decrees of the Special General Chapter are

being applied in their provinces.

Other suggestions

762

l. Qwarterly and annual retreats.

a) These should be based on the study and ex-

planation of the Chapter documents dealing with our

mission, religious life, and salesian spirit.

D) The collaboration of all confrdres, and more espec-

ially those of the houses of formation, should be enlisted

in the preparation of these retreats.

c) At the end of the annual retreat all should solemnly

renew their vows according to the new formula.

2. The booh ol the new Constitutions, accompanied

by the personal letter of the Rector Major to each con-

frdre, should be presented with some solemnity, as for

instancc, during some religious function, or on a day of

recollection or retreat.

On this occasion attention should be drawn to the

fact that even "the best efforts at up-dating will be all

in vain unless they be animated by the spiritual renewal"

of each confrdre in his determination to follow Christ

more closely (PC).

And this personal determination necessitates no

additional decisions on the part of assemblies or chapters,

577

60.4 Page 594

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but should shorv itself at once in all those who really

have at heart the welfare of the Congregation.

763

3. Neasletter.

a) A newsletter for the confrdres of the province

should be published:

Special-GetnoerdarlaCwhaapttteer;ntion to particular points of the

confrBre-s; to carry suggestions, and proposals of the

in

thei-r

to provide information about what is being done

own and other provinces in the field of renewal.

D) Copies of the nervsletters of the individual provinces

should be sent to the Superior Council which in due

course will circulate a digest of the principal initiatives

undertaken in the field of salesian renewal.

4. Brothers - Loy religioor,s.

a) As a sign of support for what the Special Gen-

reerlaiglioCuhsa,petefirorhtassshsaoiudldwbitehmreafdeer,enacteletaostbrinoththeorsse-prolavy-

inces where the proportion of brothers is similar to the

figure for the whole Congregation, to include a brother

amongst the provincial councillors.

The same principle should be followed in the case

of house councils.

b) During the first two years imniediately following

the chapter there should if possible be meetings of brothers

to study those points in the documents of the chapter

which particularly concern them with a view to the sug-

gestion of practical applications.

These rneetings should be held in each province and

all brothers should take part in them; thereafter similar

meetings should be held in groups of provinces, with the

578

60.5 Page 595

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participation of brothers elected in each; fi.nally, there

should be a world congress with representatives from

each region.

764

5. Cowncil of the commatnity.

The delegate of the house to the provincial chapter

should attend the meetings of the house council when

the latter considers the programming of the rvork of

renewal.

6. In the same connection it might be opportune to

request the bishops to let us know what are the most

urgent services that the local church expects from us in

so far as our mission is concerned.

E.ach community should examine its relationship with

the pastoral action of the local church and look for better

and more appropriate means of shariirg in that same

activity.

7. The provincial and his council should study the

feasibility of setting up one or more local communities

composed exclusively of confrEres determined to give

themselves enthusiastically to the task of renewal.

Such communities could become models as well as

an inspiration for the other communities.

579

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Document 21

DECISION OF THE S.G.C. GONCERNING THE

FACULTIES GIVEN IN THE IUOTU PROPRIO

ECCLESIAE SANCTAE, II, 1, 7

20

60.7 Page 597

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L Faculties given by the M.P. Ecclesiae Sanctae ll, l, 7

76s

1) The Motu proprio 'Ecclesiae Sanctae,' II, l, 6

gives the General Chapter "the right to alter, temporarily,

certain prescriptions... by way of experiment, provided

that the purpose, nature and character of the institute

are safeguarded. Experiments which run counter to com-

pamrsuotdnheenlacnweee--d

and they should be embarked upon with

will be readily authorized by the Holy See

arises. Such experiments may be continued

until the next ordinary General Chapter which will be

empowered to grant a further prolongation, but not

beyond the date of the subsequent chapter."

2) And no. 7 of the same document adds:

"The same faculty is granted to the General Council

for the space of time between the said chapters, accord-

ing to the norms which they themselves shall decide."

3) The object of this faculty obviously embraces the

prescriptions of the old Constitutions which have been

incorporated into the new Constitutions and Regulations,

as well as experiments contrary to common law, which

have been prudently undertaken with the authorization

of the Holy See.

In this matter the Special General Chapter has decided

that the exercise of the power given by the M.P. 'Ec-

clesiae Sanctae,' II, 1, 7 needs a decision of the Super-

ior Council, approved by at least 213 of the members.

ll. Special powers delegated by the Special General

Ghapter

766

As far as the other chapter deliberations are con-

cerne'd, the Special General Chapter authorizes the Super-

583

60.8 Page 598

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ior Council (under the same conditions as above: 213 major-

ity) to MAKE GooD ANrr EVENTUAL sERrous cAps rN THE

TEXT OF THE NEW CONSTITUTIONS AND REGULATIONS, FOL-

LOWING THE SPIRIT OF THE WORK OF RENEWAL UNDER-

TAKEN BY THE PRESENT SPECIAL GENERAL CHAPTER.

767

The faculties referred to in paragraphs 1 & 2 rvill

retain their validity until the next General Chapter, rvhich

will have to decide whether they should remain in force.

The constitutional faculty, by which the Rector Major

can "for practical purposes" interpret the Constitutions,

remains valid.

584

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Document 22

NTESSAGE FROTU TVEIMBERS

OF THE XX GENERAL CHAPTER

TO ALL THE IMEIMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION

60.10 Page 600

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Dear Conlrires,

768

As the Special General Chapter draws to a close

and we prepare to return to our own communities, we

would like to send a message to all of you whom we have

felt so close to us in spirit during these seven months

of work. Your presence with us in spirit has provided

both an incentive to us and imposed a question which

has dominated the

exactly are we in

whole Chapter: "We

the Church today?"

salesians

-

who

There has been a steady rhythm of study, research,

discussion and reflection. We have found new paths to

tread, but every day we came closer, little by little, to

the joyful rediscovery of our proper identity, the image

of our Father and Founder and his true idea of the

Congregation.

It was not easy. We have come to realize that it

is the Lord who has built the house, and for the purpose

he has made use of our weakness. With the support

of prayer and the eucharist we have come to the con-

clusion that our renewal is a project we must carry out

with our eyes fi.xed always on Christ and in conformity

with the huppy intuition of Don Bosco. Before us we

have seen outlined, as did Don Bosco, the image of Christ-

Emmauuel: a friendly and understanding Christ who eats

the bread of the poor, who lives in our communities,

who gives himself to little ones; a Christ who prays to

the Father.

And in this way we have met a Don Bosco who is

God's witness, a man chosen by the Father to make men

understand how much God loves them. "With a sense

587

61 Pages 601-610

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61.1 Page 601

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of humble gratitude we believe that the salesian Society

came into existence not as the result of a human project,

but through the initiative of God himself" (Art. l, new

Const.).

769

Reconsidering our vocation in the light of Don Bosco's

charism, we became aware that we were engaged on

"a delicate work of rejuvenation, which had to be car-

ried out with the greatest respect and care. It was as

though we were cutting into the living body which had

given us our rebirth." (D. Ricceri).

And thus we arrived at the new Constitutions. They

are not the exclusive work of the members of the Chapter,

but the work of the whole Congregation, of the combined

study carried out in local communities and provincial

chapters in three long years of work; they are the fruit

of prayer and sufiering on the part of all the salesian

family, sustained always by the motherly presence of

Mary, the Virgin most faithful.

In the capitular documents you will find the unchang-

ing Don Bosco; you will fi.nd the same Congregation

remoulded by the happy and serene fldelity of the old,

by the strength and drive of mature confrdres and by

the intuition and spontaneity of the young. You can-

not fail to hear in the new Constitutions the voice of

the confrdres

have prayed

who built up our salesian

and suffered in silence for

tthraisdittiimoneso-f

they

grace;

our saints and our martyrs of yesterday and today. But

especially you will fi.nd there Don Bosco himself, with

all the richness of his apostolic heart and of his loving

intuition in respect of the young, Don Bosco with his

sense of fi.delity to the Church.

Don Bosco, a man of God and God's man for the

young, who entered into their world with the boldness

of the Spirit and became "a prophet, foreseeing future

needs and setting us on a path which defies time and

5BB

61.2 Page 602

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years" (Paul VI, audience to Special General Chapter).

It is true that we have produced documents which

bear the imprint of our weakness, but we know that the

Holy Spirit who willed to express himself through our

words is greater than ali of us, and this gives us con-

fi.dence to believe that the Chapter decisions will give

light and strength to our salesian vocation; that they

will be the sign of unity, a path to sanctity in the his-

tory of the Church. In the Constitutions all the tongues

of the Congregation become a single voice, so that we can

all feel ourselves to be 'cor unum et anirna una.'

770

We end these days of grace in a new awareness,

spurred on by the charity of Christ and the fervent desire

of Don Bosco towards the disturbed but wonderful world

of the young. Even though they do not know it, the

young are crying

We kitow it; they

out to us: "'W'e want to see Jesus."

want to meet the living Christ. They

want to see him with their own eyes, and to touch him

with their hands. "'We must have the necessary wisdom

and knowledge to find our way into the twisted and con-

fused psychology of this new brand of youth, and the

kindness and patience to reconstruct it in order of grace

and human wisdom (Paul VI).

Today more than ever we must believe in the relevance

of the educative tradition of Don Bosco which 'embodies

perennial riches which do not grow old. And it is not

difficult to discover the reason why, because these in-

comparable traditions of human and christian pedagogy

fi.nd their roots in the gospel, where we see Christ lower-

ing himself to raise creatures to God, becoming weak

r,vith the weak to raise men to truth and goodness; and

this not with an authority imposing the law from with-

out and with a heavy hand, but with the meekness and

seriousness of one who explains the law of God as the

expression of his love, a condition for our salvation; a

589

61.3 Page 603

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law which the educator obeys as well as the pupil. In

other words, Don Bosco found the secret in charity,

which is as it were the compendium of all his work of

education' (ibid.).

All this demands as a f,rst requisite a conversion of

the heart, the point of departure for every sincere re-

newal; it requires a communily commitment to renewal.

(This is the age of community-witness!) It is a difficult

task because a true evangelical community is a challenge

to the selfi.shness of the human heart. The road is dif-

ficult, but it leads to the recognition on the part of the

young that in their midst there is One who speaks to

them and whom they can recognize.

When we look at the many problems which aflect

the foundations of the faith, of the Church and of the

Congregation, we

must not on this

faececloaunstengsreowofledsissm. aTyhi-s

but our hope

is the hour of

true hope, which does not mean closing our eyes to dif-

ficulties and dangers but opening the heart to the change-

less word of God, and coming down to the world with

the certainty of his presence.

And with our hope must go courage. Let us go

together into this world where Our Lord wants us to

be at the present day his chosen witnesses and the bearers

of his love.

May Mary Help of Christians, the mistress and in-

spiration of Don Bosco, confi.rm with her maternal

assistance our programme of renewal and place her seal

on our fidelity.

Rome, 5 January 1972.

590

61.4 Page 604

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Second Part

APPENDICES

61.5 Page 605

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Letter of Gardinal J. Villot,

Secretary of State of His Holiness

to the Rector Maior

Appendix I

SECBETABIATE OF STATE

No. 182803

From the Vatican 26 APril 1971

Very Rev. Father,

The Supreme Pontiff has learnt with satisfaction that on 10 June

at the new Generalate on Via della Pisana, Rome, you will begin the

work of the Special General Chapter of the Congregation founded by

Saint John Bosco.

For this event, so very important in the history of the Salesian

Society as a sign of its perennial youthful vitality and of its desire to

measure up heartily to the directives of the Holy See and of Vatican

Council ll, His Holiness desires to express his good wishes and

assurance of prayers that the meeting of such numerous and seasoned

religious who bring with them the experiences, the response and the

expectations of the great family of Don Bosco scattered throughout

the world, may produce the results desired by yourself, the superiors

and the confreres.

The Holy Father is aware in fact that your lnstitute is holding the

Chapter at a particularly historic moment, one full of promise but not

without difficulties and crises. These latter are either external, because

of the transformations taking place in the society in which we live

and which make the penetration of the Christian message more

difficult; or internal, because of the repercussions which these changes

have had in general on the religious life as it questions itself, its

purposes, its achievements, and specifically also on the great Salesian

Family. ln fact when one thinks of the enormous burden of the world

problem of youth, to whom you dedicate your best energies, the

turbulence which possesses and agitates young people, the seeming

futility attributed to traditional pedagogical methods, and the need that

is widely felt and experienced for new educational techniques, one

cannot help but be aware of what immense problems have to be

brought to the consideration of the Council Fathers.

Whilst applauding the noble undertaking which proposes to up-date

593

61.6 Page 606

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the apostolic and religious directives of the Salesians, the Supreme

Pontiff at the same time stresses that the solution of the most urgent

problems is to be sought above all in the conscientious study and

willing application of the Gouncil documents relative to the priestly

and religious life understood as a total consecration to Christ and to

the Church in the service of souls. ln the case of your Congregation

this will regard the special dedication to young people s,o as to help

them to be themselves, to live their own human and Christian experi-

ence authentically, helping them to find in the friendship with the

Divine Redeemer which they cultivate with loyalty and feeling, the

pivot which animates their complete formation, centred in the sac-

ramental life of the Church and in charity towards their brothers. But

soinufgcyhothuarepregroleiggnriuoaiumnsemfeasmp-iirlyitw-ohficcDhanoinsnotBnobonesecfouollwtyhheaircpthphliaehndastwhhiathittohoueftrttorhee-gdiifsvoceuonnvdeaern-r

indelible impressi,on to his works and has been a most fruitful principle

of good for the Church and for humanity, the directing force of every

energy in the care of youth; and even today this is and remains the

chief task of those who, like the Salesians, love the young and desire

to preserve their strength intact in the service of the Gospel ideals,

in defence of sound values pertaining to the individual, the family and

society.

Whilst renewing the good wishes and advice addressed to the

members of the Salesian Congregation in the recent audience of 3

April 1971 (cf. Osseryatore Romano.4 April 1971), the Vicar of Christ

is pleased to express to you and to your collaborators his lively

gratification and encouragement regarding the direction and stimulation

which will come from the Chapter and the aims proposed for it.

ln particular the Holy Father realizes your daily anxiety and solic-

itude, he appreciates the fact that your work is neither easy nor restful

and he wishes to assure you that at this delicate moment he is close

to you with his fatherly benevolence and prayers, invoking upon you

God's almighty help through the intercession of tVlary Help of Christians

and of Saint John Bosco, whose solemn office you have inherited, so

that heaven may not fail to protect and inspire the Family founded

by him.

The Holy Father accompanies these good wishes with the auspi-

cious Apostolic Blessing which he wholeheartedly imparts to you, to

the Chapter members and to all the confreres of the Congregation.

I express my own cordial good wishes for the good work and I

take this occasion to confirm my religious respect for your person.

Yours devotedly in Our Lord,

J. Cardinal VILLOT.

594

61.7 Page 607

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The Rector Major's opening address

at the Special General Ghapter

Appendix 2

lt/y dear confreres,

It is difficult to hide the many feelings that move me deeply at

this moment. There is the sentiment of joy at seeing confreres from

the most diverse and distant regions all present here with the same

ideal, moved by the same spirit in the name of our common Father.

There is a feeling of satisfaction because your presence in this hall is

a visible manifestation of the crowning act of the long and laborious

plan of preparations for this Chapter. I experience too a lively and

sof id feeling of confidence that by the grace of God, viribus et cordibus

unitis, we shall happily find the way to fulfil the truly exceptional

mandate entrusted to us by the Congregation in compliance with the

Church's desire.

Unfortunately we have to note with deep sorrow that some con-

freres who are particularly dear to all of us are absent from this

assembly, not permitted to live with us during these days of fraternal,

Salesian and constructive charity. They suffer intensely on account

of this enforced absence but at the same time they find in their love

for the Congregation the strength needed to transform their suffering

into a holocaust of prayer for all of us and for our labours.

Together with this invaluable form of prayer they offer the Con-

gregation the no less precious gift of their fidelity. Let me quote

from a recent letter from behind the lron Curtain:

than"wBeelileovveedusitwuhnednewr etrisbauylatthioant .w.. eWneevaesrsluorveedyoouurovfoocautriofnidemloitrye,

promising our humble but fervent prayers that the General Chapter

may bring about a salutary renewal and a betterment of life in the

great family of Don Bosco ".

Our affectionate thoughts

of

admiration

and

gratitude

go

out to

all these dear brethren, wherever they are and in whatever way they

are restricted in exercising their rights as free men. From them too

we take warning and example regarding that fidelity to the Con-

gregation which is all the more tangible and generous when bedewed

with tears and suffering.

595

61.8 Page 608

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( The Lord be with you! "

Officially announcing the opening of the Special General Chapter

in accordance with article 138 of our Constitutions, I can find no

better and more pleasant greeting that this: "The Lord be with you! ".

JtwoergsiteutsethnoeurthrinoLso[erVdlwyhonarasdmasesws, uIhreeadnmuIsint:h"othuWeghhmet rieodvfsetcrootnwfsotuhleotimrngth"r.teheeI

are gathered

had already

Biographical

A/lemoirs to see what our Father said to our confreres gathered together

at Lanzo on 5 September 1877 for the First Chapter of the Congre-

gation. Here are his words:

or

" Our Divine Saviour says in the holy

three are gathered together in His name,

Gospel that where

there one can find

two

Him

in the midst of them. We have no other purpose in this meeting than

the greater glory of God and the good of souls redeemed by the

Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. We can therefore be certain that

Our Lord is in our midst and He will guide things in such a way

that

everything will redound to His greater glory

As you see, there is a coincidence of thought

".

and

feeling

which

incites us to accept and live intensely that greeting which comes not

so much from myself as from our Father: " The Lord be with you! ".

Ours is an extraordinary service

Our Lord has brought us together here along the mysterious

ways of His Providence. Why? The reason is a simple one.

We have been called here to render an extraordinary service to

our beloved Congregation. Certainly, taking part in a General Chapter

is always an exceptional task, but participating in this particular

General Chapter we feel that ours is a truly extraordinary and in

fact unique service. As we all know, this Chapter is quite different

from all the others. lt

Church, which has laid

is a " special

down norms,

" Chapter called for by

directives and standards

the

for

its preparation and realisation lVloreover, the Church has also clearly

indicated its purposes and objectives. Following in our Father's

footsteps we are fundamentally committed to the faithful carrying

out of the Church's desire.

The preparation has been extraordinary: it went on for three

years; the extent of consultation was vast so as to get to know the

mind of all the confreres in the Congregation concerning is numerous

problems; vast too the participation and study contribution of

individual confreres, groups and communities; the two Provincial

Chapters (as also this General Chapter itself ) had an increased

number of members. But that is not all.

596

61.9 Page 609

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It is only right to mention the excellent work done at the two

Provincial Chapters and by their respective study-commissions in an

atmosphere of liberty, respect and dialogue, as also the intelligent,

patient, generous and self-sacrifing work accomplished by the various

Central Commissions. I would like particularly to mention also the

general gratitude of all towards those splendid confreres who worked

indefatigably for several months at Villa Tuscolana, near Rome. ln

an atmosphere of Salesian brotherliness and exemplary community

prayer they dedicated themselves to the truly exceptional and labor-

ious task of patiently drawing up the basic or guide-line documents

you have already received. To them and to all those who, in

whatever mode or measure, have given their contribution to the

preparatory work, and to Fr. Scrivo, the Regulator, who animated

and coordinated all this immense labour, we extend our own thanks

and those of the whole Congregation for the invaluable service

rendered.

The venue

Speaking of the special preparations involved, we cannot pass

over in silence the technical matter of the buildings. After the XIX

General Chapter decided that the Generalate be transferred to Rome,

the possibility of its being used for General Chapter was gone into.

However, to accommodate two hundred and fifty or more people and

provide all the necessary services was no simple matter. The

solution seemed to be to have two places: the Generalate and a

house for retreats and meetings. With an act of trust in Providence

the work was begun.

It must be confessed that more than once we had cause to

worry. Unforeseen obstacles and difficulties arose which hampered

the timely completion of the buildings and equipment needed for

the Chapter members and for the functioning of the whole organizing

complex of the Chapter itself. We can say in fact that quite a

record has been set in that, notwithstanding numerous and huge

diff iculties, at least the essential services are now ready in the

twofold complex of the Generalate and the adjioining house for

retreats and meetings. lam sure lvoice your feelings in here

expressing a well-merited vote of thanks to our Economer General,

Fr. Pilla, who allowed himself no rest in battling against obstacles

of every kind, determined to overcome them at any cost. Our

thanks also to his immediate and valuable collaborators.

True, not everything is as yet perfect in either the Generalate or

597

61.10 Page 610

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the other house but your spirit of understanding, adaptation and

sacrifice will know how to make up for whatever is lacking.

Our fundamental and special task

This being stated, it is extremely important that we all be fully

conscious of the mandate confided to us by the Church and the

Congregation.

The basic task of each Chapter member is this: we have been

called here as legislators for the whole Congregation, with the

mandate to search for and find what is best for the common good

of the Society as a whole. The duty is incumbent upon each of us

to secure that common good, if necessary by sacrificing our own

particular interests. This, it seems to me, is the spirit that should

animate each capitular legislator who respects this absorbing mandate

of universal character.

The scope of this Chapter makes it something really special

because, as you know, its purpose is to actuate an ( appropriate

trwenoewwaol "rdasdcaoptnetdaitno

the religious

an enormous

life of our Congregation. Those

programme involving huge and

complex problems which we are called upon to study and resolve.

It is enough to read article 3 of Perfectae Caritatis to see how vast

and even universal is the scope given to the General Chapter in

the matter of renewal:

adap"teTdhetomtahneneprhyosficliavlinagn,dpprasyyicnhgo, laongdicawlocroknindgitiosnhooulfdtobdeasyu'sitareblliy-

gious and also, to the extent required by the nature of each com-

munity, to the needs of the apostolate, the requirements of a given

culture, the social and economic circumstance anywhere, but

especially in missionary territories.

re-ex"aTmhineewd ainy

in which communities are governed

the light of these same standards.

should

also

be

" For this reason constituions, directories, custom books, books

of prayers and ceremonies, and similar compilations are to be suitably

revised and brought into harmony with the documents of this sacred

Synod. This task will require the suppression of outmoded regu-

lations " (Perfectae Caritatis, 3).

That compendious enumeration alone could, as experience has

shown, give rise to a certain reaction: Must everything be changed?

IVIust nothing of our past remain? lt is wise then to go back to the

substantial root meaning

matter of destroying the

oCfonthgeregwaotirodn"orer nseuwbaslti"tutiitnsgelift.

lt

by

is not a

another,

nor does it demand a new foundation. We are not here to form a new

598

62 Pages 611-620

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62.1 Page 611

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Congregation, for we have neither the charism nor the mandate to do

so. lt is the same identical Congregation that is called upon to

reanimate itself whilst remaining essentially what Don Bosco wished

it to be according to heavenly inspiration and as it has developed

along the lines of sound tradition.

It is question here of the delicate operation of rejuvenation.

Precisely on account of this it requires extreme attention and

maximum respect since a scalpel must be applied to the actual

Iiving body which has generated us. Those who gird themselves

to undertake this operation must, as it were, put on new clothes

and be imbued with the charismatic spirit of our Father. Let us

at least undertake this task with a delicacy composed especially

of humility and deep respect, filially intent on interpreting the mind

of our Father without falling into the temptation of substituting

ourselves for him.

Duce Ecclesia! We shall tread on solid ground by relying con-

stantly on the Church's guidance, for she offers all those helps that

facilitate the clarification of our mandate as legislators of the renewal

of the Congregation.

A secure guide in the magisterium

The first help it provides is simultaneously a guarantee of well-

founded work. This is to be found in the conciliar and postconciliar

documents and then in the papal and hierarchical magisterium. For

the rest, the Church itself in calling for the renewal of religious insti-

tutes clearly points out that this must be inspired by the Council,

the whole Council as understood and represented by the words of

Paul Vl:

Needless

" a spirit that is

to say, among the

at once renovating and innovating ".

conciliar and postconciliar documents we

should primarily give constant and deep attention to those that concern

us directly. However, it is obvious that we should not restrict our

continuous attention merely to those statements. Through its docu-

ments we must be aware of the whole Council as completed especially

by the Pontifical Magisterium which has in recent years been rich

in its teachings and in its constant up-to-date recommendations,

especially regarding renewal. lt would be a grave sin of omission

and a sign of infidelity to our Father, who was so filially attentive

to the words of the pope, were we to ignore that authoritative and

magisterial word which includes all the interesting and renovating

literature dealing with the renewal of the religious life on authentic

conciliar Iines.

599

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As Chapter members we shall also find an indispensable help in

Salesian literature. lappreciate that there will not be time for every-

thing but still we should be able to read up on so many essentially

Salesian matters. We cannot take up definite positions on even basic

problems without such good support. To this end the programme of

work will certainly be organized in such a way as to allow at least

a minimum of time for such necessary study.

We are dealing with God's affairs

At this stage I feel it is necessary that we should once more

take deep and clear cognizance of our task, for from this there

will flow consequences that are essential to the success of the

enterprise in which we are engaged.

Dear confreres, I do not presume to posture as a master before

you but the heavy responsibility imposed on my shoulders as the

successor of Don Bosco obliges me to recall first to myself and

then to you the words of the

heed to what you are doing

Ours is not a gathering

Apostle: Videte

"o. f shareholders

quod

in a

tractatis

firm; it

-

is

" Pay

not a

political assembly with contrasting economic interests, prestige and

ambitions. Here we are the Church, or better an assembly of

consecrated men, re-united in God's name, vowed totally to a super-

natural ideal; we feel we are men of faith whose concerns are

deeply rooted in that faith and whose activities, including those

of the here and now, are fully enlightened, animated and motivated

by faith.

We are not here because of any mere human concerns; ours are

the interests of God, of His Kingdom, of His Church. We are here

primarily concerned with the souls of our conf reres and those

confided to our care. Even if we have to discuss questions of organ-

ization and economy, this will be only in so lar as they are

necessary instruments in our mission. All the sociological, statistical,

historical and philosophical sciences which we make use of are

merely utensils in carrying out the mission to which we are con-

sreeaclriazteedth-at

a spiritual, supernatural

we are here to treat of

mission. lf we

God's affairs, of

do actually

souls, then

we shall not need to convince ourselves that all the many human

means which we can put to use will be of little value in fulfilling

our mandate if we are not on God's

on a supernatural level and outlook.

wavelength

-

more explicitly,

600

62.3 Page 613

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Benewal and holiness

Certain obvious and useful considerations follow upon this.

Begarding the

much abuse.

General

However,

Cnhoatpetever nthtehewmorodst"

pr€efrlfeewc?t lp"lanhaosf

suffered

renewal

would be successful if it were not to be set in motion in the actual

life of the individual members. This actual living of all the valuable

implications of renewal has a name: holiness. It must be clearly

stated that as consecrated people our specific and professional

vocation is and always will be to aim at sanctity more earnestly than

the ordinary baptized Christian. The Church, the Council and the

postconciliar period have all reminded us of this fact.

But our own Don Bosco did not weary in repeating the same

fact to our predecessors. ln a circular letter on 9 June 1867 he wrote

firmly: " The first object

members. Let each one

of our Society is

impress this well

the

on

sanctification

his mind and

of its

heart,

starting with the Superior General and right down to the last member:

no one is necessary in the Society; God alone is the Head and the

absolutely necessary lVlaster " (Ceria, Epistolario di S. G. Bosco,

Letter 559).

The very foundation of our Congregation demonstrates the need

and desire for this deep

Straight off then let us

renewal summed up

ask ourselves with

in the word " holiness

extreme honesty and

".

a

sense of responsibility: How does the Salesian of today respond to

this categoric commitment and need? How can he be faithful to this

engagement in the new situation and climate created in the world in

which he has to live and work today? Does our Salesian entity, as it

exists and functions today, succeed in giving each confrere that

supernatural status of which he has absolute need? How can we

succeed in producing and in communicating the genuine apostolic

vitality which in the past so stimulated the Salesian? ls our Salesian

organism suffering from a certain lassitude? lt is true that one notices

in communities a certain attitude and mentality tending towards a

wordly, secularized and materialistic life, towards a christianity that

wdiseiteh"doetuoatstsyhu,epwdeiertimhoorasnu,dtwssiaothcforaiufictcoepnossi,newc"riat-hteoduaatllnddoufStitaehlseis,siwaisnithaIiolfieeu.nt

renunciation,

in word and

What are the

reasons, all the reasons, for such a situation? And then let us ask

ourselves if the ways and means offered by the Congregation to the

Salesian today to help him towards holiness are proving adequate

to the new situations of our times. How are they being utilized?

ls it not perhaps necessary to substitute them with other efficacious

resources still inspired towards great zeal for sanctity and perfection?

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Truly Salesian renewal

The same questions should be asked regarding apostolate,

authentic apostolate primarily among the young and especially among

the poor, the needy and abandoned. ln his message to our Chapter

the

one

Holy Father reminds us

thinks of the enormous

boufrdthenisoafutthheoriwtaotirvldelyp,rosbaleymingo: f"

When

youth,

the turbulence which possesses and agitates them, the seeming

futility attributed to traditional pedagogical methods, and the need

that is widely felt and experienced for new educational techniques,

one cannot help being aware of the immense problems that have

to be brought to the consideration of the Chapter Fathers... ,.

The Provincial Chapters showed that these very elemental and

basic problems are to be found in a wide variety of shades in the

whole Congregation.

I repeat, the Congregation must and wants to recondition itself,

above all in its religious,

understand what a range of

spiritual and apostolic life

values is contained in these

-woradnsd.

you

But

I would like to add at once that such values must be renewed on

Salesian lines and for the Salesian himself, taking into account his

spirit, his mission and his particular make-up (which is different from

that of the Little Brothers of Jesus, the Jesuits, Opus Dei, etc.).

Let us be realistic then, neither closing our eyes to our deficiencies

and weak points nor Iingering upon them except to eliminate them.

* Recta sapere D

Such being our problems, it is not merely evident but absolutely

necessary that we unite our hearts in prayer as the Apostles did in

the Cenacle.

As the Special General Chapter drew near, all sections of our

multiple family felt more intensely committed to prayer, convinced

of the absolute need of divine help. From all over the world I have

received assurances and evidence of this immense chorus of prayer

and I have in mind especially those souls who have offered up to

God nor only their sufferings but even their very lives. Grateful for

such charity, we today feel comforted and full of hope. But obviously

we cannot delegate to others our own duty of prayer consequent

upon the special responsibilities awaiting us.

The philosopher Peter Wust at the end of his life left his disciples

this message:

the magic key

o" fWWitihsdaobms:oliutteiscperratayeinrt"y.

I

have discovered the

At our present great

key,

task

602

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we too require the wisdom that comes from God, and therefore all

the greater is our need for the key of prayer.

Our Lord

who pray ".

of God? Let

has

And

said:

what

"isThtheeFaHthoelyr

will give

Spirit if

the

not

us therefore have recourse to Him

Holy Spirit

the infinite

day by day

to those

Wisdom

so that,

enriched by His wisdom, we may understand aright (recta saperel ,

i.e. see clearly in order to judge wisely and hence come to right deci-

sions. We have besides the good fortune of living these extra-

ordinary days together and our community encounter with God will

unite us even more than our work, for Our Lord has assured us

that our prayer will thus be tremendously enriched and exalted.

But there is even more: each day we shall be united around the

eucharistic table. For us it will not be just a more or less meaningful

drama but rather the re-living of the mystery of Holy Thursday with

the same faith as the disciples. United with, in and through Christ,

nourished by the same food and drink, we shall feel encompassed by

His solidarity. Having brought our problems and doubts and our

daily life to the eucharistic table we shall take away from it that

strength and help (robur et auxilium) which we so greatly need.

But even our personal and community prayer and the Eucharist

itself would be hampered in their divine effect were we to present

ourselves to God without that humility which is the sine qua non

for the reception of His grace: Besistif superbis, humilibus dat

gratiam, says Our Lord.

Humility: premise for construction

Precisely because we are convinced of this law of humility, we

must be careful in defending ourselves against the ego of self-love

which is ever prompt to nudge other things aside, camouflaging

itself eloquently and persuasively.

Speaking to bishops, cardinals and to the Pope himself on retreat,

Fr. Voillaume in commenting

receive the kingdom of God

on

as

taheliwttloerdcshoildf ,Jyeosuusw, "ilUl nnloetssenytoeur

therein ", explained that those words implied complete

intellect and poverty of heart. And that is precisely the

humility of

attitude and

spirit which each of us must bring to the Chapter.

It is necessary to draw attention to the fact that dialogue, which

is so important and irreplaceable for the efficacious study of problems,

is founded above all on humility and hence on respect for one

another and on mutual trust. lt will be fruitful if no one considers

himself omniscient or to have a monopoly of truth, and it cannot

consist in expecting the unconditional surrender of the other side.

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This implies therefore that the mind of each one should be charitably

disposed not merely to hear but above all to listen to the others.

Still on the subject of humility, I would like to add another

word: with our own personal humility let us also bring to the Chapter

what we may call a collective or collegial humility. On account of

his approaching Beatification it gives me great pleasure to quote

Don Rua, who wrote thus to the Salesians in a circular letter dated

29

of

JoaunruaPriyou1s89S4o: c"ielttyiswceertsahinaltlheaat swilhyenpewrceeeivxeamminaenythiempaectrufeacl tisotnaste,

but God permits this so as to keep us in holy humility ". One can

hardly say that Don Rua was a triumphalist!

loyaBl aunt dwfhraatnkofinourresceolvgensiz?inWg itthhethdaetfic" iehnoclyiehsu, minifliidtye"litiwese

must be

and mis-

eries to be found in the Congregation, shunning the pre-conceived

and basically proud notions of those who do not wish to face up

to less pleasant realities. This does not mean that we are to set

ourselves up as judges to condemn the men and concerns of the

Congregation. Rather it should mean for all of us an examination

of conscience prompted by our love for the Society which we

desire to be sine macula et sine ruga.

Fidelity

I would say that fidelity is consequent upon the humility which

ought to guide our activities in the Chapter. lt urges us to raise our

minds to, or better still to adhere with firm and unhesitant confidence

to what is important: God, the Church, the Congregation. ln doing

so we must renounce our own selves, our own affairs, our own views.

wbeoernkT, whjuisrsittwteaonsr,di"t"idsfiiddtehilenityethn"ediesparvgeoopuianrrgattootorkyeredecpouccruomfnreetaqncutste.wnt"iltyhFiidtnheeolituyrro"cC,khiatfrphotaemsr

which we have sprung forth, simultaneously as we strive to reach the

goal we are

discovery of

aiming at ".

the profound

Fidelity therefore is

and inseparable link

the

that

continual re-

unites these

two pivots. Fidelity means penetration beyond the smoky veil of

superficiality into the very raison d'6tre oI what we accept and

profess. Briefly, it is a law of life. The meaning of fidelity therefore

must not be confused with customary practice or immobility, for

it demands a restraining attitude of awareness that is animated by

the light of experience.

It is important that each of us here persuade himself that in

times of renewal such as we are living and working in, fidelity is

an essentially positive and dynamic attitude. lt is not and must not

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become a mere passive acquiescence to whatever has been inherited

or has become part of our patrimony, but rather it should be an

active care to use it and bring it to maximum expansion. Fidelity

is in no way related to jealous immobility or timid traditionalism;

rather it is intertwined with activity, reflection and meditation.

Basically, fidelity is the expression of love (in our case love for

Don Bosco and the Congregation)), a true love that is intelligent

and genuine and which in anxious that the person or thing loved

should not become a mere archeological specimen but rather remain

itself, vigorous with a life that is active, dynamic and fruitful.

But we must also convince ourselves that fidelity cannot have

any connection either with a certain type of inadvisable progressivism

which desires novelty for novelty's sake; which unconsciously leads

to confusion; which credits and accepts every hypothesis as proven

or provable; which, in the name of open-mindedness empties and

laicizes both the Salesian and his mission.

Having said that, I appreciate that in practice discussion is

always something very delicate, just as the positive situations to

which these principles must be applied are likewise delicate and

complex. But precisely on that account we must go ahead with a

great sense of responsibility so as to avoid extremes at either end.

One sole heart

Dear sons, at the beginning of my talk I invited you to make of

our fine big family here a cenacle that is alive and active, but it

cannot be such without that fervent brotherly charity which

constitutes its soul. The principal nourishing source of our fraternity

will certainly be the eucharistic celebration diligently and fruitfully

lived. But many other spiritual and even human elements will

contribute towards keeping alive amongst us the atmosphere of that

charity which unites hearts in understanding, forbearance, collabora-

tion and joy.

We have one specif ic and particularly interesting motive for

making all of us constructors of our cenacle of charity. In a book

on renewal I read these unforgettable words which come from a

person of vast experience of religious life and of General Chapters:

" Renewal cannot be accomplished without charity. Renewal in fact

signifies greater love and then better structures so as to give impulse

tthoatthliosvgerefoatrerrelfoovrem".jusHtiofiwesgtrheeatlvyiomlaitsigounidoefdcaharerityth.ose who think

We believe in charity and wish to adhere to it in its fullest

sense even though we hail from every corner of the world and belong

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to so many different cultures, civilizations and customs. Our age'

range is rather wide, our ideas and points of view will not always

coincide, but all this can be overcome by our spirit of brotherliness.

Not for nothing do we say and feel that we are sons of the same

Father.

Unity through combined strength

The most precious and coveted fruit of our cenacle of charity

will be the fulfilment of Christ's prayerful testament: Ut unum sint,

words that have re-echoed from our Father's lips since the very

origin of the Congregation. Hardly had Don Bosco received from

Rome in 1869 the longed for approbation of the Congregation than

he called our first confreres together and held a long conference

on the theme Vivere in unum, enlarging on the many motives and

aspects of living as one (11.8., lX, p.571 seq.). Here and now I feel

I must repeat the grave words of our Father: Let us live and work

with a

I

will towards

realise that

wuneitye-achlect aursrycreinateouartrhueeacrtosmtmhuenidoinstuorfbahnecaertss,.

tensions, entreaties, the impatience and the numerous aspects of

crisis that are upsetting the Church and human society and our

own Congregation. As I said before, we bring with us here a

combination of causes, mentalities, sensibilities and worries that

are often quite diverse. But our very diversity will prove a pro-

vidential asset if we act on the higher level of truly genuine

communion.

Nevertheless no one should think of, still Iess desire, a pre-

conceived, we might almost say a prefabricated unity, an artificial

unanimity worth nothing. Let us rather consider and aim at a unity

that is secure because it is sincerely desired, sought after and even

gained by suffering

great Catholic Synod

-of

and lsay this deliberately. On opening the

Federal Germany Cardinal Doepfener appealed

for unity, quoting the words of St. Paul to the Ephesians: " Be zealous

in preserving

out that just

the unity given

before that the

by the Spirit

Apostle had

". But he also pointed

invited those Christians

to bear with one another in fraternal love, to accept one another.

o" Tf hidoseeasw, ocrodnstr"o, vsearisdieths,,epCoainrdtsinaol,f

( presuppose conflicts, divergence

friction ". As we know, all that

is in the ordinary run of things, which would not be normal otherwise.

But if we are animated by true and positive fraternal love, and

especially by a pure and sincere love for Don Bosco and the Con-

gregation, the mutual toil and suffering in search of truth will make

us accept one another and find a point of contact and identification

606

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even in such great problems; together then we shall seek for the

best solution, which will be the happy outcome of the integration

of the diverse and invaluable energies present at this Chapter.

Courage and confidence

Dear Chapter members, I trust you will forgive this long

discourse. I hope that its length has not been detrimental to the

utility of the things I have said with brotherly heart for the sole

purpose of doing my own dutiful service to our common lVlother,

the Congregation.

freeAfrnodmnoawll ,trtioumwpohraklis-m

with courage and confidence! ln a spirit

or over-simplification let us confront the

problems that await us. Let there be no fear in facing up to those

problems, mountainous though they may seem, nor let there be any

discouragement or pessimistic defeatism. Our Chapter should proceed

along the lines of realism and courage. But what kind of courage?

Let it be the fearlessness which is a virtue, the virtue of the strong

and wise, that true fortitude which cannot be separated from wisdom.

The result therefore of fortitude and wisdom happily united, this

courage cannot be confused with the blustering rashness that rushes

into the unknown. Ours then must be above all the courage of strong

men who think before venturing. But there is more to it that that.

We feel that Our Lord's words to the apostles apply also to us:

" Fear

that "

not, it

Jesus

is

is

l! " And

master

let

of

us remember,

the impossible

as

",

Fr. de

with

Foucauld wrote,

command over

people and things, one who gives to those who abandon themselves

to Him a sense of security and peace amidst the waves. " Let

nothing disturb you! ".

Reason for trust

Rightly too have I recommended confidence. We have many

and strong forces in the Congregation, in all categories, at all levels,

of all ages, in every corner of the earth. You become aware of

this when you get to know the Congregation, the whole Congregation

in all its component parts.

I would like especially to point out that in the Congregation we

have a section of youth with ideas, attitudes, needs and sensibilities

which are often very different from those of the preceding generations.

Sometimes youth is the victim of insecurity, of an exasperated and

problematic situation, of a secularism which obscures or wipes out

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the supernatural. Nevertheless among these young people there are

also some elements which are splendid in every way: they live their

consecration with generosity, they sincerely love Don Bosco and the

Congregation even though they see the defects and inefficiencies;

they are ready to give themselves to the point of sacrifice; they

have a solid and convinced piety; they are our hopes for the

Congregation of tomorrow. Let me continue.

The Church has confidence in our Congregation, a trust that

emanates from one who knows us on what we might call a universal

plane, a confidence that sometimes makes me almost afraid. ln the

last audience granted me, once again Paul Vl used expressions that

embarrassed me when I thought of our many deficiencies, but he

wanted to confirm his own great confidence and that of the Church

in our Congregation.

When I speak to the Generals of other orders and congregations

lam able to re-assess that judgment in the light of reality, including

all those deficiencies that we must not ignore or underestimate.

Among other things I can see that we are all struggling with very

similar difficulties. But we Salesians still have reasons for confidence

that are both familiar and altogether special. Perhaps the fact is

unique that in the origins of our Congregation there is an unquestion-

ably exceptional supernatural presence. Speaking of the Congre-

gation, its birth and development, Don Bosco said verbatim: " One

can say that there has been nothing that was not known beforehand.

I took no step in the Congregation until some supernatural fact

counselled it; no change or improvement or obstacle occurred which

was not preceded by an order from Our Lord. From this fact I

think it well not to consider the man... What does it matter to

me if people speak well or badly about this? What do lcare when

men judge me in one way or another? All that is necessary is that

the

works of the

The following

Lord be made manifssll " (/\\/r.8. Xll,

impressive statement by Don Bosco

p.69).

will therefore

cause no surprise:

perhaps ours has

"mAomreonogf

all the religious congregations and orders

the word of God,, (A/1.8. XVl, p. 305).

That being so, how can we possibly suspect that God will forsake

the Congregation at the very moment it is being called to renewal by

the Church and therefore by Don Bosco, that He will leave it without

that presence of inspiration and guidance which He gave it so

generously at its origin? We have every right to count upon God's

help: Adiutorium nostrum in nomine Domini!

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Mary our guide

We must seek to deserve that help but we shall secure it more

easily through the Virgin Help of Christians. In the life and mission

of Don Bosco, even if for different reasons, two figures are

inseparable: youth and lVlary. On the morning of the feast of the

lmmaculate Conception in 1887 Don Bosco seemed to be Iooking

back upon the difficult pathway of his life. Then he said to his

odgBveooesewrcplofalryogtrheanmapigntoe:.avw,tela,etddslivsSstlahaotriliyse/faoswtrirrayauonstwsuha:hrlfow"FreaaWgqtyuhuseeiedrmne,htsayslyuv,ugreseufo!ilwdyr"eal!iVlt(k"Alaew/rrdy.a8sw.seXcilcoVl unblrlfe,eirplmay.:eg4dwu3ioed9ve)ce.atronDannouodnst

also who, in unconditional fidelity to Don Bosco, wish to work during

these months so that the Congregation may emerge from this

Chapter qualis esse clebet.

With unlimited trust in our Father and in lrlary, with all the

fervour of the apostles in the Upper Room, let us gather about her

as we repeat with filial and humble

Father's secure guide at the birth

ahnedardtesv: e"loOpmlVelnarty,oyfoouuwreFraemoiluyr.

Be so to us also who are aware of our weakness and insecurity

as we tread the path traced out by Providence to bring our beloved

Congregation to that true and faithful renewal which will be for it

the revival of spring! ".

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Presentation of the

" Report on the General State

of the Congregation "

Appendix 3

Dear Chapter lVlembers,

I am here to fulfil the mandate of the XIX General Chapter

which, in article 31 of its regulations, stated:

meetings of the Chapter the Bector [Vajor will

" At

give

one of the first

a general report

on

the state of the Congregation

As this is something new, I

".

have

tried

to

find

the

best

way

to

reply to and interpret the wish of the XIX General Chapter. I say

g"inriedngitceaartpitoernedt"."Bcbeoecucaladuussteaeokoefbtvohinoisuvsdaliyfrfioiacuursletypfooarrmnt dsoninun"mltehysesasnotxtahiteeetyrwotifostehmecalekCaeornliy-t

beneficial to all I have made use of the collaboration of the Superior

Council.

Collaboration of the Superior Gouncil

It is here opportune to state that we have always worked colle-

gially and with obvious results

only to the present report but

taondalbl eontheefirtsp-robalenmdsthoifs

applies

note. I

not

am

in fact more than ever convinced that today especially it is possible

to confront problems usefully and resolve them adequately simply

by getting together in a free, serene and respectful confrontation of

the different angles, points of view, and assessments. I have always

noticed that such exchange of ideas in an atmosphere of total

freedom and yet mutual respect and esteem always leads to the

best solution possible at which the Superior could arrive.

And it is precisely this method, clearly indicated and encouraged

by Vatican ll and by our XIX General Chapter, that I have sought

to follow with the cordial, fraternal and constructive collaboration of

all the members of the Council. And here I believe it to be my

special and pleasant duty before this solemn assembly to acknowledge

this fruitful work accomplished about me by the members of the

Superior Council. I think I can say that we have always worked

in unity of aim in order to serve the Congregation in its interests

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and in particular to carry out the inspiring deliberations of General

Chapter XIX and to infuse and circulate its splrit of renewal in

the Congregation.

As you will notice from the reading of this report, this task,

begun and carried on immediately after the Chapter, met with

difficulties of

a start was

various kinds.

being made to

One of the problems was

actuate the deliberations

this: whilst

of General

Chapter XIX there was already abroad what someone has called the

postconciliar wind. ln fact the Congregation found itself as it were

in the eye of the cyclone right at the very moment in which it had

put in motion the apparatus destined to render operative General

Chapter XIX which was already in a position to benefit by many

points of Council documents.

This coincidence, it is well to recall, has had quite considerable

repercussions and consequences, aggravated by the fact that simulta-

neously we had to mobilize and convoy our forces for almost three

years in preparing for the Special General Chapter willed by Ecclesiae

Sanctae. Certainly it has been a great benefit besides a duty to the

Church and the Congregation, but one cannot deny that through

force of those circumstances quite a few deliberations and directives

of the XIX General Chapter could not be carried out.

Characteristics of the report

Returning to the report presented, as I have said it is the fruit

of the combined work of all the members of the Council. They

first gave suggestions and ideas for its presentation and then, each

according to his own competence, all the first-hand information at

their disposal on the various points dealt with. The report was

then collegially re-examlned and discussed, re-drafted and finally

coordinated by the Rector l\\rlajor according to the remarks and

observations received.

ln spite of this work the report has no pretence to be perfect

and exhaustive. Apart from the difficulty and uncertainty deriving

from the fact that this is the first time such a document is being

presented, it has to be stated that big difficulties of various kinds

arose. Let us mention just one.

The Congregation is a living and composite reality, with situation

differences which are often considerable. From this fact arises the

problem of presenting a report which, without wasting time in a

detailed analysis, will give a faithful image of the actual state of

the Congregation. However, I feel that in spite of its deficiencies

and limitations, not only is this report an act of obedience to General

6t1

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Chapter XIX but it can also offer us a kind of thumbnail sketch of

the Society. The Special Provincial Chapters had at hand a similar

compendium of the mind of the Congregation.

ln spite of its limitations this report can be called a radiograph

of what the Congregation is actually doing and how it is acting in

the

but

various sectors of its

perhaps it is inexact,

life.

for it

I have used the word "

does not present even

radiograph "

a panoramic

photograph of the Congregation. A photograph is essentially static,

capturing just one moment of reality. This report which loffer to

your attention is instead something forceful. It does not try so

much to pin down the actual state of the Society today as rather

to show in forceful perspective how it has arrived at its actual

state during the evolution of these past six years.

Besides being expressive the report

relatively. As you will notice, however,

is a summary, at

precisely because

least

it is

a summary its one hundred condensed pages combined with

statistics presented in a special leaflet. These, correctly read and

interpreted, serve to give an up-to-date and documented panoramic

view of the Congregation in all the essential aspects of its life.

Particular aspects and details of the life of the Society are illustrated

and, when occasion offers, will be developed gradually as the Chapter

comes to deal with each specific subject.

To conclude this preface which I have considered necessary, I

think and hope that the report which the Bector lvlajor presents to

you in the name of the Superior Council will, among other things,

facilitate your work in so far as it offers you not merely a sectional

view of the life of the Congregation but one which is general or

at least very wide, even if not quite complete, and at the same

time one that is up to date within the bounds of possibility. From

it you can realize the type of soil that is going to receive the seed,

the very real situations that prevail, and the expectations of those

to whom you will have to present the deliberations of this Chapter.

Centre of the Congregation's interest

The report has a certain sequence and consequently follows

a line corresponding to the rich directives emanating from General

Chapter XlX.

One of the most significant, most productive and most binding

norms given us by that Chapter was that the Salesian is at the very

centre of the Congregation's interest. ln placing the Salesian at the

centre it obviously intended to make him more Salesian, a better

Salesian; it aimed at raising him in his entire being as a baptized

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person, as someone consecrated, as an apostle, as one specifically

dedicated to continue the mission of Don Bosco in his spirit and

with his style of doing things.

Actually the Congregation is not its works but its Salesians; the

Society is active and fruitful only in so far as each Salesian responds

to the ideal which the Church and the Congregation places

before him.

Although such a view, responding as it does to heartfelt and very

valid aspirations in the Congregation, has found some response and

development, it cannot be denied that it has fallen short of our

expectations. This is not the time to make a profound and detailed

diagnosis of the truly complicated causes which are also connected

with situations extraneous to the Society and which have limited

the energetic actualization of this vital directive of the Salesian as

the centre of the Congregation's interest. What one can say however,

with humble and serene sincerity, is that some progress has been

made in this direction.

The report, even though it may not clearly seem so, does

actually accompany and present the aspects and events in the life

of the Salesian, a life of consecration, of prayer, of fraternal and

practical living together, of apostolate.

Stages of formation

The Salesian at profession is not automatically the finished

product. Hence we have successive periods of formation with all

that that implies. But if it is true that there is a time-period dedicated

specifically to formation, it is no less true that even after such a

time there remains in all the need and hence the obligation of what

tihsetosdoa-cyaclleadlleSde"cocnedasNeolevsitsiaftoermcaotuiorsne"f.orTthheirteyxpperireiesntsceagt aCinaeradcaast

proved completely the vital

The report touches on

importance of

all the stages

tohfisfo"rmceaatsioenleswshficohrmcaotniocnern".

the life and future of the Congregation in the light of the experiences

of these difficult times, which for a variety of well-known reasons

have placed before the Congregation and particularly before those

responsible for formation at all its stages, new, complex and urgent

problems without end. The present phenomenon, with diverse and

even notable gradations throughout the world, has acute and some-

times grave stresses in certain regions. The report seeks as realist-

ically as possible to give a picture of the situation. But as lhave

already said, one must keep in mind the often notable diversity of

situational circumstances to be met with in the Congregation.

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ln my opinion, in dealing with the theme of formation in the

light of our own experience and that of others, especially in recent

years, we must completely review the whole cycle of Salesian

formation right from the very first signs of a vocation until the

attainment of its essential aims, together with its continuous nour-

ishment and renewal. The errors of the past, even the recent

past, should help us correct these mistakes with the necessary

courage and a healthy realism in order to forge new paths that

will help the Salesian of our times to Iive his vocation authentically,

with strong conviction, in detail and fruitfully.

Still dealing with formation, in the report you will find a section

treating of the problems of the P.A.S. Beading those pages you will

realize at once that the subject is of special importance. Representing

as it does the whole Congregation, the Chapter must not only get

a responsible view of the situation but it must study at least in

broad outline the solution of the problems posed. lfeel that in the

ligth of experience this major assembly of the Congregation will have

to indicate responsibly what the Society expects and demands from

the P.A.S., what directives it intends to give so that the very grave

sacrifices being made by the Congregation for the support of the life

of the P.A.S. may produce adequate results that are not only

intellectually and culturally sound but at the same time apostolically

Salesian.

Crisis of vocations

The sad subject of the vocations crisis will be found treated with

abundant data in the report. lt deals not only with the diminution of

the flow of new vocations but . also with the sad phenomenon of

those who leave the Congregation at various stages.

It is always painful to see confreres leaving us, but rnore so

when it concerns those who are mature in age, perpetually professed

or priests. We deal here with a phenomenon afflicting both male

and female religious orders and congregations and the whole Church.

Perhaps not all are aware that, according to the figures we have

received, our Congregation, although it has suffered acute losses in

the last three years, has nevertheless one of the lowest percentages

of loss on the statistical scale of the large male congregations.

A point that has notable influence in determining our situation

is the fact that the all-inclusive number of newly-professed, whilst

considerably reduced in comparison with what may be called the

boom years for vocations, has nevertheless remained at a steady

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level which gives a discreet proportion of compensation for the

losses due to departures from the Society.

Obviously however, this fact should not make us close our eyes

to the grave reality confronting the provinces and the Congregation.

On no account must we obscure or underestimate the phenomenon of

the truly serious and sometimes almost chronic haemorrhage suffered

by various provinces, simultaneously with the ageing of personnel

and the inability to cope any longer with tasks previously carried out.

The problem imposed by the vocations crisis is neither simple

nor easy and it is definitely linked up with many other problems,

some of which at a superficial glance may seem foreign to it.

,As you will see in the report, steps have already been taken to

confront this problem at various levels as it exists today, but I think

I can say that we have still a long and difficult way to go. We have

to equip ourselves with a great deal of humility to examine

realistically and see clearly, as far as depends upon us, the past and

present causes of this haemorrhage so as to tackle the whole

problem in all its component parts decisively, correctly and at the

proper time. We can say that this Special General Chapter has

the life and future of the Congregation in its hands and therefore

it must get to the bottom of the problem and crisis of vocations and

all the facts connected with it.

The contribution of so many qualified men from such diverse

regions, rich in the most varied experiences and especially animated

by firm and sincere love of Don Bosco who lives and is perpetuated

in the Church through the Congregation, will be invaluable in re-

invigorating in the Society that twofold fruitful, spiritual and apostolic

vitality which, whilst mitigating on the one hand the sad losses

that occur, will on the other attract and make itself esteemed among

the youth of our times.

Salesians coadjutors

rightSlypepaakuinsgesotfo"

tilhluestSraalteesiathne",soituf avtoiocnaticoonnsc,eornf icnrgisoeusr,

the report

very dear

confreres, the Salesian coadjutors, as seen under various aspects

and at various levels. Let me state at once that in the Congregation

we have in every continent many wonderful coadjutors, including

not only those mature in age but also very young ones who are

exemplary in every way: generous and very often truly self-sacrificing

workers, many greatly gifted through a cultural and technical

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formation which has enabled them to undertake various diff icult

offices splendidly. Their presence in the structures of government

and education has been a decidedly positive one. I feel it my duty

to witness to their religious and Salesian life, lived as it is so

coherently, conscientiously, and so often in suffering. I say " suffer-

ing

or

" 66s2r.e of

indirect help

the

they

fact that they do not always

have the right to expect.

receive

the

direct

Having said that, I rnust state that in addition to losses it is a

grave fact

an extent

that

that

the number

very many

porfocvoinacdejustohravvoecnaotiocnosaidsjustmoravllo-cattioonssucihn

the novitiate or beyond. This void should not leave us indifferent.

Whilst admitting the varied causes of the situation lfeel that a lot

depends on ourselves. ln the light of the whole realistic situation

the Chapter will certainly not fail to pinpoint these causes so as

to find the most suitable ways and means to eliminate them or at

least diminish them. With the highly distinguishable characteristics

that neatly differentiate him from the lay members of so many other

tchoengSreagleastiiaonnsco-adjuatoprocinotnsntoitut taelswasyosmeotrhinegvevryewryhespreecaipapl.reAcisatIedha-ve

said on other occasions, the Congregation would not be what

Don Bosco conceived and wished it to be if through some absurd

hypothesis it were to be deprived of the absolutely essential element

of the Salesian Coadjutor.

This subject therefore must certainly be deeply studied here,

looking to Don Bosco and the constant Iine of development through

his successors, at the same time taking into account the renewed

assessment given by Vatican Council ll to the layman in the Church

and in religious life, and the various consequences of this.

Salesians and poor youth

To live his special vocation, whether as a person or as a living

element of the community at local or provincial level or at that of

the whole Congregation, the Salesian must carry out the mission

ct"homenifsirdseeipodnort"toiasthreoennSeSocaceliesesstyiaarnbilyyaccPotrinovcvitoiydm.einYtaconeut..wTHhileelnfciidneedtahsiet "islSleuacsleotrsnaidatnepda"rwtaintohdf

the criteria already stated, namely the sectors within which our

apostolate in the world is framed and developed.

It is unnecessary to recall that this apostolate, whilst it has a

very special bias towards youth, and in particular the poor and needy,

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is still valid even though developed (right from its beginnings) in

a variety of ways.

With regard to apostolate among poor youth, works of social

assistance and promotion, we have asked all the provinces for one

final effort in this laborious preparation for the General Chapter,

namely to

not just a

provide as complete and up-to-date a report as

dry, disjointed list but rather an account which

poobsjseicbtlieve-ly

presents and describes the aspects and implications of all the

activities undertaken by communities, groups or individual confreres

in various forms of service to the poor and especially the young.

lwould here like to thank the confreres in the various provinces

who undertook the systematic collecting of all this informative

material. But lfeel that at this moment lam interpreting the unani-

mous sentiment of the assembly in expressing the Congregation's

gratitude to the thousands of confreres who in every place and in

the most diverse and daring forms, with a sense of total dedication

deeply combined with humility and simplicity that does not seek for

thanks or publicity, look always to Christ and to Don Bosco and are

the good samaritans of so many poor and needy brethren.

Not long ago, speaking to me of our confreres (poor among the

poor) who work in the immense and miserable slums of Tondo (ltrla-

nila) which he had visited, Paul Vl repeated in accents of deep and

sincere emotion: ,. They are heroes! They are heroes ". lVlany other

confreres deserve this elogium with those of Tondo. ln fact, thanks

be to God, the confreres of Tondo are not the only ones in the Con-

gregation who work thus with sacrifice and that joy that derives from

faith. We hope that the Chapter will give strong impetus to increase

their number and also that supernatural charity which is the uniquely

efficacious spur capable of carrying on such generous Salesian

activities.

Returning to the documentation of the activities on behalf of the

poor, lthink that the Chapter members will find in it sufficient material

to gauge the true position of the Congregation in this field so

congenial to the Society and to which such a great section of young

people in the Church and in our own environment are rightly very

sensitive. This documentation will be put at the disposition of the

Chapter members in its original form as it came from the various

provinces. In these accounts you will find not only many praise-

worthy things but also notable lacunae that betray a weakened and

perhaps in certain cases a deadened sensibility. Obviously it will

be the Chapter's task to find new forms in order to give where

necessary a renewed and courageous impulse to the work of service

on behalf of poor youth in the footsteps and spirit of our Father.

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Youth centres

A propos, of this irreplaceable apostolate of ours which is mainly

and generally directed towards youth, lthink it opportune to emphasize

two facts which seem to me to be very indicative and closely

connected.

ln 1967 the Rector lvlajor launched the idea of having a youth

centre in each province, even if necessary by transforming some

existing work. The idea was that each province should have at

least one work which was substantially faithful to the idea of

Don Bosco's Oratory, adapting it courageously to our times and

putting it at the service of today's young people, together with

activities corresponding to the real and various needs of the times.

This invitation clearly implied above all an effort and commitment

to seek new ideas that correspond to the needs of today.

ln all truth and sincerity lmust admit that the appeal was not

very successful. Whilst giving due acknowledgement to what was

done I must state that it was not much, apart from the fact that

in certain cases some ventures were youth centres only in name.

I mention this not so much because not many new youth centres

were opened as for the fact that all this is indicative of much

deeper and preoccupying situations and motivations to which I call

your attention in the report to the Chapter.

Be-dimensioning results

ln compliance with the decision of General Chapter XlX, after

long and deep preparatory study, the Rector tVlajor with his Council

invited all the members of the Congregation, through the various

organs of government, to collaborate in the realization of that vast,

complex and vital operation which went under the name of the re-

dimensioning of our works. Even if imperfect it was nevertheless a

first tentative step to interest all the members of the Congregation

in its problems.

What were the results of this operation? We must admit sincerely

that they were not really brilliant. l\\rloreover, a serene and careful

study shows that the many causes for the lack of success can be

reduced to a fact which we must admit with all humility, namely

that in the various parts of the Congregation the psychological and

technical preparation for a clear and courageous confrontation of the

mass of problems imposed by re-dimensioning was lacking. People

were simply not able to gauge accurately the many values and

spiritual, apostolic and formative interests which it not only wished

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64.1 Page 631

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to defend but to strengthen, keeping in mind the actual situations

in which the Congregation lives and the prospects which it will

inevitably encounter in the near future. ln fact it was not a question

of just closing houses but of studying everything so as to find an

operative plan that was realistic, farsighted and long-ranged, and

and in all this the reduction of works was only a part or rather a

point of departure. But as I have said, people were not yet sufficiently

prepared and mature enough for an enterprise of such proportions.

Nevertheless I must say that these recent years have seen a

positive evolution in this matter. Evident proof of this can be found

in the fact that in not a few provinces the work of re-dimensioning

was later taken up again, often at Provincial Chapters and with

criteria decisively different from the rather negative ones previously

used. This is an evident sign that, even though slowly, correct ideas

do go ahead progressively and find acceptance in minds open to

truth and to the common good.

At any rate the re-dimensioning did one good thing in almost

totally blocking the opening

was made to this idea!

of

new

houses

-

but what resistance

The lack of immediate success in re-dimensioning due to the

reasons stated is, I feel, a realistic warning: when drawing up plans

of work one must always keep in mind the foundation on which they

must rest and above all the men who must understand and who

can realize those plans.

Leaders

Closely connected with re-dimensioning is the problem of

leadership at all levels of the Congregation. lt is well to admit at

once that this problem is also felt outside the Congregation, in the

Church and in civil society and in extremely important sectors such

as politics, industry, economy, syndicates, etc. There is no point

here in giving all the complex causes for this.

Examining our own environment we are all daily aware of the

difficulty in finding leaders who respond to the needs of today in

our communities and works. These difficulties are aggravated first

of all by the great number of key-posts to be filled, for it is not only

provincials and rectors who have directive tasks. Think for example

of provincial and local vicarii, parish priests (about 700 parishes!),

headmasters, Provincial Economers, lttlasters of Novices, directors

of oratories, etc.

A good approximate computation comes to this conclusion: for

every two to three Salesians one should be a leader. This we admit

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can explain so many situations, so many deficiencies in the most

varied sectors of our life, religious and pastoral, organizational and

administrative. lt is true that we have begun to give a kind of

specific preparation to new provincials; here and there for some

years now courses have been organized for new rectors and others

responsible for particular departments. This is very good but it

does not resolve the problem, which is so very vast and has deterrent

repercussions in the life of the Congregation.

The lack of capable leaders, grave as it is in itself, gives rise to

other notable situations, e.g. the disproportion between personnel

and tasks. As has often been clearly stated, there has been an

excessive quantitative development through multiplication of works,

sometimes simultaneous with an evident diminution of vocations and

with other difficulties we can easily imagine.

On account of the haemorrhage afflicting the Congregation in

these times I feel there is need of extreme courage in restricting

our frontiers and in studying our choices well. Only in one way can

the Congregation give attention to its vital need for growth in

quality and depth, namely by the careful qualification of the confreres

which is today more necessary than ever and above all in the

spiritual, theological and pastoral fields as well as in the cultural,

professional and technical spheres. I think, for example, of the

need we have of confreres prepared in spiritual theology, catechesis,

liturgy; I ponder on how we can prepare people for the various

sectors of social communications and in the first place the press.

It is true that here and there this grave necessity is recognized

and effort is being made, but not enough. In my opinion the Con-

gregation needs action that responds to definite plans with realistic

criteria.

I trust that the Chapter members will once more take up these

preoccupations already brought to light in our XIX General Chapter

and will give the Congregation clear and precise directives for the

solution of these two vital needs: the qualification of Salesians

especially for the houses of formation, and at the same time the

adequate preparation of leading personnel for the needs of today.

The Missions

A word on the lVlissions.

Each year a good number of priests have responded to the Rector

fVlajor's appeal for Latin America. ln order not to upset the balance of

strength in the provinces of origin many requests had to be turned

down, but those we were able to send brought valuable aid to

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numerous missions which were in serious and urgent need. Huge

problems still remain.

Whilst Asia in general, and especially lndia, is moving towards

a certain self-suff iciency regarding indigenous vocations, Africa is

finding it difficult and I think that the Chapter, in treating of the

lVissions, should give its attention to this enormous continent which

offers us a field that is not only vast but also open to evangelization.

The problem of Latin America is a grave one on account of the

responsibility deriving from historical grounds and because of our

own considerable numbers there. ln the audience I had with him

tPhaeulgVrilefsaciodn:ta"inHeedlpinUsthtaot

save Latin America! ".

paternal invitation and

We can sense all

commitment which

touches our hearts. Don Bosco would certainly not have remained

insensible to it. Yet we cannot hide the tangible and constant

weakening of our forces in Latin America even in spite of the aid

from Europe. The Chapter must concern itself with this great and

difficult problem but I think that its very difficulty itself impels us

to find adequate solutions elsewhere. One solution, it seems to

me, is that we must seek to prepare layfolk, especially from our own

works, so as to obtain understanding and proved collaborators in

all the various sectors of our apostolate. Unfortunately, hitherto

little has been done by us to enlist the precious contribution of

our laity.

Becently something definite was begun here in Rome for the

serious preparation of layfolk to collaborate with us in the countries

that need help, but I trust that after the General Chapter not only

in Europe but in Latin America itself and the other continents

serious attention will be given to promote similar enterprises,

utilizing experience already gained. This will benefit those who

receive the help of these layfolk and no less the laity themselves

who will feel greatly enriched in a spiritual, apostolic and Sale-

sian way.

Fraternal solidarity

I cannot omit at least mention of Fraternal Solidarity. As has

been repeated in word and writing, this enterprise has as its scope

to break down certain psychological barriers and to develop a

communal missionary sensibility which expresses itself in positive

deeds. ln its wide sense it also rings true to Perfectae Caritatis

and the idea of Vatican ll. The economic aid thus donated to many

of our works which were in grave difficulties has certainly given

tangible evidence of this initiative. And so I wish to thank the

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provinces, communities and confreres who, understanding the mean-

ing and scope of the enterprise, came forward, even at the cost

of sacrifice, to meet the needs of deserving confreres and works.

But solidarity cannot stop at financial aid, even though that is

appreciated. People are coming to understand that it must extend

also to fields and sectors much more demanding but also more

enriching for those who give and those who receive. lt will be the

mark and result of that charity which is at the basis of the whole

of renewal in the Church and in the Congregation.

Following the directives of Perfectae Caritatis, by means of the

fruits of our solidarity compaign we have also given fraternal help

outside the Congregation to dioceses in Vietnam, to bishops and

religious in Pakistan and lndia, and to various social works in Brazil.

Social apostolate

From a reading of the report on the social apostolate it will be

seen that whilst much has been done in our activities on behalf of

the Cooperators a great deal still remains. This will be effected

through the Vatican Council directives for the apostolate of the laity

as well as through the very precious potential of multiple conscien-

tious and qualified collaborators which we can find in our layfolk,

of whom we have ever greater and more serious need. This, in my

opinion, is a most vital and interesting point which is also connected

with the thought of Don Bosco. The Chapter must study it deeply

so as to come to clear conclusions.

As regards the Past Pupils, progress has been made in various

parts of the Congregation to organize and assist them but our

sensibility on this subject must be developed at all levels of

responsibility. The case of our Past Pupils is not a superfluous

activity depending on the viewpoint of this or that individual; it is

the natural and necessary completion of the years and years of

education, work and sacrifice of so many Salesians. Hence this is

a responsibility which the community as such must assume, even

if individual persons are commissioned for it. Neglect of this

activity creates a void and a mutilation of our entire educative work.

Regarding the instruments of social communication also you will

notice that efforts have been made to go ahead according to the

norms and directives of Vatican ll and the hierarchy. lt should be

noted that this sector of the apostolate forms part of the specific

scope of our mission in the Church. A very serious and as yet

unresolved problem is the preparation of personnel suitable for this

form of apostolate today, for they are more than ever needed under

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every aspect. But even here this goes back to the re-dimensioning

of our works, to their grading and to the qualifying of the confreres.

Government and structures

We come now to the government and structures of the Con-

gregation, as they are called today.

Even if not in great detail, you will find in the report an adequate

account of the considerable work accomplished in these years at all

levels, and especially regarding the evolutionary maturing and translat-

ing into new styles and standards of government. This transformation

will appear all the more notable when compared with the customs

and mentality itself that existed only a few years ago but which gave

way before the deliberations of General Chapter XIX which were

authoritatively confirmed at Vatican Council ll.

The ideas which formed the basis of all this work emanating

from the centre and spreading out beneficially in the Congregation

were these: co-responsibility, mutual interest, participation, infor-

mation, dialogue.

ln harmony with these ideas were the very many meetings of

the Rector tVajor with provincials, provincial counsellors, rectors and

confreres responsible for particular sectors (e.9. houses of formation)

in the various continents; also the numerous meetings of the other

Superiors of the Council at Provincial Conferences and with other

groups and categories of confreres. lt has been remarked that never

before has there been such frequent and intense contact between the

Centre and periphery as in these years. That remark is true and I

should add that these encounters, held in an atnrosphere of brotherly

understanding and for the sake of mutual discussion of problems in

loco, are, when well prepared and planned, a very efficacious instru-

ment for a government which desires to obtain not so much the carry-

ing out of decisions, whether imposed from above or from afar, as the

search for the best solutions in the light of reality in the actual

places and times and using the results of common and varied

experience.

A very positive aspect of this collaboration and co-responsibility

has been the consultation of the confreres in regard to the selection

of men for special responsibilities. ln the great majority of cases one

noticed prudence and maturity in judgment and consequently well-

pondered and wise suggestions. Like so many others, this experience

has proved a very positive one and it will be defined and perfected

by the General Chapter. I think we can say without hesitation that

we are on the right road.

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Economy

The last part of the report concerns economy.

ln this delicate sector the Economer General has been in continual

contact with the Bector [Vajor and his Council and he has followed

the directives of the Constitutions, namely to give guidance and

service to the provinces, to administer goods not belonging to any

specific province, and to take care of concerns proper to the general

direction.

The report gives you an ample account of what has been done

to provide both provincial and local administration with an organization

corresponding to the importance and delicacy and in many cases to

the complexity of administration.

lVleetings at all levels, courses, and uninterrupted consultation

with continual contact between centre and periphery have been

excellent aids in improving many situations in the administrative-

economic-financial area which needs adequately prepared personnel.

Deficiencies of various kinds still remain, due to different causes.

Ithink the Chapter will have to insist on improvement in this area

which gives such necessary service and is so useful to the com-

munity and to its apostolic work.

ln the second place, as mentioned, the Economer General's office

has given service in the general administration, a work deserving our

grateful appreciation.

The report will certainly serve to discountenance those fantastic

stories published here and there to the detriment of the Congregation,

for it gives the actual facts which are in great contrast to them.

The first striking point in the report is this: the General Direction

has no fixed source of income either in the Congregation or in

property in order to meet the urgent expenses regarding its activities.

As can be seen in the statement of assets and Iiabilities the General

Direction, with all its worldwide bourdens and commitments, lives

on whatever Providence sends through benefactors, who are very

often people of modest means, almost exclusively in ltaly; the

contribution of any house, whilst appreciated, is a mere drop in the

ocean of its needs.

The charity of benefactors

ln practice therefore the General Direction depends on charity

and one might ask what would be the consequences of a cessation

or even a slackening off of this source of help. Don Bosco, who

always went ahead between debts and benefactors, will not allow his

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sons to lose their good name and the good cause which drew down

God's blessings on him even in material aid. In any case I think

the question needs to be asked also in view of the transfer of the

General Direction to Rome and in the eventuality that the Chapter

may wish to seek other arrangements in regard to the maintenance

of so many of our works in the world which at present depend upon

the Centre for support.

Whilst it is clear that we should be able to live by our work,

it should also be clear that for diverse reasons our work is often not

able to maintain all of our institutes (e.g. lthink of the enormous

difficulties encountered by some provinces in providing for the expen-

ses of personnel in formation), still less open new ones. This refers

especially to certain types of work, e.g. technical schools, charitable

institutes, retreat houses, the Athenaeum, or the Generalate. ln these

and other similar cases the Congregation has need of benefactors,

persons or social entities which in one way or another can assist us

financia lly.

Just now I have in mind as an example the enormous amount of

good effected by our missionary houses which for decades have sent

hundreds upon hundreds of confreres

the number has been estimated at

all over the Salesian

about two thousand

awnodrlfdift-y.

Some houses of this kind, e.g. Bebaudengo, Bernardi-Semeria, etc.,

bear the names of those great benefactors who enabled us to build

and equip them. There are many of them, not only in ltaly but in

almost all countries where our works exist and Iive through the

generosity of such benefactors. Even recently we have been able to

open certain works only because of help given by new benefactors.

However, such help, wherever offered, has never in any way

conditioned our apostolate, methods and liberty of action. We have

never become involved or entangled in operations or situations incon-

sistent with our condition as religious and Salesians. No matter

what pressure comes from certain particular situations, we certainly

cannot divert to other purposes those properties and donations

accepted solely for ends consistent with our mission.

I understand modern sensitiveness to this point and I am convinced

that far from ignoring it we should keep it well in mind and draw

the necessary consequences. The Chapter will certainly deal with

this argument, which has echoes and repercussions of great import

in so many sections of our mission. But I think it would be unjust

and unreasonable above all to pass judgment according to the stan-

dards and sensibilities of today on things that have happened in

the past.

Precisely in regard to present day situations, sensibilities and

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requests, we should proceed calmly and prudently, with a discerning

mind which knows how to distinguish things of value and moment

from what are not. I feel that Don Bosco would certainly act thus at

this juncture in reading correctly the signs of the times.

But I must conclude. Obviously economy has its due place and

role as a functional instrument in the life of the Congregation but it

is certainly not its central problem.

Gentral problem: the Salesian

I think you will all agree with me that the central problem of the

Congregation on which the Chapter must concentrate its interest

and from which all its other problems derive is the Salesian himself,

his identity, his mission, his formation, his style of life and all the

values that converge there. The Salesian is the living structure and

true cause of

d'€tre of the

tCheonCgorneggraetgioantio. nF-or

he is

this

the heart, the Iife, the raison

reason let me express once

more a firm convinction based on the Council and the whole post-

conciliar magisterium and on my own experience gained in meetings

with Superiors General. lt is one which has been suggested to me

also by the numerous and extremely varied contacts I have been

able to have in the different continents with hundreds upon hundreds

of confreres. N/y conviction is this: the enormous amount of work

done by the Congregation to prepare this Chapter will have been

in vain, as also the no less necessary and heavy work to which we

faorrethnofrwomcotmhims iCttheadp; tietr-a

quod Deus avertaf

Salesian positively

a-nd

there does not come

vitally renewed.

However, with full confidence we can say that such an hypothesis

lacks all foundation. The report which I have presented and com-

mented upon, with all its positive and negative aspects, presents the

most realistic and existential picture of the Congregation possible

but it should not tempt you to indulge in sterile criticism. lt is

presented merely to offer you a solid platform from which to go

forth with renewed energy after a courageous and fruitful review

of affairs, so as to actuate the programme which Paul Vl already

gave to the Congregation at the end of the XIX General Chapter in

the happy phrase: Progredire! lt is good for us to repeat that word

today because it seems to me to be the ever-living and ever present

echo of Don

I\\/ay the

VBiorgscino'sHeolwp nofpChrharsiset:ia"nWs heemlpuusst

ntootustillaizcekesnenosffi!bl"y.

this

twofold fatherly invitation: that of the Church through the pope, and

that of our Father Don Bosco.

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The Rector Maior's address of homage

to the Holy Father

on the occasion of the audience given

to the members of the General Ghapter

Appendix 4

Holy Father,

six years ago, before the Vatican Council ll celebrated its

closing session, your Holiness was kind enough to grant a special

audience to the members of the XIX General Chapter and to address

to them a very precious exhortation. On that occasion in your

opinion, the central theme was the repeated invitation to " forge

ahead ". During these six years past, which have not always been

easy, that call has been our guide and stimulus.

As a source of enlightenment and support in our efforts have

also been the directives that Your Holiness sent to the Chapter

last April, in the

Testificatio " which

more recently the

form of the

we received

apostolic

at a most

exhortation " Evangelica

opportune time, and still

documents of the Synod.

But each member of this Chapter felt deep down in his heart

an ardent desire for an encounter with Your Holiness, to hear yet

another word of encouragement and of enlightenment in the task

that we are bringing to an end and in the no less ardous task

that awaits us after the Chapter, to confirm our filial devotion and

obedience to the Pope and to receive his apostolic blessing.

On behalf of those here present, and of the entire Congregation

that they represent, I wish to express to Your Holiness our gratitude

for all the kindness that once again you have shown to the humble

sons of Don Bosco.

Our task which was prepared with the widest and, I would even

say, hectic participation of all the salesians spread all over the

world, has lasted for more than six months; and only now with the

election of the new members of the Superior Council has it entered

into its final stages. We have carried out these activities with

the guide-lines of the Church, with the Council and with the teaching

authority of the Church in mind. Our aim during these days has

been to bring about in our religious life that renewal of which Your

Holiness shows the Church the perfect example as well as the safest

627

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and most fruitful paths. lt has been our constant endeavour during

all these activities to remain faithful to Don Bosco, to our mission

and to our devotion to the Pope. First of all fidelity to Don Bosco,

man of God and also man of tireless activity. We are convinced that

the miracle of his undertakings stems solely from his faith, accom-

panied by a spirituality that was as simple as it was deep and

fruitful; a faith centred in Christ and hence ardently eucharistic and

filially marian. Now fidelity to Don Bosco necessarily presupposes

fidelity to the mission God entrusted to him, and which we have

inherited from his zeal: youth, especially the poorer youth and the

working classes. From this follow all the implications and problems

that dedication to our educative mission in the Church and in the

world of today bring with them.

Your Holiness is well aware of the love that Don Bosco had for

the Pope and for the Church, and how in all circumstances he

wanted to be their obedient and faithful servant. lt has been the

aim of the members of the Chapter to make their own, at this

present time, the attitude and the sentiments of our Father and

Founder.

Firmly adhering to these norms the Congregation can venture

with the courage and the audacity of Don Bosco, to use new ways

and means to develop in this modern world that christianizing and

saving activity that he was responsible for in a different social

context. And all this especially on behalf of youth, today the object

of so much hope even if at times coupled with anxieties and worries.

We are not anaware of the difficulties and perplexities which

await us along the path of renewal. We do not want to be overcome

by discouragement or weariness. Our belief in the cause we have

made our own in the life of the Church gives us strength and

endurance.

Holy Father, before closing I would like to make a twofold

offering which has but one meaning and purpose. This morning we

had the joy of concelebrating in the basilica of St Peter's: all the

concelebrants offered holy mass for Your Holiness'intentions. I

would also like to make you an offering for the more needy countries

and for the situations that cause you most sadness and are closest

to your heart. lt is the result of the sacrifices and mortifications

of many salesians scattered all over the world who would like to

express, just as the concelebrants did this morning, their sharing in

the worries that are yours as the Supreme Pastor and Father, and

architect of both peace and unity.

Holy Father, accept this twofold offering as our filial Christmas

homage.

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65 Pages 641-650

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65.1 Page 641

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Now we look forward to receiving light and encouragement for

the hard work that lies ahead from the word of Your Holiness and

from the apostolic blessing that you will impart.

I would like to request this special blessing on my own person,

aware as I am of the burden arising from the renewed confidence

of the

ask it

Chapter in me for the government of

for the Very Rev. Fr. Ziggiotti, Bector

the Congregation; I

lVlajor emeritus, for

the members of the new Superior Council whom I now respectfully

present, and on the whole salesian family that finds itself united

with us in this act of devoted attachment to the Vicar of Christ, and

desirous of bringing about this renewal in the spirit and under to

auspices of the Church.

Rome, 20 december 1971

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Discourse of His Holiness Pope Paul Vl

at the audience given to the members

of the Special General Ghapter "

Appendix 5

Venerable confrdres and Sons of Don Bosco:

We have a twofold motive for speaking to you. We shall leave

aside the first and concentrate on the second. The first one would

be a personal one: reminiscences, encounters, various dealings..'

obligations that tink my person and my recollections to your spiritual

family. And the other, derives from the oflice that providence has

entrusted to lJs, this other title, in virtue of which we certainly wish

to address a few words to you, words that can only echo those

uttered just now by... what do you call him?... Maior Superior?.-.

(Bector Maior)... Rector hlajor... we must be precise... (laughter).

And if the theme of our last encounter was that ol < ptolltcss >,

it will well accord with what I am about to say to you now, and

this time with greater reason, since in the years that have elapsed,

I have had plenty of opportunities of knowing about your activities

and your good se/ves; and I say to you now " PERSEVERE, perse'

vere, be laithful." So be it.

I cannot however entirely overlook the first item, that is, fhose

memories that come spontaneausly to mind in thinking of Don Bosco,

and which might well form a page of an autobiography.

When did I come to know Don Bosco? I did not know him

personally; I may be old but I am not as old as that (laughter).

When I was still small I remember that in my father's study, right

in lront of his desk, there was a picture in a corner; we children

used to have to climb up on a chair to get a closer view of it; it

was a picture ol Don Bosco, and underneath was this phrase written,

I believe, by Don Bosco himself

lruit

and

wofeorueragdotohdewnoarkmse. "ofHoonwe

... " At the end

many times we

who was then

of life we gather the

looked at that picture

neither beatitied nor

canonised, but already famous and well-known: and what is more,

well-known within my own family circle.

"The part printed in italics represents the impromptu impressions and

and personal memories ol the Holy Father.

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One of my uncles, this also is something quite clear in my

memory, studied medicine at Turin; and I don't know how it happened

but he later came to marry one of my aunts; both of them died later

at Alilan: he knew Don Bosco and Don Bosco is supposed to have

dsaoicdtotro ohfimyo: u"rYsoouuwl."illTbheesteheardeowctoorrdos fwmhyichbohdayveanbdecIowmiell

be the

part of

the tamily patrimony so to speak, and they always made a deep

impression on me. And then later we come to various people I

have known personally and over these I shall pass very briefly,

beginning with dear Don Cojazzi; for Don Cojazzi had the merit, not

unmixed with trials as so often happens in the christian life, of

becoming friendly with a nephew of mine. His name was... what

was it?... Fr. Louis. He was a very lively youngster and fhis is

something those who did not know him cannot appreciate. To put

It in a nutshell, lte never studied anything (laughter); he was too

full of life; bursting with energy. His mother, a worthy and holy

woman, entrusted him to me. I tntas a little older. I was just

ordained. And so we tried to knock just a little sense info his head,

at least enough fo pass the examinations (laughter). The outcome

did no credit either to the pupil or the teacher. But that good

mother kept a prudent, intelligent eye on him and she encouraged

him: outings, excursions, what have you. I don't know the particulars

but in one such outing he met Don Cojazzi. And that was the birth

of a salesian vocation. And I went with him to Turin, etc. And the

outcome was that he spent 17 years in Macau. But I still remember

when he came home atter the 17 years: his father was already old

but he loved his son with an alfection that had increased over the

17 years he had been away from the family, away from home; ...and

a missionary at that. Another thing: when he was about to depart

this youngster said to

fthoerrehimwithatmVee. n"iceAnodn

his

his

mother: " lf

mother saw

only

to it

I had a

that the

the ship. At that time a

car

car

car

to take out

was waiting

was really

something. Anyway, when he got oft the plane at Ciampino on his

return, I remember that he had completely changed in appearance.

He had become a man; he even had a beard; and his father didn't

recognise him.

he broke down

* Can this

in tears as

be

so

oLfuteigni!hAaprepeynosuinremalelyetmingysLoufigti?hi"s

And

kind

with so much affection and emotion. But we had better get on or

we shall never finish. And now we come to those I have known

here in Bome. As you know I was once the Ecclesiastical Assistant

of the Group of University Studenfs in Rome. But do you know

who my predecessor was? lt was Don Munerati who later became

Bishop of Volterra, and that was enough for us to meet at the little

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chapel of San Giovanni della Pigna which had become the chapel

of the lJniversity Sfudents of Rome. The students were very few;

but there were some and every Friday they would meet at San Gio'

vanni della Pigna.

And I was their assistant and I heard a lot of stories that I

won't repeat, about things that had happened in the time ol my

predecessor who, I say, was Fr. ltlunerati, the lamous canonist who

became Bishop of Volterra, native of Verona, I believe. But he also

had his own Rule; ...after all he was a salesian... and what mattered

most to him when he was still Ecclesiasflcal Asslstant, ...and I have

been told this by those who had seen and heard it... was to close

the meetings at 8:00 o'clock because at 8:15 he was supposed to

be at supper (laughter)... those were stormy days not unlike the

ones we are living in at the present time; there were no clashes

of the kind we know today, but at the same time there was never

aBwnehynaeatdgiirncegteewmnaeusnotu.t.hs. eaidnsedaaocrnoisfotansnea, yoaicncgwa:osni"odnLeisrhfteuelnhl,aitldtaledthsem, awgnoo..n.dtgeoirvfeuBl ehinfimesdoimcthte.i.s-.

note; and he wrote " Please give

of wine so that we can end our

the bearers of

meeting with

this note two bottles

a drink." They were

off like arrows; in an instant they were back again; but they did not

return the note which they kept in their pocket (laughter). And so

every so often without a word to Fr. ltrlunerati they want back to

Benedict (laughter). And he in all good laith produced the wine.

When at last Fr. Alunerati lound out what was happening he burst

out *

end.

Here, what's going on? "

But the other episodes

And

have

thus the incident came to an

not come to an end, because

subsequently I had so many occasions of meeting your confrdres.

I would like to mention Fr. Biavati, for example; ah; there he is; good!

And there was Fr. Sinistrero, another great man who is now at Villa

Sera, unless I am mistaken. And l've no need to recall the late

lamented Fr. Tomasetti, and his successor Fr. Castano. And many

others.

But since Fr. Bicceri has said that one of your prerogatives,

one of the characterlstlcs of your vocatian is to take care of the poor,

of the young, ol those who get no attention anywhere else, (you

have to provide the help and attention that society and the Church

are not in a position to extend to certain c/assesJ, lwill tell you

of one of the latest encounters which has left a deep impression on

me and lilled me with commotion and ioy and which took place in

that well-known but unfortunately most miserable quarter of Atlanila;

what's it called, Tondo? Yes, Tondo. To visit them was fo pass

through hovels in a swamp, but the sa/eslans were there. And I

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remember that one of them spoke... naturally he spoke in his own

tongue; then it was translated; I was deeply impressed by that

heroic dedication so sound and effective, and exercised at such a

level that it were difficult to descend much lower.

And all honour to you therefore, dear confrdres and sons of

Don Bosco. You are on a great highway and this is the reason that

my word to you ls fhis: FORGE AHEAD, DON'T STOP, PERSEVEBE,

because you are really and truly on the path marked out by your

Founder, which is none other than that marked out by the Lord

himself and therefore)...

We greet with affectionate respect the members of the Salesian

Special General Chapter gathered in Bome for the up-dating of their

Constitutions, and eager, before leaving for their respective posts,

to testify their filial devotion to the Vicar of Christ. We thank you

warmly, beloved sons. lt is always a source of joy for us when

we are given the opportunity of meeting the sons of St. John Bosco.

Today's visit, however, on a solemn occasion such as this, which

shows present here before Us the representatives of the seventy

three salesian provinces scattered over the world, brings back to

our mind, deeper and more moving than ever, the significance, the

role and the commitment within God's Church of your great religious

family. We think of the immense flowering of works and activities

due to the zeal and the sacrif ice... sometimes heroic... of your

confrdres.

Precisely when we feel ourselves almost overcome by so many

difficulties, so many vexations, so much unfaithlulness, by so many

clashes over nothing, in brief by so much wretchedness and misery,

precisely because we are human, and it becomes almost overpower-

ing; on these occasions the only comfort the Pope has is that of

opening the window, a metaphorical window of course, and looking

out over the panorama of fields of work cultivated like yours. The

sa/esians are there in the Church! Ot course there are also reli-

gious families as well, but we are not talking about them at present.

Ah! we feel fresh and confident again and we leel almost palpable

proof that the Lord is with us, that he is really utilizing the hands

of the Church for this work of evangelization which never ends and

v,rhich never will end as long as the world exists.

But we see it under an aspect that fills us with joy and gratitude.

The work is llourishing, the work is spreading, the workers are good,

they are faithful, they are united, they are truly representative of

that tradition that today is dlscussed on all sides, a tradition that

has its roots in Christ, that found an interpreter in Don Bosco who

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gave it new life, a traditiotl that is continued through us. Thanks be

to our Lord and God! And we take up the task with renewed trust,

and for this it is my duty to thank first of all the Rector ll,laior, the

Rector Atlajor emeritus, and all the rest of you, and I do it all the

more sincerely in the name of Christ.

We think of so many needy young people who find in your

institutes wholesome education and the possibility of finding a

worthy place in civil life. We think of the vast fields of the missions,

where your institute has won such high merits. I have been Archbi'

shop of A/lilan and I have some personal knowledge of you, no? I think

of Sant'Agostino and the other wonderful institutes like the one at

.Sesto San Giovanni. Oh, what a wonderful sight to see so many

young apprentices preparing themselves tor the world of work, but

tempered like good steel to face life fully equipped as men and

christians. And when we were about to leave A/lilan we had the ioy

of giving you yet another headache, that of establishing a parish,

that of St. Dominic Savio; I made the decision but I did not have

the pleasure of seeing it functioning; this is lusf to show you what

appreciation and

living and active

what proofs we

witness you give

have of your

to the gospel.

activities

-

the

How many reasons to thank the Lord and to congratulate you!

N/ay you be blessed for it all, beloved sons.

(The blessing that we intend to give you at the end is not iust

something conventional; I want it to be a real out-pouring of the

heart and, if God accompanies it with his grace, an efficacious source

of consolation, of sanctification in your vocation, to increase your

energies and to give you just a little bit of happiness in what you

are presently doing or will do in the future. Difficulties will most

certainly not be wanting on your path; but may you always be in a

position to carry with you the secret of knowing that we serve Christ

Jesus and that we carry him with us and that we share him with

others.)

The Church of God is proud of your diffusion, of your evangelical

example, of your generous apostolic dedication.

But it is clear that the continuity and the efficiency of your

work will not be attained without a courageous revision, a thorough

adaptation of your Constitutions, to give your Congregation that open

and up-dated character that the demands of our conciliar renewal

and the necessity of the times require.

It is just to this task that you have applied yourselves in the

past six months. We know that in the long and laborious discussion

of your Chapter you have already worked out the canons of your

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" aggiornamento." We know how fully and how completely you

have dealt with the various problems. Now all that remains for us

to do is to recommend to you to treasure all this study and apply

resolutely the prescriptions you have undertaken to observe.

But our affection for your Congregation and the importance of

its position within God's Church induce us to express to you some

thoughts that your visit awakes in our mind. lt is not a question

of new reflections because they have already been discussed in the

course of your gatherings. But repeated by Us at this significant

meeting, they will give you and your confrdres the comfort of

knowing that the Pope is in spiritual harmony with your directives.

You certainly intend, as the Council prescribes and as the raison

d'etre of every religious institute dictates, to think again upon your

origins, first and foremost. (How strange and yet how delightful!

To discover the youth of a Congregation, if is necessary to go back

to its old age, i.e. to its beginnings and this sometimes takes us back

hundreds of years. That's the way it is with the things that belong

to the kingdom of God: the origins.)

This is the first renewal: a more keenly felt need to live one's

religious vocation authentically in conformity with the orlginal spirit.

The tree lives by its roots. And there is no doubt that your most

vital roots are the example and teachings of St. J. Bosco. No oppor-

tune adaptation must ever forget or, worse, distort the characteristic

appearance that the Founder wished from the beginning to stamp

upon your institute. And therefore the education of youth evan-

gelization of unbelievers, catechetical apostolate, love of the pope,

devotion to the Blessed Virgin, remain the characteristic features of

your Congregation. Love them dearly, so dearly as to consider them

a precious heritage of which you must be legitimately proud, and

which you will wish to preserve intact (even if llourishing with

new forms and new works); today especially when a destructive

mentality tries to subject every institution, even the most sacred

to corrosive examination and complete and ruthless criticism.

At this point, because of the affection we have always borne

for youth and now still more because of the paternal and pastoral

charity of our apostolic office, we cannot but rejoice at seeing

you confirm your concern for the young, particularly the poorest

and the neediest.

It has been well said! They are resf/ess,. lor some reasons they

are either rebellious, or tired. What kind of psychology is growing

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up in them! Whatever it is it should make our love for youth increase.

Don't check this love, don't let it decrease. We have to be wise and

prudent enough to be able to find the key that will enable us to

enter into the twisted and entangled psychology of this new youth;

and to possess the friendship and the patience to reshape them in the

order of grace and human wisdom to be youngsfers ol a generation

that will be worthy of achieving a good result and a worthy place

in history. At this point We could make an important digression,

one however that you do not need. /f is fhis. lt might be asked

whether after a hundred years it is not high time to abandon

positions originally taken up? Or in other words, might not perhaps

your way of teaching, of approaching youth, of working, be out-dated?

It is not. St. John Bosco was a prophet, he was able to anticipate

the needs of the times, he set you on a path that challenges all

time. And today you find yourselves in the vanguard of education

both civil and christian to form youngsters into good and strong men.

At the same time however the question rises spontaneously

whether the educative tradition of Don Bosco, who lived in times

so different from our own, is still relevant today; whether his methods

have still an appeal in our day, and whether it meets the needs of

young people today, so precociously aroused to sensitivity, aware-

ness, choice of the values of life, and at the same time so full of

difficult and complex problems. This doubt is at once answered by

a real fact, which is the presence of your oratories, your schools,

your vocational institutes, widespread everywhere and still so alive

and flourishing.

A little incident... We might as well insert it here. Last year,

when We went on that long trip to the Far East, We made a short

stop during the night at Teheran... that's correct, isn't it?... for

refuelling; and I remember as if it were only yesterday going from

the plane through the people who surrounded us, not very many, it

is true, but when all is said and done, it was very late at night

and we couldn't expect very much especially in the dark; yet all of

a sudden we heard someone say in ltalian: " Oh, Don Alontini, the

helper of young people. They were your own boys from the Salesian

School of Teheran. They were even there! Yes, these may be little

things but they do tell you that Our heart is filled with ioy and

emotion which are for us testimony of what you are and of what

you are capable of accomplishing.

This means that the human and christian principles on which

Don Bosco's educative system is based, contains values that do

not age.

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It is not difficult to discover their secret, since this incomparable

example of a christian pedagogical humanism, as we already had

occasion to tell you

roots into the gospel,

in another

where we

smeeemCohrraisbtlehummebelteinhgi,m"spelluf ntgoersaisites

the creature to God, become weak with the weak to lift man up to

truth and goodness, not with the extraneous authority of one who

imposes the law heavily but with the authority of one who meekly

and bravely sets forth God's law as the expression of his love and

the condition of our salvation, and obeys the same law with the

person being educated. ln other words Don Bosco found his secret

in charity, which is the summary, as it were, of his educative work."

(Address to the PAS 26 October 1966) We have a last recommen-

dation to make. ln face of the risk of excessive activism and the

influence of secularization, to which religious communities, especially

communities like yours that are dedicated to active work, are more

exposed than ever today, see that care of your spiritual life, prayer,

the spirit of poverty, love of sacriflce and the crose, always have

first place in your lives. lf the desired aggiornamento were not to

bring back apostolic dynamism to a closer contact with God, but were

ot lead it to a surrender to the worldly mentality, supporting short-

lived and changing fashions and attitudes, to imitation of the world

in its various forms and without discernment, then it would be neces-

sary to reflect seriously

becornes tasteless what

coannthmeakseeviet rseawltyoradgsaoinf?thlteisgogsopoedl:fo"rlfnostahlt-

ing and can

It seems to

only be thrown out

us that the spirit of

to be trampled underfoot

your saintly founder, who

by men. "

in his life

was so open to the needs of young souls but always so united with

God, asks you specially to make this particular effort; and we are

certain that, as always, more than always, you will accept the

impulse given by him.

And ncw a wish and a prayer. lVay lVlary most holy, the Help

of Christians, the star of Don Bosco, his inspirer, his guide, the

comforter in all his enterprises, pour forth her light on the great

salesian family, renewed not only in its external structures, but even

more in its genuine spirit. lVay she increase more and more,

beloved sons, your love for souls. [Vay she make you aware of the

urgency and the multiplicity of the needs of Holy Church. [t/ay she

guide you along the path to new spiritual heights. lVay she bring

you one day to the possession of Christ and of his glory, to whom

your whole life is dedicated. And may the apostolic blessing that

we willingly impart to you at this moment, descend liberally and

comfortingly upon each one of you, on your work, and on the whole

of your Congregation.

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Special General Ghapter

Rector Major's closing address

Sth January,1972

Appendix 6

After living together for nearly seven months, after praying,

working and suffering together, often wearled by fatigue and dif-

ficulties of one kind and another that arose from the apparently

never-ending work, but always with the common purpose of respond-

ing in the most effective way to the mandate given us by the Church

and the Congregation and spurred on by a love greater than any

dthifeficgurlatyce-

the love of

of God we

Don

see

Bosco and

the crown

thpleacCeodngornegoatuiornto- il:totdhaey

by

XX

General

And

Citshacplotesrur-e

tathkeesSpplaecceiailnCnheawptearnd-

comes to an end.

significant circumstances;

there are present today official representatives of the other groups

that make up our great family: the Daughters of tVlary Help of

Christians, the Volunteers of Don Bosco, the Cooperators and the

Past Pupils. This is something that gives us great joy because it

marks the beginning of a more intense, more purposeful and more

efficacious collaboration, the fruit of that unity of spirit and of

mission which in different ways and in different degrees binds us

together and unites us as children of the same father, Don Bosco.

I am especially glad to be able on this solemn occasion to

present officially to our good Cooperators the Declaration made by

the Special General Chapter in reply to their message to us, and

it is my earnest hope that both message and reply may help to

bring about, through a better understanding of the role of the laity in

the Church which is so much desired at the present day, a renewed

commitment and a reinvigoration not only on the part of the Coo-

perators but even more on the part of the Salesians, from whom the

Cooperators await that special spiritual leadership and guidance of

which they feel so great a need.

It also gives me great pleasure to present to our Past Fupils

the declaration which embodies the piedge of the Chapter in their

regard too. You also, on different grounds and in different ways,

are closely linked with the Congregation; every day provides new

evidence of this fact, and ltrust that this declaration will serve not

merely to strengthen the bonds that bind us in mutual affection, but

638

66 Pages 651-660

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66.1 Page 651

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will make of your Confederation through the efficacious action of

the salesians a living, active and penetrating force, diffusing in

society that christian and salesian sense which is the most valuable

thing that you received during your education in the house of

Don Bosco.

To the Daughters of lVlary Help of Christians I have already and

very recently conveyed our best wishes at the opening of their

centenary year. I repeat those good wishes on this solemn occasion,

and with me I associate all the members of the Chapter and of our

whole family.

To the Volunteers of Don Bosco, happy at the recent recognition

of their lnstitute by the Holy See, we express the hope that soon

they may become an institute of pontifical right and that their

members may ever grow in strength especially from a spiritual point

of view, and that their unique and far from easy apostolic work may

flourish in the spirit of Don Bosco.

And now, returning to our Chapter which is coming to an end,

I do not think

of outstanding

it an exaggeration

importance for the

to describe it as a " spiritual event,

whole salesian family, and especially

for the Congregation which has the responsibility of reanimating the

various groups that make up that family. lt is undoubtedly one of

the most significant events of the hundred years of our history. We

can truly say

even through

and our sins.

that God has indeed visited us, and this

- our very weakness, our shortcomings,

doeusrpmiteist-akeosr

The link made by the Holy Spirit with our Father and Founder has

been confirmed and renewed. A feeling of wonder and gratitude,

and indeed an inner conviction based on all that we have received

in these past months makes us proclaim: " God loves us ". Our

Lord wants our special vocation in the Church. Our Blessed Lady is

with the Congregation now, as she was at its beginnings.

And this knowledge leads us to preserve Don Bosco's optimism,

to keep a serene trust based on faith even though we are well aware

of the difficulties of the present day. We are witnessing a change

in cultural values; the signs of the times are moulding a new kind

of man; the process of secularization compels us to make a profound

revision of many traditions that are dear to us, but it is also true

that .,

needs

Gaosdthiseywiathrisuse."

to suggest the opportune

This took place first of

response to future

all for the Church

with Vatican ll, and it has happened for us salesians in this Special

General Chapter. We can bear witness to the fact.

lf we are really convinced of this, then before we go back to

the daily grind with its hundred and one pressing problems, let us

639

66.2 Page 652

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confidently put our

you everything; he

trust

will

binrinthgeewveorrydtshionfgJteosuyso: u"rTmheindS.p" irit

will

teach

But if we accept the fact that through the goodness of God

and despite our many shortcomings, our individual and common

mistakes, we have played a part in an exceptional spiritual event of

which in a mysterious way the chief architect, precisely because

of this sense of deep faith we must also accept without reserve or

mental restriction of any kind the clear obligation that the Chapter

imposes on us. And what is that obligation?

The Special General Chapter imposes on all, and especially on

us capitulars, a constant obligation of renewal. The task imposed by

o" fEtchcelesCiaheapStearn,cwtaeere",

the preparation and enactment of

directed to a single objective: the

the whole

renewal of

our salesian vocation in the Church. We might say that this Special

Chapter, by giving us an official place in the pentecostal action of

Vatican ll, requires of us a more dedicated and authentic vocational

sense in accordance with the def inition of renewal given by the

Council:

The

b" iAgnqiunecsretiaosnesd

fidelity to

about our

one's proper vocation. " (U.R. 6)

vocational identity: Who are we

in the Church? What kind of witness do we have to give? What is

oaut resvpeerycialel vweol rak?nd-

all

from

these

every

have

point

been answered by the Chapter

of view; these answers must

now be translated fully into action in our lives as we set out with

determination on the long path that still lies ahead of us. And as

we begin we must be on our guard against some very real dangers

that could weaken and even make impossible the great work of

renewal.

The Special General Chapter tells us that in our renewed com-

munities, after our common discussions and investigations there

comes the moment for making responsible decisions, and once that

has been done the time for discussion and experiment is over and

there begins the serious constructive operation in which we all

work responsibly together to put into effect what has been decided on.

This is what happened in the Special Chapter itself. There was

a period of common research and then we reached definite decisions,

sometimes with a very large majority but always with a majority

more than sufficient, decisions which are binding on all of us at

every level, wherever we are in the world and whatever our work.

It would be a painfully negative attitude and certainly no sign

of love for Don Bosco and the Congregation to emphasise only those

items that reflect our own point of view. Renewal comes from the

complexus of doctrines and norms of conduct which form an indivisible

whole for salesians and provinces of all the world and every part

640

66.3 Page 653

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of it, for university professors and for teachers in elementary schools,

for old and young; they are not just indications and pious exhortations,

but are binding on all of us and in their every part. And this applies

especially to the Constitutions and General Regulations.

The Chapter and its deliberations, beginning with the Constitu-

tions, if they are to be efficacious in bringing about this renewal,

must be accepted in their totality, without parentheses, without

arbitrary

with the

changes or personal interpretations,

abundant explanations provided by

tehxeacdtloycatrsintahlesyecatrioens-.

I would go even further. During the discussions certain theses,

certain opinions, certain trends were bolstered up by quotations from

the Bible, from Council documents, f rom salesian sources, f rom

theology and canon law, but inaccurately and sometimes with distor-

tion of the context. This must not happen with the capitular docu-

ments. Let us all try to be sincere in such quotations, to interpret

the overall will and desires of the Chapter which are to be found

canolowntatryainsdicatthvooreyidvauansrdiienoggpaetqenudototvaciteihowanlslsenfergoxepm-retshbseeudtCinhinathpetdeisrdceiuncsisssiiuoocnnhss.a-Wweaomyftueasnst

to invoke its authority to support our own personal ideas which

may be partially or even totally opposed to its true thought. There

must be a real " conversion " on the part of everyone to the totality

of the Chapter's mind, even in those items which do not accord with

our own point of view. This is how we shall really bring into being

that salesian ( communion " that we have talked about so much in

our assemblies.

A word also about two other attitudes which could seriously

compromise the work of renewal and against which we must be on

our guard. The first is indifference, which could arise from many

causes, and the other is the disappointment which is likely to affect

those who have been

give. The Chapter

expecting from the Chapter something it cannot

of its very nature could not fail to reaffirm

vigorously and decisively the austere demands of a religious life

that has been really renewed.

The Special Chapter, going back to the gospel and our salesian

beginnings, calls us again to follow with generosity the poor, chaste

and obedient Christ; it brings us back to the interior renewal based

on true prayer and a committed spiritual life which are the necessary

premise for the enthusiastic apostolate to which our mission calls

us. And all this means that we must set to work, to get on with

the job, to shake off any feelings of indifference and methodically

mobilize our energies

and inane enthusiasm

with faith and

but one based

eonnthpursaiacstimcal-idenaoltsa. nOeumr petny-

641

66.4 Page 654

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thusiasm springs from a mature understanding of what is at stake,

but is at the same time strengthened by a strong yet humble faith,

a faith which lends great courage, the courage to be constant, the

courage

minds,

of

to

Don Bosco's ( contra spem in spem

conquer hearts, to commit wills,

credidit ", to

remembering

enlighten

that our

work would be all in vain unless in ourselves we presented an

exemplar of the renewed salesian of the General Chapter.

l\\/y dear confrdres and sons, after spending together seven

months of heavy work we now have to split up, but it is no paradox

to say that we must separate united. lt was inevitable during our

work that our ldeas and desires, our assessments of people and

things, might lead to divisions amongst us, but from now on we

must be united. Let us completely forget, let us not take back

to our provinces, any recollections other than those of charity, of

trust and communion; let us think of the young, the large numbers

of the young, hungry for love and often also for bread and in need

of everything, of the young who look to us for strength and light

and guidance. Let us always remember that they are essential to

our mission, both as those to whom that mission is directed and

as our future brethren. ln us who are older they look less for

authority than for example; they want to see in us men dedicated

to them, able to show them by our example the way to follow.

This is an idea of an old statesman, not a believer but wise none

the less, and a past pupil.

And so to these young people, who are at the same time the

reason for our mission and also our hope, let us present ourselves

united, in our ideas, in our methods, in the task given us by the

Special Chapter and in the charity we take away with us at its

conclusion. Let us show them the way; let us smooth out the

obstacles on the road which tomorrow they must follow. This is

the reason we exist.

And with that I have finished. I want to express my thanks to

all, to everyone who has been connected with the Chapter, and

especially to

have carried

its

an

architects,

enormous

to its more outstanding

weight; and I ask you

a" lvlicttoimtsak"ewmhoy

greetings with you wherever you go. And I would like to end with

a final thought of her who has been present at every moment of

our history with her motherly intervention, Mary the lmmaculate

Help of Christians. And may Don Bosco see always in us his

true sons, and be lavish in the fatherly blessings he showers upon us.

642

66.5 Page 655

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Appendix 7

Ghronicle of the XX Special General Chapter

The confrdres are already aware of the progress of the XX SGC

from reading the Newsletters in the different languages. And so

this chronicle is limited to a brief review of the principal events.

'l . The Spiritual Exercises in preparation for the SGC, which

were made by the Chapter members in private, were followed by

a day of recollection on June 9th. The preacher was Fr. Robert

lVloretti, a Carmelite, from

brated fVlass at which the

the " Teresianum "

Rector [\\4ajor gave

in Rome. Goncele-

the homily brought

the day to an end.

2. The members who took part in the Special General Chapter

are listed elsewhere. The Provincials and Delegates from the

provinces of Hungary and Czechoslovakia were unable to attend.

The Rector N/ajor sent out special invitations to certain con-

frdres to be present as observers without voting vights: these are

listed in Appendix 8. Also listed in the same appendix are those

who were invited as experts.

3. The XX SGC was held in the seat of the new Generalate

(Via della Pisana, Rome). lt began its work with a solemn con-

celebrated Mass on 10 June, the feast of Corpus Christi, followed

by the opening session. This was presided over by the Bector

t\\4ajor; also present at the presidential table were Bishops Carretto

and Prata, as well as Fr. Gaetano Scrivo, N/loderator.

Also present at the opening session were the lVlother General

of the FMA with her Vicar, the President of the Don Bosco Volunteers,

members of the National Council of the Past Pupils, the Co-operators

and the Salesian Youth N/lovement.

After the recital of the Adsumus, the Secretaries were nominated

(Fr. Alexander lVachuy and Fr. John Baptist Lucetti), the message

of Card. G. Villot, Secretary of State to His Holiness, and numerous

expressions of good will which had been sent to the Bector [Vlajor

by various authorities and confrdres were read.

The Rector lVlajor's opening address is given in Appendix 2.

4. ln the next few days work began immediately with the

Bector tVajor's presentation of his Beport on the state of the Con-

643

66.6 Page 656

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gregation (cf. Appendix 3) and the formation of the commission for

the revision of the rules of the Special General Chapter and of the

informal groups to study the pre-capitular schemes of Frascati.

Then commissions and subcommissions were established to

work out, study, and develop the basic themes of the Chapter;

these are well known to the Congregation after the consultations

of the previous two years (1969-1970).

At the request of the members of the Chapter three further

subcommissions were established to consider

Catechesis ",

action ", and

t"hTeh"e

Oratory

PAS ,,.

as

the

pattern

of

r"eEnevawnagleolizfaStioanlesaiannd

5. During the work of the Chapter which in part coincided with

the celebration of the Synod, there was no lack of:

a) Vlsits of well-known people:

...Cardinals: Hildebrand Antoniutti, Prefect of the Sacred Con-

gregation of Religious and Secular lnstitutes; Gabriel [Vlaria Garrone,

Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education; Angelo

Rossi, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelization

of Nations; lVichael Pellegrino, Archbishop of Turin; Raul Silva Henri-

quez, Archbishop of Santiago (Chile); Stephen Wyszynski, Primate of

Poland; Joseph Hoeffner, Archbishop of Cologne.

...of many bishops, including lVlons. Andrew Pangrazio, diocesan

Bishop of our Generalate and the Secretary of the Bishops' Con-

ference of ltaly; and Bishops from Africa, America, Asia and Europe.

...of lecturers: Fr. G. Beyer, Dean of the Gregorian Pontifical

University; Bro. C. Carretto, Fr. F. Brocardo, Fr. E. lVarcoaldi and

Fr. D. Bertetto (the last four for the lVonthly Betreats).

...of Dr. Joseph IVl. Taboa da Lago, President of the Confederation

of Past Pupils; Professor Aldo Angelini, Vice President of the Con-

federation of Past Pupils; Professor Augustus Vanistendael, President

of the Past Pupils of Belgium and Secretary General of CIDSA; Aw.

Nicholas Ciancio, President of the Past Pupils of ltaly; l\\,4r. Hofacher,

Secretary of Adveniat.

b) Special events:

...June 21st, St. Aloysius, feast-day of the Rector IVlajor: this

day was the occasion for a happy celebration characteristic of the

family spirit of salesian life.

...June 29th: feast of the Holy Father; in the afternoon the

Chapter members went to St. Peter's to assist at the Holy Father's

lVlass.

644

66.7 Page 657

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in

...1n the

Pakistan.

month

of

September:

a

day of

fasting

for

our brothers

jubile..e.Doecf .F8r.thR:eanaftoamZiirgygicoettrie, bRraetciotonr tMoamjorarekmtheeripturiess.tr'y gi orden

sssecmauuovolpbenerecncns6oeriiinia.nmloegngTrbmsshwpr,iaersaopatsnrermyliodddoeev.nrtaimsnt/fmcatbefiseoaersrnllelss,ootewoioanifnnetgh.sddtsehwd.rbeeeTtylorehCeggtehhaetateatdehpkaste"eeyrnfrgrowoonuromaopdsirnmbtnbhyatria;olglgnyidhreggibnifuh,feeaetgigi;aeteairovnnge-taatnrhsposeaicuenrrmptdostsabsu.eloyirefMnwswtohiibttosnehyrt

Work in the general assembty covered:

...the approval of the regulations for the general chapter (ZO

June) ;

...the election of three chairmen (Bro.

Edward Fox, and Fr. Julian Gouriou, 26 June) i

Mario

seren

Tha,

Fr.

amMoaCdd.he.e.ar.atpuhttoeeprr,soSethteftceintrhegttheaurreypp;eroeCfshtidhaeeirnmcteeonn,tfraptrhreecsoid-SoeprndetiscniaaotlfindtgheecnoeCmroamml imCssifsi,sorinlotn"(sic,catctn)d"

otrfa-hoentlerladrl.etnsi.Bn.fft.ougetrhrdgmeetyuosalstaotreittoifhitcontetitnnheosgePd;fauttpghhsprrteoeoopbcuGufloepponnmismerfs:rwmd,ofrofti"eshrdssSeiieoptfdtneehhecceecfitaoiroacldrnorCarsmtath.oiomwemniimsnp1sogiisoosstnu-iiochpnhfeoa,rop:cttfoehth-retoeh*pcoeeCorrnoakdsmto;tomictr,uusinstm,isaoaieonnnonsdtf

tsamoinmodsdupel't.teha.rapnenkleen.eonqfuarusoriypmtmrsaetenhsnssertiaoitbnninecsggl:uinadsniytnisngftigersamotnfatehJneudleslyiaet,rodwinenevictircheeseehfAceorrruedlrtaeinvcMooaatridgnrsngiegac-,droee*nqivtduifc,ehesa,ittisla",

fagarfatpsioehnn.parfualoteaprdlebotcuelejrhwe.pedasv.cerx.ssoeotet"daettchde,d(rdmufeasiomnbo.awitnrpofysealryodnvetaaaenitosotetetnhgcrseneaeoseesotsnncuacueohfwotlindilrteotnfhah-munddreboereerdentfeohpitsttvtewnfhhacharecueeortccushsfcoeesnoatoeuirpsbutomdidsstomnSeameyndpbcrrfevyheroaooa,naeriflftcttdomsioseoewesfnersafpaesisssnaend:uwicdistgntibichevoagvtayeenelhrorksstaelpevaiteifnriipnorvonlgfpnorwbglrbrstlo,teese"ytevrt-rmterataexitenrassatidcfn;nwstwihiJvroutteaisihuh-nddswtmuigi"ish1"ahtios"i0enl"ossf0twahhinp0oraaaeoat)"ndsyl;rr,l

645

22

66.8 Page 658

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7. During this part of the proceedings some important events

took place.

,

,".au)ntOvno6te,Dpetcaecmedbehris19o7w1nthmeanRdeactetoirnMthaejorhafandllsinogf-itnhteo

line with

assembly

which had been especially

* After the approval of

convoked for

the article of

this purpose' He said:

the constitutions of scheme

18, which fixes t'he length of the term of-office oJ the Rector Major

at six years, out of

you treie represent,

u

I

iun""

have

of respect for the Congregation..which

reached the following decision "coram

Domino".

Cnmboehatanapd"hbltaanelteverseftpioonairnteeyyaoxoprupefrrteethrrhsoieoasadnfctadhtoiscvrofetsuttohwgfohaetrhlctvyaleweot,uwaynreseitvavheoreslttreehtahcewnetdlegherdsatehstbaaytIyteotastuhhtmeetfhrXepninelleaXdkwcoGibnmnegeosynrmtmoeiuynrdoamotwhelansey

LdAoariryidn,.gIfSoatorhmetthhrfeaoetuqgyruotoehousd*timonorgafkyittnhhhgeeavsCMeeoossnsdugieofrferniaCgtatiooetirdnonatto.ytimymoeaukfoweriallrrerbaflneegcreteimocnaelnledtsdurstinoogvtthohateet

o- n

the matter

,, il/ay our

I have

Father

just mentioned.

bon Bosco help

us

and

may

the

lmmaculate

Help of Christians enlighten us all."

At 18:00 hours thit same day the general

oshveoruwldheclmonintign.ilemainjooriftfyiceexpforerssaendot.hietsr

wish that

six years'

assembly with an

the Rector Major

bJBetweenDecembergthandllththeelectionofthenew

members of the Superior Council took place'

The following were elected:

-

-

Vicar General of the Rector tvlajor: Fr' Caietan SCRIVO'

Councillor for Salesian Formation; Fr. Egidius VIGANO"

----CoCCEucoonouucnnnioccllmiiolllleoorfrrrofGfrootehrrnettehhYreeaolAu:MtdFhisurAsl.tipoBAnoopssgo:tesoFrtloarP.ltaIeBLte:LeF:Arnr.F'aRrr.doJsoTaOhlnHioILRCLA'AINSETRII'LLO'

-ItalRy eagniodntahl eCMouidncdillelorEsafsot:r:Fr' Aloysius FIORA'

The Antilles, Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia'

Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia & Chile: Fr. loseph HENRIQUEZ'

Argentine, Brazil, Paraguay, & Uruguay: Fr. Joseph GOTTARDI'

646

66.9 Page 659

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Austria, Germani, Belgium, France, Holland,

Africa: Fr. John TER SCHURE.

yugoslavia,

& Central

Spain & Portugal: Fr. Anthony AIEUDA.

&

U.S.A., England, Ireland, Australia, lndia,

the Philippines: Fr. George WtLLtAA/IS.

Thailand,

China,

Japan

For Poland the Rector tr/ajor will make direct provision.

tmheemcabJecrt2siv0iitniDeessct.eomPf betetherre'ssacwwhiathaptaelornl,agar-gaewMaraeitpesrdsescaeonnndtactehivlaeep'bpgryirtoeprdaprebonyfthtaehlselistbhiiegn

salesian family, and afterwards a meeting with the Hioly'Father

unforgettable special audience. (Cf. Appendix 4 & 5).

in

an

to

8. During

a close.

the

christmas

season

the

work

of

the

chapter

drew

vffioanrramiollTyuihnsaepcthpahreraotipvdcetilefedfres(rdweoonicftthutsmhaueebtn-wctcosoomwntmhshiitsriicdstuihsotnimohsa.nadsjoabritenyednvtohgteiev)eRanest"ghwuereairrteiodanelsfsinowiteitvnreee

ttTspbhhprlheeeeiersdicceAtTuwoonfhtoa-ntheoetlrsophdeceetlenhehvrtatheaeestnoepnoatltifrdarelseotsrdhosfttocefioatoclhotunahftsehmseetfsehaeSdeiRnmerpmoteerib1rerctcryo4ptiJyoa0ra,werltnhfspGolauveerraserenmarnpntyjaraoeaaetlrrsirsrv'paysyttelhrsspeadCeuds1ehispcden9asilin7paleisobtr2tseeenra.sriddsn.,n"Tg.dttihihhnnTeteeghhtmheMtseoeepoDmReadnecbeecuciercalatiarotaisrotsaoCrertareri,orsMna"snwegeitrnlitamotratheor.r-

Chapter closed.

A plenary concerebration

of the chapter, setting the

the future.

rater in

sear on

the

ail

morning was the finar

the rabiur ano tropes

act

ror

647

66.10 Page 660

▲back to top

List of the particiPants

at the Satesian Special General Ghapter

Appendix 8

1. RICCERI Don Luigi ' Bector Maior

2.

3.

FBEEDL,RLIIDGOOTDToI nDotvnloAdelbsitn-o

- Prelect

Catechist

General

General

4.

5.

PPIILALNAAZDZoInDRoungAgrecrhoim- eEdceon-oCmoeur nGceilnloerraGl eneral

6. SCRIVO Don Gaetano ' Councillor General

7.

8.

FGIIOOBVAANDNoInNILuDiogni 'ECrnoeusntocil-loRr eGgeionnearal l Councillor

9.

10.

STEERGASRCRHAURDEonDolsnidGoiroova' nBnieg-ioRneaglioCnoaul nCciolluonr cillor

11. TOHILL Don Bernardo

12. GARNERO Don Pietro

'

-

Regional

Regional

Councillor

Councillor

13. CASTILLO Don Rosalio - Regional Councillor

14. LUPO Don Tiburzio - Secretary General

15. ZIGGIOTTI Don Renato ' Rector Maior Emeritus

16. CASTANO Don Luigi - Procurator General

GROUP ONE: Provinces of ltaly and the Aliddle East

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

MAGNI Don Dante ' Provincial - ltaly-Centrale

VIGANO' Don Angelo - Delegate ' ltaly'Centrale

SGZBEAAARNVIVEEABNITADLTAoHLnDuAiMogMnia9arLi/roo1iod0'o-vP-iDcrSooeuvle'ibngsDcatiieaftuollef-egsualt-abtellsyta-t'iSltyulut-atbCelaydel-pnSbitnuryaablaelpina

DBIDVEOIlOFNtIUvLGlLIEPIUOPoPAIIDNADoNnno|gneVDlAioonrnc'teuEDnrgozeiolde-igo' PaD-treoeRvl'eienglctcaatioaltyerl'So--ufllbttMaaalllyoyp--tiAhAneaddrrriiaaHttiioccuaase

-

Turin

26.

27.

28.

CAL'ROAARZZCCIOBDI oDDnoonSnteACfdaenosolafor-e-D-eDPleergloeavgtieantc-eialt-lal-tyta-lAtlaydl'Cyri-aaCtmiacpmaapnaonoCaClaablarbara

2309.'MRAARINTEIRNIEDLoLnIDGoinoAvanntonini-o.PDroevleingcaiatel .-ltaltlayl.yC-LaimgupraenTooCscaalanabra

648

67 Pages 661-670

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67.1 Page 661

▲back to top

31. NATALI Don Paulo - Delegate - ltaly-Ligure Toscana

32.

33.

SANGALLI Don Giuseppe -

BERTOLLI Don Giuseppe -

Delegate

provinciat

-

-

ltaly_Ligure Toscana

ltaty-Lombardo Emit.

34.

35'

36.

SSMAAARNRTGAOACRLCLDAI oNDnIonDTouGnlliiooFvar-annpncireo-svcDinoecli-eaglDa-etereltag-layttt-eaNlyo--vLarotraemrsybe-aLrodmobEamrdiol.

Emil.

37.

38.

DLUECMETATGI IDSoTnRIGDioovnanLnuiigBia-ttiDsteale-gDateele)gaftteury--Nltaolyn_rrN""ouvarese

39.

40.

41.

42.

JLBDAIIECACCVBOIAEAATRBNINDGDAOEoBLnDDI ICoDDnaoodnDmnePosmoe-rcefoDtirrniieoodleo--ga-pDtrpeeorlvoe-ivgnliatcnaticaelyila--tR- -totpaimAtalSyirn-ypo-RoSo*aumrndaoonoSasradrodo

43. DHO Don Giovenale - Delegate - pAS

44. JAVIERRE Don Antonio - Rettore Magnifico _ pAS

45.

46.

47.

48.

VNRMEIUACROBODBCLEOECGTNOCTEHIDIDDAooonnnDAoASlnfntoetnAofasmnnoioeo-d--eDopDere-olelvegpignaroactevitaoin-l -c-ltilaatlatllayt-yl-y-p-lStpuiiluiyrugt_tiat.SiseiecseuLtauLcuacnaono

49. FRATALLONE Don Raimondo - Delegate - ltaty-Sicula

50.

51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

TCPZBLRAOUOOENJLSLENIALCARTIRANIDODIDINooDDoInnnooDCnnGZoauenGArildlininouLotdsuo-eoi-ngpDii-Dopee-eD-lel-eepgDlgrpeaoeargtvoletaeeivtnge-in-calcit-taletaiaallltyl-l-ay--l-VtylVttla-eateValnlyynleey--eVn-VttaVeeaeetnOnaaneevvetEteaeatsassttEtOEssvt test

56.

57.

[VORAZZINI Don Guglielmo - provincial - Attiddle

CHARBEL Don Antonio - Delegate - Attiddle East.

East

GROUP TWa: Provinces of Austria, Betgium, Czechoslovakia, France,

Germany, Jugoslavia, Hottand, poland, Hungary, Cen_

tral Alrica.

58. PENZ Don Francesco - provincial - Austria

59. SCHWARZ Don Ludovico - Delegate - Austria

60. OEBDEB Don Carlo - provincial - North Germany

61. HELBING Don Reinardo - Delegate North Germa-ny

62.

6943.

BUBGER Don Francesco - provincial

F!-EoULELRDLIoEnNGDioorngioRi-ccDaerldeoga-teDe- leSgoautteh

- South

Germany

- South

Germany

Germany

65. TVOUILLARD Don tVichele - provincial - South France

66.

67.

DESRAMAUT

KLENCK Don

DEodnmoFnradnoc-esDceole-gDaeteleg-aSteou-thSForuatnhceFrance

68. LOBBIAUX Don Giorgio - provincial - North France

649

67.2 Page 662

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69.

70.

GGOIRUARRIODUI DDoonnGGiuiuliloian' oD'elDeeglaetgeat-eN'oNrtohrtFhraFnrcaence

substituted bY:

LECOMTE Don

Uberto

da

16/6

-

lsubstitute

-

North

France

71.

72.

73.

CVVAOIVNEIESNRERVADEEoRTnESNPDiDoentoronPa-RouDlogeg-leePgroraot-eviPn'croiSavol iun-tchSiaoBlue-tlhgNiuBomertlghiuBmelgium

74.

75.

76.

77.

78.

OVDBPAEAUAISVANJMIIRvCLTEIIAUICTEKYREDDNRoDoSnDonnoDLNnu[oiVccnAlioaadluGnarroiiiaoz-ivn-oaPoD'nrone'DivleeDi'ngleecaPlgietareagol tav--eti'neJNcuN'oigaoroHltrhst'ohlalBlHvaBeinoaeldgl'llZgaiuainumgdmabria

79.

S0.

81.

82.

S3.

84.

ZGDDNEEUZOBRILCEDIEMNOSIZNONICITEDADLDooDoDnnnooSGnnFtureWAagfngalaiceonletlsomestrcion-o-oP-'Dr-DoeDPvleeeirllngeeocaggvitaaiaenttlcee''ia'-JlJuJPu'gugoogPolasosonlsallaadlvavn-ivCaidai'ar-L'LaC'uZucrbaoabigwaciaaonnbwaaria

IVAJEWSKI Don tvliecislao ' Delegate ' Poland'Cracow

substituted by:

85.

86.

87.

88.

89.

ZRSVVPOETRUAYBLUBNNBRISNEAONKDESAWIKEPoSDWEnDKBoISoCIDnntZDTeSfLoaDtDeannooonoFnnnisee-lFRaliD'rociaceeDnc'lceea'eDglresdPaegcortloaeeodtgv'e'aianPtl-Pcer2oiCoa7l-avle1niP-n9ndot-crLPSliaaaoounldlladbzA-n'sLfdCrtoi''cLdePaoznodtlzraanldA-Cfrriaccaow

GROUP THREE: Provinces of Portugal, spain, Arlexico, Antilles, cen'

tral America

90.

91.

PINHO Don Emanuele -

IVIAJO F Don Giuseppe

Provincial - Portugal

' Delegato - Portugal

substituted by

CASTBO F. Don

Carlo

Alberto

dal

23/12

-

Subst.

'

Portugal

92.

93.

94.

95.

96.

97.

ANJOS Don Amatore - DeleEato - Portugal

CANALS Don Giovanni

IVIANERO Don Antonio

'

-

Provincial '

Delegate -

Spain Barcelona

Spain-Barcelona

OPPUELRIYVEDAZENNALADVoADnRoEFnZraLnDucioegnsi c-GoPiu'rsoDevpeinplecegiaaLlt.e''

' Spain-Barcelona

Spain'Bilbao

Delegate - Spain'Bilbao

98.

99.

100.

101.

ABANLARUTSANATGERAOZJRONRDSIoGDnGAonAGCBitEavCLlniIAcAhYNeADaleroDcni'osnoADnAe'tlneoDtgnoeainoltieeog- --aPtPSerorpo'vaviininSnc'pCciaiaoailrnld---oCssboppardaaoiinnb--accoorrddoobbaa

650

67.3 Page 663

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102. IBANEZ Don Giacomo - pravincial - Spain-Leon

103. LAGUNA Don Aureliano - Delegate - Spain-Leon

104.

105.

GONZALEZ GONSALEZ

ALONSO Don Emilio -

Don Antonio - Delegate -

provincial - Spain-Madrid

Spain-Leon

106. OCANA Don Giuliano - Delegate - Spain-ltladrid

107. RICO Don G. Antonio - Delegate - Spain-Artadrid

108. HIDALGO Don Antonio - provincial - Spain-Sevilla

109. LOPEZ Don Giuseppe - Delegate - Spain-Sevilla

110. DIAS BIVAS Don Ambrogio - Delegate - Spain-Sevilla

111. I\\4ELIDA Don Antonio - provincial - Spain-Valencia

112.

113.

CARBONELL Don Giuseppe - Delegate -

l\\IENDIZABAL Don lsmaele - Delegate

Spain-Valencia

- Spain-Valencia

114. BORGONOVO Don lVlario - provincial - Antilles

115. RIVAS SANTOS Don Fabio - Detegate - Antittes

116. SANTUCCI Don Ugo - Provincial - Central America

117. ZUNIGA Don Luigi - Delegate - Central America

118.

119.

PEBUZZO

AGUAYO

Don

Don

Armando - Delegate

Paolo - Provincial -

- Central America

fulexico-Guadalajara

120. JUAREZ Don [V. Adalberto - Delegate - Mexico-Guadalajara

121. CABRILLO Don Mariano - Provincial - Messico-Mexico

122. RODRIGUEZ Don Mauro - Delegate - Arlessico-Mexico

GROUP FOUB: Provinces of England, lJnited Sfates, Asia, Australia,

123. FOX Don Edward - Provincial - Engtand

124. WILLIAIVIS Don George - Delegate - England

125. TVCPAKE Don Martin - Delegate - England

126. EGAN Don Mlichael - Provincial - lreland

127. HICKS Don lt/ichael - Delegate - lreland

128. IVALLOY Don John - Provincial - USA-East

129. TYIVINSKI Don Joseph - Detegate - USA-Easf

130. IVONZILLO Don O'Neit - Detegate - USA-East

131. JUSTEN Don Bernard - Provincial - IJSA West

132. RIBOTTA Don tVichael - Delegate - USA-West

substituted by

KRANJOS Don Fr dat 20/11 - Substitute

133.

134.

135.

136.

ZJFMEEOANNRCNDHDINUoDGnYoSnGDDioNuonsonerApmTlpeaeesnrse--annDcDdeeerlo-eleg-gpaarptoterevoi-nv-icHnAiacouilnasg-ltra.KAlioHuansogtnragliaKong

137. CABPELLA Don Giuliano - Delegate - Hong Kong

138. FERRABI Don Luigi - Provincial - philippines

651

67.4 Page 664

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1 39. COGLIANDRO Don Alfredo - Delegate ' Philippines

140. DUARTE Don Dionigi - Provincial - lndia'Bombay

141. CASTI Don Giuseppe - Delegate - lndia'Bombay

142.

143.

STROSCIO Don Rosario - Provincial -

NICHOLSON Sig. N/aurizio - Delegate

lndia'Calcutta

' lndia-Calcutta

144. CASAROTTI Don Mauro - Provincial - lndia-Assam

1 45. FANTIN Don Enrico - Delegate ' lndia-Assam

146. IVANJIL Don lttyachaen - Delegate - lndia'Assam

147. PANAKEZHAM Don Tommaso - Provincial - lndia-hrladras

148. Dl FIORE Don Luigi - Delegate - lndia-firladras

149. PAPES Don Antonio - Delegate - lndia'Madras

1 50. DELL'ANGELA Don Stefano - Provincial - Japan

't51. HONDA ZENICHIRO Don Gennaro - Delegate ' lapan

152. COLO[MBINI Don Giovanni Battista - Provincial - Thailand

1 53. SIVIT Don Antonio - Delegate - Thailand

GROUP FIVE Provinces of Brazil, Colombia, Equatore, Venezuela.

154. TEXIEBA Don Decio - Provincial - Brazil-Belo Horizonte

155. CARRARA Don Alfredo - Delegate ' Brazil'Belo Horizonte

156. GRUEN Don Wolfango - Delegate - Brazil-Belo Horizonte

157. CAIMPOS Don Gerardo - Provincial - Brazil-Campo Grande

158. CASTBO Don A. Secondino - Delegate - Brazil-Campo Grande

159.

160.

BIASOLI Don

BEBTOLUSSO

Daniele - Provincial - Brazil'filanaus

Don Lorenzo - Delegate - Brazil'Manaus

161. OUILICI Don Mario - Provincial ' Brazil-Porto Alegre

162.

163.

SUCHARSKI

CABVALHO

Don

Don

Marcello

Antonio -

' Delegate

Provincial

-

-

Brazil-Porto

Brazil-Recife

Alegre

164. AIVARAL Don Evaldo ' Delegate - Brazil'Becife

165.

166.

DE BONIS Don Salvatore '

FERREIRA DA SILVA Don

Provincial

Antonio -

- Brazil-9. Paolo

Delegate'Brazil'9.

Paolo

167. PERAZA Don Fernando - Provincial - Colombia-Bogotd

168.

169.

PERESSON Don fvlario

RODRIGUEZ FOREBO

- Delegaie - Colombia'Bogotd

Don Giacomo - Colombia-Bogotit

170. GONZALES Don Gabriele ' Provincial - Colombia'Medellin

171. GOMEZ Don Rigoberto - Delegate ' Colombia'Medellin

172.

173.

VGAILLVDEoRnDlEldeDfoonnsoCa- rPloro-viDnceialelg'atEequ-aEtoqruea'Qtourieto'Quito

174. BOTTA Don Angelo - Provincial - Equatore-Cuenca

175. CALEBO Don Giacomo - Delegate - Equatore'Cuenca

176. HENRIOUEZ Don Giuseppe - Provincial ' Venezuela

652

67.5 Page 665

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177. VELASCO GARCIA Don lgnazio - Delegate - Venezuela

178. DIVASSON Don G. Angelo - Delegate - Venezuela.

GBOUP SIX Provinces of the Argentine, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia,

Chile and Peri.

179. IMORENO Don Eraclio - Provincial - Bahia Blanca

1 80. VECCHI Don Giovanni - Delegate - Bahia Blanca

181 . SANTECCHIA Don Benito - Delegate - Bahia Blanca

182. SOL Don Giovanni - Provincial - Argentina-Buenos Aires

1 83. FOGLIO Don Pietro - Delegate - Argentina-Buenos Aires

184. GALANT Don Salvatore - Delegate - Argentina-Buenos Aires

1 85. GHIGO Don Francesco - Provincial - Argentina-Cordoba

1 86. BARUTTA Don Tommaso - Delegate - Argentina-Cordoba

187. IVIERINO Don Giovanni - Delegate - Argentina-Cordoba

1 88. HERNANDO Don Emilio - Provincial - Argentina-La Plata

1 89. IVOURE Don Argimiro - Delegate - Argentina-La Plata

1 90. GLOTVIBA Don Giovanni - Provincial - Argentina-Bosario

191. TESSAROLO Don Francesco - Delegate - Argentina-Rosario

192. TOTI Don Andrea - Provincial - Paraguay

193. HEYN Don Carlo - Delegate - Paraguay

194. GOTTARDI Don Giuseppe - Provincial - lJruguay

1 95. LECUONA Don Ettore - Delegate - Uruguay

1 96. CASANOVA Don Giorgio - Provincial - Bolivia

't97. ARTALE Don Ermanno - Delegate - Bolivia

1 98. VIGANO' Don Egidio - Provincial - Chile

1 99. CUEVAS LEON Don Sergio - Delegate - Chile

200. CALEBO DE LOS RIOS Don Antonio - Delegate - Chile

201. VALEBUONA Don Emilio - Provincial - Peri

202. BLONDET Don Cesare - Delegate - Peri

OBSERVERS

1. ACOUISPACE Don lVlario - Delegate of the Provincial for Viet

Nam

2. AINSWOBTH Don William - Delegate of the Provincial for South

Africa

3. RUZZEDDU Don lVlario - Delegate of the Provincial for Korea

4. ZAVATTABO Don Giuseppe - Delegate for the Bector lrrlaior for

the Daughters of lulary Help of Christians

5. ANNOE' Sig. Ernesto - Central ltaly

6. BURGRAEVE Don Buggero - North Belgium

7. CORO Sig. Giuseppe - Central America

653

67.6 Page 666

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8. COZATTI ch. Dilermando - Brazil-5. Paulo

9. DAROS Ch. William - Argentina-Rosario

10. FERRER Sig. Giuseppe - Philippines

11. FIANDRI Ch. tVario - ltaly-Romana

12. SUESCUN Sig. Antonio - Spain-Aladrid

EXPEBTS

1. AUBBY Don Giuseppe - France-Lyons

2. LECLERC Don Gustavo - PAS

3. SOMtvlA Don Pasquale - Argentina-Cordoba

4. STELLA Don Pietro - PAS

:),

1

654

67.7 Page 667

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GENERAL INDEX

Letter ol presentat'ion ol the Rector Major

Key to abbreviations

Frrsr Penr - CAPITULAR DOCUMENTS

First section - Oun eposror-rc MrssroN

Docuntemt I - Salesians of Don Bosco in the Church .

Introduction - Our renewal to revitalize the gift of the Holy

Spirit to Don Bosco and to his sons

'

Chapter I - The mission and those to whom it is directed

Chapter II - The service rendered by our mission

Chapter III - The .salesian spirit .

Chapter IV - Our religious consecration

Chapter V - Form of salesian congregation

Chapter VI - The salesian 'family' today

Chapter VII - Practical directives .

Docwment

2

-

Don Bosco

adjustment

at

to

the

the

oratory

times

-

return to sources and

Introduction

Chapter I - Criterion recalled

Chapter

Chapter

II

III

.-

-

Dynamism backed

Dynamic aspect of

by loyalty

fidelity

Document 3 - Evangelization and catechesis

Forervord

Introduction - Our anxiety over the rvork of evangelization

Chapter I - Ministry of the word of God

Chapter II - Vital significance of catechesis

Chapter III - The catechetical language oI the community

Chapter IV - Practical directives.

Docum,ent 4 - Pastoral renewal of salesian action among youth

Introduction

Chapter I - Basic principles

Chapter II - Characteristics of our pastoral service

Chapter III - Pastoral attitudes and action

Chapter IV - Freedom-giving gospel message

Chapter V - Some structures within u'hich pastoral action

takes place

Chapter VI - Practical directives,

\\XIII

I

5

20

50

73

89

108

125

t4t

149

151

154

166

174

189

191

193

196

204

214

223

227

229

232

234

241

246

253

266

655

67.8 Page 668

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Document 5 - Salesian work in parishes

271

Chapter I - Characteristics of salesian parish work

273

Chapter II - Fields of action

277

Chapter III - Parish and its community

282

Chapter I\\r - Particular problems .

292

Chapter V - Practical directives.

296

Document 6 - The mass media in salesian pastoral activity

299

Chapter I - The phenomenon of the mass media

301

Chapter II - The attitude of the church

303

Chapter III - The attitude of the congregation

305

Chapter IV - The preparation of the salesian

308

Chapter V

Chapter YI

-

-

OPruarctcicoanl trdiibreuctitoivnes-.

education

310

313

Document 7 - Salesian missionary action

315

'

Foreu,ord

Chapter I

- The missionary church

317

319

Chapter II - The missionary congregatiou

323

Chapter III - Pastoral directives

325

Chapter IV - Practical directives.

330

Second Section - OuR urp oF colrMuNroN

Docurnent

8

-

The community

apostolic

of

brotherhood

-

salesian and

331

Chapter I - Fraternalcommunity

334

Chapter II - Apostolic community

348

Chapter III - Practical directives.

353

Document 9 - The praying community

359

Chapter I - Prayer in a changing rvorld

361

Chapter II - Our renewal in the life of prayer

364

Chapter III - Formation in prayer

379

Chapter IV - Practical directives.

382

Third Section - Oun coNSECRATToN

Docutnent 70 - Salesian chastity today .

383

Foreword

385

Chapter I - The world situation today and its bearing

on our chastity

386

Chapter II - Perspective for a renewal of the life of chastity

in celibacy

388

656

67.9 Page 669

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Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

- Rediscovery of certain theological dimensions

of chastity

- Some salesian aspects of chastity

- Practical directives.

Document 77 - Salesian poverty today

Chapter I - The conscience of the congregation

Chapter II - Basic features of salesian poverty today .

Chapter III - Practical directives.

Document 72 - Salesian obedience today

Chapter I - Demands of renewal

Chapter II - Obedience today

Chapter III - Authority today

Chapter IV - Don Bosco's .way of speaking and acting

Chapter V - Practical directives.

Fourth Section - Oun ForuarroN

Docutnent 73 - Formation for the salesian way of life

Introduction

Chapter I - General aspects of formation

Chapter II - Deliberations of the Chapter

Chapter III - Temporary arrangements

Chapter IV - The salesian pontifical athenaeum

Fifth section - OncaNrzetroN oF ouR socrETy

Document 74 - Principles and criteria of the organization of our

society

Chapter I - Our structures

Chapter II - Practical directives.

Document 75 - Structures at local level

Practical directives.

Docwrnent 16 - Structures of government at world level

Chapter I - The mind of Don Bosco

Chapter II - Unity and decentralization

Chapter III - Participation and co-responsibility

Chapter IV - Regional Structures

Chapter V - Structure of decentralization

Document 77 - Administrationof temporalgoods

Sixth section - Co-opBnaroRs AND pAST puprr-s

Docwrnent 78 - Salesian co-operators

393

397

400

403

405

419

431

435

437

440

450

454

459

461

463

467

476

492

493

499

501

504

507

509

5l I

513

519

521

523

s26

529

533

657

67.10 Page 670

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Chapter I - Declaration of the Special General Chapter to

:

the co-operators

535

Chapter II - Declaration of the Special General Chapter

concerning the. co-operators

546

Document 79 - Salesian work for past pupils

557

Chapter I - Originandnatureofthepastpupils'association

559

Chapter II - The past pupils' vie'"rpoint

561

Chapter III - Our response

564

Chapter IV - Co-operation between past pupils and the

congregation

568

Chapter V - Practical directives for the renerval of salesian

rvork for past pupils

570

Document 20 - Post-capitular programme

573

The most urgent items

575

Docutnent 27 - Decision of the SGC concerning the faculty granted

by the motu proprio 'Ecclesiae Sanctae' Il, l, 7

581

Document 22 - Message from members of the XX Special General

Chapter to all members of the Congregation

585

SBcoNo P-c.Rr - APPENDICES

1. Letter of Card. G. Villot, Secretary of His Holiness to the

Rector Major

593

2. Discourse of the Rector Major at the opening of the Special

595

3. Presentation by the Rector Major of the 'Report on the present

state of the Congregation'

610

4. Homage of Rector Major to the Holy Father at the audience

given to the mernbers of SGC

627

5. Discourse of the Holy Father Pope Paul VI to the members

of the SGC at the audience .

630

6. Discourse of the Rector Major at the closure of the Special Gen-

eral CLapter

::

638

7. Chronicle of the Special General Chapter XX

643

8. List of the participants of the Special General Chapter .

648

Index

6s5

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