The Umbrian city of Assisi is once again becoming a meeting point for European youth. On the occasion of the closing of the  “GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting 2026 ,” Pope Leo XIV is making a pastoral visit this Thursday, August 6, marked by a clear premise: to listen firsthand to the concerns, doubts, and aspirations of the young believers and non-believers gathered under the sign of Saint Francis.

Dialogue without intermediaries

Unlike a formal protocol, the core of the morning’s activities revolves around active listening. After arriving by helicopter at the “Migaghelli” sports field at 8:30 a.m. and then traveling to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the Pope holds a direct meeting in the square at 8:45 a.m., where he personally answers  three questions posed by the young people themselves .

As the local diocese has emphasized, the spirit of the trip is not to deliver a monologue, but to establish an open conversation at a special historical moment: the commemoration of the  8th Centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi (1226-2026) .

A mission-focused program

Main Activity Schedule

8:30 a.m. Landing at Santa Maria degli Angeli and welcome by ecclesiastical and civil authorities.
8:45 a.m. Meeting in the square and question and answer session with young people.
9:15 a.m. Greeting in the cloister to the Franciscan representatives and bishops present.
10:30 a.m. Celebration of the Solemn Holy Mass in the Basilica with a papal homily.
12:00 p.m. Conclusion of the Eucharist, presentation of the “missionary letter,” and farewell before the return to the Vatican.

The Franciscan legacy for new generations

The meeting, convened by the Ministers General of the Franciscan Family and organized by the Friars Minor together with the dioceses of Umbria, culminates four days of thematic workshops, prayer and cultural activities such as the Fra GOspel music festival  .

At the end of the 10:30 a.m. liturgical Mass, participants receive a  “missionary letter ,” designed to help them apply the reflections shared during the days to their daily and community life in their respective countries of origin. This visit marks Leo XIV’s second pastoral trip to the homeland of Saint Francis since the beginning of his pontificate.