Souls and Souls!
Tortona, 22nd February 1938
To the Priests who have been called to form a
"Little Press Office."
Dearly beloved in the Lord,
may the grace of Jesus Christ and His peace be always with us!
Today we must rejoice as it
is the feast of the Chair of St. Peter in Antioch, where the first faithful
began to be called Christians, that is, believers, followers, imitators of
Christ Our Lord. Actually the old
tradition which had remained unaltered up to the 16th century, says that it is
not the Chair of Antioch that was referred to, but the Chair of St. Peter in
Rome, the only Chair that can rise to be the symbol of the universal primacy of
honour and jurisdiction that Peter and his Successors exercise from Rome over
the whole Church.
But we must also exult in
the Lord because, on today's feast, our little Congregation is setting up, in
the holy Name of God, its first little Press Office, placing it under the
patronage of the Immaculate Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, and of St. Francis
of Sales. The Most Blessed Virgin is the
Mother and heavenly Foundress of the Little Work and St. Francis was given by
the Apostolic See as Patron of the Catholic press. He, as a Missionary and a Doctor, was among
the first to use the press in support of right doctrine and in defence of the
true Church of Christ and of the Pope.
The principal function of
this most modest office is that of coordinating our news bulletins in the
purpose for which, in Italy and abroad, various sheets and leaflets edited by
different Houses of the Congregation came to exist. It is also designed to work with them so that
they will always be a unanimous voice of one heart and one spirit, albeit in
different styles and in different languages.
This Press Office will receive, from the Superiors of our Institutions,
or from their Deputies, whatever items of news they wish to be brought to the
notice of all the other Houses of the Congregation and published, as widely as
possible, in friendly newspapers in Italy and outside, for the glory of God and
so that the Benefactors should feel ever more encouraged to help us.
The Office in its turn will
send news, correspondence, short articles to our different bulletins. This will serve to give one particular slant
to the press items of our Congregation.
It will encourage work of greater intensity. It will unify our small strength, even in the
domain of the press: strength united becomes stronger.
I have no doubt as to the
great benefit it will have for the Little Work and for each of her Houses.
For the moment we must limit ourselves to this, no
more; but I feel that, with God's help, we will not stop at the first stage. I have great trust in God and great
expectations from you, my dear people.
If it pleases God to cause it to grow bigger, with your valued help,
with your daily industrious toil, this most modest Press Office will become an
example of our great publishers; it will become the Work of the Apostolate of
the Good Press in our dear Congregation.
A Press Apostolate, for the people, that I have dreamed of for so many
years, a press apostolate for the little ones, for the humble, for the mass of
country dwellers, for the workmen, the Work of the Good Press for the workers,
for the salvation of the people.
The press is a great force:
it is a great orator that speaks by day, that speaks by night, that speaks in
the cities, that speaks in the villages, even on the mountains and in the
forgotten valleys. Is there any place
the press does not get to? Is it not the
press that creates public opinion, that influences peace or war? Oh what damage bad press has caused! But what good the press does, when it is in good
hands, when it is placed at the service of God, of the Church, of our Country!
Can our Congregation be indifferent to such a
force? Are we not obliged to avail of it
for the sake of God and the peoples? With the popular press we will bring
Christ to the people and the people to Christ.
This Press Office is only a
modest box room. For the moment it
consists of a poor table, two benches, paper, pens and an ink-pot. Up on the wall there is a Crucifix, a picture
of Our Lady and one of Don Bosco. There are some books: the Bible, Dante,
Manzoni. It is a small step, if you
like, like the short step of a baby. Our
Institution, in any case, is still such a baby!
But it is a beginning; let us not lose heart, a good beginning!
Tomorrow, then, will bring
what God wants, and also what we want if we work as if we were on our knees,
little and humble at the feet of Christ and of the Church. If we at least begin in the Name of God we
will have begun well.
Above all may our new labour
be infused with a great love of God and of the brothers, now and for ever! May it be placed in the service of truth,
inspired by truth alone, without ever diverging from the truth; but, both in
its substance and in its form, may it be enlivened and infused with the charity
of the Lord: proclaiming the truth in charity.
To live the truth, to
practise it and serve it, the truth, in every way and with full devotion, even
with the pen, so that it may live and shine in us and in the minds and in the
hearts of those who read it.
Always work and write
according to the teachings of the Faith and of the Church: they give us the
revealed truth. Do and write only
whatever is true, just, honest, right, but always under the impulse of charity:
always and in everything faithful to the truth, but with a will and in an
evangelical spirit of holy and sweet love of charity in Christ.
It was the Apostle Paul who,
in his letter to the Christians of the Church of Ephesus, wrote: "For by
living the truth in charity let us grow through everything in Him who is the head,
Christ." (Eph 4:15).
So we, my dearest sons, as
people and as a Congregation, must grow and progress in every good activity: we
must grow through everything - this includes the apostolate of the press - in
Him - that is, in the one who is the Head, Christ. Always, however, living the truth in charity. And we must make use of everything that the
Church, our Country, theology, philosophy, literature, science and the arts
offer us in honesty, whether ancient or modern: we must use everything, value
everything, for the lofty purpose of the glory of God, for the spreading of the
Gospel and Christian civilisation, for the defence of the Church, of our
Country, of the family, of souls: to renew everything in Christ, including the
press, through the press.
The new wine should be in
new wineskins, but we must also put the old wine in new wineskins. "Otherwise," says Jesus, (Mt: 9,17),
"the skins burst and the wine is spilt." What I mean is, if you want to get your work
to be read, if you want to please and penetrate and conquer souls and do good,
you must learn how to adapt where necessary the ancient doctrine of Christ to
new living examples. You must use the
methods most suitable for modern times, for today's readers. Language that is simple, appropriate,
conversational, alive; short, scintillating sentences; news, correspondence,
short, very short, articles, with always a ray of edifying light, a tender
thought which causes joy and raises the mind to God.
Strong and rooted in the principles
of the Faith and in everything that is the Church's doctrine, you must keep to
the rule: unity in what is necessary, freedom in what is doubtful, and charity
in everything!
Always be precise and clear,
avoiding an affected style, like outdated fashions that have a mouldy air about
them. Be free, but may your message be
warm: be full and vibrant with the sweetest, most sacred, love for God, Pope,
Gospel, Church, Family, Country, Congregation: for the little ones, the poor,
the workers, the people.
Do not be tardy in your
work, but always swift and eager in correspondence. Be good time-keepers, have a holy enthusiasm
for that. Herein lies a great secret,
after the help of God, herein lies the secret of success: faith, work,
courage.
God will be with you!
May nothing weigh you down,
may no difficulty dishearten you, may the fearless youthful energy of the young
shepherd David, which is in you, never be suppressed or suffocated by the heavy
armoury of Saul: your shield is the Faith: your strength is God whom you serve
in humility even to the point of sacrifice.
May the Lord encourage your
daily efforts, just as I also give you my heartfelt encouragement and blessing
in Jesus Christ and in Our Blessed Lady.
Yours most affectionately,
Fr. Orione
of the Sons of Divine Providence
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