Charles Borromeo, first champion of oratorian pedagogy

Whenever there is a question o f 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 som ew hat repressive rules. Schools where Christian doctrine is taught seem to have m ore preventive elements. They are not so different from the beginnings and developm ent o f the oratories.43

“ Christian doctrine, a m ost divine subject” dem ands good and qualified instructors, namely, “they should first o f all be to some extent the light o f the w orld” ; second: “T hey m ust be outstanding in their love for God and aflam e with it” ; third

“They must have great zeal for the salvation o f souls redeemed by the precious Blood o f our Saviour Jesus Christ” ; fourth: “They m ust have a heartfelt charity tow ards all o f their neighbours”; 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

42 ibid, b ook 3, Ch. 61, sheet 164r-165>:

43 C f. C o n stitu tio n i et R egole della C o m pagnia et sc u o le della D o ttrin a Christiana fa tt e dal ca rd ia n le dì sa n ta P rassese, arcivescovo, in esecu tio n e del concìlio secondo p ro v in c ia le [1 5 6 9 ], p e r uso della p ro v in c ia di M ilano, in A c t a E c c lesia e M edio la n en sis, v o i. 3, b ook 2, c o l. 149-261 (G. Fontana ed itio n , M ilan 1585). The rules are d iv id ed into three parts: the first part d eals w ith D elle p a rti et conditioni, che h a ve re devo n o g li o p era ii et fr a te lli della C o m p a g n ia et sc u o le d ella d o ttrin a Christiana (co l. 149-192); the seco n d D e l l ’ìnstitutione, et erdine della C o m p a g n ia della d ottrina christiana (c o l 19 3 -2 4 2 ); the third La q ual contiene a lcune re g o le p a r tic u la r i p e r tin e n ti alle scuole, et co n g reg a tio n i d iocesane (co l. 2 4 3 -2 6 1 ),

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 o n e ’s ability” ; ninth: “They should use all possible care and diligence in maintaining and increasing a work o f such im portance” .44

To achieve all o f the above, “catechists should prepare them selves properly to receive G o d ’s graces and m ake every effort to w ork at their abilities and look for ways to keep them up” ,45 Six ways are suggested: the purification o f one’s conscience through the Sacram ent o f Penance, beginning with a general confession; frequent reception o f the m ost holy Sacram ent o f the Eucharist; m ental and vocal prayer;

perform ance o f works o f mercy; obedience towards all superiors, those o f the entire company and all the superiors o f each particular school; and finally, good example” .46 Every school should have at least one priest as its spiritual father, who ordinarily should be the parish priest. The parish priest, besides having the specific qualities o f the priest, namely knowledge, purity o f life, honesty in habits, exemplariness, should also show great love and affection to the entire company, and in particular towards school members, since he is the spiritual father o f the entire school. He should do this by knowing them personally, hearing their confession, showing interest in their spiritual and physical needs, promoting harmony, visiting the classrooms, nurturing them with the word o f G od” .47

These instructions are followed by some chapters dealing with the main offices:

the prior, assistant prior, the councillors, the m onitor or the one in charge o f fraternal correction, the chancellor or secretary, the pacifiers, the headm asters, the teachers, the one in charge o f safeguarding silence and his assistants, the infirm arian and the doorkeeper.48 We can find ideas, terms, intuitions sprinkled throughout which rightly belong to the preventive pedagogy o f apostolic zeal and loving kindness.

The prior “should m ake every effort to bring back the one who has given up or has got lost; he should encourage the w eak w ith exhortations; he should spur on the negligent with kindly force; he should correct the w ayw ard with loving severity so that acknowledging his mistake he will correct h im self’.49 “Above all, the prior should make sure and diligently see that the children learn how to live as Christians through the Christian doctrine they are taught, for this is the reason they come to these schools;

and, if any o f them have been soiled by vice, the school administration should see that

44 C onstitutioni, co l. 1 49-151.

45 ibid, col. 152.

46 ibid, col. 152-162.

47 ibid, Ch. 3 D e ll’officio d el sacerdote, co l. 162-165..

48/ò/c/,C h s. 4 -1 6 , co l. 165-190.

49 ibid, co l. 166.

they be washed and be made clean”.50 “Once all this has been done, if an undisciplined student were to be presented to him or a student w ho may have com m itted some w rong in need o f correction, it would be good if the culprit w ere to receive public punishm ent according to the degree o f the w rong done, and depending on the circumstances o f the student. This however, should be done with charity, accompanied by prudence and discretion” .51

The role o f Teachers and Headm asters is decisive “because all the duties and rules are geared to having the students taught well, properly instructed in Christian doctrine and properly directed toward virtue and good m oral behaviour” .52 It is for these principles m ore than for any other that term s inspired by charity and loving kindness are used, terms to do with relationships.

Teachers should be urged to be in school on tim e. It is much better that the teachers w ait for their students, rather than the students w ait for their te a c h e rs ...

Once the headm asters have assigned the students to the care o f the teacher, then the teacher should receive them with charity, loving-kindness and meekness. The teacher should show them the affection and the love o f a fath er... The concern o f the teacher should not only be that o f teaching the lesson found in the book, but more than anything else instructing the students on how to acquire virtue and good morals. The teacher should make sure that what he teaches is not only retained in their minds but actual ly put into practice. ... He should aim at m aking “ good and perfect C hristians out o f them, giving them all the advice, rem inders and means which the Lord thinks best to suggest to him ” .53

This is an explicit Gospel pedagogy, eminently preventive and proposed in word and deed by Jesus, the Master:

They should hold this office in high esteem; they should always keep in mind the example o f Jesus Christ who welcomed the child before him with so much charity and loving kindness and rebuked those who wanted to prevent him from doing this. And how much Jesus loved children was shown when he said that it was better for the one who gave scandal to a child to hang a rock around his neck and to throw him self into the sea, rather than give scandal to one of the least o f those children: let them often consider how much good they will be able to do on behalf o f their souls, redeemed with the precious blood o f Jesus Christ, when they have not committed any sin and have no bad habits. It can

so ibid, col. 167.

51 ibid, col. 168.

52ibid, co l. 179.

53 C o n stitu tio n i, col. 181 -1 8 2 .

really be said that to teach children is to reform the world and lead the world to live a true Christian life.54

The m ethod is blended with the system. All this requires the teacher to have a clear vision o f his goals, knowledge o f his pupils, love that prevails over fear, and an ability to give witness. A catechism class, in fact, does not only call for the teacher to teach the elem ents o f C hristian doctrine but especially to have the students acquire the art o f living as good Christians...

Since the schools o f Christian doctrine are set up to achieve their goal, one m ust first learn how to truly live like a Christian.

Pupils should be exhorted to revere their elders, to obey their superiors, to be modest, when they walk in the streets and through public places, to show reverence and devotion in church, especially when Mass is being celebrated, when they should be devoutly kneeling on both knees; they should let go o f games and especially card games and dice; they should avoid the use o f filthy and offensive words.

Finally, let the pupils be taught all those other things which are suited to Christian folk and to the profession they are following. The pupils should be prepared to live a truly Christian life, to always remain in G od’s grace and live as G od’s adopted children. Let them be taught in a decent manner, making sure that offensive words and especially shameful or coarse words are not used; not only because such words do not belong in such a school, but also because they should not be learned and allowed to be used with others. And even though, at times, the students should be reprimanded with severe words, nevertheless it is more appropriate that this law and doctrine o f love be taught more through love than fear. It is better that the students be led to learn with promises of rewards than with threats, with gifts rather than with punishments. A teacher should have an adequate knowledge o f his students. He should not only see to it that they learn while they are in school, but he should also see to it, at times, that they study their lesson at home, He should know their parents, where they live, and find out how they behave themselves, as far as their morals, lifestyle is concerned. And if at times the students are absent, he should visit with them, and ask people in the house why they skip school. But he should do all this with shrewdness, so that his action may not appear to be done out o f curiosity but out o f fatherly love for them, and out o f fervent desire for their good.55

s4ibid, co l. 184.

55 C o n stitu tio n /, co l. 182-183.