It shall play its role alongside the other Salesian channels of communication. If sdb.org is the Congregation's institutional website and the Salesian iNfo Agency's (ANS) infoans.org offers daily news, the Salesian Bulletin OnLine (BSOL) website will be a monthly magazine that will continue a tradition that comes from Don Bosco's time.
It is a resumption of the indications of the holy founder who, in fact, in the Superior Chapter of September 17, 1885, had established some fundamental aspects for the Salesian Bulletin:
"The Bulletin must not be a particular leaflet for each region, such as France, Spain, Italy, etc., but must be the general organ of all these regions, that is, of a specific Salesian Work, but in general. Let the news be compiled in such a way that all different regions have an interest in it, and let all editions in various languages be identical. For this purpose, they should be printed in all the various languages in the motherhouse, because in this way the address will be the same for everyone." (MB XVII,668)
While in the beginning Don Bosco spoke of a few countries, today the Salesian Congregation is present in 135 nations around the world. Today's technology makes it possible to reach out in real-time in a way that was unthinkable just a few years ago. Having the possibility to use these tools to transmit the Salesian charism is a great opportunity that should not be overlooked. We start with the most widely used languages in the Congregation: English, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Polish, and German. For other languages, free website translation services will be used - for now (the procedure is also indicated on the new website).
What is its purpose? Nothing other than that defined in Article 41 of the Salesian Regulations: "The Salesian Bulletin, founded by Don Bosco, disseminates knowledge of the Salesian spirit and action, especially missionary and educational activities. It takes an interest in the problems of young people, encourages collaboration, and seeks to foster vocations. It is also an instrument of formation and a bond of unity for the various groups of the Salesian Family. It is produced according to the directives of the Rector Major and his Council in various editions and languages."
And what is the Salesian spirit? An impartial definition we remember is from Don Bosco's own time by Cardinal Lucido Maria Parocchi, Vicar of His Holiness, at the end of a lecture to the Salesian Cooperators in the church of St. Francesca Romana given by Don Bosco on May 8, 1884.
"What, then, will be special about the Salesian Congregation? What will be its character, its physiognomy? If I have understood it well, if I have grasped its concept well, if it does not veil my intelligence, its purpose, its special character, its physiognomy, its essential note, is Charity exercised according to the needs of our century: Nos credidimus caritati; Deus caritas est, and it is revealed through Charity. Only with the works of Charity can the present century be enticed, and drawn to goodness.
The world now wants to know and knows nothing else, except material things; it knows nothing and wants to know nothing about spiritual things. It ignores the beauties of faith, disowns the grandeur of religion, repudiates the hopes of future life, denies God Himself. Can a blind man judge colors, a deaf man hear the sublime harmonies of a Beethoven or a Rossini, a cretin be the judge of the beauties of a work of art? Such is the present century: blind, deaf, without intelligence for the things of God and Charity. This century understands of Charity only the means and not the end and the principle. It knows how to analyze this virtue, but it does not know how to compose its synthesis. Animalis homo non percipit quae sunt spiritus Dei; says St. Paul. Say to the men of this century: It is necessary to save the souls that are lost, it is necessary to instruct those who are ignorant of the principles of religion, it is necessary to give alms for the love of that God, who one day will reward the generous ones abundantly; and the men of this century do not understand.
One must therefore adapt to the century, which flies low, close to the ground. To the pagans God makes Himself known by means of the natural law; He makes Himself known to the Jews through the Bible; to the schismatic Greeks by means of the great traditions of the Fathers; to the Protestants through the Gospel: to the present century He makes himself known by Charity: Nos credidimus caritati.
Say to this century: I take the young off the streets for you lest they be caught under the streetcars, lest they fall into a pit; I withdraw them to a hospice lest they wear out their fresh age in vices and revelry; I gather them into schools to educate them lest they become the scourge of society, lest they fall into a prison; I call them to me and watch over them lest they gouge each other's eyes out, and then the men of this century understand and begin to believe: Et nos cognovimus et credidimus caritati, quam habet Deus in nobis." (MB XVII, 94-95)
Ultimately, the BSOL, in the service of the charism and the congregation, wants to be an instrument for doing good in time and in eternity.
