Caught in a crossfire : the Salesian Society facing the Varazze Affair (1907) between accusatory campaigns and internal dangers

In a context of renewed conflict between the secular political, on the one hand, and the ecclesiastical institutions and the Catholic world as a whole, on the other, in the summer of 1907 the «Collegio Civico» of Varazze is at the centre of a major scandal: the Salesian fathers entrusted with its management are accused of sexually abusing their students as part of broader satanic and unpatriotic rituals. This article aims to investigate the reaction of the Salesians to this shocking affair, which consists not only of a strenuous defense of their reputation, but also of a courageous and pragmatic investigation of the moral situation and internal workings of their houses and institutes, guided by a firm will to know and eradicate abuses.