Giovanni Battista Pinardi

After an initial ministry as vicar in Carignano from 1905 to 1912, Don Pinardi was appointed pastor of the San Secondo parish in Turin on December 15, 1912. He dedicated himself fully to it, demonstrating remarkable pastoral zeal toward workers, the poor, and families in distress. In 1915, Cardinal Richelmy chose him as auxiliary bishop. Appointed titular bishop of Eudoxias and auxiliary of Turin on January 24, 1916, he received episcopal ordination on March 5, 1916. Out of humility and attachment to his mission as a field pastor, Bishop Pinardi obtained permission to retain his position as pastor of San Secondo while exercising his duties as auxiliary bishop, an exceptional case in the history of the Italian Church. He would remain at the head of his parish until his death, for fifty years. In 1924, Cardinal Giuseppe Gamba appointed him pro-vicar general of the archdiocese. Bishop Pinardi then invested himself in Catholic Action and the promotion of the Christian press. Faced with the pro-fascist drift of the newspaper Il Momento, he founded the independent Catholic daily Il Corriere on December 31, 1924, to offer a free voice to the Piedmontese faithful. His rigorous moral opposition to fascism and his defense of Christian liberties drew the hostility of Benito Mussolini's regime. The latter personally vetoed his appointment as Archbishop of Turin after the death of Cardinal Gamba in 1929. In 1931, in order to avoid major tensions with the political power, Pope Pius XI advised the new archbishop, Cardinal Maurilio Fossati, not to entrust any Curial duties to Bishop Pinardi and to leave him "in the shadows." Bishop Pinardi was thus removed from his duties as vicar general, which allowed him to devote himself exclusively to his parish of San Secondo. During the Second World War, he spent himself without counting the cost to assist the victims of bombings and refugees. Preaching peace and refusing all hatred, he courageously went down into the streets of Turin to bless and provide a dignified burial to those killed during the clashes, braving the fire of snipers. After the war, he continued to spiritually accompany the youth of Catholic Action and to foster numerous priestly vocations.

The reputation of holiness of Bishop Pinardi was maintained well after his death. On May 26, 1994, Cardinal Giovanni Saldarini, Archbishop of Turin, officially launched the collection of his writings. After obtaining the nihil obstat from the Holy See on April 16, 1999, the diocesan inquiry into his life and virtues took place from January 30, 1999, to December 15, 2003. The validity of this inquiry was decreed by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on February 27, 2004, and the Positio was officially submitted in 2008.

On May 13, 2019, Pope Francis authorized the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree recognizing the heroic virtues of Giovanni Battista Pinardi, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable. His cause for beatification continues, awaiting the official recognition of a miracle.

The life of Bishop Pinardi was nourished by assiduous prayer, a deep Eucharistic devotion, and a filial love for the Virgin Mary. He considered his episcopal office a heavy cross that he bore with humility and a spirit of sacrifice. Pope Pius XI had described him as a "holy bishop." Bishop Pinardi passed away on August 2, 1962, in Turin, clutching his crucifix to his chest. In 1964, his mortal remains were transferred to the church of San Secondo in Turin, where they rest near the altar of the Sacred Heart, continuing to attract the devotion of the faithful.