ST. JOHN BOSCO

Dear Beloved of the Father,


Today we celebrate the feast of the Father and Teacher of Youth - Don Bosco. We wish all the Salesian Fathers, Sisters, Lay Brothers and all those associated with Don Bosco and all Christ's faithful a very happy feast. May this great saint bless us all and intercede for us. May his zeal for winning souls for God be rooted in every activity we undertake. I have give below the Life of Don Bosco, the Major Events of his life, his Preventive System and his Inspiring Words for our reading and reflection. God bless you all.


Fr. Lawrence Louis Rodrigues
(FOR SOCOM.BARODA)  

LIFE OF SAINT DON BOSCO

Father and Teacher of Youth

"God gave him wisdom and understanding and a heart as vast as the sand on the seashore." With these words, the Church ushers in the feast on January 31 in honour of St. John Bosco, affectionately known to his spiritual sons and daughters all over the world as Don (Father in Italian) Bosco.

John (Italian: Giovanni) Melchior Bosco was born of poor parents in a little cabin at Becchi, a hillside hamlet near Castelnuovo, Piedmont, Italy on 16 August, 1815. When he was little more than two years old his father died on May 11, 1817, he was only 33 years of age, leaving the support of three boys to the mother, Margaret Bosco. The mother, Margaret Occhiena, had to struggle to bring up the family. Her lively faith, her confidence in God, her spirit of prayer, her strength of spirit enabled her to tide over difficult times. These sterling qualities were absorbed by John as he grew up under her loving care.

Don Rua writes: "His confidence in God was so great that whenever he found himself faced with a difficulty greater than usual, he seemed to be more joyful than was his custom." Cardinal Cagliero testifies that Don Bosco would repeat in moments of severe trial, "There is a God in Israel - let nothing disturb us, let nothing frighten us."

Devotion to Mary

"I learnt to recite the Rosary on the knees of my mother," Don Bosco often told his pupils. He was very particular that the Rosary should be recited in all his houses. Every year he took a group of boys to the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary at Becchi for the feast in October. En route they entertained the towns with their band and singing.

"Be devout to Our Lady," was the advice Mamma Margaret gave her son John when he left in 1830 to stay and study at Castelnuovo. On October 25, 1835, after John received the cassock and was preparing to join the Seminary at Chieri, his mother took him aside and said, "When you came into the world, I entrusted you to the Blessed Virgin; when you commenced your studies I recommended you to practise devotion to Her; now I urge you to give yourself wholly to Her. Associate with companions who are devoted to Her and when you are a priest do you utmost to draw people to Her." In 1941 he was ordained priest on the eve of Trinity Sunday by Archbishop Franzoni of Turin.

Today, Don Bosco's name is so linked with the Blessed Virgin that she is often known as "The Madonna of Don Bosco." He raised several monuments in honour of Our Lady.

Character and Growth of the Oratory

Leaving the seminary after his ordination, Don Bosco went to Turin where he entered zealously upon his priestly labours. It was here that an incident occurred which opened up to him the real field of effort of his afterlife. One of his duties was to accompany Don Cafasso upon his visits to the prisons of the city, and the condition of the children confined in these places, abandoned to the most evil influences, and with little before them but the gallows, made such a indelible impression upon his mind that he resolved to devote his life to the rescue of these unfortunate outcasts. On the eighth of December, 1841, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, while Don Bosco was vesting for Mass, the sacristan drove from the Church a ragged urchin because he refused to serve Mass. Don Bosco heard his cries and recalled him, and in the friendship which sprang up between the priest and Bartollomea Garelli was sown the first seed of the "Oratory", so called, no doubt, after the example of St. Philip Neri and because prayer was its prominent feature. Don Bosco entered eagerly upon the task of instructing thus first pupil of the streets; companions soon joined Bartholomeo, all drawn by a kindness they had never known, and in February, 1842, the Oratory numbered twenty boys, in March of the same year, thirty, and in March, 1846, four hundred.

In his vision or dream which he is said to have had in his early boyhood, wherein it was disclosed to him what his lifework would be, a voice said to him: "Not with blows, but with charity and gentleness must you draw these friends to the path of virtue."

Don Bosco's method of study knew nothing of punishment. And in 1887 he wrote: "I do not remember to have used formal punishment; and with God's grace I have always obtained, and from apparently hopeless children, not alone what duty exacted, but what my wish simply expressed." In one of his books he has discussed the causes of weakness of character, and derives them largely from a misdirected kindness in the rearing of children. Parents make a parade of precocious talents: the child understands quickly, and his sensitiveness enraptures all who meet him, but the parents have only succeeded in producing all affectionate, perfected, intelligent animal. The chief object should be to form the will and to temper the character. In all his pupils Don Bosco tried to cultivate a taste for music, believing it to be a powerful and refining influence.

In his rules lie wrote: "Frequent Confession, frequent Communion, daily Mass: these are the pillars which should sustain the whole edifice of education." Don Bosco was an indefatigable confessor, devoting days to the work among his children. He recognized that gentleness and persuasion alone were not enough to bring to the task of education. He thoroughly believed in play as a means of arousing childish curiosity -- more than this, he places it among his first recommendations, and for the rest he adopted St. Philip Neri's words: "Do as you wish, I do not care so long as you do not sin."

Don Bosco was truly gifted with many qualities: a keen mind, a powerful memory, enormous strength. While in the seminary he supported himself by working as a tailor, blacksmith, shoemaker, carpenter, violinist, acrobat, and magician. All these talents came in handy during his lifetime of working with youngsters.

Don Bosco used all his talents for God and for the mission entrusted to him, to be an Apostle of the poor and abandoned youth. He lost his father when he was barely two years old. Yet he became a father to thousands of youngsters. He went to school only at the age of 15 after overcoming several hurdles. Yet he founded many technical, academic and boarding schools for others. The politicians of his day were closing down monasteries and convents, and banning Religious Orders. Yet he had the courage to found the Salesian Society for men (1859); the Institute of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, for women (1872); and the Association of Salesian Cooperators for lay people (1876).

Our Lady, Help of Christians

In 1868 to meet the needs of the Valdocco quarter of Turin, Don Bosco resolved to build a church. The church was consecrated 9 June, 1868, and placed under the patronage of Our Lady, Help of Christians. In the same year in which Don Bosco began the erection of the church fifty priests and teachers who had been assisting him formed a society under a common rule which Pius IX, provisionally in 1869, and finally the Salesian Society was given permanent status within the Catholic Church in 1874.

He used devotion to Our Lady to lead people to the Holy Eucharist. He raised three monuments in honour to her: the Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians at Turin; the Institute of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, which he said was a living monument to thank our celestial Mother for all the favours she had showered on him; and the Work for Late Vocations, which he termed the "Sons of Mary" project.

Trust in Divine Providence

To Don Bosco we may apply the words of Holy Scripture concerning Abraham: "He believed against all hope and became the father of many peoples."

Don Bosco would undertake mighty works with little or nothing in his purse. His contractors and suppliers, however, were perfectly sure that everything would be taken care of. "Would that we were as certain of being paid by everyone as we are by Don Bosco. He may be slow but he never fails, for he has Divine Providence at his disposal. Don Bosco's word is more than a banknote."

In his life, the supernatural became natural

Don Bosco gently passed away at 4:45 a.m., January 31, 1888. "Tell my boys that I await them in heaven," he had whispered 3 days earlier. He was canonized on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1934 by Pope Pius XI, who declared, "In his life, the supernatural became natural and the extraordinary the ordinary."

In 1988, on the occasion of the first centenary of his death, Pope John Paul II proclaimed Don Bosco the "Father and Teacher of Youth" and in his letter of declaration, singled out the interchange between education and holiness as the characteristic aspect of Don Bosco's personality: "He was a holy educator, he drew his inspiration from a holy model: St. Francis de Sales, he was the disciple of a holy spiritual director - St. Joseph Cafasso, and he was able to form from among his boys a holy pupil - St. Dominic Savio."

Statistics 

At the time of Don Bosco's death in 1888 there were 250 houses of the Salesian Society in all parts of the world, containing 130,000 children, and from which there annually went out 18,000 finished apprentices. In the motherhouse Don Bosco had selected the brightest of his pupils, taught them Italian, Latin, French, and mathematics, and this band formed a teaching corps for the new homes which quickly grew up in other places. Up to 1888 over six thousand priests had gone forth from Don Bosco's institutions, 1,200 of whom had remained in the society. The schools begin with the child in his first instruction and lead, for those who choose it, to seminaries for the priesthood. The society also conducts Sunday schools, evening schools for adult workmen, schools for those who enter the priesthood late in life, technical schools, and printing establishments for the diffusion of good reading in different languages. Its members also have charge of hospitals and asylums, nurse the sick, and do prison work, especially in rural districts. The society has houses in the following countries: Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Palestine, and Algiers; in South America, Mexico, in South America, Patagonia, Terra del Fuego, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, The Argentine Republic, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, and Colombia. In the United States the Salesians have four churches: Sts. Peter and Paul and Corpus Christi in San Francisco, California; St. Josephs in Oakland, California; and the Transfiguration in New York City. Very Rev. Michael Borghino, Provincial for America, resides in San Francisco.

MAJOR EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF DON BOSCO

1784: February 4 - Birth of Francis Bosco, father of John Bosco, at Castelnuovo d'Asti

1788: April 1 - Birth of Margaret Occhiena, mother of John Bosco, at Capriglio

1812: June 6 - Marriage of Francis Bosco and Margaret Occheina at Capriglio Parish

1815: August 16 - Birth of John Melchior Bosco at Biglione's house in the hamlet of Becchi

1815: August 17 - Baptism by Fr. Joseph Sismondi, Pastor of Castlenuovo

1817: May 12 - Francis Bosco dies of pneumonia leaving three children: Antonio, Giuseppe, and John in the care of Margaret

1825: June - The mysterious dreams foretelling Don Bosco's future began. The first dream showed him designs and details that would characterize his mission for poor and abandoned children.

1826: March 26 - John makes his first communion on Easter Sunday. Mamma Margaret told repeatedly told him: "John, my son, God is going to give you a great gift. Try to prepare yourself to be worthy of him."

1827-1829 - The discord between Giovanni and his stepbrother Antonio caused Giovanni to leave home in midwinter. The Moglia family's farm in Moncucco provided shelter for him.

1831: November - John went to stay in Chieri public school for ten years. The experience of living as a boarder not only allowed to develop his knowledge of different trades, but also prepared him psychologically for his future youth apostolate.

1833: August 4 - John was confirmed by Bishop Anthony Gianotti of Sassari at St. Blaise Parish, Butigliera.

1833: October 26 - John received his clerical habit at the parish church in Castelnuovo

1835-1841: After overcoming many difficulties, John enters St. Philip's Seminary in Chieri. He began his philosophical and theological studies and started "Joyful Company" work with young people.

1840: March 29 - John received tonsure and minor orders

1840: September - 19 Reception of Sub-diaconate

1841: February 17 - John Bosco is ordained to the Diaconate

1841: June 5 - John Bosco was ordained priest by Most Reverend Luigi Franzoni, archbishop of Turin.

1841: The Wandering Festive Oratory is formed with collaborators.

1841: November 3 - Ecclesiastical college; 3 more years of Pastoral Theology

1842: February - Oratory numbered 20 boys

1842: November 3 - Mother of John Bosco moves to the Oratory to help care for the boys.

1845: September - A boy named Michael Rua came to the oratory for the first time.

1845: October - Don Bosco published the Storia Eclesiastica for the use of students. 

1846: April 12 - The oratory moved to the rented shed of Mr. Francesco Pinardi in Valdocco. The oratory had found its home forever.

1846: July - Don Bosco became seriously ill. 

1846: November - Because of his long and serious illness, Don Bosco decided to stay at home for a while until his recovery was complete. When he returned to Turin his mother Margaret came with him and became mother to his boys.

1847: May - A young man came to the oratory looking for a place to sleep. This was the start of the boarding school.

1847: December - Don Bosco started his second oratory in Porta Nuova

1848: Mama Margaret began the custom of the `Good-night'

1851: Don Bosco signed the first contract with an employer on behalf of young workers. This was a step toward union action in defense of workers.

1853: Autumn - First workshops were opened with Don Bosco as the first teacher

1854: January 20 - Salesian Society is officially recognized

1854: Summer - The cholera epidemic invaded Turin. Don Bosco's boys were distinguished for their care of the sick.

1854: October 29 - Dominic Savio is registered at the oratory. He will be the first pupil of Don Bosco to be canonized.

1855: March 25 - Michael Rua made his vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience into Don Bosco's hands. He became the first Salesian.

1856: November 25 - Mama Margaret dies, Valdocco Oratory, Turin

1857: March 9 - Dominic Savio died.

1858: Don Bosco went to Rome to introduce his institutions to Pope

Pius IX.

1860: July 29 - Michael Rua was ordained a priest. He was the first of Don Bosco's students to be ordained a priest.

1863: Don Bosco opened the first Salesian Institute outside of Turin in Mirabello.

1864: March - Don Bosco began the construction of the Sanctuary of Our Lady Help of Christians in Valdocco.

1868: The great Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians, the “mother-church” of the Salesian Movement, is completed

1870: The Association of Salesian Past Pupils is established

1871: December 7 - Don Bosco became very ill as he went to visit the Salesian Institute in Varazze

1875: November 11 - The first group of ten Salesian missionaries departed for South America with Father Giovanni Cagliero leading them.

1876: Don Bosco founds the Salesian Cooperators, the lay branch of the Salesian Family

1879: The first Salesian missionary entered Patagonia, Argentina, and Chile.

1880: Pope Leo XIII requested Don Bosco to finish the Sacred Heart Basilica in Rome

1884: December 7 - One of Don Bosco's students, Giovanni Cagliero, was ordained bishop. He would later be the first cardinal from the Salesian Congregation

1887: April - Don Bosco traveled to Rome for the last time for the consecration of the Sacred Heart Basilica

1888: January 31 - The Death of Don Bosco

1934: Don Bosco is canonized by Pope Pius XI on Easter Sunday

THE PREVENTIVE SYSTEM OF DON BOSCO

Don Bosco developed a method of education, the "Preventive System" which became a beacon that would guide the youth of his day and lead them to a successful life. Today, over forty thousand committed followers, and interested persons use this method to achieve the stated goal of Don Bosco: "to create good Christians and useful citizens."

REASON

It is most reasonable to reach "civil, moral, and intellectual" fulfillment as a human person through a life of faith.The first dimension of this methodology focuses on the concept of reason. It not only challenges the educator to embrace fulfillment through a life of faith but it also requires that the educator be reasonable when interacting with the young. It is essential to acquire the ability to know and understand the human dynamics of young people and to be able to communicate and dialogue with them. The reasonable style of education brings meaning and purpose to the roles of parents and educators. Their efforts become more creative and interactive. A healthier rapport develops and becomes a dynamic constructive force in education. John Bosco would say "Students my not only be loved, they must know that they are loved. This he achieved by making himself available, taking a keen interest in their studies, work, sports, clubs, and in all their activities while noticing a change in behavior patterns or withdrawal symptoms. Body language does not escape parents and educators who are attentive. We cannot underestimate the need for spending quantities of quality time with the young. 

RELIGION

Live according to the TRUTH entrusted to the Church. The young, through example, will be afforded diverse opportunities to develop an informed conscience, act responsibly, and embrace their sacramental liturgical life, in becoming responsible partners in social living. 

The second element of this educational method is Religion built upon the Gospel of love and the Beatitudes. It is the ground where personal accountability for one's actions is encouraged and fostered. There is a significant difference between acting in good conscience and acting from an informed conscience. Genuine formation is found in the official guidance of the Church and consistent involvement in a believing faith community. To study and live according to these truths is an invitation to prayer and grace that comes from embracing a sacramental liturgical life and devotion to Mary and the saints as role models for true discipleship. Don Bosco insisted that individual responsible involvement was the road to be traveled if one was serious about helping to improve the society and build Christian communities. Emphasis on personal accountability in fulfilling one's duties and obligations was an essential part of John Bosco's efforts to build character. By constant and kindly insistence on fidelity to one's routine obligations and acceptance of ones circumstances, Don Bosco was preparing his youngsters to find their place in society and to become morally productive citizens. 

LOVING KINDNESS

Reach the hearts of youth through demonstrating that one is genuinely concerned with their welfare. With confidence in the transforming power of love, one must foster "heart-to-heart" communication and affirm them in their struggle to grow and mature. 

The foundational principle that Don Bosco chose for his approach to help the young to mature and to find their place in society was CHARITY which he expressed by the words LOVING KINDNESS. To quote his own words "the practice of this system is wholly based on the words of St. Paul: 'Love is patient and kind. It bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things.'" This basic virtue was the foundation of all his efforts; it was the mainspring of all his actions on behalf of youth. Scattered throughout the writings of his nineteenth century educator we find expressions such as these: "Education is a matter of the heart, friendly counsels which appeal to the heart of the young and win over the heart, the educator will speak in the language of the heart. I will do all I can if only I will win over the hearts of the young. After winning the heart of a pupil, the educator can exercise great influence over that person. Let us make ourselves loved, and we shall possess their hearts."

INSPIRATIONAL WORDS OF DON BOSCO

“Da mihi animas; tolle ceteras”: “Give me souls; take away the rest.”

"All armies are useless unless assisted by God."

"Why is it that we have so little liking for spiritual things? This is because we love Jesus Crucified so little."

"Be brave and try to detach your heart from worldly things. Do your utmost to banish darkness from your mind and come to understand what true, selfless piety is. Through confession, endeavor to purify your heart of anything which may still taint it. Enliven your faith, which is essential to understand and achieve piety."

"Do good while you still have time."

"Remember, God does not pay us for results, but for effort."

"Divine Providence, in its own good time, will defend the innocent."

"All past persecutors of the Church are now no more, but the Church still lives on. The same fate awaits modern persecutors; they, too, will pass on, but the Church of Jesus Christ will always remain, for God has pledged His Word to protect Her and be with Her forever, until the end of time."

"Believe me... nobody can be truly happy in this world unless he is at peace with God."

"Son, if you want peace, you must first rid your heart of the devil."

"Patience smooths away lots of difficulties."

"Forgive others everything; yourself, nothing."

"Willingly suffer a bit for God Who suffered so much for you."

"Be guided by reason and not by passion."

"What do the pleasures of this world amount to? What is not eternal is worth nothing. Those who allow their passions to rule them, overtaken by death and buried in the eternal flames of hell will shriek in tears: "Fools that we were and how dreadfully wrong!""

"To do what we are told, for love of Jesus, makes us very pleasing to God."

"Disobedience is the root of every evil."

"Be obedient and you will become a saint."

"Guard your eyes since they are the windows through which sin enters the soul."

"Begin to practice self-denial in little things, so that later you will be able to do so in bigger ones."

"Guard your eyes so that one day you may deserve to gaze upon the Blessed Virgin Mary in Heaven."

"Holy Mass is the great means to appease God and avert His chastisement."

"The best time to ask and obtain favors from God is the time of the Elevation."

"Mary is the Star of the Sea. She never forsakes those who trust in Her, so let us get under Her protecting mantle. She will lead us out of the danger and guide us safely to port."

"Our dear Mother Mary, Help of Christians, would like you to receive Holy Communion every Saturday in Her honor."

"The Blessed Virgin, like a good Mother, seeing danger threatening Her children, hurries to their rescue. Do you want to please your Heavenly Mother? Practice the virtue dearest to Her – chastity.

"The fullness of love in all the mothers of this earth could never equal the love Mary has for each one of us."

"We must consider ourselves as nothing before the Lord and be convinced that without His help we can do nothing but commit sin."

"Listen; there are two things the devil is deadly afraid of: fervent Communions and frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament."

"Help me to save souls. The devil works overtime to lead souls to hell; let us do as much to save them."

"A man’s entire life should be a continual preparation for death."

"Go to Communion frequently. If you only knew what a great truth this is! Frequent Communion is the main column sustaining the moral and physical world, preventing it from collapse….Believe me, my dear children, I do not think that I am exaggerating when I say that frequent Communion is a solid column upon which one pole of the world rests, [and] devotion to Our Lady is the column which supports the other pole."

"Trust in the power of the Holy Eucharist and Our Blessed Lady. Do what you can and leave the rest to God."

"Go to the foot of the tabernacle and say one Pater (Our Father), Ave (Hail Mary), and Gloria (Glory Be) when you can’t do anymore. This is enough to strengthen you against temptations. If someone has faith, makes visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and makes his daily meditation, I tell you, it will be impossible for him to sin."

"I urge you to help each other save your souls by good example and advice."

"Shun bad companions, associate with good ones."

"Now let me tell you something about the sacrament of Penance. To draw fruit from this sacrament, it is not enough to go to confession frequently. One must also honestly strive to not sin. In general, go to confession once a month, and not oftener than once a week, unless your confessor advises it, lest you make it hard for others to find time for confession. As for Holy Communion, receive as often as you can, according to your confessor’s advice, whenever your conscience is free from sin."

 WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY 2012

Silence and Word: Path of Evangelization

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we draw near to World Communications Day 2012, I would like to share with you some reflections concerning an aspect of the human process of communication which, despite its importance, is often overlooked and which, at the present time, it would seem especially necessary to recall. It concerns the relationship between silence and word: two aspects of communication which need to be kept in balance, to alternate and to be integrated with one another if authentic dialogue and deep closeness between people are to be achieved. When word and silence become mutually exclusive, communication breaks down, either because it gives rise to confusion or because, on the contrary, it creates an atmosphere of coldness; when they complement one another, however, communication acquires value and meaning.

Silence is an integral element of communication; in its absence, words rich in content cannot exist. In silence, we are better able to listen to and understand ourselves; ideas come to birth and acquire depth; we understand with greater clarity what it is we want to say and what we expect from others; and we choose how to express ourselves. By remaining silent we allow the other person to speak, to express him or herself; and we avoid being tied simply to our own words and ideas without them being adequately tested. In this way, space is created for mutual listening, and deeper human relationships become possible. It is often in silence, for example, that we observe the most authentic communication taking place between people who are in love: gestures, facial expressions and body language are signs by which they reveal themselves to each other. Joy, anxiety, and suffering can all be communicated in silence – indeed it provides them with a particularly powerful mode of expression. Silence, then, gives rise to even more active communication, requiring sensitivity and a capacity to listen that often makes manifest the true measure and nature of the relationships involved. When messages and information are plentiful, silence becomes essential if we are to distinguish what is important from what is insignificant or secondary. Deeper reflection helps us to discover the links between events that at first sight seem unconnected, to make evaluations, to analyze messages; this makes it possible to share thoughtful and relevant opinions, giving rise to an authentic body of shared knowledge. For this to happen, it is necessary to develop an appropriate environment, a kind of ‘eco-system’ that maintains a just equilibrium between silence, words, images and sounds.

The process of communication nowadays is largely fuelled by questions in search of answers. Search engines and social networks have become the starting point of communication for many people who are seeking advice, ideas, information and answers. In our time, the internet is becoming ever more a forum for questions and answers – indeed, people today are frequently bombarded with answers to questions they have never asked and to needs of which they were unaware. If we are to recognize and focus upon the truly important questions, then silence is a precious commodity that enables us to exercise proper discernment in the face of the surcharge of stimuli and data that we receive. Amid the complexity and diversity of the world of communications, however, many people find themselves confronted with the ultimate questions of human existence: Who am I? What can I know? What ought I to do? What may I hope? It is important to affirm those who ask these questions, and to open up the possibility of a profound dialogue, by means of words and interchange, but also through the call to silent reflection, something that is often more eloquent than a hasty answer and permits seekers to reach into the depths of their being and open themselves to the path towards knowledge that God has inscribed in human hearts.

Ultimately, this constant flow of questions demonstrates the restlessness of human beings, ceaselessly searching for truths, of greater or lesser import, that can offer meaning and hope to their lives. Men and women cannot rest content with a superficial and unquestioning exchange of skeptical opinions and experiences of life – all of us are in search of truth and we share this profound yearning today more than ever: "When people exchange information, they are already sharing themselves, their view of the world, their hopes, their ideals" (Message for the 2011 World Day of Communications).

Attention should be paid to the various types of websites, applications and social networks which can help people today to find time for reflection and authentic questioning, as well as making space for silence and occasions for prayer, meditation or sharing of the word of God. In concise phrases, often no longer than a verse from the Bible, profound thoughts can be communicated, as long as those taking part in the conversation do not neglect to cultivate their own inner lives. It is hardly surprising that different religious traditions consider solitude and silence as privileged states which help people to rediscover themselves and that Truth which gives meaning to all things. The God of biblical revelation speaks also without words: "As the Cross of Christ demonstrates, God also speaks by his silence. The silence of God, the experience of the distance of the almighty Father, is a decisive stage in the earthly journey of the Son of God, the incarnate Word …. God’s silence prolongs his earlier words. In these moments of darkness, he speaks through the mystery of his silence" (Verbum Domini, 21). The eloquence of God’s love, lived to the point of the supreme gift, speaks in the silence of the Cross. After Christ’s death there is a great silence over the earth, and on Holy Saturday, when "the King sleeps and God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages" (cf. Office of Readings, Holy Saturday), God’s voice resounds, filled with love for humanity.

If God speaks to us even in silence, we in turn discover in silence the possibility of speaking with God and about God. "We need that silence which becomes contemplation, which introduces us into God’s silence and brings us to the point where the Word, the redeeming Word, is born"(Homily, Eucharistic Celebration with Members of the International Theological Commission, 6 October 2006). In speaking of God’s grandeur, our language will always prove inadequate and must make space for silent contemplation. Out of such contemplation springs forth, with all its inner power, the urgent sense of mission, the compelling obligation "to communicate that which we have seen and heard" so that all may be in communion with God (1 Jn 1:3). Silent contemplation immerses us in the source of that Love who directs us towards our neighbours so that we may feel their suffering and offer them the light of Christ, his message of life and his saving gift of the fullness of love.

In silent contemplation, then, the eternal Word, through whom the world was created, becomes ever more powerfully present and we become aware of the plan of salvation that God is accomplishing throughout our history by word and deed. As the Second Vatican Council reminds us, divine revelation is fulfilled by "deeds and words having an inner unity: the deeds wrought by God in the history of salvation manifest and confirm the teaching and realities signified by the words, while the words proclaim the deeds and clarify the mystery contained in them" (Dei Verbum, 2). This plan of salvation culminates in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the mediator and the fullness of all revelation. He has made known to us the true face of God the Father and by his Cross and Resurrection has brought us from the slavery of sin and death to the freedom of the children of God. The fundamental question of the meaning of human existence finds in the mystery of Christ an answer capable of bringing peace to the restless human heart. The Church’s mission springs from this mystery; and it is this mystery which impels Christians to become heralds of hope and salvation, witnesses of that love which promotes human dignity and builds justice and peace.

Word and silence: learning to communicate is learning to listen and contemplate as well as speak. This is especially important for those engaged in the task of evangelization: both silence and word are essential elements, integral to the Church’s work of communication for the sake of a renewed proclamation of Christ in today’s world. To Mary, whose silence "listens to the Word and causes it to blossom" (Private Prayer at the Holy House, Loreto, 1 September 2007), I entrust all the work of evangelization which the Church undertakes through the means of social communication.

From the Vatican, 24 January 2012, Feast of Saint Francis de Sales

BENEDICTUS PP XVI

WORLD REPORT 2012: INDIA

INDIA: DISAPPOINTING YEAR FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

Failure to Address Impunity, Police Reform, Torture, Women’s Rights

(New York, January 23, 2012) – The Indian government during 2011 failed to hold rights violators accountable or to carry out effective policies to protect vulnerable communities, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2012.

The government took no action to repeal the widely discredited Armed Forces Special Powers Act, disregarding the recommendations of political leaders and advisers, Human Rights Watch said. The government also ignored the urgent need for police reform despite widespread complaints of torture and unlawful killings as well as deplorable working conditions for police personnel. 

“The Indian government took few steps to prosecute abusive soldiers, undertake needed police reforms, or bring an end to torture,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Internationally, India missed opportunities to be a leader at the United Nations Security Council and Human Rights Council in protecting the rights of vulnerable people abroad.”

In its World Report 2012, Human Rights Watch assessed progress on human rights during the past year in more than 90 countries, including popular uprisings in the Arab world that few would have imagined. Given the violent forces resisting the “Arab Spring,” the international community has an important role to play in assisting the birth of rights-respecting democracies in the region, Human Rights Watch said in the report.

In India, violence in Jammu and Kashmir state dropped significantly during 2011. The state human rights commission’s investigation of 38 sites in north Kashmir and the discovery of 2,730 unmarked graves was a good first step for providing justice to the victims, Human Rights Watch said. While the government maintains that most of the bodies are those of unidentified Pakistani militants, many Kashmiris believe that victims of fake “encounter killings” or enforced disappearances may also have been buried in those graves. Although the government has promised a thorough inquiry, a credible investigation is impossible without the cooperation of the army and federal paramilitary forces, which hide behind the immunity provisions of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other laws.  

The government belatedly addressed the epidemic of killings on the Indo-Bangladesh border by the Border Security Force (BSF). Although the government ordered restraint and provided rubber bullets to reduce casualties, there were continued reports of torture leading to deaths and other abuses by BSF soldiers. No BSF soldiers have been prosecuted for the unlawful killings of over 900 Indians and Bangladeshis over the past decade. 

“Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s call for ‘zero tolerance’ of abuses by the armed forces has been undercut by the near zero progress in holding the abusers responsible,” Adams said. “The government should no longer allow the army to hide behind claims about troop morale or operational needs as an excuse for impunity.”

Residents of areas facing a Maoist insurgency, which in 2011 was active in nearly 80 districts across 11 Indian states, complained of being squeezed between state security forces and Maoist rebels. Security agencies carried out numerous arbitrary arrests and were accused of many instances of torture. The Maoists frequently demanded shelter and information from villagers, who were then punished by security forces for collaborating with the rebels. 

Activists working in these areas are at risk from both the Maoists and government forces. Maoists have tortured and killed activists and others they suspected of being government informers, and police in several instances have charged activists with conspiracy and sedition for supporting the Maoist ideology. The Maoists recruit children into their forces and attack schools, often putting students at risk. The government has not fully carried out court directives to end deployment of security forces in schools in areas threatened by the Maoists. 

“While the government agrees that the Maoist movement is rooted in failed government policies and speaks of winning hearts and minds, it allows the security forces to commit abuses with impunity,” Adams said. “At the same time, the Maoists claim to speak for the marginalized yet punish anyone who might disagree with their violent methods.”

The government adopted long overdue measures to compensate rape victims and revised its medico-legal protocols to exclude the humiliating “finger” test to investigate rape cases, Human Rights Watch said. Yet the government did little to address the widespread problems of “honor killings,” dowry deaths, and sexual violence. A further decline in India’s sex ratio because of sex selective abortion  and other abuses against girls and women points to the economic and social disparities that lead families to prefer sons over daughters, and the government’s need to expand educational and economic opportunities for women. The failure to extend maternal health care programs to all mothers below age 19 or with more than two live births also reflected poorly on the government’s commitment to protect women. 

The Medical Council of India took an important step in 2011 by recognizing palliative care as a medical specialty. But more than half of government-supported regional cancer centers still do not offer palliative care or pain management, even though more than 70 percent of their patients need it. The result has been severe, unnecessary suffering for tens of thousands of patients.Internationally, although India served on both the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council, it let opportunities pass to support independent, international investigations into conflict-related abuses in Sri Lanka and Burma. Instead of using these memberships to show leadership to protect human rights abroad, India remained silent on even the gravest abuses. While expressing concern about the increased violence in Syria, for example, New Delhi failed to support policies that would ease the suffering of the Syrian people.

“India is now watched closely for signs of responsible global leadership,” Adams said. “Its silence on human rights violations by abusive regimes because of its reluctance to interfere in the so-called ‘internal affairs’ of other countries sits uncomfortably alongside its international human rights commitments and its self image as a rights-respecting nation.”

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WORLD REPORT BY HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

India, the world’s most populous democracy, continues to have a vibrant media, an active civil society, a respected judiciary, and significant human rights problems.

Custodial killings, police abuses including torture, and failure to implement policies to protect vulnerable communities marred India’s record in 2011 as in the past. Impunity for abuses committed by security forces also continued, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast, and areas facing Maoist insurgency. New state controls over foreign funding of NGOs led to restrictions on legitimate efforts to protect human rights. However, killings by the Border Security Force at the Indo-Bangladesh border decreased dramatically.

Social unrest and protests deepened in resource-rich areas of central and eastern India, where rapid economic growth has been accompanied by rapidly growing inequality. Mining and infrastructure projects threaten widespread displacement of forest-dwelling tribal communities. The government has yet to enact comprehensive laws to protect, compensate, and resettle displaced people, although a new land acquisition law has been drafted.

Although at this writing deaths from terror attacks had decreased significantly from earlier years, there were serial bomb explosions in Mumbai on July 13, 2011. On September 7, 2011, a bomb explosion outside the Delhi High Court killed 15 people. The perpetrators remain unidentified. Progress was made in restraining the police from religious profiling of Muslims after bombings.

Despite repeated claims of progress by the government, there was no significant improvement in access to health care and education.

An anti-corruption movement erupted into public view in August and brought the government to a standstill, with widespread street protests and sit-ins demanding legal reform and prosecutions. Activists working with two prominent efforts to address poverty and accountability—India’s rural employment guarantee scheme and right to information laws—came under increasing attack, facing threats, beatings, and even death.

Accountability

India has yet to repeal laws or change policies that allow de jure and de facto impunity for human rights violations, and has failed to prosecute even known perpetrators of serious abuses.

The Indian defense establishment resisted attempts to repeal or revise the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), a law that provides soldiers in “disturbed” areas widespread police powers. In September Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that there was an ongoing effort “to build a consensus within the government” to address the problems with AFSPA, but no action has been taken. Various government-appointed commissions have long called for repeal.

Jammu and Kashmir

Thousands of Kashmiris have allegedly been forcibly disappeared during two decades of conflict in the region, their whereabouts unknown. A police investigation in 2011 by the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) found 2,730 bodies dumped into unmarked graves at 38 sites in north Kashmir. At least 574 were identified as the bodies of local Kashmiris. The government had previously said that the graves held unidentified militants, most of them Pakistanis whose bodies had been handed over to village authorities for burial. Many Kashmiris believe that some graves contain the bodies of victims of enforced disappearances.

The government of Jammu and Kashmir has promised an investigation, but the identification and prosecution of perpetrators will require the cooperation of army and federal paramilitary forces. These forces in the past, have resisted fair investigations and prosecutions, claiming immunity under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Maoist Insurgency

Maoist insurgents, also known as Naxalites, operate in 10 states and claim to fight for the rights of the marginalized tribal, Dalit, and landless communities. Governance has often been weak in regions where the Maoists have found popular support, with economic-development-related corruption and illegal mining severely limiting the revenue available for public services and infrastructure in many of the areas. With government oversight and regulation of the mining sector often wholly ineffective, irresponsible mine operators also pollute vital water supplies, destroy farmland, wreck roads and other public infrastructure, and create other serious health and environmental hazards.

Maoist forces continue to engage in killings and extortion, and target government schools and hospitals for attacks and bombings. At this writing the Naxalites had killed nearly 250 civilians as well as over 100 members of the security forces in 2011. Government officials assert that security forces killed more than 180 Naxalites between January and November 2011, though local activists allege that some of these were civilians.

Despite court rulings, the government has yet to properly implement a directive preventing security forces from using schools during counterinsurgency operations. Human rights activists seeking accountability for abuses such as arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment, and killings have come under threat from both Naxalite forces and security agencies.

In a welcome decision, the Indian Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the use of Special Police Officers—inadequately trained militias—by the Chhattisgarh government in operations against the Maoists. SPOs have been implicated in many abuses.

Killings by the Border Security Forces at the Bangladesh Border

After a human rights report found that Border Security Force (BSF) personnel operating at the Bangladesh border had indiscriminately shot and killed over 900 Indians and Bangladeshis in the last 10 years, the government in March 2011 ordered restraint and issued BSF personnel rubber bullets. Killings dropped dramatically after the change in policy, but still continue. In their effort to contain illegal activities including the smuggling of cattle and narcotics, some BSF soldiers have continued to harass and beat border residents. No BSF soldier has been prosecuted for any of the killings or other abuses.

Right to Information Law

Citizens and activists have increasingly been using the Right to Information Act (RTI), passed in 2005, to expose official corruption and promote transparency and accountability. In a sad testament to the rampant corruption that exists in India, at least 12 RTI activists have been killed and several others assaulted over the past two years, according to the Asian Centre for Human Rights.

Bombings and Other Attacks

Three bomb explosions in Mumbai on July 13, 2011, killed 29 people and injured 130. On September 7, 2011, a bomb explosion outside the Delhi High Court claimed 15 lives and injured 50. Security and intelligence agencies did not conduct mass arrests of suspects based on little evidence, which in the past resulted in the torture of suspects for information and confessions. However, the failure of the authorities to identify alleged perpetrators led to widespread criticism of the agencies and calls for police reform and training.

Death Penalty

Capital punishment remains on the statute books. Although India has not carried out an execution since 2004, many death sentence appeals have been allowed to languish, some for decades. In 2011 the president rejected clemency petitions in five cases, including on behalf of three persons convicted for assassinating Rajiv Gandhi, the former prime minister.

Women’s Rights

2011 census data revealed a further decline in India’s female/male sex ratio, pointing to the failure of laws aimed at reducing sex-selective abortions. A series of “honor” killings and rapes rocked the country in 2011 but there has been no effective action to prevent and effectively prosecute such violence. The government has yet to improve health services for survivors of sexual assault but has taken steps to provide compensation for rape survivors. At this writing the government was revising its medico-legal protocols for evidence collection from rape survivors, excluding the degrading and inhuman “finger” test that classifies many rape survivors as “habituated to sexual intercourse,” causing humiliation to victims and at times affecting the outcome of criminal trials. Despite considerable progress on maternal health, vast disparities remain and a spate of maternal deaths continues to be reported from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan states.

Palliative Care

Hundreds of thousands of persons with incurable diseases suffer unnecessarily from severe pain because the Indian government has failed to ensure access to safe, effective, and inexpensive pain drugs. In an important step forward, the Medical Council of India recognized palliative care as a medical specialty. But more than half of government-supported regional cancer centers still do not offer palliative care or pain management, even though more than 70 percent of their patients need it, resulting in severe but unnecessary suffering for tens of thousands.

International Role

As a member of the United Nations Security Council and the Human Rights Council (HRC), India in 2011 had an opportunity to align its foreign policy with the ideals it claims to stand for, but officials remained reluctant to voice concerns over even egregious human rights violations in countries such as Sri Lanka, Burma, Syria, and Sudan.

Despite concerns over the safety of its nationals in Libya, India did support UN Security Council resolution 1970 on Libya calling for protection of the Libyan people. India later abstained on resolution 1973, which authorized military force to protect civilians. During its rotating presidency at the Security Council, India was able to secure a consensus among sharply divided member states on Syria, leading to the first Council statement condemning the violence. India did not support the HRC resolution creating an international commission of inquiry on Syria in August, or the Syria text that called for a draft resolution that demanded an end to the violence and cooperation with the UN inquiry proposed by France and the United Kingdom at the Security Council in October.

While India claims it has privately pressed the Sri Lankan and Burmese governments on accountability for conflict-related abuses, it has not supported an independent international investigation into abuses in either country.

Key International Actors

Indian domestic human rights issues, terming such efforts interference in its internal affairs. The United States and European Union privately urge India to improve its human rights record, but say little in public. In July 2011, however, the European Parliament adopted a resolution concerning India’s retention of the death penalty.

India’s policy in the subcontinent continues to be heavily influenced by strategic and economic concerns about China’s growing influence in countries like Burma, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.  

THIS REPORT IS BY THE WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH.