Pope Leo XIV visited the city of Assisi on Thursday, where he participated in a meeting with the bishops of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI) on the occasion of their 81st General Assembly. Before proceeding to the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, the Pontiff made a moving stop at the Lower Basilica of St. Francis to pray at the tomb of the saint of Assisi, known as the Poverello.

“It is a blessing to be able to come to this sacred place today. We are approaching the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis, which gives us the opportunity to prepare to celebrate this great, humble, and poor Saint. At the same time, the world seeks signs of hope,” were the first words spoken publicly by Pope Leo XIV in Assisi, highlighting the current relevance of the Franciscan message in a world in need of signs of peace and renewal.

Arrival in the city of the Poverello

The Holy Father arrived by helicopter in the morning, landing shortly after 8:00 a.m. at the Bastia Umbra stadium. From there, he traveled by car to Assisi, a city renowned for its artistic, historical, and spiritual richness, which has attracted millions of pilgrims throughout the centuries. Twenty popes have visited this place, including Pope Francis, who in 2020 signed his encyclical Fratelli tutti on fraternity and social friendship here.

Moment of prayer in the crypt

Shortly after 8:30 a.m., and under a heavy rain that did not deter the faithful gathered in the square —who greeted him with enthusiastic chants of “Long live the Pope!”—, Leo XIV was welcomed in the Lower Basilica by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the CEI, and by Friar Marco Moroni, custodian of the Sacred Convent, along with other Franciscan friars.

In the crypt, illuminated by the votive lamp—whose oil was donated this year by the Abruzzo Region and which bears the inscription of Dante’s verse “It is but a ray of his light”—the Pope stood in silence before the ancient stone walls that enclose the remains of the Patron Saint of Italy, directly beneath the high altar. This gesture is part of the preparations for the celebrations of the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis, which will include the exhibition of his relics.

In a moment of profound intimacy, broadcast to the outside world through loudspeakers, the Pontiff reiterated how the humble and radical figure of the saint continues to be a beacon of hope for the Church and the whole world, even eight hundred years after his departure.

The visit of Pope Leo XIV to Assisi underscores once again the enduring relevance of the Franciscan charism: poverty, fraternity and care for creation as ways to respond to the yearning for peace and hope of humanity today.