Writings

[6106]

I am extremely sorry to hear that they do not want to accept a timetable which could be suitable for all good Christians.
Considering that it is now very hot in Cairo, until my arrival next month, since spiritual reading is also being done with the novenas and the office etc. and in the evening, I shall therefore dispense everyone from the spiritual reading at 2.00 p.m. Then I authorise you to dispense those who are obliged to say the Divine Office, that is, the constitutos in maioribus, from other things which you deem most appropriate, so that they can recite the Divine Office properly. I also recommend that you direct the craftsmen well and, if the Clerics do not want to have recreation with the artisans, that you ensure (until my arrival) that the constituti in maioribus admit the excellent Pimazzoni and the catechists. It is a hard thing for me: but Fiat. When we speak to each other we will come to an agreement.
You will have received the 5,000 francs I had Brown send you.

[6107]

Write to Fr Luigi for me because I don’t have time. I am now leaving for Verona. With regard to God’s Providence, let us hope; I have already been working. I would like arrangements to be made in Cairo for a dividing wall and so forth between the two houses, and make the entrance of the Sisters separate and in the front. Discuss it with Bonavia (it seems from what you wrote to me that he has been building badly) and on my arrival prepare a little plan for me, with an entrance for the Sisters different from that of the men. I bless everyone.

+ Bishop Daniel

[6108]

Then allow Fr Rosignoli time, so that he can give Pimazzoni as much instruction as he can.

[6109]

You will have received my telegram in which I agreed to Gabriele’s departure with all the sugar and wine that you prepared. I am not going to take problems when I leave Cairo, just provisions for the journey, because I want to travel from Cairo to Khartoum in a month. In Suakin there is Callisto, and I should have been pleased if those who had wanted to go had gone, or at least one of them. But it does not matter if it couldn’t have been arranged otherwise.

[6110]

I think it unnecessary to send money, because Mr Holtz is doing you this pleasure and I will refund him for everything when I arrive this month. However I may send you a little money with the next post.

[6111]

It seems to me that there is discontent. So try to treat everybody with tact and kindness. If it is impossible to achieve ten degrees of perfection, let us achieve what we can, even only one degree. Then when I arrive, I shall do everything in my power to do God’s will. In the meantime, be gentle and give dispensations if necessary… What can we do?
Convey my greetings to Sr Amalia, whom I hope has recovered from her fever. I bless everyone.
most affectionately

+ Bishop Daniel

[6112]

On the 8th of this month, the feast of the Nativity of Our Lady, the Very Reverend Mr Planque came from Lyons to Turin where I awaited him in my lodgings with the Christian Brothers. I told him what I had written to Your Eminence about the new Mission in Dongola, etc. which is to be taken by his Seminary. He did not seem very keen to have the Mission immediately; but I told him that it was Your Eminence’s will that he should take it on and that I fervently desired him to send his missionaries close to me and mine, since I have great hope in his Seminary which has more than 50 students. He told me that his people had not yet left the Central Cape.

[6113]

In any case he seemed most satisfied by my proposals; and he told me that on returning to Lyons he would submit the project to his Council, and that he would tell me the result immediately in Sestri Levante, where I am going with my most venerable Rector and my Mother Superior from Verona to decide on the new daughter establishment which, if the Lord pleases, will be opened for the Missions of Central Africa.

[6114]

I have had quite satisfactory news of how my Vicariate is going and have continued to hear such news before today from both my missionaries and my Sisters and even from the Grand Pasha Räùf, Governor of Egyptian Sudan, that is, of a territory five times the size of Italy. The sorry state of my Vicariate exists only in the imagination of Rolleri, who only sees everything gloomy from a distance of 4,000 miles since he has never been beyond the Pyramids of Cairo, or in the minds of those who, directly or indirectly, were given bleak news by him.

[6115]

But the truth will surface; and that is why I am impatient to fly to my destination, although I am worn out and exhausted.
By next Sunday I hope to be in Rome, if I can manage to feel better, because on 6th October I intend to leave Suez for Suakin and to cross the desert to Berber and Khartoum.
Bowing to kiss the Sacred Purple, I remain with deep respect
Your Most Reverend Eminence’s most humble and obedient son

+ Daniel Comboni
Bishop and Vicar Apostolic

[6116]

Many greetings from the most venerable Fr Vasco; he is a true friend of the mission and a true servant of Your Eminence.
It seems to me that Your Eminence had told me in Verona to have Avvocato Morani paid 1,000 lire; I thereupon sent him a letter of credit for a thousand lire on my bankers in Rome. From the venerable letter Your Eminence sent me via Sembianti, it appears that you are giving me an order for only 500 lire. But it doesn’t matter. The cause of the Venerable Marchesa is so beautiful and splendid that they will soon be wanting the other 500; and then the Canossian Mothers will certainly pass them on to Fr Sembianti, when they have them and they are requested from Rome through Avvocato Morani. In the meantime, neither Your Eminence nor the good mothers should have any worries.

[6117]

We have made all the arrangements for the convent in Sestri with the owner: myself, Sembianti and the Mother Superior. The papers will be examined by Brasca and Th. Ravignani: they were drawn up properly, and also have the signature of the priest-brother of the owner, Fr Angelo Tagliaferro who, I hope will end up by leaving not only the donated convent, but also all the rest. In any case, looking prosaically at what has been done so far, an establishment of ours in Sestri as a daughter house of our Institutes in Verona is a matter of great importance and of real benefit to the mission, and the diocesan Bishop, who is here, is extremely pleased about it. Mgr Rosati told me today that he heard your splendid speech de Catechismo Parvo at the Vatican Council.

[6118]

Tonight I leave for Rome, where I shall arrive at 45 minutes past noon tomorrow. For anything you want, write to me care of the banker Brown at
Via Condotti
Rome.
I cannot thank God and Your Eminence enough for the grace of having Fr Sembianti to help in the Work. He has certainly set to work with truly conscientious commitment and enthusiasm. As soon as he realised that God’s will, expressed through his superiors, is that he should devote himself to his task, he set to with real commitment, and now he sees nothing but the interests of our work; he is a thoroughbred African. He is grace and obedience personified. In sum, I was fortunate to find so much charity in Your Eminence and in Fr Pietro. But these merits of both of you are written in God’s book.
Bowing to kiss the Sacred Purple, I remain with deepest respect
Your Most Reverend Eminence’s most humble and obedient son

+ Daniel Comboni, Vicar Apostolic

I have just received a letter with news that Mgr Massaia is in Rome.

[6119]

I only arrived here last night and found your letters nn. 3, 5 and 15. I am glad that Paolo went with Gabriele too. But tell me if Paolo seemed truly good and if you hope he will do well in Khartoum. I hope you have received the sum I sent you two weeks ago. I am thoroughly wretched to be without a secretary, because I cannot answer everything and in addition to great worries and responsibilities, I also have thousands of inconveniences. Then those I have helped the most are giving me serious displeasure, especially Grieff who is a real scoundrel: because Grieff, with his perfidious insinuations, came to my work to be ordained a priest after being expelled from two establishments. Once he was ordained and in Cairo, he implored me to return. My Rector in Verona found that he had no spirit at all.

[6120]

May God’s will be done. Christ made the cross, not a carriage, to go to heaven. I cannot be in Suez by the 6th; but in a week I shall return to Verona and leave immediately for Cairo. I have not yet seen your mother. Your letters were fetched from my banker Brown by the convent messenger.

[6121]

I am glad that you sent the wine and the sugar, etc. I shall take with me the bells and the box that are with Carcereri. I aim to leave Suez with the last steamer in September; at least I am doing everything to be able to do so. Since I understand that the teacher has gone to Syria, I have thought of another teacher, especially as I would like the one in Cairo to come with me, (since certain people have written to me that he is so good). So you must not tell him that Lattuada offered him 25 thalers, because I would not give him as much. I shall speak to him. Write telling Mr Prada that you are not making any proposal to the teacher because it is a matter to be dealt with exclusively by Mgr Comboni. Moreover, I received a letter from Prada just a few days ago.

[6122]

I bless you, Rosignoli, Francesco and all the others, and give my greetings to Mother Superior, whom you must tell that I have finally arranged for the foundation of a daughter house in Sestri Levante in a magnificent position, healthy and sweet, the best spot on the Genoese coast. I was there in the past few days with the Rector and the Mother Superior, signed the contract and decided everything.
Your most affectionate

+ Bishop Daniel

[6123]

In this most dismal period of our times when renowned teachers of Christian youth, known for their knowledge and piety, are being torn from their students through hatred of the Church, especially in France, against the laws of the land, against the wishes of their parents, against the public outcry, I beg you Most Holy Father to advance the day of the beatification of the greatest teacher of Catholic youth, Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, whose miracles of charity and devotion to the young in very many parts of Europe, Asia and Africa I have much admired.

[6124]

The Venerable Servant of God who bears this honour will protect with even greater effectiveness the deeply beloved young people of the Christian flock, which is now very sadly surrounded by trickery and deceit.
The Supreme Pontiff Pius IX, of immortal memory, had already proclaimed the heroic virtues of the Venerable Servant of God with his Decree of 1st November 1873, and ordered the discussion of the four miracles.

[6125]

In these days when the Brothers of the Christian Schools are commemorating the bicentenary of their Foundation, we have seen the solemn testimony of the clear reputation for holiness enjoyed by Jean-Baptiste de La Salle on the day of his precious death.
Most Eminent Fathers of the holy Roman Church, illustrious Archbishops and Bishops, priests, men with an undisputed reputation in science and piety and faithful from all walks of life and conditions have shown sure signs of their esteem and veneration for this admirable Institute. They all unanimously express the one desire to live as soon as possible the day on which the honour of the altars will be bestowed upon him whose outstanding works are daily becoming more eloquent and fruitful. Indeed, the wonderful and miraculous way this venerable Congregation has spread throughout the world and the perfect and universal observance of its most virtuous Institute and most wise rules is a spectacle for the world, the angels and men.

[6126]

Almighty God, who is glorified in his saints, has confirmed by innumerable and most splendid miracles the clear holiness of his beloved Servant. But it has not been possible to have a juridical and complete investigation of all of them.
This is why, Most Holy Father, I am adding my most humble entreaties to those which have already been addressed to Your Holiness, asking that you be so kind as to grant a dispensation from the discussion of two miracles, so that just the two miracles approved for the solemn beatification will be sufficient for this Venerable Servant of God who is so perfectly deserving in the eyes of Christian society.
May it please Your Holiness to receive benevolently the entreaty of your most humble and devoted son, and to impart Your Apostolic Blessing to him.
Rome, feast of the Dedication of St Michael Archangel, 1880
(L.S.)

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


Translation from Latin.

[6127]

Your mother is well, I saw her this evening. You can make them all do the spiritual exercises, both those who are leaving and those who are not. They are all in need of them. I am tired of paying for buildings.
I understood that it was badly built: but I have paid everything, and Bonavia has nothing left over. He had 6,000 francs, but these were paid out. Don’t pay anything until my arrival. I am embroiled with money and do not possess a mint to coin more. You must observe the greatest possible parsimony.

[6128]

The Turk who came to Verona with Moron, and sent by me from Verona to the catechumens’ hospice in Rome because the Pope granted this to me, was solemnly baptised by Archbishop di Colossi and on Thursday I introduced him to the Pope. On Thursday I had a private audience with the Pope for one and a half hours, sitting in front of him all the time; and I remained a further half hour alone with him, the Turk Beshir and two priests from Vicenza. The Pope has taken poor Africa to heart, and he blesses everyone, men and women, everyone in Cairo and in the whole Vicariate. He was also moved by the dévouement of our Sisters in Central Africa.

[6129]

I bless you all. I must spend three more days with Mgr Massaia, then on to Verona, hence, with some travelling via Trieste, some via Naples, we shall come to Cairo. Please send all the boxes that must be sent to Callisto in Suakin, because I do not want any clutter. Great parsimony and get everything you can.

+ Daniel Comboni

[6130]

I am more than happy, extraordinarily happy that our candidates are going to the Stigmatine Fathers’ school, and I thank their Most Reverend Superior with all my heart. Thank you for the list of the three. Moreover, I have all trust in God who will send us good candidates. The King of the Belgians gave 20 scholarships to Fr Boetman, Director of Turnhout, so that he could choose 20 Belgians for the missions in Equatorial Africa, who would then be settled in the vast territory of the Congo where the Belgian Committee is now carrying out its exploration led by Stanley. That mission is entrusted to the Archbishop of Algiers, who will receive the candidates as soon as they are trained. But if Fr Boetman sends candidates there like some of those he sent to us, I have little hope. Furthermore I had the assurance of the secretary of the King of the Belgians that he would totally exempt from conscription all the Belgians who would enter our Institute or the Central African mission.

[6131]

A fortnight ago I bought Zigliara 6 copies of the issue which has just been published which he corrected. I will bring the Roman Rite. In the meantime, I cannot write any more because I am extremely occupied with the Holy See for the new creation of 4 new Pro-Vicars Apostolic, to be entrusted to the Archbishop of Algiers and to his great institution. I must examine everything (may this be said in the greatest secrecy), and then pronounce my poor opinion on what is to be done, what is to be removed, etc. I am working night and day, pray for me.
The letters from Verona made a good impression on the excellent Fr Angelo: it went well thanks be to God. A thousand respects to the Cardinal, I have not forgotten the matters he recommended to me. I visited Cardinal Sanguigni, the Protector of the Sacramentine Poor Clares, and we spoke at length about that Holy Institute. Give my regards to Fr Luciano, and tell him
that his friends the two Leonine priests are thrilled with Rome and with the Pope; they are leaving for Naples tomorrow. I bless everyone.
Your most affectionate

+ Daniel,
Bishop and Vicar Apostolic.