Pier Giorgio actively involved himself with society and politics. This was partly influenced by his father being the owner of a newspaper. As a young teenager, he lived through the First World War. He witnessed soldiers returning home wounded and impoverished. This motivated him to join the Society of St. Vincent de Paul which was an organization by the Vicentians that aimed to help the poor.

 

Pier Giorgio practiced Catholic social teachings and believed that charity was not enough but social reform was necessary to help the poor. In 1922, he also joined the Milites Mariae club of the Italian Catholic Youth Society at his home parish. This was the male branch of Catholic Action. Pier Giorgio participated in national conferences and befriended fellow young Catholics all over the country. 

As fascism rose to power in Italian politics, Pier Giorgio opposed this ideology. He found it incompatible with his Christian faith and serving the poor. He bravely expressed his disapproval of fascism even in public.