Doves above the valley which stretches out below the Italian hill town of Assisi, where St. Francis died in 1226. Pope Leo visited here today
A street in Assisi looking out over the valley where St. Francis lived, and died, in the early 1200s, 800 years ago…
A mist-shrouded view of the bell tower of the Basilica of St. Clare in Assisi.
St. Clare’s incorrupt body remains in this basilica to this day.
And to here, in 1226 — when the church was called San Georgio (St. George) because Clare was still alive and would not die until 1253 — was brought the body of St. Francis, before his body was transferred to the crypt of the new Basilica of St. Francis at the other end of town, where Pope Leo went to pray this morning…
Another view of the bell tower of St. Clare, a few minutes later. The mist of morning has begun to burn away…
Another view of St. Clare’s bell tower and the valley beyond….
American pilgrim (and President of Inside the Vatican Pilgrimages) Deborah Tomlinson captures, from the valley, an image of all of Assisi, with the Basilica of San Francesco on the far left, where St. Francis is buried, and where Pope Leo visited and prayed at Francis’ tomb this morning…
Letter #76, 2025, Thursday, November 20: St. Francis
The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV was today in Assisi, in central Italy.
It was his first “longer” visit outside of Rome since he became Pope (he has traveled almost every Monday evening out to Castel Gandolfo in the Alban Hills, 15 miles from Rome, where he has made it his practice to spend his Tuesdays).
Leo began his visit by praying in private at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis in the hill town of Assisi.
Then, he went down into the valley to meet Italy’s assembled bishops in the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. They were ending their annual meeting.
Finally, Leo, a member of the Augustinian order, also met a convent of Augustinian sisters who live near Assisi, and had lunch with them.
He then returned to Rome.
His words from today to the Italian bishops are below.
—RM
Another view of Assisi today from the valley below, where St. Francis lived after his break with his father in 1206, when he was 25. St. Clare’s Basilica and bell tower (seen in the mist-covered photos above), is on the far right….
The break between Francis and his father occurred in dramatic fashion:
“Early in 1206, Pietro Bernardone (Francis’ father, a rich cloth merchant) brought his son before the bishop of Assisi. Francis again proved equal to the occasion. When he had been led before the bishop, Francis neither delayed nor explained himself, but simply stripped off his clothes and threw them aside, giving them back to his father. He did not even keep his trousers, but stood there in front of everyone completely naked. The bishop, sensing his intention and admiring his constancy, rose and wrapped his arms around Francis, covering him with his own robe. He saw clearly that Francis was divinely inspired and that his action contained a mystery. Thus he became Francis’ helper, cherishing and comforting him.” (link)
***
So, this view above is more or less from the place in the valley where Francis lived after he broke with his father, left his home, and moved to the Portiuncula, a little broken-down chapel that the Benedictines gave to him.
Francis repaired the chapel, and lived in a hut next to it, and there is where he died there on the night of October 3, 1226…
Below, the Portiuncula as it is in 2025; here today Pope met, in front of the Portiuncula, with Italy’s bishops
This is the Portiuncula, a chapel Francis repaired with his own hands in or about the year 1207, and in the years following.
A huge Baroque basilica was built over the Portiuncula in the 1600s, called Santa Maria degli Angeli.
Behind the Portiuncula was where Francis built a little hut and where he, and an increasing number of Franciscan brothers, lived.
And there he died…
The Catholic Encyclopedia writes:
“It was here (in the Portiuncula) where on 24 February, 1208, St. Francis of Assisi recognized his vocation (when he opened the Gospel three times and read three passages), as follows:
1) “If you would be perfect, go and sell all you have and give to the poor. And you shall have treasure in Heaven. And come and follow me” (Matthew 19:21);
2) “You should take nothing for the journey, neither staff, nor traveling bag, nor bread, nor money; and you should not have two tunics.” (Luke 9:3); and
3) “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'” (Matthew 16:24)
Having labored joyfully to rebuild three churches, and ever sensitive to the Holy Spirit, Francis came to realize that God was using his order not merely to restore dilapidated buildings, but to rebuild the Catholic Church, weakened by the secularism that threatens her in every age. (link)
Francis determined that he and his followers would observe these three passages spoken by Our Lord without interpretation, and that they would be known as “The Penitents of Assisi.”
So the Franciscan Order was born.
Here in the valley was for the most part Francis’ permanent abode, after the Benedictines (of the Cluny Congregation from about 1200) had presented him (about 1211) with the little chapel Portiuncula, i.e. a little portion (of land).
Here also St. Francis died on Saturday, October 3, 1226.
According to a legend, the existence of which can be traced back with certainty only to 1645, the little chapel of Portiuncula was erected under Pope Liberius (352-66) by hermits from the Valley of Josaphat, who had brought thither relics from the grave of the Blessed Virgin.
The same legend relates that the chapel passed into the possession of St. Benedict in 516.
It was known as Our Lady of the Valley of Josaphat or of the Angels— the latter title referring, according to some, to Our Lady’s ascent into heaven accompanied by angels (Assumption B.M.V.); a better-founded opinion attributes the name to the singing of angels which had been frequently heard there.
However this may be, here or in this neighbourhood was the cradle of the Franciscan Order, and on his death-bed St. Francis recommended the chapel to the faithful protection and care of his brethren.
Above, behind the little brown grill door, is the place, a few steps behind the Portiuncula, where Francis died.
The fresco at the top depicts Francis lying on the ground, his brothers gathered around him, and angels coming to attend him at the moment of his death.
Francis, in humility, asked that his body be placed on the ground in the last minutes of his life.
Pilgrims (like this family below the fresco, who traveled on one of our Inside the Vatican pilgrimages to Assisi not long ago) come to this spot to pray for the intercession of Francis.
After his death, Francis’ body was carried to the Church of San Giorgio in the town of Assisi.
Two years later, after Francis was canonized in 1228, a basilica was built in his honor, the Basilica di San Francesco, on the very end of the city of Assisi.
A man named Simone di Pucciarello donated the land for the church, a hill at the west side of Assisi, known as “Hill of Hell” (Italian: Colle d’Inferno) where previously criminals were put to death.
Today, this hill is called “Hill of Paradise.”
On July 16, 1228, Francis was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in Assisi, and the Pope laid the foundation stone of the new church the following day, although construction may already have begun.
The construction having been begun at his order, the Pope declared the church to be the property of the papacy.
The church was designed by Maestro Jacopo Tedesco, who was in those days Italy’s most prominent architect.
The construction was supervised by Brother Elias of Cortona, one of the first followers of St. Francis and the former Vicar General of the Order under St. Francis.
The Lower Basilica was finished in 1230 — quite fast.
On Pentecost, May 25, 1230, the remains of St. Francis were brought in a solemn procession to the Lower Basilica from its temporary burial place in the church of San Giorgio (St. George), now the Basilica of Saint Clare of Assisi.
The burial place was concealed for fear that St Francis’ remains might be stolen and dispersed.
The construction of the Upper Basilica was begun after 1239 and was completed in 1253.
Both churches were consecrated by Pope Innocent IV in 1253.
So, Pope Leo XIV today flew by helicopter from Rome to Assisi to pray before the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226), in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Francis, and this is how it looked (below, photo from Vatican News).
Pope Leo focused his talk to the Italian bishops on the centrality of Christ in our lives.
“The first thing we too are called upon to do is to look at Jesus.
“The reason for our being here, in fact, is faith in Him, crucified and risen.
“As I said to you in June, at this time there is a need, more than ever before, for ‘placing Jesus Christ at the center and, following the path indicated by Evangelii gaudium, helping people to live out a personal relationship with Him, to discover the joy of the Gospel. In a time of great fragmentation, it is necessary to return to the foundation of our faith, to the kerygma” (Address to Bishops of the Italian Episcopal Conference, 17 June 2025).
“And this applies first of all to us: to start afresh from the act of faith that makes us recognize Christ as the Savior and which is expressed in all areas of daily life.”
Leo stressed collegiality, the common faith and action of Catholic bishops, and the synodality, describing it as “the effective exercise of collegiality”:
“I would like everyone to commit themselves to the challenge of effective communion, so that the face of a collegial Church, which shares common steps and choices, may take shape,” Leo said.
“Synodality, which implies an effective exercise of collegiality, requires not only communion among yourselves and with me, but also attentive listening and serious discernment of the requests that come from the people of God.
“In this regard, coordination between the Dicastery for Bishops and the Apostolic Nunciature, for the purposes of shared responsibility, must be able to promote greater participation of people in the consultation for the appointment of new bishops, in addition to listening to the Ordinaries in charge of the local Churches and those who are preparing to end their service.”
Note: It is in this context, perhaps, that we should look at Leo’s decision to call a special consistory of cardinals, summoning all of them to Rome for an “extraordinary concistory” on January 7-8, in about 7 weeks.
Leo XIV also said this about synodality today:
“Synodality implies ‘the walking together of Christians with Christ and towards God’s Kingdom, in union with all humanity’ (Final Document of the Second Session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 28). From the Lord we receive the grace of communion which inspires and shapes our human and ecclesial relationships.”
“A synodal Church, which walks the path traced by history while confronting the emerging challenges of evangelization, needs to renew herself continually.”
“Walking together, walking with everyone, also means being a Church that lives among the people, welcomes their questions, soothes their sufferings and shares their hopes. Continue to be close to families, young people, the elderly and those who live in solitude. Continue to devote yourselves to the care of the poor.”
Here is a Vatican News account of the Pope’s trip to Assisi:
Pope Leo visits tomb of St Francis in Assisi
Pope Leo XIV arrives in Assisi and pays a visit to the tomb of St Francis, saying his witness is especially important “at a time when the world is searching for signs of hope.”
By Benedetta Capelli — Assisi
Thursday, November 20, 2025
“It is a blessing to be able to come here today to this sacred place. As we approach the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’s death, we have the opportunity to prepare to celebrate this great, humble, and poor saint at a time when the world is searching for signs of hope.”
These were the first public words spoken by Pope Leo XIV during his visit to Assisi, standing before the tomb of St. Francis.
It was the first stop on the Pope’s visit to the central Italian town, where today, 20 November, he is meeting with the bishops of the Italian Episcopal Conference at the close of their 81st General Assembly.
Arrival in Assisi
The Pope arrived this morning by helicopter, landing shortly after 8 am. From there, he traveled by car into the heart of Assisi, the city of St Francis — a centre for art, history, culture, and devotion, and a destination for millions of pilgrims, including 20 popes over the centuries. Pope Francis, notably, visited in 2020 to sign his encyclical Fratelli Tutti.
A warm welcome in the Lower Basilica
This time it is Pope Leo’s turn to visit.
Before heading to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli for his meeting with the bishops, the Pope made his way shortly after 8:30 a.m. to the tomb of St Francis, who is Italy’s patron saint.
Despite steady rain and a biting cold, a small crowd gathered in the square to greet him with cries of “Viva il Papa!”, or “Long Live the Pope”.
At the entrance stood the convent’s custodian, Fr. Marco Moroni, who, together with other friars, accompanied the Pope into the crypt.
The visit came as the Church prepares to mark the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death with the exposition of his remains.
A prayer before the tomb
There, before the ancient stone walls that hold the saint’s body directly beneath the Basilica’s high altar, the Pope paused for a moment of silence and prayer.
Then he spoke briefly—his words broadcast outside through loudspeakers—reaffirming the message of hope that this small yet towering figure continues, centuries on, to offer the Church and the world.
In Montefalco, near Assisi, where he went for Mass and lunch at the Monastery of Santa Chiara, the Pope told journalists that he during his visit to the tomb he had been praying for peace.
He added that he had prayed “for all the faithful in Umbria,” the central Italian region containing Assisi and Montefalco.
“I am in the land of many saints,” the Pope said. “I am very happy to have been in Assisi this morning and then here in Montefalco… there is an atmosphere of holiness.”
Special Note: Relics of Francis to Be Displayed in 2026
Three months from now, in an historic first, the body of St. Francis of Assisi will be visible to pilgrims and visitors.
The following text draws on a recent Aleteia article (link):
The Franciscan community in Assisi has announced that the saint’s mortal remains will be displayed from February 22 to March 22, 2026, marking the 800th anniversary of his death.
This is the first time this has occurred.
With the approval of Pope Leo XIV, the body will be moved from its tomb in the crypt to the foot of the papal altar in the Lower Basilica so the faithful can pray before it.
Due to anticipated crowds, free online reservations will be required, with options for guided group visits of the basilica, led by a friar or individual silent visits. The route will be accessible, with special provisions for people with disabilities, and two international Masses will be celebrated daily in the Upper Basilica during the period.
The announcement coincides with a wider national observance: Italy has restored October 4 as a civil holiday honoring St. Francis.
The measure takes effect in 2026 and was welcomed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who called the saint a foundational figure for Italian identity. The reinstated holiday, first created in 1958 and dropped in 1977, returns just as Assisi prepares for an extraordinary influx of visitors during the centenary year.
At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV chose St. Francis’ feast (October 4) to sign his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi te (“I Have Loved You”), a text focused on poverty that will be presented this week.
Addressing pilgrims at a Jubilee audience the same day, he prayed “to be a Church that does not serve money or itself, but the kingdom of God and His justice.”
The moment set a tone for the centenary: a renewed attention to simplicity, mercy, and the dignity of those on the margins.
Why does this display matter beyond the Catholic world?
St. Francis — Italy’s patron and a 13th-century seeker who gave up wealth for a life of service — has long appealed to people of many beliefs for his love of peace, care for creation, and closeness to the poor.
Whether you come as a pilgrim or a curious guest, Assisi will invite you to consider how a single life — lived with disarming poverty and joy — continues to change hearts and public life 800 years on.
The basilica was built immediately after Francis was canonized in 1228, on the hill of Assisi, overlooking the vast plain of central Umbria.
The Franciscan community in Assisi has announced that St. Francis’s mortal remains will be displayed from February 22 to March 22, 2026.
If you have a devotion to St. Francis, the coming year, 2026 — which is also the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ death on October 3, 1226 –might be a memorable opportunity to consider making a pilgrimage to Assisi, and to Rome, on one of our Inside the Vatican Pilgrimages (link).
Below, more photos of the Pope in Assisi, and the basilica, and an early fresco of St. Francis from the Benedictine monastery of Subiaco.
Pope Leo in prayer this morning before the tomb of St. Francis, located above the altar, in Assisi
Below, an ancient fresco of St. Francis from the Benedictine monastery in Subiaco, Italy.
Below that, other images of Assisi, ending with St. Clare’s bell tower by night
At the top of the piazza next to the Basilica San Francesco. Here was held the Inter-Religious Meeting of Prayer for Peace in Assisi convened by Pope John Paul II in 1986 (link)
Here, local Italian Catholics and Inside the Vatican pilgrims pray together at a regular daily Mass in the chapel next to the Portiuncula in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where Pope Leo today addressed the Italian bishops
MEETING WITH THE ITALIAN BISHOPS
AT THE CONCLUSION OF
THE 81st GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE ITALIAN BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE
[17-20 November 2025]
ADDRESS OF
HIS HOLINESS
POPE LEO XIV
Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi
Thursday, 20 November 2025
_______________________________
Dear brothers in the episcopate, good morning!
I warmly thank the Cardinal President for the words of greeting he addressed to me, and for the invitation to be with you to conclude the 81st General Assembly. I am happy to make my first stop, albeit a very brief one, in Assisi, a place of great significance for the message of faith, fraternity and peace that it conveys, which the world urgently needs.
Here Saint Francis received from the Lord the revelation of having to “live according to the Holy Gospel” (2 Test 14: FS 116). Indeed, Christ, “being rich above all, willed, nevertheless, with His most Blessed Mother, to choose poverty” (2Lf 5: FS 182).
The first thing we too are called upon to do is to look at Jesus.
The reason for our being here, in fact, is faith in Him, crucified and risen.
As I said to you in June, at this time there is a need, more than ever before, for “placing Jesus Christ at the centre and, following the path indicated by Evangelii gaudium, helping people to live out a personal relationship with Him, to discover the joy of the Gospel. In a time of great fragmentation, it is necessary to return to the foundation of our faith, to the kerygma” (Address to Bishops of the Italian Episcopal Conference, 17 June 2025).
And this applies first of all to us: to start afresh from the act of faith that makes us recognize Christ as the Saviour and which is expressed in all areas of daily life.
Keeping our gaze fixed on the face of Jesus enables us to look at the faces of our brothers and sisters.
It is his love that draws us to them (cf. 2 Cor 5:14).
And faith in Him, our peace (cf. Eph 2:14), requires us to offer everyone the gift of his peace.
We live in a time marked by divisions, both nationally and internationally: messages and language of hostility and violence are often spread; the race for efficiency leaves the most fragile behind; technological omnipotence compresses freedom; loneliness consumes hope, while numerous uncertainties weigh heavily on our future.
Yet the Word and the Spirit still urge us to be artisans of friendship, fraternity, authentic relationships in our communities, where, without reticence and fear, we must listen to and harmonize tensions, developing a culture of encounter and thus becoming prophets of peace for the world.
When the Risen One appears to the disciples, his first words are “Peace be with you” (Jn 20:19,21).
And He immediately sends them forth, as the Father had sent Him (v. 21): the paschal gift is for them, but so that it might be for all!
Dear friends, in our previous meeting I indicated some guidelines for being a Church that embodies the Gospel and is a sign of the Kingdom of God: proclaiming the Message of salvation, building peace, promoting human dignity, cultivating a culture of dialogue, and fostering a Christian anthropological vision.
Today I would like to emphasize that these guidelines correspond to the perspectives that emerged during the synodal journey of the Church in Italy.
It is now up to you, Bishops, to outline the pastoral guidelines for the coming years, so I would like to offer you some reflections so that a truly synodal spirit may grow and mature in the Churches and among the Churches of our country.
First of all, let us not forget that synodality implies “the walking together of Christians with Christ and towards God’s Kingdom, in union with all humanity” (Final Document of the Second Session of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 28). From the Lord we receive the grace of communion which inspires and shapes our human and ecclesial relationships.
I would like everyone to commit themselves to the challenge of effective communion, so that the face of a collegial Church, which shares common steps and choices, may take shape.
In this sense, the challenges of evangelization and the changes of recent decades, which affect the demographic, cultural and ecclesial spheres, ask us not to withdraw on the issue of diocesan mergers, especially where the demands of Christian proclamation invite us to overcome certain territorial boundaries and make our religious and ecclesial identities more open, learning to work together and rethink pastoral action by joining forces.
At the same time, looking at the features of the Church in Italy, embodied in the various territories, and considering the effort and at times the disorientation that such choices may cause, I hope that the Bishops of every Region will discern carefully and, perhaps, be able to suggest realistic proposals for some of the small dioceses that have scant human resources, to evaluate whether and how they could continue to offer their service.
What counts is that, in this synodal style, we learn to work together, and that in the particular Churches we all make an effort to build open, hospitable and welcoming Christian communities in which relationships are translated into mutual responsibility for the proclamation of the Gospel.
Synodality, which implies an effective exercise of collegiality, requires not only communion among yourselves and with me, but also attentive listening and serious discernment of the requests that come from the people of God.
In this regard, coordination between the Dicastery for Bishops and the Apostolic Nunciature, for the purposes of shared responsibility, must be able to promote greater participation of people in the consultation for the appointment of new bishops, in addition to listening to the Ordinaries in charge of the local Churches and those who are preparing to end their service.
Also regarding this latter aspect, I would like to offer you some guidance.
A synodal Church, which walks the path traced by history while confronting the emerging challenges of evangelization, needs to renew herself continually.
We must avoid allowing inertia, even when motivated by good intentions, to slow down the necessary changes.
In this regard, we must all cultivate the inner attitude that Pope Francis has defined as “learning to say goodbye”, a valuable attitude when preparing to leave one’s position.
It is good to respect the rule of 75 years for the conclusion of the service of Ordinaries in dioceses and, only in the case of Cardinals, may a continuation of ministry be considered, possibly for another two years.
Dear brothers, returning to the perspective of the Church’s mission in Italy, I urge you to remember the path travelled since the Second Vatican Council, marked by national ecclesial conferences.
I urge you to ensure that your diocesan and parish communities do not lose their memory, but keep it alive, because this is essential in the Church: to remember the journey that the Lord leads us on through time in the desert (cf. Dt 8).
From this perspective, the Church in Italy can and must continue to promote an integral humanism, which helps and supports the existential journeys of individuals and society; a sense of humanity that exalts the value of life and care for every creature, that intervenes prophetically in public debate to spread a culture of legality and solidarity.
In this context, the challenge posed to us by the digital universe must not be forgotten.
Pastoral care cannot limit itself to “using” the media, but must educate and dwell the digital world in a human way, without losing sight of the truth behind the multiplication of connections, so that the internet can truly be a space of freedom, responsibility and fraternity.
Walking together, walking with everyone, also means being a Church that lives among the people, welcomes their questions, soothes their sufferings and shares their hopes.
Continue to be close to families, young people, the elderly and those who live in solitude.
Continue to devote yourselves to the care of the poor: Christian communities rooted throughout the territory, the many pastoral workers and volunteers, and the diocesan and parish Caritas organizations are already doing a great job in this regard, and I am grateful to you.
In this same line of care, I would also like to recommend attention to the smallest and most vulnerable, so that a culture of prevention of all forms of abuse may also develop.
Welcoming and listening to victims is the authentic trait of a Church who, in communal conversion, knows how to recognize wounds and is committed to healing them, because “where pain is deep, the hope that comes from communion must be even stronger” (Vigil of the Jubilee of Consolation, 15 September 2025).
I thank you for what you have already done and encourage you to continue your commitment to the protection of minors and vulnerable adults.
Dear brothers, in this place Saint Francis and the first friars fully lived what we would call today a “synodal style”.
Together, in fact, they shared the different stages of their journey; together they went to Pope Innocent III; together, year after year, they perfected and enriched the initial text that had been presented to the Pontiff, composed, according to Thomas of Celano, “mainly of expressions from the Gospel” (1Cel 32: FS 372), until it became what we know today as the first Rule.
This conscious choice of fraternity, which is at the heart of the Franciscan charism together with minority, was inspired by an intrepid and persistent faith.
May the example of Saint Francis give you too the strength to make choices inspired by an authentic faith and to be, as a Church, a sign and witness of the Kingdom of God in the world.
Thank you!
________________________________________
Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 20 November 2025
Copyright © Dicastery for Communication — Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Facebook Comments