[2376]
It seems to me that there is a little calm in Fr Stanislao: but not much humility, for he does not want to admit he was mistaken, and maintains that he was talking about things to happen in a few years’ time, and in better days, while in all his letters he was speaking of immediate things, and especially in Article 17 of his proposed contract where he says: “Art.17: Lastly, with regard to the contributions and to its implementation, the contract itself will definitively come into force on 1st January 1871”. For 52 days Fr Stanislao did not write to me: as soon as the new missionaries etc. arrived, he wrote me letters on the 8th of last month and then on the 18th, which I am sending to you. There is a letter from the Canon which I received yesterday. Both Ravignani and the Canon wrote to me mirabilia about Fr Stanislao, and very well of Franceschini; as they did of the Franciscan parish priest, Fr Pietro, and I am glad. But from Fr Stanislao I never received any imaginable mention of humility, the first of all things. Nonetheless I continued to write to him every week, except twice.
[2377]
He wrote very badly about me to Mgr Bishop, he said rather bad things about me to an important personage, saying that I had slandered him, betrayed him, that he could not trust me and that I am not positive. I forgive him everything, because he has great merits for the mission and for me, etc., except what he does as an effect of his excitable temperament, etc. All in all, I shall tell you, Fr Stanislao is terrible: but he is a truly upright man, and for this reason we will make efforts to keep him with us, superhuman efforts. I greet you. I will come myself to get the enclosed letters on Sunday.


Fr Comboni

[2378]
I warn you in secret that this coming week the Commission of S. Nicolò will come and see you to present you with the sketch of a project to glorify St Joseph on his day in March. Here is the sketch. The Holy Trinity on high and St Joseph lower down, praying to the Trinity for the Church, Faith on one side and Charity on the other; a little lower, a ship on the waves, the symbol of the Church. Observe, Your Excellency, that perhaps Pius IX will not be in the ship, nor any Pope. The Church without a Pope does not exist. I therefore dare to express my own opinion to you: that is, it is necessary for the Pope to be in the ship. Ubi est Petrus ibi Ecclesia. We see Garibaldi everywhere, and how can we fail to put the Pope in the Church? At Notre-Dame-des-Victoires in Paris, above the altar is the Church with Pius IX, Cardinal Antonelli, Cardinal Patrizi and Mgr Pacca.
[2379]
At this moment I have received a letter from Fr Ravignani. He says that the two Camillians will do anything as long as they may stay on the Mission. It seems to me that if Your Excellency wrote to Fr Stanislao Carcereri, it would be appropriate to assure him that whatever the cloud of political events in Europe which prevents us from having the means to do great things, Your Excellency will do all you can with the Pope and his Father General to extend the Rescript by another 5 years, etc., etc. With the sublime blessing ducat, reducat et producat, I hope to find ducats, and I kiss your hand as

Your most unworthy son,


Fr D. Comboni