Here at last, dear confreres, is our renewed and approved Rule of life.
It is offered to you in a manual which every Salesian should keep with him as his identity card.
It contains the Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales, our "basic code" revised and rewritten in accordance with the requirements of Vatican II (cf. "Ecclesiae Sanctae" II, 1,12-14).
In addition it contains the updated version of the general Regulations, which form an integral part of the particular law of our Society.
In the manual you will also find some of the writings of our Father, St. John Bosco, which are rich in his spiritual experience.
The serious and wide-ranging revision of the text was carried out by the whole Congregation over a period of many years and is the fruit of the work of no fewer than three general chapters (20th, 21st and 22nd); it ensures continuity with our origins, the ecclesial character of the Salesian apostolic consecration and the natural tendency of Don Bosco's mission to reach out to the whole world.
On 25 November 1984, Solemnity of Christ the King, the Apostolic See approved the present Constitutions, once again declaring authoritatively "the authenticity of the gospel way of life traced out by the Founder"
They set out the spiritual riches of our Salesian tradition; they define its apostolic project; they trace out our path of holiness and invite us to witness to it as the most precious gift we can offer the young.
On 8 December 1984, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the date "on which all our greatest enterprises and events began and reached fulfilment", the Rector Major promulgated this precious rewritten text.
We welcome our Rule of life with gratitude and trust as being the "living testament of Don Bosco" coming from the hands of the Virgin Help of Christians herself, and we open our hearts in thanksgiving as we pray:
We thank you, Father,
because you have called us individually by name
from every continent
to be in the Church signs and bearers of your love.
For us too, Father, you have made rise up
from the very heart of Christ, your apostle,
that pastoral love
which marks our ecclesial fervor
with the gift of predilection for young people.
We adore you with filial gratitude
because your Paraclete, the Spirit of the Lord,
is always with us by the grace of his consecration
as we live day by day the fullness of our gift
renewing the mystery of the baptismal Covenant
through its more intimate and complete expression.Grant, merciful Father,
that with Mary’s guidance,
we may persevere to the end
on this way that leads to Love.In our religious profession
you have made blossom in us
a new and exhilarating reality
which is the offering of ourselves
in the work of salvation and the liturgy of life.Teach us to see and contemplate
through the indications of this Rule,
the undivided heart of your only Son;
permeate our freedom with the power of your Spirit,
so that all of us who adhere to Don Bosco
may faithfully fulfil with your help
all that by your gift we have promised.
Fr. Egidio Vigaṇ
Rector Major
Rome, 8 December 1964,
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
| Sacred Scripture | |
| Acts | Acts of the Apostles |
| Col | Letter of St Paul to the Colossians |
| 1 Cor | First letter of St Paul to the Corinthians |
| 2 Cor | Second letter of St Paul to the Corinthians |
| Eph | Letter of St Paul to the Ephesians |
| Ezek | Ezekiel |
| Gal | Letter of St Paul to the Galatians |
| Gen | Genesis |
| Heb | Letter to the Hebrews |
| Is | Isaiah |
| Jn | Gospel of St John |
| 1 Jn | First letter of St John |
| Lk | Gospel of St Luke |
| Mk | Gospel of St Mark |
| Mt | Gospel of St Matthew |
| 1 Pet | First letter of St Peter |
| Phil | Letter of St Paul to the Philippians |
| Prov | Proverbs |
| Ps | Psalms |
| Qo | Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) |
| Rev | Revelation (Apocalypse) |
| Rom | Letter of St Paul to the Romans |
| 1 Sam | First book of Samuel |
| Sir | Sirach |
| 1 Thess | First letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians |
| 1 Tim | First letter of St Paul to Timothy |
| Wis | Wisdom |
| Documents of the Church | |
| AA | Apostolicam actuositatem, Decree of Vatican II |
| AG | Ad gentes, Decree of Vatican II |
| CIC | Codex luris Canonici |
| EN | Evangelii nuntiandi, Apostolic exhortation of Paul VI, 1975 |
| ET | Evangelica testificatio, Apostolic exhortation of Paul VI, 1971 |
| GS | Gaudium et spes, Constitution of Vatican II |
| IGLH | Institutio generalis de liturgia horarum |
| lM | Inter mirifica, Decree of Vatican II |
| LG | Lumen gentium, Constitution of Vatican II |
| MR | Mutuae relationes, Directives, SCRIS - S. Congtn. for Bishops, 1978 |
| PC | Perfectae caritatis, Decree of Vatican II |
| PO | Presbyterorum ordinis, Decree of Vatican II |
| RD | Redemptionis donum, Apostolic exhortation of John Paul II, 1984 |
| SC | Sacrosanctum Concilium, Constitution of Vatican II |
| Salesian | |
| ASC | Salesian central archives |
| BM | Biographical Memoirs (English translation) |
| C | Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales |
| C 1875 | Rules or Constitutions of the Society of St Francis de Sales, Turin, 1875 (OE XXVII, 10-99) |
| DB | Don Bosco |
| MB | Memorie biografiche (19 volumes) |
| MO | Memoirs of the Oratory of St Francis de Sales |
| OE | Opere edite (published works) |
| R | General Regulations |
| R.M. | Rector Major |
| Don Rua | Circular letters of Don Rua |
Note: The scriptural texts in English are from the Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition), with the exception of the Psalms which are from the Grail translation.
Fr Michael Rua, Don Bosco's first successor, reminds us: "When Don Bosco sent his first sons to America he had himself photographed in the act of handing Fr John Cagliero, who headed the expedition, the book of the Constitutions as though to say: 'I would like to go with you myself, but since I cannot do so these Constitutions will take my place. Keep them as you would a precious treasure!’"2