LE PÈRE PAUL ALBERA Maître De Vie Spirituelle

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LE PÈRE PAUL ALBERA Maître De Vie Spirituelle Aldo Giraudo LE PÈRE PAUL ALBERA maître de vie spirituelle LE PÈRE PAUL Aldo Giraudo LE PÈRE PAUL ALBERA maître de vie spirituelle LAS - Publications du CENTRE D’ÉTUDES DON BOSCO Études et instruments - 2 3 ALDO GIRAUDO LE PÈRE PAUL ALBERA MAÎTRE DE VIE SPIRITUELLE LAS - ROMA 4 En couverture: illustration de Cyril Uhnák Traduction française: P. Morand Wirth et collaborateurs © 2021 by LAS - Libreria Ateneo Salesiano Piazza del l’Ateneo Salesiano, 1 - 00139 ROMA Tel. 06 87290626 - e-mail: [email protected] - https://www.editricelas.it ISBN 978-88-213-1394-3 ––––––––––– Traitement électronique: RMG Impression: Tip. Abilgraph 2.0 srl - Via P. Ottoboni 11 - Roma 5 INTRODUCTION Le charisme d’un fondateur comporte non seulement une manière originale d’imiter le Seigneur, mais aussi la capacité de transmettre son esprit et d’impliquer les autres dans la mission reçue. En la personne de Paul Albera nous avons un homme personnellement formé par Don Bosco, et un de ses fils qui ont le plus contribué à la transmission et à la propagation de son esprit et de sa mission. Le livre d’Aldo Giraudo, Le Père Paul Albera, maître de vie spirituelle, nous donne un portrait saisissant de la personnalité et de la contribution que le deuxième successeur de Don Bosco a apportée au développement du charisme salésien. Il est vrai que Don Albera est resté quelque peu dans l’ombre jusqu’à aujourd’hui; grâce à l’année qui lui est dédiée à l’occasion du centenaire de sa mort, il revient maintenant en pleine lumière, comme une figure attirante et remarquable. On connaît le récit dans lequel Paolo Albera décrit l’irrésistible fasci- nation exercée par Don Bosco sur ses jeunes. Moins connue est l’impression ressentie par Don Bosco lui-même devant les qualités humaines et la sensi- bilité spirituelle de ce jeune, à l’aspect plutôt délicat. Entré à l’Oratoire de Valdocco à l’âge de 13 ans, il s’était confié totalement à lui comme à un bon père, se laissant guider par lui dans les voies de l’Esprit. C’est ce que nous découvrons dans la première partie du livre de Don Giraudo, de nature biographique, riche de beaucoup d’informations qui illustrent la vie de ce jeune qui deviendra le successeur de Don Bosco. La timidité naturelle de Paolo Albera contraste avec l’énergie de Giovanni Cagliero, extraverti et vigoureux. Et pourtant ce salésien des premiers temps – le plus jeune parmi ceux qui avaient signé la liste des premiers membres de la Société salésienne en juin 1860, et l’un des pionniers à Mirabello, sous la conduite de Don Rua – manifeste non seulement un réel esprit d’initiative et une capacité enviable de conquérir les cœurs, comme fondateur de l’œuvre salésienne à Gênes et en France, mais aussi une surprenante ténacité de caractère, qui se révèle, par exemple, dans l’extraordinaire voyage de trois ans en Amérique, où il visita toutes les présences salésiennes en tant que représentant de Don Rua. Mais le domaine où Albera se révèle peut-être le mieux est celui où il agit comme directeur spirituel de la naissante Congrégation. En parcourant les pages de Giraudo, on découvre la figure d’un homme qui a eu le souci prédominant de la formation des salésiens, à travers les visites des maisons de formation, la préparation des formateurs, la vigilance dans l’application des Constitutions, des Règlements et des délibérations capitulaires sur le thème de la formation et des études. Particulièrement impressionnante est son application à lire, à méditer, à prendre des notes et à s’approprier les nombreux écrits de spiritualité qu’il approfondit. À partir de ce travail intense et constant, on découvre les fruits du service qu’il a pu offrir comme guide spirituel et dans les innombrables retraites qu’il prêchait. Devenu Recteur Majeur, Don Albera continua à donner une grande importance à la vie de prière et aux études comme sources de fécondité apostolique. C’étaient des thèmes sur lesquels il insistait beaucoup. Il faisait constamment référence à Don Bosco, à ce Don Bosco qui l’avait guidé, lui, jeune garçon, à la suite du Seigneur: “Tout pour Jésus et uniquement pour lui !” Son amour de la lecture lui a sans doute ouvert et fait apprécier d’une manière nouvelle ce que François de Sales avait été pour Don Bosco. C’est ce qui apparaît en particulier dans la deuxième partie du livre de Giraudo, qui nous fait deviner le feu qui brûlait en lui sous une expérience de vie si intense et si pleine, et de même dans l’anthologie des écrits de Paolo Albera, dans la troisième partie. Les premiers salésiens étaient des hommes profondément marqués par Don Bosco, mais chacun d’eux reflétait son charisme de manière diverse, comme on peut le voir dans la magnifique fidélité de Don Rua, dans le dynamisme missionnaire de Cagliero, dans les compétences du formateur Barberis et dans le génie littéraire de Francesia. Parmi ces pères fondateurs de la Congrégation Salésienne, Paolo Albera se distingue, selon Giraudo, comme un maître de vie spirituelle, par sa capacité de comprendre le cœur de Don Bosco et de le communiquer aux salésiens et aux membres de la Famille Salésienne en expansion. À travers Albera nous sommes en mesure d’entrer en contact avec les sources du charisme salésien d’une manière jusqu’ici encore largement inexplorée. Ses journaux intimes, écrits en italien, en français et même en anglais, sont comme un rayon de lumière éclairant le dialogue continuel entre la grâce et la liberté dans le cœur de l’homme, une fenêtre ouverte sur les ressources offertes par le charisme de Don Bosco en matière de formation, un témoignage émouvant sur notre humanité, qui est toujours là et qui pourtant se transforme en instrument de l’Esprit. Albera portait en lui un sentiment d’incapacité et un fond de mélancolie, et pourtant sa personnalité émerge comme un don constant d’amabilité, de délicatesse et de bonté. Digne de remarque est la dévotion d’Albera envers Don Rua: il a compris que le successeur de Don Bosco n’était pas simplement une pâle imitation du fondateur. « Pourquoi Don Bosco a-t-il été tant aimé? Pourquoi tous les cœurs étaient-ils avec lui? » se demande Albera, qui répond : « Parce qu’il a eu la chance d’avoir à ses côtés un Don Rua, qui a pris sur lui toutes les missions ingrates ». Puis il ajoute: « Quand [Rua] fut élu Recteur Majeur, certains craignaient un gouvernement rigoureux, mais c’est alors qu’on vit toute la bonté qu’il avait dans le cœur. Ce constat restera une des plus belles pages de sa vie, et on verra combien il a contribué à faire briller le halo de lumière qui entourait Don Bosco ». À Don Bosco et à Don Rua nous devons maintenant ajouter Paolo Albera, « le petit Don Bosco », qui a apporté à son rectorat sa connais- sance personnelle des œuvres salésiennes dispersées dans le monde, et une sensibilité particulière aux nouveaux contextes et situations. La douceur de son caractère et sa sensibilité devinrent particulièrement évidentes dans la situation dramatique et inattendue dans laquelle la Société Salésienne s’est trouvée durant la première guerre mondiale, alors que la moitié de ses quelque 3.000 membres étaient directement engagés sur les différents fronts du conflit. « Quand tu auras le bonheur de dire ta première messe – avait murmuré Don Bosco aux oreilles de Paolino – demande à Dieu la grâce de ne jamais te décourager ». Ce conseil se révéla précieux durant les quatre longues années de guerre, quand Albera a su encourager les confrères restés dans les maisons pour combler les vides laissés par ceux qui étaient partis au front. Non seulement Albera ne permit aucune fermeture de maison, mais il n’hésita pas à ouvrir des orphelinats et d’autres œuvres d’assistance pour les jeunes. J’exprime ma sincère gratitude à Aldo Giraudo au nom de tous ceux qui, grâce à cet ouvrage, pourront mieux entrer dans le monde de Paolo Albera. Mon désir et ma prière est que nous puissions être ensemble les dignes héritiers du patrimoine spirituel légué à l’Église par Don Bosco et par ceux qui, comme Albera, se sont laissé former par lui. Les temps changent, ainsi que les situations, mais l’essentiel demeure dans toute sa vérité et vitalité: il vaut toujours la peine de le saisir, ou mieux, de nous laisser saisir et surprendre par lui, comme il arrive quand on médite les pages des Évangiles et la vie des saints. C’est ce qui devrait arriver quand nous fixons notre regard et notre cœur sur Don Bosco et sur les hommes qu’il a formés. Que le don que représente Paolo Albera nous surprenne, qu’il réchauffe nos cœurs et renouvelle en nous le désir de suivre le Seigneur sur la voie tracée par Don Bosco. C’est ce que désirait ardemment Don Paolo Albera pour ses confrères, et c’est ce qu’il désire certainement pour nous tous. Ivo Coelho Conseiller pour la formation Tous ceux qui ont rencontré le Père Paul Albera aux différentes périodes de sa vie ont eu l’impression de voir en lui une personnalité d’une grande douceur. Son visage juvénile, illuminé d’un perpétuel sourire, resta tel même dans la vieillesse. Seuls ses cheveux étaient devenus blancs comme la neige. Ses yeux limpides fixaient ses interlocuteurs avec la gentillesse et la luminosité d’un enfant. Sa manière lente et pénétrante de parler allait droit au cœur. Il était maigre, de santé délicate. Il était tourmenté par diverses souffrances physiques, qu’il cherchait à minimiser.
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