Writings

[5770]

In your revered letter n. 5, of the 14th of this month, Your Eminence enjoined me to inform you about the Priest Carmino Loreto, to explain the reasons why I suspended him from Mass and you asked me to dispense him from his oath to serve the mission.

[5771]

I did not suspend him from Mass, nor did I ever write to him after his voluntary and unauthorised departure from the mission, nor did he ever write to me or tell me of his arrival in Naples, although he knew I was in Rome; just as no one told me that he had been suspended a divinis, except your Most Reverend Eminence and at the same time, a letter from his father. Instead, as I observed in the eleven months that he lived with me in Khartoum where I could see him, Fr Carmino Loreto not only possesses no apostolic or priestly virtue, but has only an extraordinary pride.

[5772]

He is a false man, a slanderer, a hypocrite, envious, selfish and a swindler, with not an ounce of love for the poor unbelievers. I have deduced, not without reason, that after being expelled from the illustrious Dominican Order, he managed to get to Africa and join the mission through the Camillian Fr Carcereri. This was not to dedicate himself to it for his whole life but only to snatch sacred ordination, and then return to his country. Given that he left the mission, although he was the only missionary who had never had a fever, and all last year and this year he was never ill once; given all this, besides the fact of never fulfilling the duties assigned to him, caring for and catechising African boys (he helped me however with some diligence in assisting the sick and in the parish functions; and in this I must tell the truth, for which I can only praise myself), I did no more than write to the most venerable Mgr Salzano, Archbishop of Edessa in Naples, who had always been a generous benefactor of the Priest Carmino Loreto:

[5773]

1. That he should tell Fr Loreto that I have dismissed him from the mission, and that from now on he belongs neither to my Institute nor to Central Africa.
2. I asked Mgr Salzano to undertake the processes with the Curia of Naples to have Loreto incorporated into that Archdiocese, to which he belongs by right of origin.

[5774]

This implicitly includes the declared intention that I meant to dispense him from the oath of serving the mission.
Now to explain to Your Eminence the justification and justice of my actions (and I confess that before coming to take this measure I prayed for enlightenment from the Lord, and reflected on it calmly and deeply), I must tell your Eminence something not only about Fr Carmino Loreto, but also about his companion and colleague, Fr Vincenzo Marzano. After being ordained Priests by me, they planned to leave the mission and return to their homeland. I learned this from a letter that Marzano, who was in Kordofan, wrote to Loreto in Khartoum. In it Marzano suggests to Loreto that he pretend to wear the donkey’s skin and ask me to let him go to Naples for a few months, where Marzano would not delay in following him shortly.

[5775]

This hand-written letter fell into my hands; I sent it to Mgr Salzano in Naples, and this was why the most prudent and worthy Mgr Salzano wisely acted to suspend from Mass Loreto who, unlawfully and against his fatherly advice, had left the mission and returned to Naples, as a warning to Marzano in Kordofan, that considering the cool welcome the Ordinary of Naples had given his companion, he should not be in a hurry to leave the mission but stay on in Kordofan. This is what the above-mentioned most venerable Mgr Salzano told me he wanted to do: but he has not yet confirmed that he has done it. Here is the explanation.

[5776]

The two seminarians, Carmino Loreto and Vincenzo Marzano of Naples were received for Central Africa in Rome in 1874 by Fr Stanislao Carcereri, a Camillian; he took them with him to the Vicariate, although they had not yet completed their theological studies; so I was forced to use two of my best missionaries for at least three and a half years to have them study theology.

[5777]

Neither Fr Carcereri, nor the two seminarians nor anyone else ever told me that these two Neapolitans were formerly professed Dominicans, and that they had been expelled from this holy Order by the Very Reverend Father M. Giuseppe M. Sanvito who was then Provincial and today is Vicar General of the Dominicans. Only in 1877 did I learn in Rome from the same Most Reverend Fr Sanvito that they had been Dominicans: but I still thought that they were only novices of that Order. Instead I have recently been told that they were professed, and that they were dismissed after their Profession by the above-mentioned Most Reverend Father.

[5778]

For more than two years I had excellent information on their conduct from the Superiors: but I was always reluctant to promote them even to minor Orders, because the Most Reverend Fr Sanvito had kindly advised me to go slowly and not to be in a hurry to ordain them; I continued to refuse the pleas of the Superiors in Khartoum and Kordofan who begged me to have them ordained, also because the Reverend Fr Luigi Bonomi, my current Representative in Khartoum, had written to me (he had taught them Dogmatics) that they were hypocrites, false, selfish and too alien to that self-denial and mortification which are so necessary in Africa.

[5779]

After my return to Khartoum in April last year, I was won over by the prayers of four Superiors and the postulants’ tears. I was in great need of good workers who knew the language, and advised by my late General Administrator, Fr Antonio Squaranti, I ordained them priests. I sent Fr Marzano to Kordofan and kept Fr Loreto with me in Khartoum. I had come to know him well in the eleven months he had been under my surveillance; thus the judgement I am making of the Priest Loreto, is deeply pondered and reliable.
I will send you the rest tomorrow, because the post is leaving and I have no strength to write. Your devoted Son,

+ Daniel Bishop

[5780]

After some time, while the dreadful famine was raging and the ferocious mortality known to your Most Reverend Eminence was approaching, I do not know whether it was through fear or for another reason, which it is pointless for me to mention, I became aware of a secret camorra of the Neapolitan priests and lay people on the mission, who had agreed to leave the Vicariate and return to Europe, and they also won over a skilled craftsman from the Marches who was good and happy to be on the mission. The ringleader left shortly, and when he arrived home I dismissed him definitively, although having repented he begged me to return immediately; he was followed by other members of the band, who were urged to leave the mission above all by Fr Carmino Loreto, as some of them later confessed to me in Khartoum and recently in Rome.

[5781]

I, who four months earlier had discovered the secret plans of these Neapolitans, was observing the two very closely, Loreto and Marzano, between whom a lively and clandestine correspondence was thriving; and I expected that both, because they were very healthy, would also come out with some pretext to return to Europe, according to their pre-established plan.

[5782]

It was here that among the letters which by divine disposition came into my hands (in one of which Marzano tells Loreto that it is necessary to pretend, that he will make some errors and big ones, which, after being made, he should threaten in all conscience to exclaim like Job: in his omnibus non peccavi!!!. I have this letter, in his own hand, in Verona and I am ready to show it), there is the one which, as I mentioned above, I have sent to Mgr Salzano in Naples, in which Marzano writes to Loreto from Kordofan that he is to clothe himself in an ass’s skin and beg me to allow him leave from the mission for four […] in order to go to Naples, and assuring him that he would not be long in following him.

[5783]

Fr Carmino Loreto, as I expected, sent to ask me to allow him to go to Naples to see his elderly father; indeed he himself wrote to me three times. Although I was prepared for this, since he was the healthiest of all I answered
him no; I wanted him to wait until after the rains. But he made such a fuss and made so many threats, that my most docile Vicar, Fr Luigi Bonomi, wisely judging that it would be better for him to go home, gave him his consent and the necessary money and Loreto returned to Naples.

[5784]

The most excellent Mgr Salzano, who had done so much good to these two and had always written to me urging me to be a father to them, and thanking me for ordaining them, was very upset when he heard that Loreto, against his advice, had returned to Naples; after giving me his verbal approval and admitting that I had been right to decide to dismiss him from the mission for ever, when I went to Naples in July to embark my small caravan for Egypt on 6th July last, he told me he intended to suspend Loreto from the Archdiocese of Naples so that Marzano in Kordofan, seeing that his colleague in Naples had been suspended, would think twice about following his example by also returning to Naples.

[5785]

I approved this plan, indeed I thank Mgr Salzano for it, because Fr Vincenzo Marzano, as his Superior in Kordofan and my Vicar also think, might be better off far from his colleague Loreto and the band which now no longer exists; and that he might perhaps (in this I was backed by his father) put to good use the talents God had given him and the good qualities with which he has been provided. But he has some enormous faults, and we will see if we succeed in correcting them.

[5786]

Mgr Salzano has not written to me since: but from Your Eminence’s letter I deduce that he has put his very wise plan into practice: a plan of which I approve. 1. Because Fr Carmino Loreto has caused havoc in the Vicariate and deserves suspension a divinis for at least a year; if I were in the Ordinariate of Naples, I would oblige Fr Carmino to repeat his theological studies and would put him under the discipline of the Seminary for a few years before releasing him from the suspension; for this is necessary for him to become a half-decent priest. 2. Because this measure might save his companion, Fr Marzano, who could be useful to Africa.

[5787]

This is my humble opinion. Moreover, I totally submit to the venerable judgement of Your Eminence, to whom I declare that for my part I dispense him from the oath to serve the mission, so that he can profit from the benefactor who constitutes his sacred heritage; and I am glad to have nothing more to do with this individual, to whom however I wholeheartedly wish good luck and all the divine blessings.

[5788]

On the other hand, I have comforting news of the Vicariate where an enviable peace prevails; although there is a lot of work there, all the missionaries and Sisters from Verona are flourishing; and I hope in the Heart of Jesus that after all we have suffered he will grant us great consolations.
I am confident that my treatment of arsenic baths in Roncegno will help me and give me the strength to be able to go back to Central Africa soon.
In a week I shall return to my Institute in Verona.
Forgive me, Your Eminence for this long letter, and please bless your
Most unworthy and devoted son,

+ Daniel Comboni
Bishop and Vicar Apostolic

[5789]

By return of post do me the pleasure of giving me news of the health of the holy angel of the Diocese of Brescia, since I heard that he was ill, and perhaps he still is.
Worn out by fevers in Rome, Naples and even Pejo, where I went with the Bishop of Piacenza to drink the ferruginous waters, I recovered after a very serious consultation, here in Roncegno, at which I was ordered to take arsenic baths.
Here I think I am really getting the better of my illness which was brought on by my colossal African efforts. In Central Africa now there is perfect health, even more than in Italy. I am staying on here, because since I am here and the treatments are doing me good, I want to finish them as I ought.

[5790]

Your dearest letter of the 17th of this month was forwarded to me here. You gave an exact description of the candidate Sebastian Albert from Saxony. Oh! With you it is a pleasure to treat such matters, because you have a conscience, you are upright and are a connoisseur of the human spirit.
Therefore I will certainly accept in my Institute the Sebastian you propose, and you can even send him to Verona immediately, directing him to the V. Rev. Mainardi, who is temporarily directing my African Institute.

[5791]

But remember that I hope you will send me many others who come from your College. Straight away; if you consider someone has a true vocation and the spirit for Central Africa, send him to me, because I have total trust in your mind and your judgement. In the meantime I shall always pray for you to the Heart of Jesus, to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, and to my bursar, Beppo, whom I shall enjoin to send you money too, to equal the great good you do.

[5792]

Many respects to Monsignors the Bishops and Carminati, and I cordially bless, one by one, not only the 213 students in Your Seminary, but those who entered it since my visit to Brescia.
In the Heart of Jesus I shall always be
Your most affectionate friend,

+ Daniel
Bishop and Vicar Apostolic

[5793]

Please send your news to me here in Roncegno, where I have been sent after a serious consultation with Tyrolean doctors, in order to kill the germs of my spleen disorder which caused me my African fevers that recurred ferociously in Naples, Rome, Verona and even in Pejo, in the high mountains of the Sole Valley where I went with the Bishop of Piacenza. I really thought my ailments would be irremediable, as gravibus laboribus et angustiis confectus fui: but having reached Rovereto from Pejo more dead than alive and with a fever and a pulse-rate of 116 a minute, Mgr Strosio and my patriot Prof. Bertanza (who is here with me and sends you his regards) took the initiative of calling in old Professor Manfroni, who handed me over to Professor Goldwurn, ordered me to take arsenic baths in Roncegno and to put every thought and care absolutely out of my mind. Therefore in Verona they confiscated or interrupted my correspondence. I have had 19 of these baths and will have another 11; and from the effect they have had on me, I believe my strength has been restored so that I shall be able to face for many more years (I am always ready to die) the most difficult and laborious apostolate of Central Africa about which the Holy See is so concerned. It is a matter of inter alias aerumnas, for 14 months I never slept for one hour in 24: working night and day. Think of your own efforts when you left Rome in 1870!

[5794]

Today I have disobeyed orders and have been writing letters against the doctors’advice; but I feel better. I am staying here until Wednesday, and then I am off to Verona and Limone.
Give me your news. In Khartoum (and in all the stations of the Vicariate) a great funeral and sung Mass was celebrated, in which the consuls and Nasal took part, for the repose of the late holy Vincenzo, the Angel of Bressanone, as a letter says from Fr Bonomi, my Vicar, which I received this morning.
Vale, et fave
Tuissimus in Corde Jesu

+ Daniel
Ep.pus et Vic. Apost.

[5795]

If merciful God is pleased to reveal himself to His Saints in every age, we experience it above all when the Church is living in tragic times. Of course, if the Church’s enemies have always and in every age tried with great tenacity to uproot her completely or to force her into the greatest danger, without doubt in this period in which we are living they plot to do so with such machinations and energy that she can barely be saved by many prayers and much reflection. However, the arm of God has not yet been shortened, and as we have said briefly, has sustained, adorned and strengthened His Bride through her piety until our day, with men who are enriched with every kind of holiness.

[5796]

There is no doubt that among them we can list the bright pearl of the sacred Episcopate, Giovanni Nepumoceno De Tschiderer who, barely emerging from adolescence, inflamed by love of God and the desire to save souls, decided to dedicate himself to the priestly service, to attend more perfectly to their salvation. Therefore when he had completed his studies of philosophy in high school at home, and theology at the “Athenaeo Oenipontano”, always most creditably, he was awarded presbyteral status. From the beginning of his ministry as a priest, he strove for Christian perfection with such commitment as to be a wonder and example to all.

[5797]

With supreme joy then, and to their spiritual and material advantage, the students of the Seminary in Trent had him as their teacher of Sacred Theology; the parishes of Sarni and Merano, as Pastor; the Canons of the cathedral church of Bressanone, as a Colleague and the faithful of the Diocese of Bressanone, as Vicar General. In fulfilling all these offices he led his students, his companions or his children to follow the Divine Pastor with the example of his virtues, above all in his heroic charity, and he gathered the most abundant fruit everywhere.

[5798]

The Supreme Pontiff Gregory XVI, happily recalling these things, and since the Church of Trent had lost her Pastor in 1834, considered Govanni Nepomuceno worthy of this office and put him at the head of this Church. In the fulfilment of such an illustrious office, not only did he stick to the kind of life he had led so far, but indeed was completely concerned, with an even more fervent love, to exercise the Christian virtues, to the point that he captivated even the enemies of religion with his discretion. Everyone felt that not only was he steadfast in adversity, but devout, prudent, sober and chaste. Making himself all things to all people, seeking with what means or advice he could come to the aid of the wretched. When it came to saving souls, he was consumed by a far greater love than one can describe or imagine.

[5799]

For him there was nothing more religious than going several times a day to pray to or to venerate Jesus, hanging from the Cross or hidden beneath the veils of the Sacrament. Furthermore, he was transported by such a love for the Mother of God, that the Virgin, to whom he prayed intensely, appeared to him often and gladly crowned him with hundreds of graces.

[5800]

To conclude, Giovanni Nepomuceno, beloved by God and men, took the way of the Lord joyfully like a giant. When he came to the end of his mortal journey, he saw and concluded the last day of his most holy life with as holy a death on 9th December 1860. Everyone firmly maintains that he has gone to dwell among the inhabitants of Heaven and proclaims him blessed.

[5801]

I therefore add my humble supplications and prayers to the other requests for the introduction of the cause of beatification of the Servant of God Giovanni Nepomuceno, Prince Bishop of Trent and a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. I implore you, Most Blessed Father, to deign to grant all these petitions. In pleading his cause, I am not prompted by what has been said, by what happened before or after his death nor by what I have heard of his holiness, but by his incredible love for the poor which I myself was able to see, esteem and admire.

[5802]

Moreover, I had the greatest honour to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation from this holy Bishop in 1839. He also conferred on me the Sacred Orders of the Subdiaconate and the Diaconate, and in December 1854, the priesthood, which to this day I remember with a grateful heart and will remember for ever.
Meanwhile I most humbly beg you in your kindness to impart your Apostolic Blessing to me, to the Colleges and Institutes for the African Mission that I have founded in Verona and Egypt, and to the whole Vicariate Apostolic of Central Africa, entrusted to me by the Holy See.
I remain Your Holiness’s
most humble, grateful and devoted servant and son,

+ Daniel Comboni
Bishop of Claudiopolis i.p.i.
Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa


Translated from Latin.

[5803]

As soon as I arrived in Rome, I made every effort to discover what point the cause of the venerable Marchesa and the matter of the Offices of the Bishops of Verona had reached.
With regard to the matter of the Canons, the Most Eminent Bartolini has been absent for two months and is in Genzano; Mgr Caprara is also absent and on the Alvernia: but I have written in detail to the Most Eminent Bartolini, recommending everything to him in accordance with the instructions of Your Most Eminent Reverence; and I am sure that he will do it all. The answer regarding the point of the Canons depends totally on him.

[5804]

As for the Cause, we are exactly where we were seven months ago. The lawyer Moraine has been working on it for seven months and presented it to the Deputy Promoter of the Faith, Mgr Caprara (just between ourselves, it is as if Mgr Salvati the Promoter did not exist, and poor Mgr Caprara does everything). Since he has more than fifty causes to deal with and must examine them all conscientiously, he cannot immediately satisfy everyone. I am sworn to secrecy, and in secret I tell Your Most Eminent Reverence that Mgr Caprara has promised that when he has completed the Interrogations on the English Martyrs and on a Venerable Dominican, he will immediately deal with those of the Marchesa (and he is neglecting causes he has had for some time), that is, the Interrogations on the Virtues and Miracles in particular for the Apostolic process; then he will immediately pass them on to the Chancellor, the lawyer Franceschetti, who will write the dimissorials to be sent to Your Most Eminent Reverence as Apostolic Delegate. It will be possible to do all this by the end of November but I don’t think any earlier, since not much work is done in Rome in the month of October.

[5805]

As for the Office of Bishops, Fr Tongiorgi completed his part about a year ago; and now it is up to an Oratorian priest, Fr Calenzio (whom I shall see this evening). He lives in the Rectory of Santa Maria in Trastevere; he has promised to finish his task as quickly as possible. Fr Tongiorgi has also promised to put strong pressure on Fr Calenzio to hurry him up.

[5806]

Both Fr Tongiorgi and Fr Calenzio give a most favourable vote for the Holy Bishops of Verona.
The same goes for the Office of St. Zeno: only there will be a few changes there, also by the order and recommendations of the Most Eminent Bartolini, on the second reading of St. Zeno.

[5807]

Lastly the lawyer Morani is also the advocate of the cause for the Beatification and Canonisation of the late Prince and Bishop of Trent, Giovanni Nepomuceno De Tschiderer, predecessor of Mgr Riccabona. He begs Your Most Reverend Eminence to write a Postulatory Letter to the Holy Father for this purpose. The Most Reverend Fr Rizzoli, the General of the Precious Blood, is the postulator. I who was ordained Subdeacon, Deacon and Priest by the above-mentioned De Tschiderer have already written mine.
Tomorrow, after the public Consistory, I leave for Corneto, Pisa, Genoa and Turin, to be in Verona in a few days. I recommend the Stigmatine Fathers to you. I kiss etc.,
Your most humble, devoted and obedient son,

+ Daniel,
Bishop and Vicar Apostolic

[5808]

I am very grateful for your extreme kindness and for the good you have done to my humble self and to my Work in a thousand ways, and above all for giving me three good candidates from your Apostolic School (I knew Fr La Foresta; he was a dear friend), namely Grieff, Géraud and the little Genièsse who I hope, with the help of the Sacred Heart, will turn into good workers for Jesus Christ.

[5809]

You know well, my dear Father, how very exhausting, difficult and important is the apostolate of Central Africa: Jesus Christ died also for the poor unbelievers of Central Africa, and we shall succeed, with his divine grace, in winning them all for the Church. But to succeed we need good apostolic workers who are disposed and happy to suffer everything and to die for Jesus, in order to win souls. Oh, what happiness it is to suffer even martyrdom for Jesus! In Central Africa we have cause to suffer, and fevers and the hardest privations everyday, in order to do our duty and to save souls.

[5810]

And you, my dear Father, you know that the grace of Jesus has carved an ardent desire for the Cross into the souls of his sons. It is true that because of our weakness the cross is hard, but on the other hand the cross is the royal road on which to succeed in saving souls. I am almost led to believe that Jesus showed greater wisdom, so to speak, in building the Cross than in creating heaven and earth. He could have planned a carriage to take us to Heaven, but his wisdom and talent found that it was better to build the Cross to take us to Heaven, and it is through the Cross that the humble workers of Central Africa will succeed in saving the hundred million souls it contains.

[5811]

Now, given that you inspire this spirit of sacrifice, of self-denial and of the cross so well in your students, and trusting in your great goodness, I beg you with insistence to grant my Mission, which is so difficult and demanding, the greatest possible number of your dear students, whether they be priests, theologians or philosophers, etc. When you judge in your spirit and in your wisdom that a given candidate from among your students would suit my college in Verona, or my acclimatisation Institutes in Cairo and my Vicariate, without waiting for my opinion or consent or the consent of my Superiors in Verona, send him directly to Verona after giving a few days’prior notice to the Superior in Verona or to Mr Grieff, and I will be infinitely grateful. Your opinion is enough for me.

[5812]

I had arranged that when I went to London I would visit Turnhout, but the fevers and the illnesses I have had until the other day have prevented me. It is a fact that among the crosses I have borne in Central Africa, I spent 14 months never being able to sleep a single hour in a single night and day of 24 hours, and this was the least of my worries. However, I hope that in November I shall be able to return to Africa and if I make that little trip to England, I will go and visit you at the Apostolic School.

[5813]

We have the good fortune to have the Jesuit Fathers in Cairo; I have just seen the Father General, Becks, whom I visited in July at Fiesole. Oh, he is a miracle: at 86 he has the spirit and the mind of a saint of 30!
Please pray and have prayers said, my dear Father, for me and for Central Africa; with all my heart I bless your dear students, as I remain in the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Your most devoted in Jesus Christ

+ Daniel Comboni
Bishop of Claudiopolis i.p.i.
Vicar Apostolic of Central Africa


Translation from the French.

[5814]

Given the troubles I am having, it would be my greatest pleasure to do the Consecration next Saturday, the 11th of this month, and if possible the Pontifical on Sunday the 12th. I am therefore also writing these things to Fr Giovanni so that he is prepared.
Just think! After so many months in Europe, I have not been able to go and spend a few days in my home town!

[5815]

What an awful job it is being a Superior! But to serve the Lord one has to wear chains. We shall be freer in heaven.
In the meantime, give my greetings to my relatives and to Fr Luigi. Is it possible that I may not be able to see them all at Limone in such an extraordinary circumstance!
Goodbye:
Your most affectionate

+ Daniel,
Bishop and Vicar Apostolic