Chapter 17
Demanding love: “a word on punishments”
The practice of correction and punishments in Don Bosco's educational experience is much better articulated than its statements of principle. The few indications found in the last paragraph of the Preventive System (1877), “A word on punishments”, do not appear to be good enough to act as a theoretical foundation. It needs to be found within a more substantial perspective.
Don Bosco's practice of correction and punishments is based on one of the principles which could well be considered a key one for his his spirituality and pedagogy:
Try your best to make yourself loved rather ('before' or 'if you want to be') than feared.
The two terms, love and fear, are no less fundamental than the threefold 'reason, religion, loving kindness'. They all have their roots in faith and theology, and blossom and produce results in pedagogy and ministry.
The two terms seemed even more realistic and essential in a kind of prevention directed to youth at risk and youth who were a risk, and at times expressed with deeds but certainly more often through word and outlook.
1. The basis for a practice of correction and punishment
First of all, it is clear that in its wording the first term (love) does not exclude the second (Fear): “make yourself love rather than feared” substantially means “make yourself loved and make yourself feared”, with priority given to love. Often it is love that wants fear' to the point that fear increases as love does. A theological certainty becomes a pedagogical principle.
The wording achieves and includes the latter, which is a container and philosophical, theological and experiential basis for reason, religion and loving kindness. We have seen that Don Bosco's care for the young and his neighbour, without exception, finds its roots in his faith and his theological, moral and pastoral formation as a priest, oriented towards the eternal salvation of the young.
This untarnishable Catholic faith sees in love and fear of God the essence of any authentic holiness. Don Bosco's theology of history confirms this belief, widely evidenced by his writings on both sacred and secular history. God governs the world and human events through attractive reward and the healthy threat of future punishment, in time and eternity. This is the idea that pervades the entire History of Italy and in this connection, Don Bosco's idea and wording borrowed from Greek and Latin history is made explicit in the phrase: “It is better to be loved than to be feared”.
The transferal of Don Bosco's theological and historical conceptions to action on behalf of youth was inevitable. The pedagogical qualification of 'father, brother, friend', ended up being reinforced thanks to the indissoluble bond between them, between affection and loving kindness and elements directed towards respect, esteem, honour and reverence.
We have already recalled the many versions of the wording Historical Outline of the Oratory of St Francis de Sales (1862) to the letter addressed to Fr Michael Rua in l863 and the Confidential Memo for Rectors derived from them. The wording is also brought back to life in the Preventive System and in the general articles of the Rules for the houses.
The relationship between love and fear suppose the co-existence of integrating points of view. The terms 'before' and, 'if one wishes', and 'more or less', follow one another and respectively express the order of time, causality and importance.