Day had barely broken over the hills of Umbria when the Pope's helicopter landed on the plateau overlooking the valley of Assisi. The biting cold of that morning of November 20th had not deterred the faithful gathered to greet Leo XIV, who had come to participate in a major meeting with the Italian Episcopal Conference. Before this pastoral event, he wanted to perform a simple and deeply symbolic gesture: to pray at the tomb of Saint Francis, the poor man of Assisi, the universal brother.
In the pouring rain, the papal procession made its way to the Lower Basilica of St. Francis, the monument that has housed the saint's relics for nearly eight centuries. Around it, the cobbled streets seemed to fall silent, welcoming this moment of prayer. A few hymns rose up: "Long live the Pope"!", repeated by the pilgrims, shivering but filled with fervor.
The gesture of Leo XIV It was part of a centuries-old tradition. Twenty popes before him had walked this blessed land where the Church remembers that poverty And brotherhood can change the world. Back in 2020, Francis had already signed his encyclical there. Fratelli Tutti, a true manifesto for a universal human fraternity inspired by the Poverello. Today, Leo XIV seems to prolong this dynamic, as if to breathe new life into a Church in search of unity and hope.
Beneath the basilica: a moment of grace and silence
The crypt, the beating heart of the Franciscan faith
In the crypt of the lower basilica, the flickering light of a votive lamp illuminates the arch sheltering the saint's tomb. The oil burning there, a gift this year from the Abruzzo region, bears an engraved quotation from Heaven From Dante: "It is but a ray of his light." These poetic words, marrying faith and beauty, perfectly express the Franciscan spirit: the recognition of God through every particle of light, every breath of life.
Alongside him, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, and Brother Marco Moroni, guardian of the Sacro Convento, accompanied the Pope in this moment of contemplation. The silence dominating the crypt was almost palpable; one could only hear the light crackling of candles and the discreet sound of footsteps on the ancient stone.
The prayer of Peter's successor
Leo XIV He knelt before the tomb, his hands clasped. A few long, profound moments of silence suspended time. Then, in a gentle voice, he offered a simple prayer: that the example of Saint Francis may continue to inspire a divided world, that it may enlighten those who seek peace and that it restores courage to those who doubt.
His words, broadcast outside via loudspeakers, touched the hearts of the pilgrims. "It is a blessing to be able to come here today to this sacred place," he said. "We are approaching the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis, which gives us the opportunity to celebrate this great, humble, and poor saint, as the world searches for signs of hope."«
Each word resonated like an echo of today's crises: the war, precariousness, loss of bearings. Saint Francis, this young man from Assisi who renounced everything to love, continues to be a beacon for troubled times.
Assisi, crossroads of history and hope
A city where faith speaks to humanity
Assisi is not just a place of pilgrimage. It is a living memory of the’Christian love in action. Its stones bear witness to an ideal: simplicity, brotherhood And peace. Each alleyway tells the story of the little brother who became a spiritual giant.
For centuries, popes, pilgrims, and believers have come here seeking serenity. Giotto's frescoes in the basilica recall the saint's story; his actions – his encounter with the Sultan of Egypt, love the song of the poor Song of the Creatures – remain a model of evangelical life.
Today, as the Church prepares to celebrate the 800th anniversary of his death in 2026, emotion is rekindled. Religious and civil institutions in Umbria are working hard to welcome this historic event. But beyond the festivities, Leo XIV invites an inner rediscovery: not a nostalgic worship, but a conversion of the heart.
A meeting with the Italian bishops
After the prayer at the saint's tomb, the Pope visited the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, near the Portiuncula, the tiny chapel that was the cradle of the Franciscan order. Before the bishops gathered for their 81st General Assembly, Leo XIV continued along the spiritual path of his pilgrimage.
He recalled that the Italian Church, like the rest of the’Universal Church, The Church must remain "close to the people," faithful to the spirit of service, attentive to social suffering, the cry of young people, and the spiritual wounds of the modern world. He spoke of a Church "on the move," poor and fraternal, capable of listening before speaking.
The welcome he received was filled with respect and joy. The Franciscan friars, faithful to the tradition of’hospitality, They had prepared a simple and prayerful place. The rain continued to fall, but inside, the warmth of human connection prevailed.
The meaning of a gesture
This short but intense trip was not merely diplomatic or ceremonial. It carried a message. Through this silent prayer, Leo XIV wanted to reiterate that the heart of the Church's mission remains the evangelical simplicity.
Like Saint Francis, the Pope calls for the recovery ofjoy to believe» despite the darkness of the times. His gesture at the Poverello's tomb, on the eve of the 800th anniversary of his death, is an invitation to begin again: to rediscover the beauty of’humility, to reconcile man with creation, to reconnect the threads of a planetary brotherhood.
Assise, for a November morning, was not just a place of remembrance. It became, for the duration of a prayer, the beating center of hope.
