A KEY PHRASE OF DON BOSCO’S

GOOD CHRISTIANS AND HONEST CITIZENS

The phrase itself.

The most habitual and widespread formulation of Don Bosco’s: “Good Christians and honest citizens”(Letter to the Cooperators Jan 1879) with variants:

good citizens and honest Christians, good Christians and wise citizens, good Christians and honest men. The phrase can be found in many places, e.g. in Memoirs of the Oratory: “…these young men soon forgot the past and began to mend their ways. They became good Christians and honest citizens”. (pg 190)

A later phrasing reflected wider horizons:

“evangelization and civilization” and its variants:

the good of mankind and of religion and similar as in “I would greatly desire to see again those who with so much self-scarifice departed from this Oratory to take Christian civilization to savage tribes(….) when these savages will be converted (…) they too will show the world that one can love God and at the same time be honestly cheerful; be Christians and also honest and laborious citizens”. (SB 1884 in a talk to past pupils).

The phrase elaborated

A specific distinction of the Christian who is at the same time an honest citizen is, for Don Bosco, the ability to fit into society neatly and industriously through work – honesty and exemplary life or in other words, substantial social usefulness:

Rules for the houses (Part II Chapter V

1. “Man, my boys, was born to work. Adam was placed in the earthly paradise to cultivate it. The Apostle St. Paul says that he who does not work is unworthy to eat…
2. For work it is understood the accomplishment of one’s duties, both in study as well as in trade.
3. Through work you can make yourselves well-deserving of society, of religion and do good to your soul.”