Origins of the Catholic Church as an Apologetics Argument in the Writings of St. John Bosco

Abstract

St. John Bosco is one of the most famous priests of the nineteenth century Catholic Church. His educational mission, based on the so-called preventive system, has been of interest to many researchers. Another aspect of the Turin priest's activity is less well known. Living in an age of profound political and social change, as well as contestation of existing religious structures, he engaged in the defence of the Catholic doctrine and derived from it role of the Catholic Church, its structures and its mission. He was particularly concerned about signs of expansion of the Waldensian of community, active in Northern Italy. This was reflected in a number of his publications. They included textbooks, biographical works and fictional short stories. All contained similar content in the passages devoted to the origins and meaning of the Catholic Church. According Fr. Bosco, the identity of the Catholic Church was related in an obvious way to the mission and teachings of Christ. In his apologetics, he emphasized the continuity of the once-began Work of Redemption. Clearly, and almost in an indisputable way he emphasized the role of Peter and his successors. The reader was not so much to get to know the new trends and theological arguments, but rather to be convinced that retaining the currently existing order of the church was the only justifiable choice. However it must be emphasised that Fr. Bosco did not promote an aggressive and confrontational attitude but focused more on the positive presentation of his contemporary dogmatic and apologetic doctrine, emphasizing sacramental and spiritual potential contained in the Catholic Church.