Cavour
The City Council
The Police
In spite of the order, discipline, and tranquility that reigned in the Oratory, Marquis Cavour, vicar of the city, maintained that our assemblies had dangerous aims. Knowing that I had always proceeded with the consent of the archbishop, he called a city council meeting at the archbishop’s residence because that prelate was rather ill just then.
The city council was a select group of municipal department heads. In their hands rested the whole power of the civil administration. The council’s head, called the council president, the first councilor, or also the vicar of the city, was more powerful than the mayor.
The archbishop said:
When I saw all those dignitaries assembled in that hall, I thought I was at the last judgement.
There was much discussion for and against, but in the end they decided that these meetings absolutely should be blocked and dispersed because they threatened public order.
One member of the council was Count Joseph Provana of Collegno, our outstanding benefactor. At that time he was comptroller general, or minister of finance, in King Charles Albert’s government. Many times he had sent me donations both on his own behalf and on behalf of our sovereign. This prince was very pleased to hear all about the Oratory. When we had a celebration of any kind he would gladly read the account which I would send him in writing, or which Count Collegno would give him orally. Many a time he informed me how much he esteemed this kind of the priestly ministry, comparing it to work in the foreign missions. He expressed a sincere wish that every city and province in his kingdom should establish similar institutions. At the New Year, he always used to send me a subsidy of 300 lire with this greeting:
For Don Bosco’s little rascals.
When he found out that the council was threatening to ban our meetings, he charged Count Collegno to communicate his will in these words:
It is my wish that these assemblies be promoted and protected. If there is danger of disorders, ways should be studied to forestall them and prevent them.
The count had listened in silence to the whole lively debate. When he observed that they were resolved on the banning order and final break-up, he got to his feet and requested the floor. He conveyed the sovereign’s wishes and let them know that the king meant to protect that microscopic work.
These words silenced the vicar and silenced the city council. Without delay the vicar ordered me to appear again, continued his menacing tone, and told me I was obstinate. He concluded with these well-meant words:
I have no wish to harm anybody. You work with good intentions, but what you’re doing is fraught with danger. Since I have a duty to safeguard public order, I’m going to send men to watch you and your meetings. Should the slightest thing compromise you, I’ll immediately scatter your rascals; and you’ll give me an account of what’s being planned for the future.
Perhaps it was pressure he was subject to, perhaps it was some illness he was battling. In fact, that was the last time that Vicar Cavour went to city hall. He was stricken with very painful gout, and within a few months he was dead.
But for the six months that he lived, every Sunday he sent some agents or policemen to spend the whole day with us, watching all that was said or done in church or outside it.
Well, Marquis Cavour said to one of these guards, what did you see and hear in the midst of that rabble?
Lord Marquis, we saw a huge crowd of boys enjoying themselves in a thousand ways. In church we heard some hair-raising sermons. They said so many things about hell and devils that it made me want to go to Confession.
And what about politics?
Politics weren’t even mentioned. Those boys wouldn’t understand anything about politics. Now if you were to start a discussion about bread and butter, that is a subject each of them would be qualified to speak about.
When Cavour died, no one else at city hall bothered us. In fact, whenever there has been an occasion the Turin authorities were always favourable towards us until 1877.