Fr. M. Titus Mohan –
A Special Franciscan Jubilee Year has begun to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi (1226-2026). The Jubilee runs from 10 January 2026 to 10 January 2027 and carries the theme “San Francesco Vive” (Saint Francis Lives). The theme echoes the Gospel image of “the seed that dies to bear fruit” (Jn 12:24; 1Cor15:36), reminding the Church that Francis’ life continues to speak powerfully today.
The Jubilee is addressed in a special way to the Franciscan Family: members of the First, Second, and Third Orders, both Regular and Secular, as well as Institutes of Consecrated Life, Societies of Apostolic Life, and associations inspired by the Rule and spirituality of St. Francis. At the same time, its grace extends to all the faithful who make a pilgrimage to any Franciscan church or place of worship dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi anywhere in the world.
A Seed of Eternal Life
The official opening ceremony took place on 10 January 2026, at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi. On that occasion, the Ministers General of the Franciscan Family presented a joint letter entitled “A Seed of Eternal Life”, addressed to the entire Franciscan Family and to the People of God. The letter invites everyone to rediscover what St. Francis handed down and to recognize it as a shared responsibility to be lived today. Drawing inspiration from the Testament of St. Francis, the letter highlights some great legacies that remain central even now. Let me explain a few here.
St. Francis had mainly two concrete encounters as a turning point of his life: with the poor and with Christ crucified. Francis left the comforts of Assisi and went among the poor, especially the lepers. In his Testament, he writes: “And the Lord Himself led me among them and I showed mercy to them” (no.2). Francis, after the embrace with the leper of Assisi, went to Gubbio to live with the lepers. Something striking for anyone visiting Assisi is that Giotto’s famous frescoes in the Upper Basilica of Assisi do not depict this encounter with the leper. This absence is intentional, not accidental. The reason suggested is that the episode was too revolutionary. It challenged a form of charity that was limited to “doing good works” while allowing people to remain unchanged. Francis’s action demanded a deep conversion of life, something far more unsettling than simple acts of generosity.
His conversion was complete only when he encountered the crucified Christ of San Damiano. Before him, a prayer flowed from his heart which, together with the Pater Noster, he would use constantly with his brothers and which he later wanted to include in his Testament (nos 4-5): “We adore You, Lord Jesus Christ, in all Your churches throughout the whole world and we bless You, because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world”. Thus, the eyes of the lepers and the eyes of the Crucified gave Francis a seed for eternal life. Franciscan poverty, as scholar Michel Hubaut notes, “is not simply the decision to join a determined social class… It remains primarily a manner of following Christ”. This is why the encounter with the leper stands at the beginning of Francis’ conversion. By restoring this order in his Testament, Francis made clear that love for the poor must shape personal life, community life, and faith itself. Therefore, one can say that poverty without mercy becomes an idol and mercy without poverty is reduced to ideology.
St. Francis and Pope Francis
In recent times, the name of St. Francis of Assisi is spoken of even among the simple faithful. One of the reasons is Pope Francis’ papacy. On 16 March 2013, he explained why he chose the name Francis. Recalling the words of his cardinals spoken to him during the conclave – “Don’t forget the poor!”- he said: “Then, immediately in relation to the poor, I thought of Francis of Assisi… He is for me the man of poverty, the man of peace… Ah, how I wish for a poor Church, for the poor!” From the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis placed poverty at the centre, following the example of the Saint of Assisi. As he once observed, “In the history of the Catholic Church, the true renewers are the saints”. Francis of Assisi, by choosing poverty, challenged luxury, pride, and vanity, and changed history.
St. Francis loved the Church deeply, even when she appeared fragile and poor. He saw her as a “poor but fruitful land”. At the heart of this love stood the Eucharist, which he regarded as the centre of Christian life. “I see nothing materially of the most high Son of God except His most holy Body and Blood” (Testament, no.10). Two fundamental aspects were intertwined in his great devotion to the Eucharist. The first is love for that poor soil that is the Church, in which God humbly submits himself and “each day comes down upon the altar in the hands of a priest” (Cf. Admonitions I:18). The second is contemplating the mystery of a God who is “humility” (Cf. Letter to the Entire Order 28), who gives himself to us “in the humble appearance of bread”. His fidelity was not theoretical but lived in obedience, reverence, and simplicity. This legacy reminds the Church today that renewal begins not with power, but with humble faithfulness.
Peace, Fraternity, and Witness
Among the most famous stories of Francis’ life is the Wolf of Gubbio, a symbol of transforming fear into trust and violence into peace. The image of Francis embracing the wolf continues to speak of reconciliation and hope – values at the heart of this Jubilee Year. His journey to the Holy Land during the Fifth Crusade was a lasting sign of courage and peace. Francis crossed battle lines to meet Sultan al-Malik al-Kāmil. He chose dialogue instead of weapons and showed that fraternity is possible even in times of conflict.
For Francis, fraternity was not an ideal but a way of life shaped by the Gospel. Living as brothers and sisters generated peace, not only within the community but also in the wider world. In the Rule, he specified: “I counsel, admonish and exhort my brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ not to quarrel or argue or judge others when they go about in the world; but let them be meek, peaceful, modest, gentle, and humble, speaking courteously to everyone, as is becoming” (Later Rule 3:10-11). Only in this way, free from violence and strengthened by their humble subordination, could they fulfil their task: “Into whatever house they enter, let them first say ‘Peace be to this house!’” This spirit continues to inspire Franciscan communities as witnesses of reconciliation and harmony. Francis’ final days reveal the same spirit. At the Porziuncola, he asked to be laid naked on the bare earth, wishing to be conformed fully to Christ Crucified. His last words to the brothers were simple and direct: “I have done my duty; may Christ teach you to do yours”.
Events and Spiritual Gifts of the Jubilee Year
Among the special events of the Jubilee, the relics of Saint Francis will be displayed for public veneration in the Lower Basilica of Assisi from 22 February to 22 March 2026. This will be the first extended public display of the mortal remains of Saint Francis, lasting an entire month. This confirmation was issued by the Sacro Convento of Assisi on October 4, 2025 and was made possible by the approval of Pope Leo XIV, through the Vatican Secretariat of State, who called it “an extraordinary gift”. Throughout the Jubilee Year, the Apostolic Penitentiary grants a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, to all who participate devoutly in the celebrations; the elderly, the sick, and those unable to travel may also obtain it by spiritually uniting themselves through prayer and offering their sufferings. The announcement of this event coincided with the Italian Parliament’s approval of a new law establishing October 4, beginning in 2026, as a national holiday, dedicated to the Franciscan values of peace, fraternity, and care for creation.
Finally, what touched me most during my last visit to Assisi was the “Lampada Votiva dei Comuni d’Italia”, the lamp that burns near the tomb of St. Francis. Since 1939, when St. Francis was proclaimed Patron Saint of Italy, all the regions and municipalities of the country have jointly entrusted the nation to his intercession. To express this shared devotion, only one lamp burns, representing the whole country – many communities, one prayer. Each year, a different Italian region is chosen to offer the oil that keeps the lamp burning throughout the year and to prepare floral decorations or mosaics, often rich in symbols drawn from local culture, faith, and Franciscan spirituality. For pilgrims, this lamp gently reminds us that peace (pace) is not an idea but a responsibility; that goodness (bene) is built through daily offerings, however small; and that the nation, like the Church, is called to live as one family. So, when we say “Pace e bene,” we echo not just a Franciscan greeting, but the very light that continues to burn beside St. Francis’ tomb – a prayer that never goes out.
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Fr. M. Titus Mohan, a priest of the Diocese of Kuzhithurai in South India, has authored more than 50 books and is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Moral Theology in Milan.