GHILARDI, GIOVANNI TOMMASO. — Bishop of Mondovì, born at Casalgrasso in 1800, died at Mondovì on 6 June 1873. He donned the habit of the Dominicans and also served as provincial in the Order. Devoted to the Savoy dynasty, he enjoyed the esteem and admiration of Carlo Alberto, who urged his appointment as bishop of Mondovì, which took place on 23 May 1842. Thereafter he remained wholly devoted to works of a religious, charitable, and educational nature.
He was one of the most combative bishops and one of the boldest publicists of his age, particularly in opposition to the secularist policy of the new Kingdom of Italy and in the struggle against temporal power, in whose favor he published notable pamphlets, especially on the occasion of Garibaldi’s campaign of 1867 and the centenary of s. Pietro. In 1870 he was among the most determined supporters of papal infallibility, with the works: De plenitudine potestatis Romani Pontificis in Ecclesia Dei (Torino 1870); Honorius papa ab accusationibus veterum et novorum infallibilitatis Summi Pontificis adversariorum vindicatus (ivi 1870); Vantaggi religiosi e sociali della dommatica definizione dell'infallibilità pontificia (ivi 1870).
He also raised his protest with a: Reclamo... contro il progetto di legge sull'invasione di Roma (Mondovì 1870). Subsequently he published a Progetto di una sacra lega cattolico-mondiale... per la conservazione ed incremento della fede (Mondovì 1871); two pamphlets: Reclami religioso-politici contro le leggi abolitive della esenzione dei chierici dalla leva militare (ivi 1871); Pio IX giustificato e i diritti di S. Chiesa difesi in faccia alla rivoluzione italiana (ivi 1873). He therefore repeatedly earned the Pope’s praise; shortly before his death, the governmental authorities sentenced him to imprisonment.