IUVENUM-PATRIS-English


IUVENUM-PATRIS-English

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IUVENUM PATRIS
TO THE READER: AN INTRODUCTION TO IUVENUM PATRIS
In 1888, Don Bosco's Family celebrated the centenary of his death.
To mark the occasion, the reigning Pontiff, John Paul II, wrote a special Commemorative Letter - our text - to the then
successor of St John Bosco, Fr Egidio Viganò, SDB.
The letter is a magisterial exposition of the educative spirituality of the saint.
TO OUR BELOVED SON EGIDIO VIGANÒ
RECTOR MAJOR OF THE SALESIAN SOCIETY
ON THE FIRST CENTENARY
OF THE DEATH OF SAINT JOHN BOSCO
JOHN PAUL II
SUPREME PONTIFF
Dear Son,
Health and the Apostolic Benediction.
1. The well beloved Salesian Society is preparing to commemorate by appropriate initiatives the first centenary of
the death of St John Bosco, the father and teacher of youth, and I am glad to avail myself of the opportunity offered
by this circumstance to reflect once again on the problem of the young and meditate on the responsibilities of the
Church in preparing them for tomorrow.
The Church has in fact an intense love for young people: always, but especially in this period so close to the year
2000, she feels invited by her Lord to look upon them with a special love and hope, and to consider their education
as one of her primary pastoral responsibilities.
The Second Vatican Council declared with clear vision that "ours is a new age of history" l; and it recognized that
efforts are being made everywhere to ensure an ever increasing development of education2 In a period of cultural
change the Church notes with concern in the field of education the need to come to grips with the profound cleavage
between the Gospel and culture, 3 which undervalues the saving message of Christ and considers it of only marginal
importance.
In my address to the members of UNESCO I had occasion to state: "There is no doubt that the first and fundamental
cultural fact is the spiritually mature man, that is, a fully educated man, a man capable of educating himself and
educating others".4 and I noted a certain tendency to "a unilateral shift to instruction" with consequent
manipulations which can provoke "a real alienation of education"5. I recalled therefore that "the primary and essential
task of culture in general and also of all cultures is education . This consists in fact in enabling man to be more man,
to 'be' more rather than just to 'have' more and consequently, through everything he 'has', everything he possesses'
to 'be' man more fully"6
In the numerous meetings I have had with young people in the various continents, in the messages I have given them,
and in particular in the Letter which in 1985 I addressed "To the youth of the world", I expressed my intimate
conviction that the Church is at their side and indeed must be so. 7
I want to recall those same considerations on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of the "dies natalis" of a
great son of the Church, the holy priest John Bosco, whom my predecessor Pius XI did not hesitate to call "educator
princeps" .8
This auspicious event provides me with the welcome opportunity to offer some remarks not only to you, to your
confreres and to all the members of the Salesian Family, but also to the young people who are the beneficiaries of
your educational work, together with Christian educators and parents, who are called to carry out so noble a human
and ecclesial ministry.

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I am also pleased that this commemoration of the Saint is taking place during the Marian Year, which directs our
thoughts to "Her who believed": in her generous assent in faith we discover the fruitful source of her educative work9,
first as Mother of Jesus and then as Mother of the Church and Help of all Christians..
ST JOHN BOSCO, FRIEND OF YOUTH
2. John Bosco died at Turin on 31 January 1888. The almost 73 years of his life were accompanied by deep and
complex political, social and cultural changes: revolutionary movements, wars and a migration of people from the
countryside to the towns, all factors with an emphatic effect on the life of the people, especially of the poorer classes.
Close-packed as they were on the outskirts of the towns, the poor in general and the younger ones in particular
became victims of exploitation or unemployment: in their human, moral, religious and occupational development
they were insufficiently followed up and frequently given no attention at all. Sensitive as they were to every change,
the young frequently became insecure and bewildered. Traditional methods of education became disjointed and
ineffective in the face of this rootless mass of people, and efforts were made for various motives by philanthropists,
educators and ecclesiastics to meet the new needs. One of these who came to the fore in Turin through his clear
Christian inspiration, courageous initiatives and the rapid and widespread extension of his work was Don Bosco.
3. He felt within himself that he had received a special vocation and that in the carrying out of his mission he was
assisted and almost led by the hand by the Lord and the motherly intervention of the Virgin Mary. His response was
such that the Church has officially proposed him to the faithful as a model of holiness. When on Easter Sunday of
1934, at the close of the Jubilee Year of the Redemption, my Predecessor Pius XI of undying memory, inscribed him
on the roll of Saints, he pronounced an unforgettable eulogy in his praise.
Young John, whose father had died when he was very young, was brought up with profound human and Christian
insight by his mother, and was endowed by Providence with gifts which from his early years made him the generous
and conscientious friend of his companions. His boyhood years were a sign of an extraordinary mission of education
that was to follow. As a priest in a Turin then in a phase of rapid development, he came
into contact with young people in prison and with other dramatic human situations.
He had the happy intuition of a real and attentive student of the Church's history, and from his knowledge of such
situations and the experience of other apostles, especially St Philip Neri and St Charles Borromeo, he conceived the
idea of the "Oratory", a name particularly dear to him in its connotations. The Oratory was to characterise all his
work, and he would shape it in line with his original idea and adapt it to the environment, to his boys and to their
needs. As principal protector and model for his collaborators he chose St Francis de Sales, the saint so zealous in
many directions, because of the great human kindness he displayed especially in dealing with others.
4. The "Work of the Oratories" began in 1841 with a "simple catechism lesson" and subsequently spread in response
to pressing needs and situations: hostels for the reception of those with nowhere to go, workshops and schools of
arts and trades to enable them to find work and make an honest living, schools for humanities and open to vocational
ideals, a healthy press, and recreational initiatives and methods in line with the period (theatre, band, singing,
autumn outings).
The happy expression: "That you are young is enough to make me love you very much"l0 was the watchword and,
even before that, the fundamental educational option of the Saint: "I have promised God that I would give of myself
to my last breath".l1 And indeed he carried out for them a striking series of activities by his words, writings, institutes,
journeys, meetings with civil and religious personalities; for them, above all else, he showed an attentive concern for
each one individually, so that in his fatherly love the boys might see a sign of a higher love still.
The dynamic thrust of his love was universal in its extent and prompted him to respond to the call of distant nations
and even of missions far overseas for a work of evangelisation which was never disjoined from authentic efforts at
human advancement.
Following the same criteria and with the same spirit he tried to find a solution also to the problems of girls and young
women. The Lord raised up at his side a co-foundress: St Mary Domenica Mazzarello with a group of young women

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who had already dedicated themselves at parish level to the Christian formation of girls. His pedagogical approach
gave rise to other collaborators, men and women, some of them consecrated by stable vows, others , associated with
him through the sharing of his pedagogical and apostolic ideals, and involved also the , prompting them to bear
personal witness to the education they had received and to promote it in their turn.
5. So great a spirit of initiative was the result of a profound interior disposition. His stature as a Saint gives him a
unique place among the great Founders of religious Institutes in the Church. He is outstanding from many points of
view: he initiated a true school of a new and attractive apostolic spirituality; he promoted a special devotion to Mary,
Help of Christians and Mother of the Church; he displayed a loyal and courageous ecclesial sense manifested in the
delicate mediation work he carried out between Church and State at a time when the relations between the two were
difficult; as an apostle he was both realistic and practical, always open to the implications of new discoveries; he was
a zealous organiser of foreign missions with truly Catholic sensitivity; he was an eminent example of a preferential
love for the young, and especially for the most needy among them, for the good of the Church and society; he was the
exponent of an efficacious and attractive pedagogical method which he has left as a precious legacy to be safeguarded
and developed.
In this letter I want especially to consider in Don Bosco the fact that he realised his personal holiness through an
educative commitment lived with zeal and an apostolic heart, and that at the same time he knew how to propose
holiness as the practical objective of his pedagogy. An interchange between and is indeed the characteristic aspect
of his personality: he was a , he drew his inspiration from a "holy model" - Francis de Sales; he was the disciple of a
"holy spiritual director" - Joseph Cafasso; and he was able to form from among his boys a "holy pupil" - Dominic
Savio.
THE PROPHETIC MESSAGE OF ST JOHN BOSCO, THE EDUCATOR
6. The youth situation at the present day, a hundred years after the saint's death, has changed a great deal and
presents a whole variety of different conditions and aspects, as is well known to educators and pastors. And yet today
too there remain those same questions, which occupied the mind of the priest John Bosco from the beginning of his
ministry in his desire to understand and his determination to work. Who are these young people? What are they
looking for? Where are they going to? What are they in need of? These were difficult questions to answer at the time
as they still are at the present day, but they are unavoidable and every educator must face up to them.
Today groups of young people can be found all over the world who are genuinely sensitive to spiritual values, and
who are desirous of help and support in the maturing of their personalities. On the other hand, it is quite clear that
youth is a prey to allurements and conditioning elements of a negative kind, the result of various ideological outlooks.
The attentive educator will be awake to the practical reality of the youth condition and will know how to intervene
with sure competence and wise foresight. In this, he knows that he is prompted, enlightened and sustained by the
incomparable educative tradition of the Church. In this he knows that he is prompted, enlightened and.
7. Aware of being the people of whom God is the father and educator, according to the explicit teaching of Sacred
Scripture (cf. Deut. 1:31; 8:5; 32:10-12; Hos. 11:14; Is. 1:3; Jer. 3:14-15; Prov. 3:11-12; Heb. 12:5-11; Rev. 3:19), the
Church, an "expert in humanity", has also every right to call herself an "expert in education". Evidence of this is the
long and glorious two thousand years of history written by parents and families, priests and laity-men and women,
religious institutions and ecclesial movements, which in educational service have given expression to their own
particular charism as an extension of the divine education which has its summit in Christ. Thanks to the work of so
many educators and pastors and of numerous Orders and religious Institutes, which have promoted institutions of
inestimable human and cultural value, the history of the Church is identified in no small degree with the history of
the education of peoples. Indeed, as Vatican II declared, the Church's concern for education is in obedience to the
"mandate she received from her divine founder to announce the mystery of salvation to all men and to renew all
things in Christ" .l2
8. Speaking of the work of Religious and emphasising the enterprise they showed, Pope Paul VI, of venerable
memory, said that their apostolate "is often outstanding in its admirable resourcefulness and initiative".l3 For St. John
Bosco, founder of a great spiritual Family, one may say that the peculiar trait of his brilliance is linked with the

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educational method which he himself called the "Preventive System". In a certain sense this represents the
quintessence of his pedagogical wisdom and constitutes the prophetic message which he has left to his followers and
to the Church, and which has received attention and recognition from numerous educators and students of pedagogy.
The term "preventive" which he uses is to be understood not so much in its strict linguistic sense as in the richness
of the characteristics typical of the Saint's educative skill. It implies in the first place the intention of foreseeing and
preventing anything that might give rise to negative experiences which could compromise youthful energies or
commit young people to long and distressing efforts at recovery. But the term also includes deep intuitions, precise
options and methodological criteria, all lived with particular intensity: examples are: the art of positive education by
putting forward what is good through appropriate experiences which call for the involvement of the pupil and are
attractive because of their splendour and lofty nature; the art of producing growth in the young persons "from
within" by appealing to their inner freedom to oppose external conditioning and formalism; the art of winning the
heart of young people so as to inculcate in them a joyful and satisfied attraction to what is good, correcting deviations
and preparing them for the future by means of a solid character formation.
Evidently this pedagogical message supposes in the educator the conviction that in every young person, no matter
how far he may seem to be from the straight and narrow, there are hidden sources of good which if properly
stimulated can lead to an option for faith and honesty.
We may therefore fittingly reflect briefly on what, as a providential reflection of the Word of God, constitutes one of
the most characteristic aspects of the Saint's pedagogy.
9. A man of tireless activity in many forms, Don Bosco has provided by his life a most efficacious teaching, to such an
extent that even by his contemporaries he was considered outstanding as an educator. The few pages in which he
described his pedagogical experience l4 acquire their full significance only when read in the light of all the long and
rich experience he acquired through living in the midst of the young.
Education implied for him a special attitude on the part of the educator and a collection of practices, based on
convictions of reason and faith, which serve as guides in pedagogical activity. At the centre of his vision stands
pastoral charity" , of which he says: he practice of the Preventive System is wholly based on the words of St Paul who
says ' Love is patient and kind; it bears all things, but hopes all things and endures all things" .15 It inclines the
educator to love the young person in whatever state he may be found, so as to lead him to the fullness of humanity
which is revealed in Christ, to give him the awareness and possibility of living the life of an upright citizen as a son
of God. It leads to intuitive understanding and gives strength to what the Saint summed up in the well-known
threefold formula: "Reason, religion, loving kindness".l6
10. The term "reason" emphases, in line with the authentic view of Christian humanism, the value of the individual,
of conscience, of human nature, of culture, of the world of work, of social living, or in other words of that vast set of
values which may be considered the necessary equipment of man in his family, civil and political life. In the
Encyclical Redemptor Hominis I recalled that Jesus Christ is the chief way for the Church: the way leading from Christ
to man" .l7
It is significant to note that more than a hundred years ago Don Bosco used to attribute great importance to the
human aspects and historical condition of the individual: to his freedom, his preparation for life and a profession,
the assuming of civil responsibilities in an atmosphere of joy and generous commitment to his neighbour. He
expressed these objectives in trenchant though simple words, like "joy"," "study" ,"devotion" ,"wisdom", "work"
"humanity". His educational ideal is characterised by moderation and realism. In his pedagogical plan, there is a
successful combination between the permanence of what is essential and the contingency of what is historical,
between what is traditional and what is new. The Saint offers young people a programme which is simple but at the
same time exacting, happily summed up in an evocative formula: an upright citizen because a good Christian.
In brief the "reason", in which Don Bosco believed as a gift of God and an unfailing obligation of the educator,
indicates the values of what is good, and also the objectives to be aimed at and the means and manner of using them.
"Reason" invites the young to an attitude of sharing in values they have understood and accepted. He called it also

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"reasonableness" because of its necessary accompaniment by the understanding, dialogue and unfailing patience
through which the far from easy practice of reasoning finds expression.
It is true that all this takes for granted at the present day an updated and integral anthropology, free from ideological
oversimplification. The modern educator must be able to read closely the signs of the times to glean from them the
emerging values which are attractive to youth: peace, freedom, justice, communion and sharing, the advancement of
woman, solidarity, development, and urgent ecological demands. It is true that all this takes for granted at the
present day an updated and integral anthropology, free from ideological oversimplification. The modern educator
must be able to read closely the signs of the times to glean from them the emerging values which are attractive to
youth: peace, freedom, justice, communion and sharing, the advancement of woman, solidarity, development, and
urgent ecological demands.
11. The second term, "Religion", indicates that Don Bosco's pedagogy is essentially transcendent, in so far as the
ultimate educational objective at which it aims is the formation of the believer. For him the properly formed and
mature man was the citizen with faith, who places at the centre of his life the ideal of the new man proclaimed by
Jesus Christ and who bears courageous witness to his own religious convictions.
It is evidently not a question of a speculative and abstract religion, but of a living faith rooted in reality and stemming
from presence and communion, from an attitude of listening and from docility to grace. As he liked to put it "the
columns of an educational edifice", l8 are the Eucharist, Penance, devotion to Our Lady, love for the Church and its
pastors. His educational process was a pathway of prayer, of liturgy, of sacramental life, of spiritual direction: for
some it was the response to the call to a special consecration (how many Priests and Religious were formed in the
Saint's houses!); for all it was a perspective and a path to holiness.
Don Bosco was a zealous priest who always referred back to its revealed foundation everything that he received,
lived and gave to others.
This aspect of religious transcendence, the cornerstone of Don Bosco's pedagogical method, is not only applicable to
every culture but can also be profitably adapted even to non-Christian religions.
12. Finally from a methodological point of view comes "loving kindness". Here we are speaking of a daily attitude,
which is neither simple human love nor supernatural charity alone. It is really the expression of a complex reality
and implies availability, sound criteria and an appropriate style of conduct.
Loving kindness is expressed in practice in the commitment of the educator as a person entirely dedicated to the
good of his pupils, present in their midst, ready to accept sacrifices and hard work in the fulfilment of his mission.
All this calls for a real availability to the young, a deep empathy and the ability to dialogue with them. Typical and
very enlightening is the expression: "Here in your midst I feel completely at home; for me, living means being here
with you" .19 With happy intuition he specified: what is important is "not only that the boys be loved, but that they
know they are loved".20
The true educator therefore shares the life of the young, is interested in their problems, tries to become aware of
how they see things, takes part in their sporting and cultural activities and in their conversations: as a mature and
responsible friend he sketches out for them ways and means of doing good, he is ready to intervene to solve
problems, to indicate criteria, to correct with prudent and loving firmness blameworthy judgements and behaviour.
In this atmosphere of "pedagogical presence" the educator is not looked upon as a "superior" , but as a "father,
brother, friend" .2l
In a perspective like this priority is given first to personal relationships. Don Bosco liked to use the term "family
spirit" to define the correct kind of relationship between educators and pupils. Long experience had convinced him
that without familiarity it was not possible to show love, and unless love is shown there cannot arise that confidence
which is an indispensable condition for successful educative activity. The picture of the objectives to be achieved,
the programme to be followed, the methodological guidelines acquire concrete form and efficacy when they are
marked by a genuine "family spirit", i.e. if lived in an undisturbed, joyful and stimulating atmosphere.

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In this connection must be recalled at least the ample space and importance given by the Saint to recreational
periods, to sport, music, the theatre or (as he liked to express it) the life of the playground. It is there, in spontaneous
and joyful relationships, that the shrewd educator finds ways of intervening, as gentle in expression as they are
efficacious because of their continuity and the friendly atmosphere in which they are made.22 If an encounter is to be
educative there must be a deep and continued interest which leads to the acquiring of a personal knowledge of each
individual and at the same time of the elements of the cultural condition they have in common. It needs an intelligent
and loving attention to the aspirations, the value assessments, the conditioning factors to which the young are
subjected, to their situations of life, to the local models which surround them, their tensions, their claims and their
collective proposals. It is a case of detecting the urgent need for formation of conscience, of a family, social and
political sense, for maturing in love and in the Christian view of sexuality, for developing the critical faculty and a
proper flexibility in the evolution of age and mentality, keeping always clearly in mind that youth is not only a time
of transition, but a real time of grace for the building of personality.
Even today, even though in a changed cultural context and with young people of non-Christian religions, this
characteristic constitutes one of the very many valid and original elements in Don Bosco's pedagogy.
13. I want to point out, in fact, that these pedagogical criteria are not things of the past: the figure of this Saint, the
friend of youth, continues to exert a fascinating attraction for young people of the most widely differing cultures
under heaven. It is true that his educational message needs to be studied at still greater depth, to be adapted and
renewed with intelligence and courage, precisely because of changed social, cultural, ecclesial and pastoral contexts.
It will be well to keep in mind the new lines of thought and the developments that have taken place in many fields,
the signs of the times and the indications of Vatican II. Nevertheless the substance of his teaching remains intact; the
unique nature of his spirit, his intuitions, his style, his charisma are unchanged, because they draw their inspiration
from the transcendent pedagogy of God.
St John Bosco is relevant to the present day for another reason too: he teaches us to integrate the permanent values
of tradition with so as to meet in a creative fashion the newly emerging requests and problems: he continues to be
our teacher in the present difficult times, and suggests a which is at once both creative and faithful.
"Don Bosco ritorna" - ('Don Bosco comes back') is a traditional hymn of the Salesian Family: it expresses the fervent
hope and desire of a "return of Don Bosco" and of a "Return to Don Bosco" , so as to be educators able to preserve
our fidelity of old, and at the same time be attentive, as he was himself, to the thousand and one needs of today's
youth, so as to find in his legacy the starting point for a present-day response to their difficulties and expectations.
TODAY'S URGENT NEED FOR CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
14. The Church feels herself directly implicated in the education question, because she is always there where man is
involved since her missionť.23 This evidently implies a true love of predilection for the young.
Let us go to the young: that is the first and fundamental need in the field of education. "The Lord has sent me for
Youth" : in this statement of Don Bosco we discern his fundamental apostolic option, directed to poor youth, to those
of the lower classes, those most at risk.
It is useful to recall those striking words of Don Bosco to his boys which form the genuine synthesis of his basic
choice: "Remember that whatever my worth, I am here at every moment of the day and night for you. I have no other
goal than your physical, mental and moral welfare"24 "For you I study, for you I work, for you I live, for you I am even
ready to give my life".25
15. So great a dedication of himself to the young, in the midst of difficulties sometimes of an extreme nature, John
Bosco attained because of a singular and intense charity, i.e. an interior vitality that united in him in an inseparable
manner love of God and love of his neighbour. In this way, he was able to establish a synthesis between evangelising
activity and educational work.
His concern for the evangelisation of his boys was not limited to catechesis alone, nor to liturgy alone, nor to those
religious practices, which call for an explicit exercise of faith and lead to it, but covered the whole vast sector of the

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youth condition. It forms an integral part therefore of the process of human formation, not losing sight of defects but
at the same time optimistic about progressive maturing, in the conviction that the word of the Gospel must be sown
in the reality of their daily living so as to lead the boys to a generous commitment of themselves in life. Since they
are living through a period of particular importance for their education, the saving message of the Gospel must
sustain them throughout the educational process, and faith must become the unifying and enlightening element of
their personality.
Some consequences follow from this. The educator must have a special sensitivity for cultural values and institutions,
by acquiring a deep knowledge of the human sciences. In this way, the competence he achieves will become a valid
instrument for sustaining a programme of efficacious evangelisation. Secondly, the educator must follow a specific
pedagogical plan, which, while defining precisely the dynamic evolution of the human faculties, inculcates in the
pupils the conditions for a free and gradual response.
He will also be concerned to direct the whole educational process to the religious objective of salvation. All this
requires a lot more than the insertion in the educational curriculum of a few periods reserved for religious
instruction and ritual expression; it implies the very much deeper obligation of helping the pupils to open their minds
to absolute values and interpret life and history in accordance with the depth and riches of the Mystery.
16. The educator, therefore, must be clearly conscious of the ultimate objective, because in the art of education the
ends aimed at play a decisive part. If they are not completely clear or are mistaken or even forgotten, a unilateral
approach or deviations will result, as well as being a sign of incompetence.
"Modern civilisation tries to impose on man - as I said to UNESCO - a series of apparent imperatives, which its
spokesmen justify by recourse to the principle of development and progress. Thus for example, instead of respect
for life, the 'imperative' of getting rid of life and destroying it; instead of love which is a responsible communion of
persons, the 'imperative' of the maximum sexual enjoyment apart from any sense of responsibility; instead of the
primacy of the truth in action, the primacy of behaviour that is fashionable, of the subjective, and of immediate
success" 26
In the Church and in the world the integral educative vision that we see incarnated in John Bosco is a realistic
pedagogy of holiness. We need to get back to the true concept of "holiness" as a component of the life of every
believer. The originality and boldness of the plan for a "youthful holiness" is intrinsic to the educational art of this
great saint, who can rightly be called the "master of youth spirituality". His secret lay in the fact that he did not
disappoint the deep aspirations of the young (the need for life, love, expansiveness, joy, freedom, future prospects)
but at the same time led them gradually and realistically to discover for themselves that only in the "life of grace", ie
in friendship with Christ, does one fully attain the most authentic ideals.
An education of this kind requires at the present day that the young be equipped with a discerning conscience that
is able to perceive authentic values and unmask the ideological hegemonies which make use of the means of social
communication to enslave public opinion and subjugate minds.
17. The kind of education which, according to Don Bosco's method, fosters an original interraction between
evangelisation and human advancement, calls for precise attention to certain points from the heart and mind of the
educator: the acquiring of an educational sensitivity, the adopting of an attitude which is both motherly and fatherly,
the effort to assess what is happening in the growth of the individual and the group in the light of a formative plan
which brings together in wise and vigorous unity the educational purpose itself and the will to find the most suitable
means of attaining it.
In modern society educators must pay particular attention to the educational factors of a human and social character
which history has shown to be more important, and which are interwoven with grace and the demands of the Gospel.
Perhaps never in the past did education become so vital and social an imperative, implying the taking of a position
and the firm will to form mature personalities, as at the present day. Perhaps never in the past has the world had
such need of individuals, families and communities which make of education their 'raison d'être', to which they

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dedicate themselves as a primary objective and to which they unreservedly devote their efforts and seek
collaboration and help, so as to try out and renew with initiative and a sense of responsibility new educational
methods. To be an educator today implies a true individual choice of a way of life, to which those who exercise
authority in the ecclesial and civil communities owe a debt of recognition and help.
18 . The experience and pedagogical wisdom of the Church ascribe an extraordinary educative significance to the
"family", the "school", "work", and the various kinds of "associations" and groups. This is a time for the relaunching
of educative institutions and a moment to recall the irreplaceable educational role of the "family", of which I had
occasion to speak in the apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio. Education (or lack of it) in the family remains in
fact a decisive factor for good, and unfortunately sometimes for evil; and on the other hand it is always indispensable
to educate the younger generations to acquire from the family environment the responsibility for interpreting daily
happenings in the light of the perennial teaching of he Gospel, without losing sight of the Gospel, without losing sight
of the demands of a necessary renewal.
The central place of the family in the work of education at the present day ranks among the most serious of moral
and social problems. "What can be done - I asked of UNESCO - in order that man's education may be carried out above
all in the family? The causes of success and failure in the formation of man by his family always lie both within the
fundamental creative environment of culture which the family is, and also at a higher level, that of the competence
of the State and of the organs on which these causes depend".27
Along with the educational action of the family must be emphasised that of the "school", which is able to open wider
and more universal horizons. In John Bosco's view the school, in addition to fostering the cultural, social and
professional dimensions of the young, had to provide them with an efficacious structure of moral values and
principles. If it failed to do so, the young people would find it impossible to live and act in a consistently positive and
upright way in a society characterised by tension and strife.
A further part of the great educational legacy left by the Piedmontese Saint was his preferential interest in the world
of work, for which young people had to be carefully prepared. This is something, which is felt as an urgent need at
the present day, even amidst the profound changes that have taken place in society. We share Don Bosco's concern
for rendering the new generations professionally competent with proper technical skills, as has been done in such
praiseworthy fashion for more than a hundred years in the schools of arts and trades and the workshops with such
commendable skill by the Salesian Brothers. We share his concern for the fostering of an ever more incisive
education to social responsibilities, on the basis of growth in the understanding of the dignity of the subject,28 which
Christian faith makes not only lawful, but to which it gives energy with incalculable implications.
A final item to be pointed out is the importance given by the Saint to youth groups and associations in which youthful
dynamism and initiative grow and develop. By giving life to a whole variety of activities, he created living
environments which made good use of free time for the apostolate, study, prayer, joyful occupations, games and
cultural pursuits where the young could come together and grow. The notable changes of our own time with respect
to the nineteenth century do not exempt the educator from taking a fresh look at situations and conditions of life,
allowing the necessary space for the creativity which is typical of youth.
19. Considering then the needs of today's young people and at the same time calling to mind the prophetic message
of Don Bosco, the friend of youth, one cannot forget that in addition-or rather, within-any educational structure,
those typical educative moments of the personal conversation and meeting with the individual are indispensable:
correctly used, they become occasions of true spiritual guidance. This is what the Saint did, employing with particular
efficacy the ministry of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In a world so fragmented and so full of contradictory
messages, it is a real pedagogical gift to offer the young the possibility of knowing and elaborating their individual
life-plan, as they seek out the treasure of their own personal vocation on which depends the pattern of their life. The
educative work of one who thought it sufficient to satisfy the requirements, albeit legitimate ones, of profession,
culture, and even lawful relaxation, would be incomplete unless he included in it as leaven those objectives which
Christ himself put to the young man in the Gospel, and with which he even linked the joy of eternal life or the sadness
of selfish possession (cf. Mt 19,21f.).

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The educator loves and truly educates young people when he puts to them ideals of life which transcend them, and
agrees to walk side by side with them in the laborious daily maturing of the option they have made.
CONCLUSION
20. In this centenary commemoration of St John Bosco, "the father and teacher of youth", one may say with firm
conviction that Divine Providence invites all you who are members of the great Salesian Family, also as parents and
educators, to recognise ever more clearly the inflexible need for formation of the young, taking up with fresh
enthusiasm the tasks needed to carry it out with the enlightened and generous dedication that belonged to the Saint.
Among the educators I address especially, and with deep solicitude arising from the seriousness of the problem, the
clergy directly engaged in the care of souls: the education of youth is a challenge directed primarily to them.
I am convinced, and the meetings with young people that I have always asked should be included in the programs of
my apostolic journeys support this conviction, that there already exists an abundance of projects and initiatives for
the Christian education of youth; but we must not forget that at the present day young people are exposed to dangers
and temptations unknown in other ages, such as drugs, violence, terrorism, the pornographic element in many films
and television programs, and obscenity in words and pictures. All this means that in the care of souls the necessary
education of youth be given pride of place with appropriate methods and adequate initiatives.
The mind and heart of John Bosco can suggest to priests the proper means to this end. The seriousness of what is at
stake demands an increased awareness of the situation: the Lord will certainly ask them for an account of what they
have done in this regard. Let priests direct their first concern to young people. On youth depends the future of the
Church and of society!
I am well aware, worthy educators, of the difficulties you meet with and of the disappointments you experience at
times. Do not be discouraged as you follow the privileged way of love that is education. Be strengthened by the
inexhaustible patience of God in his pedagogy towards humanity, the unfailing exercise of fatherhood revealed in the
mission of Christ, teacher and shepherd, and in the presence of the Holy Spirit, sent to transform the world.
The powerful though hidden efficacy of the Spirit is directed to bringing about the maturity of humanity on the model
of Christ. He is the animator of the birth of the new man and the new world (cf. Rom. 8:4-5). In this way, your
educational labours will be seen to be a ministry of collaboration with God and will certainly be fruitful.
Your saint, who is our saint too, used to say that education is a "matter of the heart" 29 and that one must "open a
way for God in the boy's heart not only in church but also in the classroom and workshop". 30 It is precisely in the
human heart that the Spirit of truth is made present as consoler and transformer: he unceasingly enters the history
of the world from the heart of man. And as I wrote in the encyclical Dominum et Vivificantem, also the "the way of the
Church passes through the heart of man"; indeed, she is "the heart of humanity": "with her heart which embraces all
human hearts she implores from the Holy Spirit 'the righteousness, the peace and the joy of the Spirit' in which, in
the words of St Paul, consists the Kingdom of God" 31 By your work, dear educators, you are sharing in a wondrous
manner in the motherly function of the Church 32
Keep always before you Mary most Holy, the most lofty collaborator of the Holy Spirit, who was docile to his
inspirations and so became the Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church. She continues through the centuries "to
be a maternal presence as is shown by Christ's words spoken from the Cross: 'Woman, behold your son'; 'Behold
your mother’.33
Never take your gaze off Mary; listen to her when she says: "Do what Jesus tells you" (Jn, 2:5). Pray to her too with
daily solicitude, that the Lord may continue to raise up generous souls who can say yes to his vocational call.
To her I entrust you, and with you the whole world of youth, that being attracted, animated and guided by her, they
may be able to attain through the mediation of your educative work, the stature of new men for a new world: the
world of Christ, Master and Lord.

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May my Apostolic Blessing, the pledge and promise of heavenly gifts and testimony of my affection, strengthen you
in the faith, and may it console and protect all the members of the great Salesian Family.
Given at Rome, from St Peter's, on 31 January, the memorial of St John Bosco, in the year 1988, the tenth of my
Pontificate.
POPE JOHN PAUL II
END NOTES
1. Past. Const. on the Church in the modern world Gaudium et Spes, 4
2 Declaration on Christian Education Gravissimum Educationis - preface
3 Cf. PAUL VI, Apost. Exhort. Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 20: AAS 68 (1976), p. 19.
4 Address to UNESCO (2 June 1980), 12: AAS 72 (1980), p. 743.
S Ibid., 13; I.c., p. 743.
6 Ibid., 11; I.c., p. 742.
7 Letter to the youth of the world Parati semper (31 March 1985): A,4S 77 (1985), pp. 579-628.
8 PIUS XI, Lett. Decret. Geminata Laetitia (I April 1934): AAS 27 (1935), p. 285.
9 Cf. Encyc. Lett. Redemptoris Mater (25 March 1987), 12-19: AAS 79 (1987), pp. 374-384
10 II Giovane Provveduto, Turin 1847, p. 7.
11. Memorie biografiche di S.Giovanni Bosco, vol. 18 Turin 1937, p. 258.
12 Declaration on Christian education Gravissimum Educationis - preface.
13 Apost. Exhort. Evangelii Nuntiandi (8 December 1975), 69: A,4S 68 (1976), p. 59.
14 Cf. Il Sistema Preventivo, in "Regolamento per le case della Societŕ S. Francesco di Sales", Turin, 1877, in GIOVANNI
BOSCO, Scritti Pedagogici e sprituali (a cura di AA.VV.) LAS, Rome 1987, 192ff
15 Ibid-, pp. 194-195
16 Cf. Il Sistema Preventivo, in , Turin 1877 in GIOVANNI BOSCO, Scritti pedagogici e spirituali (a cura di AA.W.), LAS
Rome 1987, p. 166 ff.
17 Encyc. Letter Redemptor Hominis (4 March 1979), 13.14: AAS 71 (1979), pp. 282.284-285.
18 Cf. GIOVANNI BOSCO, Scritti pedagoci e spirituali (a cura di AA.W.), LAS Rome 1987, p. 168.
19 Memorie biografiche di S. Giovanni Bosco, vol. 4, S. Benigno Canavese 1904, p. 654.
20 Lettera da Roma, 1884, in GIOVANNI BOSCO, Scritti pedagogici e spirituali (a cura di AA.W.), LAS Rome 1987, p.
294.
21 Ibid., p. 296
22 Concerning the relationship between recreation and education in the thought and practice of John Bosco, it is well
known that Salesian Oratories are distinguished for the large amount of time given to sport, music, and every kind
of initiative forming part of healthy and formative recreation.

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23 Cf. Encyc. Letter Redemptor Hominis (4 March 1979), 13.14: A,4S 71 (1979), pp. 284-285.
24 Memorie biografiche di S. Giovanni Bosco, vol. 7, Turin 1909, p. 503
27 Ibid, 12; I.c., pp. 742-743
28 Cf. Encyc. Letter I,aborem Exercens (14 September 1981), 6: AAS 73 (1981), pp. 589-592.
29. Memorie Biografiche di S. Giovanni Bosco, vol 16, Turin 1935, p.447
30. Ibid, vol 6, pp815-816
31. Ency. Letter Dominum et vivificantem (18 May, 1986), 67
32 Cf CON. ECUM. VATIC. II Declaration on Christian education, 3
33 Encyc. Letter Redemptoris Mater (25 March 1987), 24: A, 4S 79 (1987), p. 393.