In the Footsteps of St. Francis: A Call for Peace and Forgiveness

On August 6, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV visited Assisi, at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, which houses the small Chapel of the Portiuncula, one of the places most dear to St. Francis. This visit was part of the celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis (1226–2026) and marked the conclusion of the GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting, a gathering of young people from several countries. The Pope met with them, spoke with them, and presided over the Eucharist, inviting them to carry the Gospel spirit of brotherhood and peace throughout the world.

This Franciscan Jubilee Year, moreover, holds special significance. On the occasion of the eighth centenary of the Poverello’s death, Pope Leo XIV proclaimed a “Year of St. Francis,” running from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027. This is accompanied by the opportunity to receive, under the usual conditions established by the Church, a plenary indulgence, particularly during a pilgrimage to a Franciscan church or site. The Pope’s visit to the Portiuncula thus takes the form of a pilgrimage to the origins of the Franciscan experience.

The choice of this site is highly symbolic: the Portiuncula—literally a “small portion of land”—was, for Francis, the cradle of his Gospel-centered journey. It was there that the first fraternity of Friars Minor was formed and the Franciscan mission took root. Francis was so attached to this place that he urged his brothers never to abandon it: humble and poor, it was to remain a sign of their beginnings and of their fidelity to the Gospel. And it was very close to this little church that Francis wished to be brought at the end of his life, and where he died on October 3, 1226.

Even today, the Portiuncula remains a home to which the sons of Francis from all over the world return. The Franciscan Province of St. Anthony of Padua in the Democratic Republic of the Congo also maintains this fraternal bond with Assisi: some of its friars are periodically welcomed there for periods of spiritual and physical renewal. For them, staying at the Portiuncula also means symbolically returning to the common source of the Franciscan vocation.

The Porziuncola is also linked to the famous Pardon of Assisi. According to ancient Franciscan tradition, in 1216 Francis asked Pope Honorius III for an extraordinary indulgence for those who, having repented and gone to confession, would come to pray in this little church. His desire was immense and simple: “I want to send you all to paradise!” (Voglio mandarvi tutti in paradiso!).

This grace, celebrated especially on August 1 and 2, was later extended to Franciscan churches around the world: under the conditions set forth by the Church, the faithful may receive a plenary indulgence. The Pardon of Assisi thus reminds us that God’s mercy is not reserved for a select few: it is offered to all who return to Him with a sincere heart.

Eight centuries later, Leo XIV’s visit to the Portiuncula brings Francis’s insight back to the forefront: peace begins with a reconciled heart, capable of receiving and granting forgiveness.