austraLasia #2078

Journo juggles more than sneaking respect for DB's charism with editorial demands

ROME: 1st March 2008 --  The Rome correspondent for The Tablet has produced a feature article on the Salesians, in view of the 26th General Chapter: "Favoured sons...and daughters".  Robert Micken's editor would no doubt be appeased (editors do have that demiurgic demand at times), but the question is how do we feel about it?  Assuming most readers will have by now found a copy, and if not it is easy enough to come by, what emerges from it?
    Mickens has got his statistics right, because we know that he checked them out.  Of course, it is clear his editor wanted him to write as a 'vaticanista', and having worked in Rome for the past 20 years or so Mickens is well accustomed to telling the tale of two cities. The Tablet has long been a discretional observer of both cities. The opening paragraph kind've has it all - bishops, Vatican promotions, Rome, the General Chapter and, note, the immediate reference to the Salesian Family.  This is the first indicator of the journalist's canny ability to pick up on something very dear to Salesian leadership at the moment, because it was very dear to its Founder - the 'vast movement' of forces for good on behalf of the young, which a little further on he repeats as a 'vast network'. Clearly this core element of the charism has drawn his respect. We know he has done his homework, too, in following up the GC26 website, and some authentic sources.
    But many readers, who read only the article referred to here may miss another item, his 'Letter from Rome', (pg 34), where he says, and here we quote the entire comment:
" Pope Benedict XVI has visited only a handful of Rome's parishes, but last Sunday he did celebrate Mass at the Church of Santa Maria Liberatrice in one of the city's most popular and, once upon a time, 'populist' neighbourhoods - Testaccio. The quarter was constructed during the period between the two world wars and was originally a 'red zone', or left-wing neighbourhood populated by labourers and other low-paid workers, many of whom lived in the palazzi popolari or large public-housing buildings. The area boasts the only regulation-size football pitch within the Aurelian Walls and long-time residents of the area are staunch Roma fans. Until recently Testaccio was considered one of the last of the 'real' Roman neighbourhoods, replacing Trastevere in its genuineness. That was true in 1966 when Paul VI visited the neighbourhood parish and 1979 when Pope John Paul II was there. But it has now become fashionable - even if still left-leaning - and is home to several trendy theatres, movie cinemas, increasingly posh shops and some very good Roman trattorias.
But when the parish of Santa Maria Liberatrice was founded in 1908 the area was anything but posh. That's probably why Pope Pius X eventually asked the Salesians to take over the parish. It was a perfect match. Don Bosco's group swept into this gritty, swarming urban area and set up their oratory for the rag-tag kids of Testaccio. And they've been there ever since - both the children and the Salesians.  And they gave Pope Benedict a lively welcome, to which the Pontiff said he could "see" the presence of the saintly Don Bosco among them. The pastor, Don Manfredo Leone SDB, explained why, in a typical Salesian way: "True holiness is to be cheerful".
    Somehow I think this comment (Mickens actually followed the Pope to Testaccio for the occasion to make his own observations) is a key to interpreting 'Favoured sons.... and daughters'. As for the title itself let's face it, we haven't been adverse ourselves to using the language of predilection to describe our mission.
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Title: australasia 2078
Subject and key words: SDB General, The Tablet, GC26
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2078