Writings

[4435]
By the grace of God, of His Holiness Pius IX and of the profound and true humility of Mgr Canossa and his perfect love for his homeland, Bishop Luigi, your cousin, will continue to be Bishop of Verona, and is definitively dispensed from going to fight the Graviora, the Filoppanti and the panegyrists of Satan as Archbishop of Bologna. A great grace for Verona and for Africa.
As you see, Monsignor deserves a monument and all the gratitude of the people of Verona: Monsignor renounced, for love of Verona, the most important Archiepiscopal See of the Pontifical States after Rome and the Cardinal’s hat (which I hope all the same will come infra annum).

[4436]
I write without Monsignor’s knowledge, so that as a man of action and prudence you can motivate people to meet Monsignor at Portanuova Station on Friday, the 4th of next month. It would be good if some of the Chapter, Seminary, Catholic Societies, etc., etc., went to meet Monsignor and give him an ovation. He deserves having his feet kissed by the people of Verona. He has understood my way of thinking more than I can say. This evening we visited the Pope, who is a young man of 30.
[4437]
The General Congregation of Rites for the Venerability of Marchesa Canossa is on 3rd February next. Oh! The Canossa family which now shows so many virtues, in having a Bishop who gives up the Cardinal-Archiepiscopate and whose members present such spirits of heroic virtue as to prepare for being venerated on the altars, is a moving spectacle which deserves the recognition and veneration of the people of Verona! In the past few days we have visited the most powerful and wise Cardinals who admired the virtue (which indeed is not known or recognised by some in Verona) of our Bishop, to whom Central Africa is still indebted for so many kindnesses.
Please give my regards to your daughter and to the Marchesino, while I wholeheartedly declare myself
Your most affectionate and grateful

Daniel Comboni
Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa

[4438]
In my letter of 8th December last, I think I told you about the 5 resolutions taken, after a colossal and serious examination by the Sacred Congregation of the Cardinals which met in the Vatican on 27th November last year, and confirmed, after an accurate examination by Pius IX on 20th December. They include the expulsion of the two Camillians Stanislao Carcereri and Giuseppe Franceschini. My triumph had to be solemn and complete against such powerful adversaries, since they had, one could say, accused me of being guilty of all seven capital sins and against the Decalogue, etc., etc.
[4439]
The Most Reverend Father General added to this a ferocious Report against me; that general of the Camillians, Guardi, who is Consultor to 5 Congregations of Cardinals, of the Inquisition, of the Regular Discipline, of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, Examiner of Bishops, Examiner of the clergy, etc., etc., on the most familiar terms with the Pope and the Cardinals, very powerful and with great influence, esteemed and venerated at the Vatican, etc., etc. Yet he was badly disappointed. Anyway, in the Congregation held in Propaganda, and chaired by the Most Eminent Cardinal Prefect, in the presence of the Most Reverend Father General himself, it was decided to recall all the Camillians from Africa, all of them without exception.
[4440]
On the basis of this decision I sent Canon Fiore, my Vicar General, the order to go and receive the former Camillian house of Berber, and to install my missionaries in it. Thus I am for ever freed of my arch-enemies, whose only aim was to hinder my progress and impede my work. May God bless them and save their souls. But they are not religious; and today God punishes in innocents the guilt of so many, and does so by suppression and in other ways.
[4441]
The Most Reverend General is enraged against me, and I believe that the whole Order is looking at me accusingly. To recount one of the thousands of anecdotes that went with this case, I will tell you just one point, which His Eminence Cardinal Proposer Bartolini told the Bishop of Verona and me. Fr General went to this Cardinal and complained because he said, other Cardinals were turning away from him to blame his Religious, while previously these Cardinals had promised him to support the members of his Order. To which the Cardinal replied that the Sacred Congregation had only done its duty, it had only done purely what was right.
[4442]
But, the General went on, Comboni is a trickster, and his religious certainly behaved as such. To which the Cardinal replied: “The Sacred Congregation has done pure justice, and your Religious were wrong and Monsignor is justified a thousand times”. But since the Father General continued to complain and to repeat his accusation, His Eminence said to him: “I advise you to stop. Do you want me to spell it out to you? All my Eminent Colleagues voted unanimously against your Religious, and in favour of Mgr Comboni, all unanimously condemned them and proclaimed justice in Mgr Comboni’s favour; all of them, not one was in favour of your Religious. That’s all; now do what you please”. You can imagine how snubbed that venerable seventy-year-old was when he left. But I must say that it was a true miracle of God; and my Work this time too acquired the character of a work of God.
[4443]
The General and the Camillians however take the bitter taste out of their mouths by saying that since missions are not the Order’s chief aim, the Board or Consultors of the Order were already considering recalling the Religious from Africa, because they still needed them in France, etc. Well and good. But they do that after a year of examination in the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, and after the Holy See’s pronouncement.
[4444]
It now remains for me to tie up the 3rd point of the 5th resolution of the Sacred Congregation approved by the Pope, that is: “Let Mgr Comboni explain how he will organise the Vicariate with the forces of his Institute alone, and without the help (sic) of the Camillians”. I have drafted the Report; but my Cardinal has been ill for 20 days. The Report, read by several others after the Cardinal, will be taken to the Congress, then printed, then transmitted to the Cardinals, then discussed in the full General Congregation, then referred to the Pope, then, calculating on the systematic and proverbial eternity of Rome, I think that I shall hardly receive it from Rome before Spring. But patience! With patience one wins everything. I have won a colossal triumph that makes history in Propaganda.
[4445]
The General, Fr Carcereri, etc., the body of Camillians incidit in foveam quam fecit; and Carcereri, Franceschini and their General, who hoped to make their Order prosper in France with what was left of my work and its ruin, who had secretly and confidentially warned many of my friends that my fall was imminent, that I would be deposed, that I would never return to Africa because the mission would be entrusted to them, have behaved like mountain shepherds, that went to get wool and came home shorn. God bless them for ever. But I have suffered the anguish of death for two and a half years, and thought I would succumb.
[4446]
But as soon as I had scented the outcome of the judgement of the supreme authority of the Church I felt so much better that the Holy Father Pius IX, in the Bishop of Verona’s presence, said when he saw me so strong and robust: “Comboni, you are not doing penance; it seems that Central Africa is doing you no harm”. But Mgr Canossa came to my rescue telling the Holy Father that I did penance in Africa, when I was forced to live on bread and onions, drink no wine, eat without salt and travel across the deserts in a temperature of 90 degrees, etc. “Oh! That is true,” the Holy Father said, turning to me. “More than true,” I added; “but these are the smallest of sacrifices”. “Well!” said the Holy Father, “it is a tough mission, etc., etc.”
[4447]
The Bishop of Verona stayed here in Rome for at least seven days. We did a lot of work together with the Cardinals and the Holy Father, so that he would not have to go to Bologna; and I had an important part, and we succeeded perfectly. It happens that Bologna is the most conspicuous Diocese of the Pontifical States after Rome, and the Cardinal’s hat goes with the Archiepiscopal See. But Canossa refused everything generously and won the hearts of everyone in Verona, and improved his condition a hundred times, since he will be able to do great good. But he will have the hat.
[4448]
On Saturday, 3rd February, the Congregation of the Cardinals will be held to declare the Marchesa di Canossa, the Bishop’s aunt, Venerable. I hope to announce it to the Bishop with a telegram after lunch. I worked hard for this too. Knowing the Roman laziness and slowness, I left manners in Africa, and I pestered the Congregation of Rites from the Eminent Cardinal Prefect down to the lowliest of the monsignors, and the good lawyer said to me: “You have made me work many nights. I tell you the truth, that if you had not stirred things up, firing right and left, I would have taken it easier, and the cause of the Servant of God would have been postponed indefinitely”. But I did it through interest, since I am expecting many graces for Africa from the Venerable.
[4449]
Tomorrow morning Fr Policarpo is leaving for Egypt with a layman. In a few weeks another two will leave. I have ordered Cairo to have two priests, a cleric who is in Theology, two lay brothers and three Sisters leave for Central Africa; and I have given orders to my Vicar General to occupy the Camillian Mission in Berber, putting in charge Fr Gennaro Martini, who is now visiting the Blue Nile and the provinces of Cadaref and Ghalabat. Enough for today.
[4450]
Greet Fr Consolaro on my behalf and everyone in the College; give my regards to Mgr the Bishop, Prof. Sartori, Mgr Dalla Vecchia and everyone I know, and especially your father and your sister.
Meanwhile, pray for

Your most affectionate Daniel

[4451]
Mother Emilienne, Provincial Superior of Central Africa has written to me many times that she needs Arab Sisters. In truth a good Arab Sister like those we have had, does four times as much in Central Africa than a European. So I beg you, my dear Mother, to send me two or three Arab Sisters like Sr Giuseppina Tabraui, Sr Anna, and Sr Eufrasia from Marseilles or from Syria. If you had eight Sisters like those I have mentioned, I would be extremely happy!
Do manage to send me these three Sisters to Cairo; they will leave for Khartoum in the first fortnight of March.
All the Sisters, especially Mother Emilienne and those in Kordofan are very devoted to the Mission in Central Africa.
My respects to Mother Eufrasia, to Sr Maria Bertholon and please pray for me.

Daniel Comboni Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa


Translated from French.

[4452]
I thank you for your two most kind letters. I am delighted that you have received the 50 copies of the Holy Marchesa’s Decree of Venerability, which I sent you about a week ago. I am now sending you another 40 copies so that each House may have at least two, to put one in their parlour and the other in the sacristy.
From your venerable letters I gather that you wish the Cause for the Canonisation of the Venerable to proceed until she is declared Blessed, for us to be able to say the Office and Mass at her altar.

[4453]
I can tell you that I have heard the Holy Father Pius IX say that the Cause for the Marchesa is most beautiful, and that I have heard the Cardinal Ponens and Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, and many other Cardinals and Prelates who had something to do with this Cause say that it is one of the best Causes currently being examined by the Holy Apostolic See. The Promoters of the faith themselves, Monsignors Salvati and Caprara, who are Devil’s Advocates (who in the course of their official duties made the Marchesa seem anything but saintly, two-faced, devious, etc., etc., as you will see from the published Process, of which I shall bring you two copies) are convinced that it is a magnificent Cause. She has certainly worked as many miracles as necessary to be beatified, as I fully related to the Most Eminent and Reverend Cardinal, our Bishop, to whom I also wrote of the steps to be taken to achieve this aim, which I will also explain to you in Verona on my return. On the basis of these instructions, I demonstrated that it is necessary to continue with the Cause immediately, until the time when the Mass of the Marchesa can be celebrated.
[4454]
Since it is a most beautiful cause and since she has already worked the necessary miracles (whose truth and whose testimonies must again be demonstrated in the new Apostolic Process, which must be initiated by the Eminent Bishop of Verona in accordance with the Rules for the Canonisation of Saints), it only remains to pull St Joseph’s beard, so as to shake out of it the necessary money to continue the cause. St Joseph, Central Africa’s Bursar, filled his beard with guineas and gold Napoleons and was extremely kind to me: in just a few years he sent me almost a million and a half francs, with which to found eleven establishments, from Verona to Central Africa, including the two in Verona which cost me 30,000 francs a year to maintain. How much greater will be the pleasure of my dear Bursar to work for his Daughters who are the Canossian Sisters, in order to canonise the one who so effectively promoted the devotion to the Virgin Mary’s holy Spouse?
[4455]
It seems to me that its outcome is certain if in this holy month all the Daughters of St Joseph scattered over Italy and China were to beg the holy Patriarch to send each house of the pious Canossian Congregation 500 lire within the next three years, to pay for the expenses of such a beautiful Cause. Without money no one can be canonised, even if they work miracles every day. The Church has to pay for printing, for the maintenance of officials, medical consultations, etc., etc. For my part, I am sure that St Joseph will grant this grace, if his daughters pray for this intention. But they should not do as did Cardinal Federico Borromeo who at the conclusion of the Cause for the Canonisation of St. Carlo, seeing the enormous expense borne by his family (today it costs a lot less) exclaimed: “In my house, good people, yes, but enough saints!”. The Daughters of St Joseph must hope in St Joseph, ask reliable people, and forge ahead.
[4456]
Then since the Marchesa has shown herself to be a true patroness of Africa, I shall also do my part, and will let my bursar know that he should also sweat out money for the Cause; for which reason I will give my establishments the appropriate orders to pray.
So take heart, trust in God, let the Cause proceed. Those of the Most Eminent and Reverend Prelates who have the right to the portrait of the Venerable are already intoning the antiphon on when these portraits should be made; and in a short time, once the tide of business, visits to Cardinals and receptions is over, we will also busy her most Eminent nephew with this.

[4457]
In the meantime I commend myself to your prayers, and to those of your Daughters. The Advocate of the Cause, who made a triumphant reply to the Animadversions of the Protector of the Faith, is now ill (although only 32 years old) because of the nights he was made to spend at his desk to reply swiftly to all the objections of the Devil’s Advocate: it is essential to shake the Roman slowness and then we shall soon be able to see the Marchesa on the altars. Pray for the hundred and more million infidels, whom the Holy See has entrusted to me to convert, while in the sweetest Hearts of Jesus and Mary I declare myself
Your most devoted true servant

Daniel Comboni
Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa

[4458]
I will obtain the desired faculty for you; but until now (and I shall be for a little while longer), I was so busy night and day that I was unable to think of these little things, of which I have about thirty for various people. Just think that we have twice visited the 45 Cardinals in the Curia, the Holy Father, a large number of Prelates and Gentlemen, have written much, been to a great many places, climbed thousands of steps, my affairs which alone would occupy ten persons, etc. etc. and the Vicariate. Today His Eminence Cardinal Canossa will take possession of his titular church, St Marcellus, and on Sunday will be leaving to make his solemn entry into Verona at 5.00 p.m. on Monday. In the meantime I have had several colds and congestions.
[4459]
Because of the March Consistories, during this month no General Congregation of Propaganda has taken place to tell the Cardinals of the execution of the deliberations concerning the Camillians made by the Sacred Congregation on 27th November last year, after which I am supposed to be officially appointed to the episcopate, which is absolutely certain. But Rome’s proverbial slowness, which is not always appropriate, has come into play. Only think that there are matters for other Missions which have been outstanding for years. But I have been promised that all my affairs will be addressed at the General Congregation in April. We shall see. Yesterday I was at the Pope’s midday talk in the Raphael Loggias with a few Cardinal Prelates, Kanzler, etc. Oh! What a pleasure! The Pope and my Cardinals show me great kindness. The Camillians have all left Central Africa, and three of them are going to Jerusalem. May God bless them for ever, but far away from me. It would be lovely if Canossa were the future Pope! It is certain that his Eminent Colleagues hold him in great esteem: he is very sound in principles, sincere, and he is a gentleman. I gave him your respects when I received the letter, and he reciprocates his greetings. In Rome it was being rumoured that Fr Schiattini would be made Cardinal: I know him; he is a good man.
Very many greetings to Consolaro and to everyone. Fr Paolo, my secretary, wants to be remembered to you, but so do I, more than anyone.
Tuissimus in Xsto

Daniel

[4460]
This morning I received your most esteemed letter of 25th March. Since I knew I had written to my Representative Canon Pasquale Fiore to go to Berber to receive that Mission and to give Fr Stanislao the necessary money for the return of the Reverend Camillian Fathers, I was surprised that not a penny had been given to Fr Stanislao for the expenses of the journey and that to his questions about this Fr Pasquale Fiore had continually replied that he had received no orders. A few hours after having read your respected letter, this morning a letter from my above-mentioned Representative arrived for me via Verona, dated 21st February, in which he explained what had happened. My Representative had been in Obeid, so it was to Obeid that I directed the letter in which I ordered him, in accordance with the Convention between us, to go down to Berber and give Fr Stanislao the necessary sum for his return. But before the letter arrived, Fr Stanislao had written to him to come as quickly as possible so that, as he and his confreres had to cross the desert, they should not miss taking the opportunity of the full moon through his delay.
[4461]
My Representative, having received this letter of which the original is in my possession, immediately left Obeid, and with extraordinary rapidity reached Khartoum in seven days. From there he instantly sent Fr Salvatore Mauro to Berber. Thus since my letter must have first gone to Obeid and then to Khartoum, it only reached my Representative about a fortnight later, that is on 20th February. In a letter received by me this morning, Fr Pasquale Fiore writes: “Only yesterday did I receive Fr Paolo’s letter written to me on your behalf, which contains instructions regarding the occupation of Berber by us, etc. etc.”. From this it clearly appears that if things did not go according to the agreed plan, it was neither my fault nor that of my Missionaries; but only that Fr Stanislao caused my Representative to leave Obeid too quickly. Nonetheless, Most Reverend Father, you know that I wrote several times to my Procurator in Cairo that he should give the Reverend Camillian Fathers the necessary money for their journey from Cairo to Rome or to Verona, and I will repeat it to him at the earliest opportunity. Then when the Reverend Fathers arrive in Verona they will take the receipts for their expenses to Fr Antonio Squaranti, my General Procurator, and he will reimburse them correctly for everything.
Furthermore, Most Reverend Father, in the journey undertaken and continued at least as far as Cairo at their own expense, this extra money, as I was told by the three who have already left for the Holy Places, is the most obvious proof that they did not write the truth when a few months ago they asserted and complained that they did not have a penny to continue to live on. I am not displeased that they had what they needed: I only regret the false complaint.
All this in reply to your esteemed letter of 25th of this month; and in the meantime with the deepest respect and consideration, I remain
Your Most Reverend Paternity’s most humble, devoted, faithful and true servant,

Daniel Comboni
Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa

[4462]
I reply to your second letter of the 25th of this month. I had already made the appropriate arrangements, and in good time, both with the house in Khartoum for the Reverend Camillian Fathers’ journey to Cairo, and with the house in Cairo for their journey to Rome or Verona.
It is now impossible for me to trouble the house in Cairo with more burdensome arrangements; and I therefore am writing at once to Fr Rolleri in Cairo, repeating what I ordered previously, that he should immediately give the Reverend Camillian Fathers the necessary sum for their journey from Cairo to Rome or to Verona; and that if they were still owed part of their expenses, they should apply to Procurator General Fr Antonio Squaranti in Verona, by whom every outstanding bill will be settled.
After this, Most Reverend Father, I believe you will be satisfied with the said arrangements.
With all my esteem and respect, I sign myself,
Your Most Reverend Paternity’s

Daniel Comboni
Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa

[4463]
Your letter of the 27th of this month added one more cross to those which my poor enemies, the good Lord permitting, have made me suffer. Although I won the greatest triumphs over my adversaries thanks to Rome’s justice and wisdom, the terrible slowness of Rome has caused me great suffering, since the Vicariate needs the presence of her supreme Head, and I, after 13 months, find myself here in Rome with my hands tied, without being able to find help. It is a miracle of St Joseph that I was able to sustain such expenses to maintain nine houses, undertake so much building, pay for journeys and expeditions and keep up the morale of the Missionaries and Sisters of the Vicariate with my letters, and govern from Rome a Mission that is the most difficult and demanding, and the least known in the world.
All this oppresses my spirit, even though I feel sustained by God’s grace. At the present time when, with an immense effort I have managed to find 22,000 francs for this expedition from Cairo to Kordofan, you fill me with sorrow by ordering Sr Veronica to suspend the Sisters’ journey, when poor Sr Emilienne and the house in Kordofan have been calling for help urgently for two years.
I do not know if I will be able to survive such anguish and crosses. But as long as I am charged by the Holy See with this laborious Mission, I must give my life to provide for its well-being.
I therefore invite you to give orders to Sr Veronica to let the three Sisters leave immediately after the Octave of Easter with my first caravan.

[4464]
The poor Sisters in Central Africa must not die of exhaustion and be deprived of the help of the three sisters merely because of the nonsense they have written to you from Cairo. We have a Convention between us which I and you are obliged to respect. This fact is more serious than the news you hear from Cairo which convinced you to do something that is unworthy of you and for which you have a great responsibility.
But God, I hope, will not make me suffer this sorrow which I do not deserve.
You ask me what my intentions are with regard to the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition in Central Africa and you invite me to speak frankly and to be sincere. My good Mother, you are most wise and charitable and I am convinced that you are thoroughly acquainted with me, my intentions, my aspirations and my honesty.
However, to justify my conduct, which has been and always will be open, loyal and at the same time serious and worthy of the difficult task which the Holy See has entrusted to me, I will explain everything to you.
It should first of all be noted that the Vicariate of Central Africa is known to few. I am not surprised if it is so little known in Europe, since very little has been written about it with any precision and I did not hasten to introduce it to you, either through lack of time or because what I write for publication must be certain. When I have told you about the apostolate of the Sisters of charity in this Mission which is the most important, the most laborious, the most glorious and the most deserving on earth, you will not fail to send me many Sisters every year.

[4465]
The Vicariate of Central Africa is larger than all Europe and twelve times the size of France. These 100 million infidels are primitive men and women. The Sister of charity is a priest and more than a priest. A great Station where there are three priest and 15 Sisters is as if it had 20 Missionary Priests. The revolution that suppressed the religious Orders in Italy, which has forced all the young men, even priests, to be soldiers, has not done such great harm in Central Africa as it has in Europe and on other Missions.
The Sister of Charity in Central Africa does as much as three priests in Europe and this century of the persecution of the Catholic Church which has been deprived of the help of so many ecclesiastics and religious is the century of Catholic women who are used by God’s Providence as true priests, religious and apostles of the Church, auxiliaries of the Holy See, the arm of the Gospel ministry, pillars of the foreign apostolic Missions, civilisers of the primitive peoples. It is good that you, the Mother General of a Congregation of Missionary Sisters, be convinced of this.

[4466]
For this reason, given the enormous size and importance of my Vicariate, given the mission of the Catholic woman in this century, I am proud to have founded the new Congregation of the Devout Mothers of Africa in Verona which, among all the works I have founded, is of great importance and has produced healthy results.
It is you, dear Mother, who have all the merit for this new foundation and it was the good Lord who led you, without your even knowing it, to convince me to undertake it. But this in no way diminishes the apostolate of the Sisters of St Joseph in Central Africa. The Sisters of St Joseph have the prime merits, the prime rights and the prime position in the Missions of Central Africa and you must fully trust my loyalty and my keenest intentions in favour of the Sisters of St Joseph who have dedicated their efforts and their lives to this noble Mission.
When in November 1867 you granted me your Sisters for Cairo, with immense charity, I no longer dreamed of founding a new Congregation of Sisters. The dedication of your Sisters and the hope that you would be supplying me with the numbers necessary for my works, the spiritual unity which reigns in the Mission when it is served by a single Congregation of Sisters, and all the more so because both Mgr Valerga and Mgr Brunoni had told me the Sisters of St Joseph were the most suited of all, the most useful, the least demanding and the least troublesome of all the Congregations of women religious. I and my best Missionaries (excluding Fr Bartolomeo Rolleri, the Camillians and a few other worthless individuals) are quite convinced of this.

[4467]
I was extremely sad to receive a letter in Paris in October 1868 which Sr Angelica your Secretary, had addressed to my Rector in Verona, the late Fr Alessandro Dalbosco. Here is an extract from the original letter in her own hand, which I have here on the table:

“Reverend Father,
Our Reverend Mother has asked me to write to you… Reverend Father, we must go straight to the point and explain our Mother General’s intentions. Here they are: during his visit to Marseilles, Fr Comboni explained his need for a certain number of Sisters for his work in Central Africa. Being unable to supply them to him and not knowing his whereabouts, our dear Mother General begs you to make known to him that it is impossible for her to continue the Work in Old Cairo as well. Please inform Fr Daniel of this matter.
While he is in Europe it will be easy for him to find the persons he needs in another Congregation. He will be able to begin his choice for Cairo, since our Mother wants to withdraw our Sisters as soon as he can replace them.
Please accept etc.,
Sr Angelica Villemur, Secretary"

[4468]
Shocked by this unexpected letter which you doubtless ordered to be written after what you had been led to believe either by Fr Zanoni, a Camillian, whom I had had expelled from Old Cairo, or by the Trinitarians of France and the Trinitarian Sisters of Valence, I visited many Congregations in France and Italy, but since I did not find any Sisters, I went to Verona where I had the courage to attempt to found a new Congregation of Sisters and I began with two postulants.
But the good Lord caused my Reverend Mother Eufrasia Maraval, your worthy Assistant, to go to Cairo. Taking everything in, she arranged matters so well and with such wisdom and charity that she persuaded you to leave me the Sisters and wait for the future.
Since in the meantime some of my Sisters in Cairo, like the Sisters at the hospital, were constantly telling me that they would never go to Central Africa, incited by the famous Franciscan Father from Belgium who was also the cause of Sr Genoveffa’s removal from Cairo, they demoralised my Sisters at the Mission in Central Africa. Not wishing to hear it said in Verona that I had started a work and then abandoned it, I did not have the courage to suppress the Institute for Sisters founded in Verona, but I let it exist, as I waited for the future.

[4469]
When you had the immense charity to grant me Sr Giuseppina and the other Sisters for Central Africa, my first thought was to introduce your Institute in Verona, giving it my convent, and to suggest to my novices that they become religious of St Joseph of the Apparition, to join mine with yours under the direction of one of the best Superiors, and to summon several of your Arab Sisters from Syria, and thus to have a single Congregation with a single mentality, after having negotiated with you, with Propaganda and with the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars in Rome.
[4470]
I kept this plan secret for a year and then consulted Fr Pasquale and Fr Paolo, my Secretary, after examining the ten reasons for it and the seven against it.
After being informed that there were 12 or 13 novices in this new Congregation who were ready to make their Vows, I ordered the Superior Fr Antonio Squaranti not to have the novices make their Vows until I had arrived in Verona, and at the same time I charged my Secretary Fr Paolo, also Director of the Sisters of Khartoum, to write to Fr Antonio explaining the said plan to him, and to request his opinion and his co-operation; my Secretary carried out all this out to the letter.

[4471]
I had written about this plan several times to His Eminence the Cardinal Prefect during the year. I also knew that the majority of my novices were very happy and were only waiting for the desired moment.
Afterwards, seeing that the number of the novices had increased to 15, I ordered Fr Antonio not to accept anyone until my arrival in Verona, which caused Fr Antonio disappointment and tears.
[Three lines have been crossed out here].

[4472]
After considering everything and consulting my Central Council and other friends, important ecclesiastics, given that the Sisters were more disposed to be daughters of the Institute in which they had been consecrated, given the indecision of the Bishop who does not like to exert pressure on people, I decided not to make any innovations for the present. I will always have the time to merge them when I see more clearly and am certain that the matter can be achieved with the full adherence of my candidates and of the Congregation of St Joseph.
[4473]
My Sisters pronounce Vows for one year, which are then renewed annually. On the other hand, I do not want to have this Institute approved by Rome until it has experienced at least 10 years of Mission in Central Africa. Furthermore, you yourself cannot commit your Congregation to taking on a responsibility without full knowledge of the implications and I cannot assure how successful this fusion would be.
I assure you that this was my dream for a long time, but when I saw that after two and a half years during which I had asked you for ten Sisters, after so many requests by the Mother Provincial and by me, you sent us three Sisters and furthermore I now see that you have stopped these three Sisters in Cairo, without calculating the needs of Kordofan, without a Superior, and Khartoum, which does not have a teacher capable of running the school (except for the Mother Provincial, of whom I am proud and who is a first class Superior), I frankly confess to you that I do not consider it prudent to carry out the plan I had wanted so much.

[4474]
It would therefore be better for each one to remain as they are. Central Africa is enormous. You have two Missions there, Khartoum and Kordofan, which need to be strengthened with other Sisters. Then in the coming year I have to open at least three more houses of sisters, and there is room for your Congregation too. I will settle the Verona Sisters in the towns where your Sisters do not live, except for the house of acclimatisation in Cairo which must serve both for yours and for those of Verona, since I do not have permission from the Apostolic Delegate of Egypt to found a Work there, etc., etc.
The house has two floors and I will build another; for the few months that the Sisters stay in Cairo before going to Central Africa, they can manage. All this will not be done until you have been consulted and your wisdom and wishes will be taken into account, since you have all the rights of your dignity and experience.

[4475]
That is the pure truth about everything. I have always been frank and conscientious, both to save my soul and to be of real service to the Church for which I have suffered so much and for which I am prepared to be martyred.
[4476]
All that remains for me to do is to establish a new feasible and practical Convention, given the conditions and circumstances in Central Africa, and which you and I can draft so as to avoid disagreements between us.
The Mother House in Marseilles will have, as a reserve fund, the sum of 50 francs for each Sister, so that if there are 20 Sisters in Central Africa, the Mother House should receive the sum of 1,000 francs per year, which the Mother General will dispose of as she wishes.

[4477]
All the income earned by the Sisters, their houses and from the students (which are small sums) is earmarked for the Mission of Central Africa and the Vicar Apostolic.
It will later be necessary for them to provide me with good candidates who are obedient, and the right of jurisdiction of the Principal or Provincial Superior over all the houses of the Congregation in the Vicariate will have to be established.

[4478]
Please write and let me know your opinion. I cannot move from this eternal Rome until my business is completed. If I succeed in leaving Rome, it will be a long time before I return; I need to see to other matters in Europe and then to hasten to my Mission. I am bored to death.
I beg you to write to me by return of post with permission for the three Sisters to set out, and if possible, about sending me other Sisters. The poor Sisters of Central Africa are in dire need of help. It is also my right to have these three Sisters go to their destination. I implore you to give me notice of this, for otherwise I shall be anxious. Tell me too whether you are coming to Rome, and when.
I wish you and Mother Assistant a very happy Easter.

Most devotedly Daniel Comboni


[Note in the margin]:
This week it will be necessary to draft the Convention. If you would like my Secretary to come to Marseilles… but it would be better were you to come here.

[4479]
His Most Reverend Excellency, Monsignor the Secretary of Propaganda informed me in his letter of 2nd January 1877 that in the General Congregation of 27th November of last year which addressed measures to be adopted for the greatest good of the Vicariate of Central Africa, the Most Eminent and Reverend Fathers decreed: a) that Fr Guardi be asked to agree with me for the good progress of the house in Berber in relations with the Camillian Religious, in accordance with the Convention of 1874; b) that I should be asked to seek assistance from a suitable person in the administration of temporal affairs.
[4480]
After hearing the prudent and wise deliberations of the Sacred Congregation, I immediately hastened to carry out all those that concerned me: when on the morning of 5th January I received a letter from Fr Guardi himself, letting me know that in a conference of almost two hours with Your Most Reverend Eminence, also in the presence of Mgr Agnozzi, it was agreed that he should withdraw all his Religious, none excepted, and that I should make available and have sent to them the necessary funds for their return journey. As soon as I had read the above-mentioned resolution, I immediately sent my secretary Fr Paolo Rossi to Fr Guardi; and it was agreed that I should order the necessary sum for the return of all the Camillians to be put into the hands of Fr Carcereri in Berber, and that a suitable person should be sent there to receive the Camillian Establishment from their hands.
[4481]
On the evening of 6th January, in accordance with this agreement and making use of the Brindisi postal service, I gave orders to my General Representative, Canon Fiore, that he himself should go to Berber straightaway to receive the Mission; and that, taking the sum from the funds of Khartoum, he should hand over to Fr Carcereri 1,500 francs in gold, the necessary sum for all the Camillians to travel to Cairo in comfort. I ordered him likewise to do everything as soon as possible, and with charity, peace and prudence.
[4482]
At the same time I wrote to Fr Bartolomeo Rolleri, Superior of my establishments in Egypt, that when the Camillian Fathers arrived in Cairo, he should give them hospitality, treat them well throughout their stay and lastly, that he should provide them with all they needed to travel comfortably to Rome or Verona. While I was writing this, Fr Guardi told Fr Carcereri of the deliberation taken, and ordered him to hand the Mission over to my Representative as mentioned above, from whom he was to receive the necessary sum for the journey as far as Cairo where, if necessary, he was to be provided with more by the Superior of those establishments.
[4483]
Now taking into consideration the time letters normally take to arrive at their destination, the time the Camillian Fathers would take to make their preparations, and the time my Representative would take to go to Berber, the Camillian Fathers should not have been able to leave the Vicariate before March.
[4484]
Having thus arranged everything for the return of Fr Carcereri with all his co-religious from the Sudan to Europe, it remained to provide replacements for them in the Berber Mission. I consequently ordered my above-mentioned Representative to install some of my Missionaries there immediately, as soon as the Mission had been handed over to him, and to appoint as their Superior Fr Gennaro Martini, who by early March would have returned from visiting the provinces of Cadaref, Galabat and Taka, entrusted to the Berber mission. Meanwhile from Verona I sent a Missionary Priest, Fr Policarpo Genoud, with three lay craftsmen, so that together with the three Sisters and the Priest, Fr Domenico Noia, who had been prepared and ready in the Cairo establishments for some time, they might set out together for Khartoum where they will arrive this coming June.
[4485]
With the addition of this small caravan, each Station will be furnished with sufficient active staff; I therefore believed I would save the expense I would have incurred by sending other Priests and craftsmen, currently living in the Verona Institutes, and whom I could indeed have sent. Instead, they will leave with me when I return to my Mission.
[4486]
Having thus arranged and provided for the withdrawal of all the Camillian Fathers and for their replacement in the Berber Mission, the Vicariate suffered no imbalance, and no gap remains to be filled; and, which is equally important, this deliberation will at last bring the peace to the Missionary Priests and Sisters which they all longed for, and which was disturbed by the unreligious behaviour of the two Fathers Carcereri and Franceschini. Not to mention my General Representative, Canon Fiore, and Fr Salvatore Mauro, parish priest of Khartoum, and others, who wrote to me several times that with his letters from Berber Carcereri was upsetting the whole Vicariate, and also carrying on a correspondence with the Prussian Vice-Consul, and with persons hostile to Religion. I shall only quote one point written to me by the Reverend Mother Provincial of the Sisters who reside in Khartoum.
[4487]
“We are longing for the happy day that will bring us the news of your total triumph; but if the volcano of Berber continues to vomit its infernal flames, you will never be completely victorious” (31 December 1876). When they wrote to me in this way from the Sudan, they had not yet received the glad news of the resolution of these affairs which had kept everyone in suspense and sorrow for so long, and paralysed the efforts that were nevertheless being made for Africa’s good. But as soon as I was able to find something out, I immediately passed it on; and on 8th January 1877, the Superior of Khartoum wrote to me: “27th November 1876 marks a page in characters of gold in the Annals of this most difficult Mission of Central Africa”.
[4488]
May the Congregation of Propaganda Fide be thanked not once but thousands and thousands of times, for aided by God, it was able to humiliate pride and defend and sustain innocence. The Supreme Court of Holy Mother Church, which inexorably and fairly administers justice, removes with an energy equal to her authority, all the obstacles rebellious Satan has plotted against so sublime a work.
[4489]
And Cardinal Franchi, Oh! The pillar of the Holy Church, Oh! Our sublime Protector and distinguished Benefactor of our holy Mission in Africa! Through love of brevity I shall not quote from the letters of all the others which all express the same sentiments of jubilation and gratitude to the Sacred Congregation and particularly to Your Most Reverend Eminence who shows such concern for the most unfortunate of the infidel nations; and all, like those quoted, felt that everyone had a single desire, that is, the expulsion of the Camillians, so as to be able to care peacefully and harmoniously for the Lord’s vineyard; this brings me great consolation.
[4490]
Such were the sentiments of joy that all my Missionaries felt when they heard that the two Fathers Carcereri and Franceschini had been banished from the Mission. But it was not long before they heard the definitive news of the recall of all of them, and that Fr Guardi and I have issued the mentioned orders in this regard. However, despite the issue of the latter, things went differently.
[4491]
My Representative was in Kordofan Mission and it was there that I sent him my letter. But Fr Stanislao Carcereri, who had already heard the news of his recall and that of his confreres in Berber, situated between Khartoum and Egypt, immediately sent three of his Camillians via the Red Sea to Cairo, staying on in Berber alone with a layman, until he could hand over that Mission to the aforementioned Fr Pasquale Fiore or a delegate. So before my letter arrived, he telegraphed my Representative, urging him to come himself, or to send another Missionary to whom he could hand over the Mission of Berber, or to send the Superior of Khartoum, Fr Salvatore Mauro.
[4492]
Therefore Canon Fiore left instantly by forced marches for Khartoum, and from there he sent the above-mentioned Fr Salvatore Mauro to Berber. The latter arrived there when three of the Camillian Religious had already left; and when he had received that Mission from Fr Carcereri, Fr Carcereri himself left via the Korosko Desert, bound for Cairo.
[4493]
Because of all this, there was a notable delay before my letter reached my Representative; for it arrived via Khartoum in Obeid, and from there, since my Representative had already left, it was forwarded to Khartoum, where it arrived when the Reverend Camillian Fathers had already left. The latter left using money that they had already received and withdrawing from my existing deposit with Madame Lafargue, although at that time they had constantly complained they had not a penny to live on: so they did have money; and not only for the journey direct from Berber to Cairo, but also enough to visit the Holy Places where they had already arrived in the week before Holy Week, having received from my Procurator in Cairo, Fr Rolleri, only what was necessary for their journey from Cairo to Rome.
[4494]
They had wanted Fr Rolleri to give them even the whole cost of the expenses they had incurred for the journey from Berber to Cairo; but he, who had been charged to provide them only with the necessary for their journey from Cairo to Rome or Verona, abided by this order; and since he had no funds available, wisely refused to reimburse the sum they had spent for their journey from Berber to Cairo, for which he had not been made responsible. But he nonetheless wrote of this event; and I answered him and also let Fr Guardi know that the full expense would be reimbursed to them by Fr Antonio Squaranti, my General Administrator, when they reached Verona.
[4495]
If therefore the venerable dispositions of the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide were not implemented in the way agreed between Fr Guardi and my secretary, I have explained here the causes and the measures taken for the literal implementation of the Sacred Congregation’s prescriptions. Furthermore, these were fulfilled in perfect peace. There was not the least unpleasantness either in Berber or in Cairo: on both sides everything proceeded calmly.
[4496]
Moreover my Missionaries, delighted and happy with the departure of the Camillian Fathers, have already replaced them; and since 22rd February last, two of my Priests, Fr Salvatore Mauro and Fr Gennaro Martini, with a lay catechist and several African boys, are now looking after the Berber Mission, where they await the caravan of new Missionaries and Sisters, who will arrive soon, perhaps even before June.
[4497]
After this I must finally give Your Eminence a report on the fulfilment of the suggestions the Sacred Congregation made to me regarding the Administration. Already since Your Eminence urged me to choose a suitable administrator to help me so that I could have more time to devote myself effectively to spiritual governance, I have formally chosen one in the person of Fr Antonio Squaranti, considered the most appropriate person by all, including the Bishop of Verona. I have always recognised him as such, and in these last few months I have also tested him: I already sent him once to Egypt on administrative business, and on another occasion to Vienna; I made him responsible for finances a good five months ago now; and as General Administrator I will keep him with me in the Sudan, where I will take him when I return.
[4498]
I have nothing further to add concerning the fulfilment of the venerable dispositions wisely prescribed by the Sacred Congregation of last 27th November 1876. The General Administrator has been chosen and officially appointed; everything has been made available and arranged for the return of all the Camillian Fathers from Berber to Europe, and for their replacements. Nevertheless, to complete this very brief Report, I shall clearly set out here the current general condition of the Vicariate. Each Station is provided with sufficient active personnel; indeed, more Priests, more coadjutor brothers and a good twelve Sisters of the Institute of the Pious Mothers of Africa are ready in Verona to open new Stations in the immense Vicariate.
[4499]
In Geref, a few hours’ journey from Khartoum, and in Malbes, a few hours from Obeid, I have had two large farms purchased to house the converted Africans, so as gradually to constitute two Catholic towns far from the plague of the Muslims. With the hundreds of sound conversions of African infidels, last Summer another fourteen adults were accepted into the womb of the Church by my Missionaries, and others are preparing to enter. Thus in addition to the immediate and necessary task of creating lasting establishments in a country where we find only sand, a few rough huts and a blazing sky, we have been able to procure the salvation of many souls, and in the future it will be even easier.
[4500]
Despite the many extraordinary expenses which were incurred in the last year 1876, for journeys, for building, and for the two above-mentioned really suitable farms, etc., the Administration has not suffered any imbalances. All in all, although in last year alone solely for the building work in Cairo the sum of 92,000 francs was spent, the Mission is not burdened by any debts.
[4501]
Lastly it should be added that since instead of the Muslim Great Pasha, Colonel Gordon has been made Governor General of the Sudan, the Vicariate’s position should for this reason alone be considerably improved; as the latter is English and his religion is Protestant, anyone can see that the exercise of Apostolic activity will be far freer in the future, and therefore more effective.
[4502]
That is all the more to be hoped, both because he has always professed, and he professes with me, an intimate and sincere friendship, further because his relations with my Missionaries and with the Mother Provincial are also based on real esteem and friendship, and because with regard to the slave trade he perfectly shares the sentiments and opinions of our Mission on which he has even lavished some spontaneous donations and with which he has shared many benefits, in exchange for the assistance the Mission has offered his sick officers.
[4503]
From all this it is clear that the condition of the Vicariate Apostolic of Central Africa has been greatly restored, in that, for the Work to thrive, in addition to the Lord’s grace which is primarily essential if the Gospel workers are to retain their good spirit, for the minds of the Africans to be influenced by their teaching, and those hearts ignorant of virtue to be tempered to its noble sacrifices, as well as for the good progress development of the Work, it seems to require the restoration and development of the reputation of the Work itself which is still assailed by many powerful enemies, not only invisible, but also visible.
[4504]
Were its reputation to diminish in Europe, few vocations would develop for those Missions; were trust in it to diminish with its reputation, charitable resources would also be scarce. Were its reputation to diminish in Africa, the moral influence that alone is effective in opening the Missionary’s way to African hearts would also diminish, as would the way to the rebellious hearts of the whites, which prevents the errors and offences to which the Missionaries would be exposed amidst people and governors who are very materialistic and Muslims.
[4505]
Now Your Most Reverend Eminence can imagine all the ruses which Satan, provoked on his own territory, is planning in order to undermine the Missionaries’ efforts; and although Your Eminence does not perhaps know all the numerous visible adversaries of the Holy Work for the Regeneration of Africa, you nevertheless know how much it was denigrated in Europe by the Camillians alone, not only among private people but also among the Charitable Societies of Cologne and Vienna; and in Africa, among the people and the Authorities. For example, even recently Fr Carcereri made the Mudir of Berber, the Governor General of the Sudan, and the Prussian Vice-Consul angry with the Christians.
[4506]
Fr Carcereri wrote against the Mudir of Berber to the above-mentioned Vice-Consul, telling him that the Mudir of Berber had had it publicly announced to the Muslims that for the Festivities of Bairàm (24 December) the Christians of Berber and of Khartoum would all be killed. The Consul lodged complaints with the Governor General about the conduct of the Mudir of Berber, and the Governor General challenged the Mudir to explain himself.
[4507]
The Mudir summoned Fr Carcereri and questioned him to find out if it was true that he had written to the Prussian Vice-Consul against him. Fr Carcereri denied it, and gave him a written declaration which after being sent by the Mudir to the Governor General irritated the Prussian Vice-Consul without pacifying the Mudir in the least. In fact when two Camillian Fathers went to Suakin where I had been courteously made most welcome by the Authorities last year and had been able to settle freely a few irregularities among the Christians, they were given orders by the aforesaid Mudir to withdraw immediately from that city.
[4508]
In view of this, Your Eminence can understand how damaging to the Mission it would be were the consequences of the discrediting explained above to occur. They would be enough to destroy the great efforts I shall not cease to make to preserve and increase the reputation the Work had two years ago when it acquired the character of stability and permanence which still marks the Mission of Central Africa today, by God’s special grace.
[4509]
However, the deep conviction that God wants the salvation of Africa fires me with the hope that under the wise guidance of Your Eminence and the Sacred Congregation, any such impediment will be removed; thus when vocations in Europe are facilitated and donations, especially from the worthy Societies of Cologne and Vienna and of Lyons and Paris have increased, the Apostolic Ministry in Africa will be rendered more effective and fruitful, in full harmony and respect. To achieve this success, now, as always, the crosses and troubles suffered by the Work for the Redemption of Africa will have contributed to giving it more solid foundations.
As I bow to kiss the Sacred Purple, I declare myself with the deepest respect,
Your Eminence’s
most humble, devoted and grateful son,

Daniel Comboni
Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa

[4510]
Thank you for everything. I have received 3,000 francs from Vienna; I have had no letter from Steiner since the month of September except for the last one. I will draft the report and send it to you.
[4511]
The Most Reverend Signor A. Glis. Pasari sends you his regards. The Most Reverend Barduagni has regularly received everything and will publish it in one of the papers: La Voce della Verità or L’Osservatore Romano, etc.
Thank you. I am oppressed by my tasks. I have already sent 20 pages to Cologne. At the General Congregation of the 23rd or 30th of this month the theme de Episcopatu et Ecclesia i.p.i. ss.mo will be presented.
Va l e
Tuissimus

Daniel Comboni
Pro-Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa


Translated from Latin.