As a corresponding member of Pax Romana, the movement of Catholic students, intellectuals and professionals, to which St Pier Giorgio Frassati once belonged, the Australian Cardijn Institute welcomes his canonisation by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday 7 September 2025 alongside St Carlo Acutis..
Pier Giorgio Frassati
Pier Giorgio is known for his charitable work, his commitment to social reform and his intense prayer life.
“Charity is not enough; we need social reform,” he often used to say.
While a student of engineering in Turin, Pier Giorgio attended the inaugural conference in Fribourg, Switzerland at which Pax Romana was founded in 1921.
Here, we also recall the role played by Joseph Cardijn, founder of the Young Christian Workers movement, who wrote to Pope Pius XI in January 1938 requesting the pontiff to open Pier Giorgio’s cause for canonisation.
As Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the future Pope Pius XII, responded on behalf of Pius XI, Pier Giorgio “the success of this Cause would provide a very powerful Protector for Catholic Action.”
ACI secretary Stefan Gigacz commented:
“Looking back over Pier Giorgio’s life and his involvement with workers and students as well as against fascism, it’s not surprising that Cardijn would take an interest in him.
“Cardijn was always close to the student movement. Although it’s often forgotten, he also launched a university student movement known as the Catholic Social Youth, a precursor to the Young Christian Students movement. And he later became a board member of the academic arm of Pax Romana.
“It’s difficult to know what impact if any Cardijn’s appeal to Pius XI may have had.
“Still the fact that he wrote to the pope illustrates both Cardijn’s respect and admiration for Pier Giorgio as well as his concern to provide models of holiness for young people of every generation.”
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Stefan Gigacz, Pier Giorgio Frassati and Cardijn (Cardijn Research)