Cardinal Bertone encourages teaching youth according to example of John Bosco

Rome, Italy, Jun 8, 2009 / 20:46 pm

As the 200th anniversary of St. John Bosco approaches, the Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, is underscoring the educational work with the youth accomplished by the order founded by the Italian saint.

“The spirit of Don Bosco has taken on flesh in thousands of his sons and daughters who have decided to care for children through the different branches of the Salesian family,” the cardinal said during a Mass at the Catacombs of St. Callisto, which are under the custodianship of the Salesians. The pilgrim relics of the John Bosco were also on display at the Mass.

According to Vatican Radio, Cardinal Bertone, who is a Salesian himself, underscored the order’s dedication to young people and that John Bosco, moved by the Holy Spirit, opened his doors in an extraordinary way to welcome the most abandoned and threatened youths.

“The urn of Don Bosco is visiting this place to confirm the dedication and sacrifice of all those who throughout the years have passed through here, to renew in all, young and old, their youthful enthusiasm, to encourage the untiring commitment to the education of young people and to drive us ever more to care for today’s society,” the cardinal said.

The relics of the Salesian founder begin their worldwide tour in Rome and then will be taken to various cities around the world.