(ZENIT News / Assisi, 05.10.2025).- Assisi is preparing to host an event that will mark the spiritual history of the 21st century. In the framework of the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis, in 2026 the Saint’s body will be publicly displayed for the first time, a gesture of faith and hope, which seeks to unite the world around his message of peace, brotherhood, and love for the Creator.
The official announcement was made on October 4, the day of Italy’s Patron Saint, from the loggia in the Lower Square of the Basilica of St. Francis. Confirmed there, before thousands of people, was that between February 22 and March 22, 2026, the remains of the Poverello of Assisi will be transferred from the crypt, where they rest, and placed at the foot of the papal altar in the lower church of the Basilica.
More than a religious event, the display intends to be a universal spiritual experience. Seeing the body of St. Francis is not contemplating a past symbol, but the living testimony of a life devoted unreservedly to the Gospel. Like the grain of wheat that dies to bear fruit, his life continues to fertilize the earth eight hundred years later, reminding humanity that true joy is born from the gift of self.
Pope Leo XIV, through the Secretary of State, gave his approval to this unique initiative, born in the spirit of the Franciscan Jubilees as an opportunity to rediscover the evangelical radicalism that inspired the Saint: poverty, fraternity, service, and praise of Creation.
The story of the tomb of St. Francis, hidden for centuries beneath the main altar, lends an almost mystical undertone to this new era. After his death in 1226, the body was carefully hidden to avoid theft or desecration. It was only discovered in 1818, after a long search, and since then, several verifications have been carried out — most recently in 2015 –, which confirmed the authenticity and good state of preservation of the relics. Those bones, marked by the suffering and wounds of the Crucified One, are the physical echo of a life spent for love.
The Basilica of St. Francis will become, during that month, the spiritual heart of the world. A massive influx of pilgrims from all Continents is expected. To guarantee a serene and prayerful experience, a free and mandatory reservation system has been established through the website www.sanfrancescovive.org, which is available in several languages.
The veneration can be carried out in two ways. The first, in a group and accompanied by a Franciscan friar, will include a brief meditation in the participants’ native language. The second, in silence and individually, will allow for a more personal encounter with the Saint. In both cases, at the end of the procession, a brief liturgical rite will be celebrated, and the faithful will receive a souvenir from the event, offered by the Community of friars.
Special attention will also be paid to people with disabilities, with adapted itineraries and the option of notifying specific needs at the time of booking. In addition, two daily international Masses will be celebrated in the upper church from Monday to Saturday, and on certain days, community events will be organized for families, Religious, Franciscan priests, and people with disabilities.
«This display is not a simple demonstration of popular piety,» explained Franciscan Giulio Cesareo, Director of the Basilica’s Communications Office. «It is a call to rediscover the value of the gift, the fruitfulness of love that is given, the transforming force of a life lived in communion with God and with others. Saint Francis lives on: his body reminds us that holiness is not a distant ideal, but a real possibility for all.»
Assisi, a city that has preserved the legacy of its Saint, is ready, once again, to welcome those seeking peace, meaning, and hope. In the silence of the Basilica, before the footsteps of the «Alter Christus,» each pilgrim will be able to hear the same invitation that once resonated in the heart of the young man from Umbria: «Francis repair my house.»
