and able to produce salutary effects in the young. Should gentleness and persuasion be good enough to keep the rule alive, then that would be the most desirable way to follow, because it is more along the lines of the human heart, and produces more secure and lasting effects”.403
But the best summary is in a work entitled: Avvertimenti agli educatori ecclesiastici della gioventù (Advice for ecclesiastical youth- educators) written by Fr. Alexander Teppa (1806-1871, the former Rector of the Royal College of Moncalieri near Turin (1856-1867) and finally, Superior General of the Order from 1867 until his death. Don Bosco read it and had his collaborators read it too. Don Bosco found ideas in it that he shared, put into practice404 and, later on, transferred into the pages of his 'preventive system'. Father Teppa wrote:
Education has two main tasks or essential roles: one is positive and consists in providing
young people with the most effective means for the natural and free development of their
faculties; the other is negative and is called on to help the first. It consists in removing the
obstacles which might obstruct or spoil that very development. In short, this is the twofold
task of education: to promote what is good, to prevent what is evil, backing up nature in
whatever good point it possesses and correcting whatever may be bad. This twofold task
must be carried out either directly with the right use of authority or indirectly by means of
good example”.405
The solidness of the content of prevention is not ignored. Without doubt “to prevent” means “to safeguard from.. to correct.. to keep far away from.. to put the brakes on.. to protect from present dangers and to forewarn them against future dangers”. However, at the same time, “to prevent” means “to provide foundations for..to strengthen the young with the truths of Christian faith”. It means “to guide them along the way of virtue, to help them achieve their eternal salvation”.406 Individual and social human and Christian objectives must be well attended to, namely: to gradually form men who are truly wise, upright, virtuous, and good Christians and also good citizens”.407
To achieve such objectives two things are essential: the knowledge of every individual's inclinations and a correct use of authority. 408 Material Authority which is “acquired by firmness of will and severity of manners, makes us feared and obeyed at all costs”. But this kind of authority is not enough, even though it can be useful, “when the voice of reason is not listened to and even necessary to keep discipline among the pupils, especially when a lot of youngsters are gathered together”. “Material Authority may have external force but it will never conquer or govern the minds of youth who surrender only to the voice of persuasion and allow themselves to be governed only by moral authority”.
Not even a purely juridical or legal authority is enough to achieve the objectives of education. What is needed is moral authority which we cannot possess unless we earn it; and “it is not earned except by
403 Regolamento pei convittori del Real Collegio Carlo Alberto in Moncalieri , (Turin: Collegio degli Artiginaelli-Tip. E
Libr. S. Giuseppe, 1874), 32.
404 Letter from Rome to Don Rua, 14th January 1869, E II 4; Cf. J. M. Prellezzo, Valdocco nell’Ottocento tra reale e
ideale. The usage was resumed again at Valdocco years afterwards: “Everyone would be issued with a small booklet:
Avvertimenti per gli educatori ecclesiastici, by Alessandro Teppa Barnabita” (Conference 16°, 7-3-1883, Ibid., 235).
“Find out the reason why the youngsters fear us more than love us”. “There was discussion on this important point for
over two hours, without however finding the real cause. Then they had the idea of some small booklet to serve as a
guide; and they decided to give everyone the ‘avvertimenti’ by Alessandro Teppa Barnabite”. (Conference 18a, 9 March
1883, Ibid., 258).
405 A. M. Teppa, Avvertimenti per gli educatori ecclesiastici della gioventù, (Rome/Turin: tip. E libr. Poliglotta de
Propaganda Fide/tip. E lbr. Pontificia di Pietro di G. Marietti, 1868), 13.
406 Ibid., 8.
407 Ibid., 7-8.
408 Ibid., 11.