What will happen in Assisi in 2026 will be historic. The body of Saint Francis will be on public display for the first time ever. The occasion will mark 800 years since the saint’s death.
For a full month, from February 22 to March 22, the faithful will be able to venerate the remains, which will be transferred from his tomb in the crypt to the papal altar in the Franciscan basilica. This is something that has never happened before.
This news came shortly after a related event in Italy: Parliament approved the return of October 4, the feast day of Saint Francis, patron saint of the country, as a national holiday. The change will also come into effect next year.
In fact, Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, celebrated the news from Assisi itself on the day of the feast.
GIORGIA MELONI
Prime Minister of Italy
Saint Francis was a man of extremes, but not an extremist. He set the example of freedom, not of misery, which he and his brothers always fought against. In the name of that freedom, he reminded us all that nothing is truly ours… the precious inheritance of a God who loves us in our imperfection.
Pope Leo XIV also recently referred to the holy figure from Assisi and chose his feast day to sign the first document of his pontificate, the apostolic exhortation Dilexit te, dedicated to the poor.
It is a continuation and shares the same title theme as the one published in 2024 by his predecessor, Pope Francis, titled 'Dilexit nos'.
In 2026, the Franciscan community and the Church at large will celebrate the legacy of the man also known as the “Poverello”, one of the key figures of the Church in the 12th century.
AT
Trans. CRT
