citizen.826

The Cooperators were invited to share the same style of action:

our program shall unalterably be this: leave us to loo k after poor and abandoned youth and

we shall do our best to do to them the greatest amount of good possible. This, we feel, is

the way to be able to contribute to good morals and civilisation.

827

Several times Don Bosco declared that in politics he was neutral. This neutrality meant more precisely

that his keen participation in the life of society was foreign to taking party sides, and that he was, thus,

proclaiming the deeply radically earthy aspe ct of his educational work.

Don Bosco was delighted to report what Pope Leo XIII had told them in the audience of May 9, 1884:

You have the mission to show the world that one can be a good Catholic and at the same

time a good and upright citizen; that it is possible to do a lot of good for poor and

abandoned youth at all times without colliding with the goings -on of politics, but always

remaining good Catholics.

828

This is the way Don Bosco wanted to see his activity converge with that of the governing body education and politics. Don Bosco wrote about this in a concise manner to a well the Interior, Joseph Zanardelli:

I beg you to graciously accept my constant desire to do my very best to decrease the

number of rascals and increase the n umber of upright citizens.

in

-known Minister of

829

The politician was aimed at keeping public order, and the educator at championing righteous consciences.

3. Basic polarity and hierarchy of educational goals

Welfare and educational activity on behalf of the young, as developed by Don Bosco and further explained by his words and writings, indicates goals and content before outlining the process. This chapter will now deal with the goals and content of Don Bosco's welfare and educational activity, leaving courses and methods adopted to the following two chapters.

We limit ourselves to drawing data from more explicit situations of educating young people. But to have a more articulate, richer view of things we should be using many other sources: the profiles of authentic Christians scattered through Don Bosco's history books and edifying books; the militant Catholics, men and women he had met and showed appreciation for, his rich correspondence; the saints or especially exemplary people referred to in sermons and instructions delivered on feast days, in 'good nights', and on special occasion talks and conversations with close friends.830

First of all, in reference to what we have remarked about Don Bosco's pedagogical Christian

826Cf P. Braido, 'L'idea della Società salesiana nel «cenno storico»' by Don Bosco 1873/1874 RSS 6 (1987) 264. 827This is the message to Salesian Cooperators that opens the small work in the Bibliofilo cattolico o Bollettino salesiano

mensuale, in III, no. 5 August 1877, p. 2; repeated in Bibliofilo cattolico o Bollettino salesiano mensuale, in III no. 6

Sept 1877, p. 2.

828Quoted in MB XVII 100. The preceding day, 8 May, the Cardinal Vicar Lucido M. Parocchi had dealt with a similar

topic, identifying in “carità esercitata secondo le esigenze del secolo”, “la nota essenziale della Società salesiana”, BS 8,

(1884), no 6, June p. 90.

829Letter 23 July 1878 E III 367.

830Some items can be drawn from from two brief essays: P. Braido, Laicità e laici nel progetto operativo di Don Bosco, in

I laici nella famiglia salesiana, Rome Editrice SDB 1986, pp 17-34; Idem, Pedagogia ecclesiale di don Bosco, in Con I

giovani raccogliamo la profezia del Concilio, Rome Editrice SDB 1987, pp. 23-63.