FRANCO, SECONDO. – Jesuit, preacher, born in Turin on 22 January 1817, died there on 10 November 1890. He preached assiduously the word of God in all its forms at Massa Carrara, Bastia, Trent, Florence, Venice, Rome, always with great fruit, combating the errors of those difficult times: member of the missions held for four consecutive years in Italian Tyrol. From Florence he was expelled in 1859 for a frank word against the revolution. He was superior in Turin (1869–82); then rector and master of novices at Chieri (1883–86) and again superior in Turin until his death.
His works, which continue even today the efficacy of his preaching, were collected in 17 volumes (Modena 1883–89) and contain sermons, panegyrics, treatises on apologetics and ascetics. Worthy of special mention are: *Della devozione al S. Cuore di Gesù* (Rome 1854); *Risposte popolari alle obbiezioni più comuni contro la religione* (2 vols., Turin 1859), repeatedly republished and translated into almost all European languages; *Il mese di Maggio, consacrato alla S. M. Vergine* (Venice 1865); *Il mese di Giugno, consacrato al S. Cuore di Gesù* (Turin 1875); *Il S. Cuore di Maria. Considerazioni* (Modena 1881); *Il soprannaturale ossia la ricchezza del cristiano* (Modena 1887); *Gli Esercizi spirituali di s. Ignazio* (2 vols., Turin 1892). What gives particular value to these works is their flowing and clear style, the force of their argumentation, their frank timeliness, and above all the warmth and union that animate their pages. A man of counsel par excellence, a consoler of the poor, he imbued his piety with an intimate devotion to the Sacred Heart.