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ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPUCHIN ORDER IN INDIA- II 527 The Novitiate of Sardhana and the young friars there remained ever close to the General's heart Even when away from Rome he found time to write to the Superiors in India to remind them of their obligation to address themselves to the implementation of the Church's directives on building up an indigenous clergy 76 . The general superiors stood fast on their policy towards the Novitiate and the Study and pressed the Commissary for its execution. The die had already been cast and only in case the plans were to prove· absolutely inoperative should an alternative be contemplated 77 • Bowing to this express order, the Commissary began preparing the ground for the relocation of the Study to the Friary of Mussoorie 78 • But Fr Christopher, who had by now stepped into the shoes of the Regular Superior, reprimanded the Commissary for trespassing on his preserve. To his face the Commissary was told that he had no business to do anything in Mussoorie and that his domain was confined to the Novitiate of Sardhana. Since the Friary of Mussoorie belonged to the Mission of Agra, it was its Regular Superior, who alone was competent to decide anything regarding it. This untoward turn of events confirmed the Commissary's fear that he could not force his will on the Regular of 3 February to tbe Provincial ascribed Fr Christopher's reluctance to assume tbe office of tbe Regular Superior to tbe general disinterestedness in tbe Province for its Agra Mission, while it was overzealous for its American Mission. 76 AGCap G 68, II, Novizjato eStud.to, Fr General to Fr Commissary, Montevideo 22 De– cember 1923: "Pochi giorni fa rileggevo la sapientissima lettera della Santa Memoria di Bene– detto XV, 'Maximum illud', e la mia attenzione venne particolarmente richiamata sul modo di seguirsi nell'educazione e nell'istruzione da darsi al clero indigeno. Quel Sommo Pontefice non si contenta che venga impartita un'istruzione qualsiasi, pur~he sufficiente a formare un Sacer– dote; ma vuol che sia piena... pe,jeaaque et numeris omnibus absoluta, qua/is Sacerdotibus cultarum gentium tradi so/et. Ho tutta la fiducia che nulla manchera a cotesti nostri giovani, inviatici dalla Divina Provvidenza, e rinnovo alla P.V.M.R le piu vive raccomandazioni". 77 AGCap G 68, II, Novizjato eStud.to, Fr General Procurator to Fr Commissary, Rome 4 May 1924: "Mio vivo desiderio si e che venga rispettato ii progetto gia approvato dal Rev.ma P. Generale. Che se ragioni gravissime, resesi manifeste in questo periodo di tempo, dimostrassero ineffettuabile quel progetto, solo allora ne potra prendere in considerazione un altro". 78 AGCap G 68, II, Novizjato eStud.to, Fr Commissary to General Procurator, Mussoorie 14 May 1924: "Non celo pero che forti disparita di opinioni e difficolta molto gravi (e direi anche opposizioni) non mancano ne mancheranno alla esecuzione del progetto; ma spero che con l'aiuto del Signore e con le preghiere di V.P.M.R. potro mettere bene in piede questa istituzione a poco per volta, usando molta prudenza, come ci e di bisogno".