ASSISI – On the occasion of the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis (1226-2026), various celebrations, initiatives, and events are planned in Assisi. On February 21, there will be a special event: the transfer of the reliquary containing the mortal remains of St. Francis from the Crypt to the Lower Church, with a procession to the foot of the High Altar. Attendance at the celebration will be by invitation only, reserved for Franciscan friars of the various Orders, and will be broadcast live on Italian television channels (A Sua Immagine on Rai1). Following this, from February 22 to March 22, 2026, an extended public exposition of the mortal remains of the Seraphic Father will take place for the first time.
This will allow pilgrims to pause before the Poverello, before the mortal remains of the man who wanted to greet death as a sister, asking his friars to lay him “naked on the bare earth,” to live freely the final passage as a return to the Father’s house.
The custos of the Sacro Convento, Br. Marco Moroni, characterized this exhibition as a powerful reminder that the gift of ourselves, in union with Christ, is the path to the fullness of Life. He also pointed out that Francis’ “smallness” is today a countercultural and universal message for everyone. For every friar, looking at those remains will be like renewing their promise to become “minor,” mirroring themselves in the poverty that made Francis rich in God.
Obviously, the exposition of the relics of St. Francis is a moment of grace for all Franciscans, and in a special way for us Capuchins who are preparing to celebrate the 500th anniversary of our Reform. This is not just another event, quietly inserted into the series of Franciscan centenary events, but rather the high point of the entire journey of these years: we welcome the physical proximity to Francis, so that our closeness to the way he followed Christ may grow within us.
A bit of history
This is the first extended display of the remains of St. Francis, and it was decided upon on the occasion of the eighth centenary of his death. Until now, the saint’s remains had never been visibly displayed to the general public but had been the subject of closed-door inspections called “ricognizioni”. In 1978, on the occasion of the “third ricognizione” of the saint’s remains, the opportunity was taken to hold a public exhibition in the Chapter hall of the Sacro Convento for veneration, which lasted 18 days (from February 15 to March 4). For this reason, the current exhibition can be described as the first public extended exhibition of the saint’s mortal remains.
Here are some key facts concerning the saint’s mortal remains.
1230 – Transfer and Concealment. Francis’ body was transferred from the church of St. George to the new Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. To avoid the risk of relic theft, common at the time, the body was hidden deep beneath the high altar, protected by heavy stone and iron structures.
1818 – The Discovery. After fifty-two nights of secret excavations, on December 12, 1818, the body was finally found under the altar of the Lower Church of the Basilica. On that occasion, the remains were removed for a brief scientific examination and religious homage before being placed back in the stone sarcophagus that can be seen today.
1978 – Scientific examination. An examination of the mortal remains was carried out to assess their state of preservation, and they were displayed for a short time. On this occasion, it was confirmed that only bones and ashes remained of the body.
1994 and 2015 – Private inspections. Over the years, there have been other inspections for reasons of study, conservation, and devotion, but these have always been “private” occurrences, reserved for Franciscan communities, experts, and bishops.
May our veneration of the body of St. Francis inspire us to renew our commitment to the Gospel. May we rediscover that universal message of “littleness” which reflects his evangelical life and confirms our promise to be lesser brothers in the world.