To Mr Giovanni Rivara, Genoa

E VI, 3095

He asks for at least partial remission of the loan given for the purchase of the Sampierdarena Hospice — for his generous offer, Pope Pius IX had awarded him the title of Knight of St Gregory.

Turin, 24 October 1879

My ever dear Cav. Rivara,

Mr Domenico Varetto, while sorting out our accounts, presented me with a receipt for over 4,000 francs, the remainder of a sum that you provided for the purchase of the Sampierdarena Hospice. While I do not question the reality of the fact, please allow me to remind you of some circumstances relating to it.

When you paid that sum in instalments, you made it clear, at least as I understood it, that you wished to make a charitable donation towards the establishment of the work.

With this conviction and wishing, as far as I was able, to repay Your Excellency in religious terms, I presented a memorandum to the Holy Father, in which, taking into account the eight thousand francs and more received on that occasion, I considered you a distinguished benefactor and begged His Holiness Pius IX to exercise an act of sovereign clemency and grant you the decoration of Knight of St Gregory the Great.

The honour had the desired effect, and I had the honour of presenting it to you personally and receiving a letter of heartfelt thanks.

I thought that my debt had been paid, but shortly afterwards you informed me of some needs of yours and the sum of L. 4,000 was returned to you.

At present, you would like me to pay the balance to Mr Varetto. Legally, I cannot refuse, but if we consider the reasonableness and morality of the matter, it seems to me that you should leave, if not the entire sum, at least the remainder of approximately 4,000 lire as a charitable donation.

It would certainly be regrettable for both you and me if anyone were to say that Mr Rivara received the Knight’s Cross from the Holy Father for a charitable deed that was later revoked.

You will say that you had no intention of making a donation; if that were the case, why did you thank me and also thank the Holy Father?

I would therefore ask you to at least waive the remaining balance, and the Hospice will have a benefactor in you, and the Holy Father would have had a reasonable reason to bestow the aforementioned decoration.

I am not writing to criticise, much less to offend, but solely to clarify a matter that would cause serious disruption to the Hospice of St Vincent, which is currently experiencing severe financial difficulties.

May God keep you alive and happy and believe that in J.C. I am

your humble servant and friend

Fr John Bosco