Blessed Giuseppe Toniolo

Life story

Giuseppe Toniolo was born on 7 March 1845 in Treviso, the eldest of four children. He graduated in law at Padua in 1867 and later taught in Venice and then at Modena. On 4 September 1878 he married Maria Schiratti; sources describe him as the father of seven children. He then taught at the University of Pisa, where he held the chair of political economy until his death.

He put into practice the teaching of Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum. In 1889 he founded the Catholic Union for Social Studies, and in 1893 an international review of social sciences. Pope Benedict XVI credited him with promoting Catholic Action, the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, the Italian Catholic Social Weeks and an International Law Institute for peace. In September 1918 he urged Agostino Gemelli to found a university in Milan; the Catholic University was established in 1921.

He died on 7 October 1918 in Pisa. Pope Benedict XVI beatified him on 29 April 2012 at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, describing him as a husband and father of seven children, a university professor and educator of youth, an economist and sociologist. The miracle recognized for the beatification was the recovery of Francesco Bortolini after a fall in 2006.

Works and witness

• Held the chair of political economy at Pisa
• Founded the Catholic Union for Social Studies in 1889
• Promoted Catholic Action, the Social Weeks and the Catholic university project
• Husband and father of seven children
• Died on 7 October 1918; beatified on 29 April 2012

Saints from the same country

Saint Agnes, Saint Lawrence, Saint Cecilia, Saint Sebastian

References

• Vatican, Benedict XVI, Regina Caeli of 29 April 2012 (beatification of Giuseppe Toniolo)

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.