Remains of St. Francis of Assisi to be publicly displayed for first time

For the first time, the body of St. Francis of Assisi will be visible to all, from February 22 to March 22, 2026. The event was announced on the memorial of the saint, and the viewing will coincide with the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis in 1226. Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, Today the Italian people turn their gaze here, to Assisi, because St. Francis is one of the founding figures of the Italian identity. Francis of Assisi was a man of action, extreme but not extremist. Today we celebrate Francis not because he needs us, but because we need him.”