E IV, 2199

He is sorry that he was unable to speak in order to clear his name or rectify the accusations made against him during his visit the previous day. He did not expect much, after all he had done to secure his appointment as Bishop of Saluzzo and Archbishop of Turin. At this point, he has nothing more to say and simply apologises for any distress caused

Turin, 28 October 1875

Your Excellency,

Yesterday Your Excellency decided to tell me everything you thought appropriate without even letting me utter a word in my defence or to clarify what you were accusing me of.

I feel more sorry for Your Excellency than I do for myself. I had in mind to tell you things that would effectively help to alleviate, perhaps even free you from serious distress.

With all due respect to the archiepiscopal dignity which is yours, I believe I can tell you that if you were Bishop of Saluzzo and then Archbishop of Turin, if the serious difficulties that opposed you were smoothed over, this, as you well know, was due to the proposals and efforts of poor Don Bosco who is now not even allowed to speak and is being sent away, as you know.

I believed I could, indeed must, speak; now I believe I am entirely exempt from doing so.

Please forgive me for any inconvenience caused and believe me when I say that I hold you in the highest regard, as I always have done and I will always be

Your Excellency’s

Your most obliged servant

Fr John Bosco