To the Minister for the Interior, Ubaldino Peruzzi

E I, 669

A timely response to vague rumours against the Oratory and against him as the author of La Storia d’Italia [The History of Italy].

Turin, May-June 1863

Your Excellency,

Although I rest assured by what Your Excellency told me, namely that if any comments were necessary regarding this house, you would certainly have made them to me personally, nevertheless, since you have told me of certain reports, and since these have already been published in the newspapers, I believe it is appropriate to note here some rumours which, although vague and without foundation, have caused concern to the superintendent of studies, the Minister of Education and yourself. I will set out the rumours and respond to them [R.].

1. The studies and spirit of our clerics are not in harmony with the current government institutions.

R. The treatises, studies and discipline of the clerics are the same as those of the diocese, and our clerics regularly attend classes at the Turin seminary, with the exception of certain scientific subjects which, not being available at the seminary, they study at our Royal University. I believe that there is nothing to reproach in this regard.

2. There is no picture of the King.

R. I could say that there is not even one of the Pope and the Bishop; I could even say: there is no law that commands or advises such a thing. But I can say other things; I say that this second rumour is completely unfounded. The portrait of the King is in several rooms, and in the three offices there is a painting depicting our sovereign in all three. There is this portrait in the thousands of young people who have left this house and now serve their country honourably in the ranks of the army; it is there in the hearts of the young people of this house, who morning and evening say special prayers together for their Sovereign and for those who work with him for the good of the State.

3. But la Storia d’Ialia is not inn the spirit desired.

R. This Storia d’Italia is not a school text. Besides, I wrote it at the invitation of the Minister of Public Education, it was printed under his supervision, and he gave me a gift of 300 francs for the first copy I brought him. It was reprinted four times, but always under the watchful eye of the ministry, which, not surprisingly, recognised it by special decree or rather included it among the prize-winning books. It is true that in previous editions there were expressions that needed to be changed after the events of 1860-1-2. And these expressions were modified, as everyone can see in the fourth edition published this year. If there is anything that deserves disapproval, please let me know, and it will be corrected in the next edition.

After all, I have devoted 23 years of my life and resources to my public ministry. The squares, streets, prisons, and hospitals were the places where I spent my time. Everything I said, did, and wrote was always public, and no one, neither private citizen nor public official, of those who were in power in the past, could find anything in my conduct that deserved censure.

At present, I ask nothing of the government, neither employment, nor honours, nor money; I ask only for its moral support and its help so that, by mutual agreement, I may promote and give the necessary development to a work that aims solely to prevent abandoned young people from populating the prisons, and to ensure that those who leave them do not return there. All of which seem to me to be in the interests of the government.

Fr John Bosco