The Barnabites ’preventive style

It is a w ell-know n fact that the Barnabites, a Congregation w hich cam e into being during the first h a lf o f the 16th century, dedicated them selves to the care o f colleges (boarding schools) at the beginning o f the 17th century. The Barnabites were always praised for their discipline. This is the reason why St Francis de Sales wanted them to be teachers in the boarding institutions in Annecy. St Francis de Sales thought o f them as “excellent people”, “gentle and condescending”, “hum ble and kind” ; as people o f “solid piety, gentle and incomparably friendly”." 3

The preventive aspect o f their educational system seems to have been formulated m ore explicitly during the 19th century. “We beg all those who take an active part in educating youth, in instructing youth, to be slow to punish, to try w ith all possible m eans suggested by charity to prevent the onset o f evil rather than having to correct it” ." 4 “The supervision o f younger boarders should be as constant and diligent as it is gentle and fatherly. It is better to prevent defects from show ing up than to have the sad task o f punishing them. Punishment should be used rarely and only as a medicine”.115

“I f the rule is not kept, then it is dead. For this reason the superiors should do their utmost to keep the rule alive 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 m ost desirable way to follow, because it is m ore along the lines o f the hum an heart, and produces more secure and lasting effects” .116

But the best sum m ary is in a w ork entitled: Avvertimenti agli educatori ecclesiastici della gioventù (Advice f o r ecclesiastical youth educators) written by Fr Alexander Teppa (1806-1871, the former rector o f the Royal College o f Moncalieri near Turin (1856-1867) and finally, Superior General o f the Order from 1867 until his

111 Ibid., 47 and 49.

112 Ibid., 27; cf. also 8,10,21,43.

113 A . M. Erba, Le scuole e la tradizione pedagogica dei barnabiti, in P. Braido, ed., Esperienze di pedagogìa cristiana nella storia,voi 1, (Rom e, LAS, 1981) 180-181. We cite the documents proper to the Order o f the essay by A;M. Erba.

114 Saggio dì Regolamento per q u e’ Collegi dei PP. Barnabiti che hanno annesso il Convitto o il Ginnasio,(Rom e, 1850), 4.

115 Programmao f the Duke’s C ollege Maria Luisa (Parma, 1832).

116 Regolamento pei convittori del Real Collegio Carlo Alberto in Moncalieri, (Turin, C ollegio degli Artiginaelli-Tip. ELibr. S. Giuseppe, 1874), 32.

death. Don Bosco read it and had his collaborators read it too. Don Bosco found ideas in it that he shared, put into practice117 and, later on, transferred into the pages o f his

‘Preventive System ’. FrT eppa 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 o f 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 o f authority or indirectly by means o f good example”.118

The solidness o f the content o f prevention is not ignored. W ithout doubt “to prevent” m eans “to safeguard from ., to correct., to keep far away from ., to put the brakes on., to protect from present dangers and to forew arn them against future dangers” . However, at the same time, “to prevent” means “to provide foundations to strengthen the young with the truths o f Christian faith”. It means “to guide them along the way o f virtue, to help them achieve their eternal salvation” .119 Individual and social human and Christian objectives m ust be well attended to, namely: to gradually form m en who are truly w ise, upright, virtuous, and good Christians and also good citizens” .120

To achieve such objectives tw o things are essen tial: the know ledge o f every individual’s inclinations and a correct use o f authority.121 Material Authority which is

“acquired by firmness o f will and severity o f manners, makes us feared and obeyed at all costs”. But this kind o f authority is not enough, even though it can be useful, “when

117 Letter from Rome to Don Rua, Jan. 14, 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 p e r 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 o f some small booklet to serve as a guide; and they decided to give everyone the ‘avvertimenti’

by Alessandro Teppa Barnabite”. (Conference 18a, March 9 ,1883, ibid., 258).

118 A. M. Teppa, Avvertimenti per g li educatori ecclesiastici della gioventù, (Rome/

Turin, tip. E libr. Poliglotta de Propaganda Fide/tip. E lbr. Pontificia di Pietro di G. Marietti, 1868), 13.

119 Ibid., 8.

120 Ibid., 7-8.

121 Ibid., 11.

the voice o f reason is not listened to and even necessary to keep discipline am ong the pupils, especially when a lot o f youngsters are gathered together” . “Material Authority may have external force but it will never conquer or govern the minds o f youth who surrender only to the voice o f persuasion and allow themselves to be governed only by moral authority”.

N ot even purely juridical or legal authority is enough to achieve the objectives o f education. W hat is needed is moral authority which w e cannot possess unless we earn it; and “ it is not earned except by m aking ourselves esteem ed, respected and loved” . 122 In other w ords, moral authority is based on reason and love. “ W hoever w ants to be esteem ed by the young should first o f all show that he esteem s them . T herefore he should never speak scornfully o f anyone” . 123 “W hoever w ants to be respected by his pupils should alw ays be calm , self-controlled and show that he is guided by reason alone in dealing with them ” . 124 “ But should anyone w ant to hold sway over the hearts o f the young he should most o f all make him self loved. W hoever is loved is also willingly listened to and obeyed. There is no other m anner by which to m ake on eself loved than to love. ‘Si vis amari, ama '.m “And so, w hoever w ants to m ake him self loved by his pupils should be the first one to love them with a sincere heart and w ith the affection o f a father and friend. L et this be his m ain concern, to care for all that they m ay need and be o f advantage to them both spiritually and physically. For honour, let him try to please them and satisfy their honest wishes as much as possible, let him share their pleasures and their and displeasures” .126

According to Teppa the exercise o f authority should be commensurate with the different temperaments and dispositions o f the young: “The simple voice o f reason for the young who are docile and submissive, the authority o f the command for the young who are hard-headed and stubborn” .127 But at the same tim e, it is pointed out, every one w ithout discrim ination should never lose sight o f the objective: “a sincere and lasting love o f virtue, sense o f duty, desire for what is truly good; and the method to be used - the way o f gentleness and persuasion”. “There is no doubt that this is the way most suited to human nature and consequently the way which produces more lasting results, even though at times they are less readily available and visible. Let this way be alw ays regarded as the main tool for education” .128

122 Ibid., 14-16.

123 Ibid., 17.

124 Ibid., 18-19.

125 Ibid., 21.

126 A. M, Teppa, Avvertimenti per gli educatori ecclesiastici della gioventù 22.

127 Ibid., 25-26.

128 Ibid., 27-28.

This kind o f authority will suggest all the m ain ways required o f educational intervention: “when we have to com m and, instruct and ex h o rt;129 when we have to w arn, correct and reproach;130 when w e have to punish,131 praise and rew ard” .132

“ O rders should be used in m oderation and alw ays be issued w ith dignity, gently, seriously and firm ly” .133 “Instruction and exhortation are to be preferred, and they should neither be too long nor inappropriate” .134 “ Instruction and exhortation should later be follow ed up with w arnings and kindly corrections because the young are naturally unstable, inconsiderate and absent-minded, so it is necessary to remind them w ith brief, kind w ords about their duties, their resolutions, the prom ises they have made so that they may not be found at fault through forgetfulness or absent-mindedness or instability”.135

“The teacher should be convinced that the more he does this, the less need will there be for him to have recourse to punishm ents. This is why the teacher should always be attentive and vigilant and be imbued at the same time w ith much zeal and charity”.136 “If simple warnings are not enough, then the teacher should use admonitions, being careful how ever to be ready to speak w ith the loving kindness and effective reasoning good enough to persuade and m ove the minds o f the pupils” .137 “ But when the teacher gives a reprimand or an admonition he should make sure not to offend or do anything which might discourage the guilty one. Instead he should let him know that he will not stop loving him and esteeming him as a person even though he corrects him and that he does this precisely because he loves him and esteems him and really w ants w hat is good for him ” .138 The reprim and com es to the fore “when it can be clearly seen that warnings and kindly corrections prove useless” .139 Finally, once the desired results are obtained, as occasion dem ands, the severity o f the corrections should be softened, urging the young man to correct h im se lf’.140

Teppa devotes a longer chapter to the subject o f punishments,141 but not because they are considered the most important part o f education. H e holds the opinion rather

129 Ibid., c h .4 ,29-33.

130Ibid., ch. 5,33-34.

131 Ibid., ch. 6,41-51.

132 Ibid., ch. 7,51-54.

133 Ibid., 29-31.

134 Ibid., 31-33.

135 Ibid., 33.

136 Ibid., 34.

137 Ibid., 35.

138 Ibid., 37.

139 Ibid., 38.

140 Ibid.,40.

141 A. M Teppa, Awertim enti per gli educatori ecclesiastici della gioventù ch. 6, Dei castighi, 41-51.

that their frequency is due to the carelessness or inexperience o f the educator.

Punishments “should be given only out o f necessity and as a medicine. The necessity and usefulness o f punishment should also be the norm for determining the quality and quantity o f punishm ents and the way o f using them 142 As for the way to use punishm ents, love is presented as the basic way to be followed:

First o f all, the best kind o f punishment given by a teacher who is truly loved and respected by his pupils will be by showing how sorry he is about the fault committed, either by reprimanding them openly but seriously, or with a quieter, more serious and reserved approach, and not giving them signs o f kindness and familiarity he normally has given them in the past. But the teacher must make sure that the humiliation is not o f such a nature as to discourage the person143 ...L et a punishment be given with dignity and at the same time with loving kindness. As m uch as possible, the culprit should be persuaded that the punishment was just and necessary, and that his fault was being punished because we love him as a person”.144

Besides using punishments, the author adds, it is also ju st and proper that at the right time and place the teacher should bestow the praise due to the pupil who acts the way he should and encourage him with rew ards” .145

The last tw o chapters deal with the educator as a whole. W hat is em phasised is individual good example and harmony in the community o f those educating.146 “Let them be compassionate and bear with one another with holy charity and, whenever it m ay be needed, let there be m utual correction” .147 Finally the charity which St Paul w rites to the Corinthians about is taken and form ulated as the suprem e principle o f any educational activity.148

142 Ibid., 43.

143 Ibid., 43-45.

144 Ibid., 49 and 51.

145 Ibid., 51.

146 Ibid., Chap. 8, Del buon esempio e della concordia tra gli educatori,54-61-7 147 Ibid., 60.

1481 Cor. 13:4-7; A, M. Teppa, Avvertimenti,Chap. 9, Condizioni della carità che dee avere un educatore ecclesiastico,61-69.

Chapter 6