avoid idleness and lazy, good for nothing types”.128

Female pedagogy is for the most part traditional, as we see from the title of the chapter dedicated to it: Safeguarding young girls and how they are to avoid idleness. The preventive measures a father and a mother should use in dealing with their daughters are as follows: safeguard chastity; avoid idleness; proper use of time; avoiding “the habit of being familiar with males”, for this is a danger to modesty. A mother should especially “keep her daughters busy, away from idleness”. Even if they should they be “born of a noble and rich father, they should not feel ashamed to use the needle, the spindle and the other activities proper to their gender”.

[In conclusion] the mother and father of the family should be vigilant over their daughters.

Let them make themselves first of all feared, because the feminine sex is 'slippery ',

naturally light-minded and that age is not given much consideration. For the rest, one can

hope that the education provided, the fear of God, and the holy example of the mother will

keep her daughter in such a condition, that by living in a holy way in her father's house, she

will turn out to be a worthy and happy mother of many good sons and daughters whom she

will educate for the glory of God and with the very same kind of chaste and Christian

education”.129

2. Charles Borromeo, first champion of oratorian pedagogy

Whenever there is a question of discipline in (boarding) schools, diocesan schools and seminaries as well as oratories, more often than not people go back to St. Charles Borromeo and the rules he offered. Boarding institutions seem to have somewhat repressive rules. Schools where Christian doctrine is taught seem to have more preventive elements. They are not so different from the beginnings and development of the oratories.130

“Christian doctrine, a most divine subject” demands good and qualified instructors, namely, “they should first of all be to some extent the light of the world”; second: “They must be outstanding in their love for God and aflame with it”; third “They must have great zeal for the salvation of souls redeemed by the precious Blood of our Savior Jesus Christ”; fourth: “They must have a heartfelt charity towards all of their neighbors”; fifth: “They should do their best to draw those who do not attend their schools with the same charity with which they receive and instruct those who do attend in order to learn”; sixth: “They have to know very well and understand what they are trying to teach to others”; seventh: “Their patience is absolutely necessary”; eighth: “They should be very prudent and good enough to be able to adapt themselves to each one’s ability”; ninth: “They should use all possible care and diligence in maintaining and increasing a work of such importance”.131

To achieve all of the above, “catechists should prepare themselves properly to receive God’s graces and make every effort to work at their abilities and look for ways to keep them up”. 132 Six ways are suggested: the purification of one's conscience through the Sacrament of Penance, beginning with a general confession; frequent reception of the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist; mental and vocal prayer; performance of works of mercy; obedience towards all superiors, those of the entire company

128 ibid, book 3, Ch. 60, sheet 163r-164r. Del fuggir la vita otiosa, e scioperata..

129 ibid, book 3, Ch. 61, sheet 164r-165r.

130 Cf. Constitutioni et Regole della Compagnia et scuole della Dottrina christiana fatte dal cardianle di santa Prassese,

arcivescovo, in esecutione del concilio secondo provinciale [1569], per uso della provincia di Milano, in Acta Ecclesiae

Mediolanensis, vol. 3, book 2, col. 149-261 (G. Fontana edition, Milan 1585). The rules are divided into three parts:

the first part deals with Delle parti et conditioni, che havere devono gli operaii et fratelli della Compagnia et scuole

della dottrina christiana (col. 149-192); the second Dell’institutione, et erdine della Compagnia della dottrina

christiana (col 193-242); the third La qual contiene alcune regole particulari pertinenti alle scuole, et congregationi

diocesane (col. 243-261).

131 Constitutioni, col. 149-151.

132 ibid, col. 152.