During his weekly General Audience this morning in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis reminded the faithful that tomorrow he travels to Assisi.
While greeting the Italian-speaking pilgrims toward the conclusion of the audience, Francis said, “Tomorrow, I will visit the Porziuncola inside the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels to commemorate the eighth centenary of the “Pardon of Assisi,” whose anniversary was yesterday.”
“It will be a very simple, very important pilgrimage, in this Holy Year of Mercy,” he said.
“I ask everyone,” he continued, “to accompany me with prayer, invoking the light of the Holy Spirit and the heavenly intercession of Saint Francis.”
Pope Francis makes a private visit to the Italian hill town in Umbria tomorrow afternoon, specifically to the Porziuncola inside the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. The visit was announced in July by the Franciscans and Bishop of Assisi, Domenico Sorrentino.
According to the Franciscan order’s local website, Francis will arrive in Assisi by helicopter at 3:40pm. At 4 p.m., he will arrive at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, inside which the small Porziuncola chapel is located. There, he will take a moment of silent prayer in the chapel, before offering a reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 18: 21-35.
Following this reflection, the Pope will meet with Franciscan bishops and superiors, and then will greet pilgrims gathered in the piazza outside the basilica.
At 6 p.m., the Pope will be taken by car to the Migaghelli sports field, before traveling back to the Vatican via helicopter.
Over the course of his short visit, the Pope will be received by several local religious authorities, including Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi-Nocera, Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor Fr Michael Anthony Perry, and provincial minister of the Friars Minor of Umbria, Fr Claudio Durighetto.
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On the NET:
Local Website of the Franciscan Order: http://www.assisiofm.it/papa-francesco-alla-porziuncola-72473-1.html
