To mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St Francis of Assisi, Christian faithful will for the first time be able to pray before his remains in the lower church of the Basilica dedicated to the saint.
Hundreds of thousands of worshippers are expecting to visit the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi in Italy over the next month to mark the 800th anniversary of his death.
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To celebrate the historic occasion, the Umbrian city is allowing pilgrims to pray at a display of the Saint's mortal remains.
Nearly 400,000 people have registered to see the bone fragments, which are contained in a slim, bulletproof Plexiglas case in the lower Basilica of St. Francis in the hilltop Umbrian town the medieval friar made famous.
A message of peace and fraternity
Father Giulio Cesareo, director of the Sacro Convento Communication Office, told Vatican News that the exhibition aims to revive his message of peace and fraternity that made him one of the most beloved Christian saints and inspired Pope Francis to take his name, the first pope to do so.
The veneration of the relics of the "poor man of Assisi" is also meant to celebrate a life that was able to incarnate the Gospel in a concrete way, influencing not only believers but also young people and non-believers through the example of charity and simplicity.
Church leaders say at a time marked by deep social crises, the figure of Francis is an icon of hope, and a reminder that each small individual step can generate a significant and positive impact on the world.
From riches to rags
The exposition of his bodily remains is particularly remarkable given the somewhat tortured history of the body of St. Francis, a wealthy merchant’s son born in 1182 who gave up all his possessions to live as a mendicant friar.
At the end of his life, St. Francis’ body was said to have acquired the stigmata, the first documented case of a saint acquiring the marks of Christ on the cross.
In death, his body was lost for hundreds of years, after it was secretly buried by one of his followers who feared it would be stolen during the fight over relics that was common in Christianity in the Middle Ages.
That history is recounted in an exhibition mounted in the Franciscan convent, adjacent to the basilica, which pilgrims can visit as part of their appointment to pass by the bones.
The centenary celebrations will not end with the exhibition in March, but will continue with various initiatives dedicated to the universality of Franciscan thought. Among the most eagerly awaited events is the visit of Pope Leo XIV to Assisi on 6 August, on the occasion of the international "GO! Franciscan Youth meeting".
