Let us hope that God will send peace as soon as possible among the Christian people and that the subjects will join their sovereign and that we may all look to the salvation of our souls with a more tranquil mind”. 580 “Meanwhile”, Don Bosco reassures the Pope, “we will continue to pray in all our houses, morning and evening that your Holiness’ precious days may be safe and that God grant you good health and the grace to withstand the serious storms, perhaps not too distant, that Divine Providence will allow the enemies of what is truly good to raise against the spotless Spouse of Jesus Christ. This is the last test, but the expected triumph will soon come our way. 581

Don Bosco most likely shared with several Catholics the hope that exceptional events would take place to defend Rome and the Papacy. This would also explain an ironic reference to the reassurance felt by those on the opposite side - the imminent realisation that Italy would occupy and make Rome its Capital: "May you be at peace! Before the realisation of Italian Unity (This will soon happen!) the book shall be finished.” 582 Don Bosco occasionally employed the weapon of irony with friends who shared the same ideas, to make fun of "Democracy" namely of the “Fanatic Democrats”, anti-clericals “'a-la-Garibaldi” 583.

Contrasting prophecies and judgments followed one after the other before and after 1870. Don Bosco forecast, on the precise day the Italian army marched into Rome: "Commendatore, take courage and have hope. Keep these words well in mind: a thunderstorm and tempest, a whirlwind, a hurricane are on the horizon, but they will all last a short while. Then the sun will appear once again with a splendour never seen since St. Peter’s day until Pope Pius IX”! 584Three months after the conquest of Rome, Don Bosco wrote to Countess Carlotta Calori: “May God spare us after such a terrible confrontation between Jesus Christ and Satan, and allow us to see the Church and the Holy Father enjoy peace. 585 Don Bosco did not lay down his weapons. He not only continued his realistic and constructive politics but, thanks to this kind of politics, could even, as we have mentioned, put his finger on the question of the appointment of bishops and the Temporal Powers. (1871-1874). He makes his thoughts more explicit when he takes "politics of the Gospel” as his norm: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God”. 586 This norm was always guided by another principle, namely, that "we should do good whenever it is requested and possible." A Salesian Rector was once asked to kindly offer his facilities to the Workers Association of the city. Don Bosco wrote to him: " As far as the workers association and those who champion it are concerned, you can always tell them that we lay aside any party ideas and steadfastly stick to what Jesus Christ said:’Date quae sunt Caesaris, Caesari, quae sunt Dei, Deo, and that none of them should be afraid of us, of what we might say and do”. 587 On another occasion Don Bosco clarified his thinking. “Let this be kept well in mind, that if we want to make headway, we should never speak of politics, neither pros nor cons. Our life’s program should be that of doing good to poor children. Whatever needs to be added to this principle will be suggested to us by God who will also be our guide whenever needed”. 588

580 Letter to Cav. Oregli, 21 May 1866, EmI I 241-242; cf letter to Countess Anna Bentivoglio, 30 Sept. 1866, Em II 302. 581 Letter to Pius IX, 26 June 1867. Em II 398.

582 Letter to Countess Carlotta Callori, 19 Oct. Em II 442.

583 Letter to Count Pio Galleani d’Agliano, 14 Aug. 1855, Em I 264; to Canon Alessandro Vogliotti, July 1860, Em I 419;

to Baron Bianco di Barbania, Dec. 1869, E II 65-66; to Countess Alessi di Camburzano, 28 Oct. 1879, E II 126. 584 Letter to Comm. Dupraz, 20 Sept. 1870, E II 118-119. The news of the entry of the Italian army into Rome reached the

Saint on 21 September: he made no comment.

585 Ltter of 2 Jan. 1871, E II 144. To Count Eugenio de Maistre who had been a volunteer with the pontifical Zouaves, he

wrote on 28 Dec. 1872: “ Let’s have courage, we are facing a very sad time. Let’s hope a merciful God will shorten

that”. (E II 247).

586 Mt. 22:21; Mk 12:17; Lk 20:25.

587 Letter to the Rector in Nice, Fr Ronchail, April 1877. E III 163.

588 Letter toCarlo Vespignani di Lugo, 11 April 1877. E III 167.