Known for renouncing his family's wealth to embrace "Lady Poverty," he attracted followers who ultimately formed the first Franciscans, the Order of Friars Minor. His "spiritual sister" St. Clare of Assisi founded the likeminded Poor Clares. This year, the Church is celebrating the 800th anniversary of his death with a Jubilee Year of St. Francis.

In St. Francis' era (1181-1226), the vast majority of European Christians were Catholic, with the exception of Eastern Orthodoxy and some notable schismatic movements. The triggering events of the Protestant Reformation that would fracture Western Christianity were still hundreds of years away. 

That being the case, Francis did not actually exercise ecumenism -- the promotion of unity among the world's Christian churches -- in the technical sense. But the saint's profoundly thoughtful and peaceful example nonetheless continues to transcend present-day denominational differences, offering his eight-century legacy as a welcoming entry point for ecumenical relations.

"St. Francis is perhaps more clearly associated with interreligious dialogue, in the light of his famous encounter with Sultan Malik al-Kamil in 1219," said Father Martin Browne, a Benedictine priest who serves in the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. 

At the height of the Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) -- which aimed to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslim control -- St. Francis travelled to the Middle East. Desiring to plead for peace and convert Muslim warriors to Catholicism, the friar impetuously crossed the battle lines and was received by Sultan Malik al-Kamil, an Egyptian leader of Egypt, Palestine and Syria.

"This remarkable encounter, which was surely a great personal risk, is of a piece with Francis' self-understanding as revealed in his famous canticle," said Father Browne, referring to St. Francis' "Canticle of the Creatures," a poetic celebration of the integrity of the world God made. "For this 'lesser brother' (friar minor), fraternity was a defining characteristic, uniting him not only with his relatives and his fellow friars, but with all people -- including Muslim sultans."

And while Francis did not convince the sultan to convert, his manner was so respectful that he was sent on his way with the parting gift of an ivory horn that can still be seen in Assisi today.

"This stance of radical fraternity is both encouragement and challenge to all who engage in dialogue today," said Father Browne, "whether that be within their own church, between their church and other Christians, or between their church and followers of another or no faith. Recognizing our inherent fraternity transforms all dialogue relationships -- and Francis is the great teacher of fraternity." 

Aaron Hollander, executive director of the Graymoor Ecumenical & Interreligious Institute in New York, agreed.

"His teaching and his preaching are profoundly evangelical. And I think people recognize that -- not just Protestants, but Orthodox as well," Hollander said. "His life is almost like another parable of Jesus. I think it speaks to people in different ways -- because it's not just that Francis is telling us this or that, it's in the way that he's living."

As a ministry of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement --  a religious community of brothers who were originally Episcopalians, but were received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1909 -- Graymoor is also one of the most prominent promoters of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed annually Jan. 18-25.

"There are ways that Francis' commitment to poverty, his commitment to justice, his commitment to the earth, are so manifest that they're hard to ignore," said Hollander, who is Episcopalian. "And they don't depend on a kind of allegiance to one or another religious institution."

Gilberto Cavazos-González, a Franciscan friar and chair of Franciscan spirituality at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, said the Church "would be crazy not to" leverage St. Francis' model for advancing ecumenism.

"I do think Pope Francis actually did that," he said. "He takes the name -- but then not only does he take the name, he actually brings Francis into some of his documents, which I think made him then a popular pope among even non-Catholics."

That said, it should be noted that St. Francis "is authentically himself; he's definitely Roman Catholic," added Cavazos-González. "And he makes no apologies for that. He's faithful to the Church."

Agreeing with Browne, he explained that "I think the closest Francis got to ecumenical relations  was his dealing with the sultan."

A group of friars -- who were to become known as the Five Franciscan Martyrs of Morocco -- had a distinctly different approach than Francis. The would-be missionaries apparently made no effort to be irenic in their dealings with Muslims and were killed in Marrakech in 1220.

"So, Francis, in the rule (for Franciscan friars, finalized in 1223) -- after he'd dealt with the sultan -- basically says, 'You go, you live among them, and shut up. And when the time is right, then OK -- then you can talk about the Gospel. By the authenticity of your life, then you will draw others to Christ. Not by attacking or making fun of or ridiculing. 

It is a simple yet effective method of dialogue that is as relevant now as it was then.

"There are so many exemplars or representatives of religious institutions that come across as hypocritical, or as saying one thing and doing another, or just too concerned with institutional niceties that aren't of interest to folks outside of those communities," observed Hollander. "But Francis demonstrates something about religion that is so fully authentic that it can't be ignored -- there's something magnetic about it, whether or not you share the reasons for his convictions and the reasons for his actions."

— Kimberley Heatherington, OSV News

"John Paul II makes that proclamation in 1979," explained Joshua C. Benson, associate professor of historical and systematic theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington. "Part of what's happening there is that there's greater ecological awareness on the part of people -- and in looking for a patron for that, Francis became an obvious choice."

Benson and other experts spoke with OSV News about how the founder of the Franciscan order became the patron saint of ecology, amid the Jubilee Year of St. Francis marking the 800th anniversary of his death. Like St. John Paul II's proclamation, these experts recognized St. Francis' special approach to creation. In particular, they pointed to his poem "The Canticle of the Creatures," where he used language such as "Brother Sun" and "Sister Moon" to refer to creation.

"When you look at St. Francis' life, he shows a very deep and real care for creation," said Father Jonathan St. Andre, a Third Order Regular Franciscan friar and vice president for Franciscan life at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. "We see that in his writings, particularly in a beautiful writing called 'The Canticle of the Creatures' … he talks about how all of creation praises God."

Capuchin Franciscan Father Robert Barbato, rector of the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi in San Francisco, said St. Francis wrote the canticle at the end of his life. It draws from the saint's recognition that "we all come from the same creator and need to care for one another."

While St. Francis' approach to creation was not unusual in the spirituality of his time, he gave it "popular and accessible words" in his canticle, said Franciscan Father Joseph Chinnici, president emeritus and professor of history at the Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego.

"His spirituality emphasized the communion between God and creatures in Jesus Christ," he said. "Created through the Word of God, all things bore the stamp of the Word. His vision emphasized not so much being the 'steward of creation' as a companion or kin with other creatures, gifts from a most generous God."

Father St. Andre added that St. Francis "loves creation at a deeper level, because creation is Christic -- it reflects Christ."

St. John Paul II's 1979 declaration belongs to a larger focus, Father Chinnici said.

"This focus on the need to be responsible for the environment has been a major theme of Church teaching, culminating in the encyclical letter of Pope Francis, "'Laudato Si', On Care for Our Common Home,'" he said of the 2015 papal document that takes its name from St. Francis' canticle.

With this letter, the late pope "shows how this spiritual experience of Francis was one with his concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society and interior peace," Father Chinnici said. "Today, this timely 'integral ecology' of Francis represents a path for the believer partially to heal a suffering world."

Benson called St. Francis the obvious choice as patron of ecology because of his tendency to call everything "brother" or "sister," his interactions with creatures, and his "sacramental vision of reality" embedded in his canticle.

"The liturgy shows us that the created gifts we bring of bread and wine can be transformed by the power of the word and the Holy Spirit into Christ himself," Benson said. "For Francis then, all of creation kind of becomes sacramental in a way, in as much as the temporal and the physical becomes a gateway or a window to those things that are eternal and spiritual to God himself."

Benson said this is connected with St. Francis' love for creation, and the saint was especially concerned with creatures with a biblical connection to Christ. St. Francis saw the worm in light of the Scripture passage, "I am a worm and no man" (Ps 22:6), referring to Christ and his suffering. He saw Christ as the Lamb of God, a title proclaimed by St. John the Baptist (Jn 1:29).

So, when St. Francis saw a worm on his path, he picked it up. When he saw a lamb about to be butchered, he rescued it.

Franciscan Father Jerome Wolbert at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America noted the stories of St. Francis preaching to the birds and negotiating a truce with a "Brother Wolf," while, at the same time, disliking when mice ran over him. Like Benson, he said St. Francis rescued lambs because of their connection to Christ.

"There is also the telling of how when one year Christmas fell on a Friday, and the brothers were arguing over whether they had to keep the Friday fast," he said. "St. Francis went into the kitchen and picked up a piece of meat, smearing it on the wall as he said, 'It's Christmas! Even the walls should eat meat!'"

While celebrating St. Francis as the patron of ecology, Father St. Andre hopes people get to know the saint more fully.

"He was a lover of Jesus Christ," he said. "He was a lover of the incarnate Christ in the crib, a lover of the Christ in the Eucharist, Christ in the cross -- and out of that love, he came to love creation and the leper and the people around him."

— Katie Yoder, OSV News

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi of Bologna, who is president of the Italian bishops' conference, presided over the closing Mass in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.

"In these extraordinary days, we have experienced moments of profound communion, during which countless men and women have been able to encounter the spirit of St. Francis, finding in him an inexhaustible source of light and hope in such a difficult time for our world," Cardinal Zuppi said in his homily.

"St. Francis takes us by the hand and helps us to look at reality with authentically Christian eyes."

The veneration, which ran from Feb. 22 to March 22, marked the first time in 800 years that the mortal remains of St. Francis had been exposed for an extended public display. It is part of the Catholic Church's yearlong observance of the 800th anniversary of the saint's death in 1226.

Following the Mass, Franciscan friars gathered for a final period of prayer with the relics before they were carried in procession from the basilica's Lower Church to the crypt. Before midnight, the saint's remains were sealed inside a gilded bronze urn along with the documentation required by canon law and placed inside the stone sarcophagus in the crypt of the basilica, where pilgrims can always pray in close proximity to the relics of the saint.

According to statistics released by the basilica, more than 5,000 of the American pilgrims and nearly 4,000 from Poland were able to venerate the relics, along with pilgrims from more than 40 other countries, including 99 pilgrims from China and 9 from Iran.

American mother Heather Martin was one of the first pilgrims to venerate the relics. "St. Francis is by far the most important saint in my life," she said, calling the experience "utterly life-changing."

Franciscan friars from Brazil, Tanzania, India, South Korea and the Middle East also made the pilgrimage to pray before the founder of their order.

Among those present in Assisi for the closing Mass was Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Yurash, who attended alongside 70 members of the Ukrainian community in Italy to pray for peace.

"These encounters teach us that a just and genuine peace is not an unrealistic goal," Ambassador Yurash said.

"With the blessing of Saint Francis, an eternal symbol of love between peoples, our intentions can become reality."

During the period, more than 170 Masses were celebrated in the upper basilica, attended by more than 100,000 people, including 50 bishops and cardinals.

Franciscan Friar Giulio Cesareo, the spokesman for the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, said the turnout exceeded his expectations, not only in numbers, but in atmosphere.

"I really didn't expect … the collected and joyful atmosphere that characterized the pilgrimage and veneration in the basilica: silence, patience, cell phones in pockets," he said.

Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a special Jubilee Year of St. Francis running until Jan. 10, 2027, offering a plenary indulgence to pilgrims who visit Franciscan churches or places of worship connected to the saint.

Father Jimmy Zammit of Toronto, now based in Rome as general definitor for the Franciscan order, shared his advice for Catholics who were unable to make the trip to Assisi who want to live out the special Jubilee Year of St. Francis in a particular way.

"If our heart becomes more Franciscan, we become makers of peace," Father Zammit told OSV News. "We seek out to help those who are less fortunate than we are to help the poor, but also to help those who are suffering because they're feeling isolated and maybe even shunned in some way."

—  OSV News 

St. Francis of Assisi is a beloved Catholic saint known for radical humility, deep love for Christ and joyful poverty. Bishop Martin is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, founded by St. Francis in the early 13th century and dedicated to living the Gospel as St. Francis modeled.

The Catholic Church has declared 2026 a jubilee Year of St. Francis, with special pilgrimages and celebrations in Assisi. Pilgrims will be able to venerate the saint’s remains in the basilica until March 22 – a rare and deeply revered event that is expected to draw thousands from around the world. For more about the jubilee year, go to www.charlottediocese.org.

—  Photos provided

Pope Leo XIV and Franciscan friars pray before the tomb of St. Francis in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Italy, Nov. 20, 2025.

The Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican tribunal that deals with matters of conscience, issued a decree published by the Franciscan Friars Jan. 10, declaring a yearlong celebration in honor of the Poverello, or the Little Poor One.

According to the decree, Pope Leo has established that from Jan. 10, following the closing of the church's Jubilee Year, until Jan. 10, 2027, a special Year of St. Francis may be proclaimed, in which every Christian, "following the example of the Saint of Assisi, may himself become a model of holiness of life and a constant witness of peace."

Noting previous jubilee celebrations related to the works of St. Francis -- such as the eighth centenary commemorations of the first Nativity scene, as well as his composition of the "Canticle of the Creatures" and his receiving of the stigmata -- the decree stated that "2026 will mark the culmination and fulfillment of all previous celebrations."

In its decree, the Apostolic Penitentiary also announced that plenary indulgences will be granted to Catholics "under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father), which can also be applied in the form of suffrage for the souls in Purgatory."

The indulgence will be granted to those who participate in a pilgrimage "to any Franciscan conventual church, or place of worship in any part of the world named after St. Francis or connected to him for any reason," it stated.

The sick, the elderly and caretakers unable to leave their homes can also obtain a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions "if they join spiritually in the Jubilee celebrations of the Year of St. Francis, offering their prayers to the Merciful God, the pains or sufferings of one's life."

In a statement announcing the decree's promulgation, the Franciscan Friars invited Catholics to take part in the Jubilee celebrations and hope that St. Francis' example would inspire participants "to live with authentic Christian charity towards our neighbor and with sincere longings for concord and peace among peoples."

May this year of St. Francis "be for each one of us a providential occasion for sanctification and evangelical witness in the contemporary world, for the glory of God and the good of the whole Church," the statement read.

In a Jan. 10 letter to the ministers general of the Conference of the Franciscan Family, Pope Leo said St. Francis' message of peace was needed now more than ever.

"In this age, marked by so many seemingly interminable wars, by internal and social divisions that create mistrust and fear, he continues to speak. Not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace," the pope wrote.

That peace, the pope added, "is not limited to the relations between human beings," but extends to "the entire family of Creation."

"This insight resonates with particular urgency in our time, when our common home is threatened and cries out under exploitation," he wrote. "Peace with God, peace among human beings, and with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation."

Pope Leo concluded his letter with a prayer to St. Francis, asking the saint's intercession "to give us the courage to build bridges where the world raises up boundaries."

"In this time afflicted by conflict and division, intercede for us so that we may become peacemakers: unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ," the pope wrote.

The pope's letter was read during a Jan. 10 celebration marking the start of the Franciscan Jubilee Year at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi, which houses the Chapel of the Transit, marking the site where St. Francis died.

Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi, who was present at the ceremony, said the start of the centenary celebration was "an explosion of true joy" that comes from the heart and "from the commitment of each one of us to rediscover Francis in all his dimensions."

"The wish I make to everyone and to the entire Church is to rediscover this saint of ours, to rediscover Jesus, the only source of joy and peace," the bishop said.

Among the notable events taking place in Assisi during the Franciscan Jubilee Year will be the first public display of St. Francis' body.

In October, the Basilica of St. Francis announced that Pope Leo had granted permission to display the saint's body from Feb. 22 to March 26.

According to the basilica's website for the historic event, as of December, some 250,000 pilgrims have so far registered for the veneration of St. Francis' remains.

The overwhelming number of people coming for the public display, the basilica said, is a testament to "the universality of the message of the Saint of Assisi and the timeless appeal of his figure."

A free but mandatory online reservation system has been set up on the centenary website, available in both Italian and English.

— Junno Arocho Esteves, OSV News

Local churches

There are four parishes in the Diocese of Charlotte named after St. Francis of Assisi. Visit their websites for details.

1. St. Francis of Assisi
167 St. Francis Pl., Jefferson, N.C. 28640
(336) 246-9151 

www.stfrancisofassisi-jefferson.org

2. St. Francis of Assisi
328-B Woodsway Lane NW, Lenoir, N.C. 28645
(828) 754-5281

www.stfrancislenoir.com

3.St. Francis of Assisi
299 Maple St., Franklin, N.C. 28734
(828) 524-2289

www.stfrancisassisifranklin.org

4.St. Francis of Assisi
862 Yadkinville Road, Mocksville, N.C. 27028
(336) 751-2973

www.sfamox.com

The bones of the beloved saint were unveiled for public display Feb. 22 in the Lower Church of the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Pilgrims waited in line outside of the Assisi basilica, taking in the panoramic views of the Umbrian countryside from the medieval hilltop town, for their chance to pray before the relics.

The veneration runs through March 22 as part of the Catholic Church's yearlong celebration of the 800th anniversary of St. Francis' death in 1226.

Heather Martin, an American mother who has lived in Assisi for five years with her family, was among the first pilgrims to venerate the relics.

"St. Francis is by far the most important saint in my life. He's shown up for me in so many ways and so many dark moments," she told OSV News.

"This experience to be able to go and physically see his physical form has been utterly life-changing."

Martin recalled a conversation she had with one of the Franciscan friars about the experience. "He felt like he was finally meeting a long-lost relative for the first time," she said. "And I can't agree with that more."

Fabrizio Ballanti traveled from Ancona, Italy, as part of a care home run by the Focolare movement.

"We are a community for people with HIV and AIDS, and we all came together to live this experience," Ballanti said.

Standing before the relics of St. Francis, he said, "I felt the presence of the Lord very strongly," calling it "a truly powerful experience."

For 21-year-old seminarian Gregory Maloney from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the moment was an opportunity to ask St. Francis for the gift of a deeper conversion "to grow in the virtue of poverty."

He said that the long wait in line to view the relics gave him an opportunity to reflect on the life of St. Francis in prayer. "Here is the man who wanted to live poverty as Christ really said it in the Gospel," Maloney said. "He wanted to give up his whole life, to give up all the things of the world to focus on the pearl of great price … the treasure of heaven."

"And so that was a great encouragement for me then to say, ‘OK, what are the areas in my life I need to give to the Lord? I need to focus more on the things of heaven," the seminarian added.

Bishop Michael Martin was among a group of Franciscan friars who witnessed the historic exhumation of the relics of St. Francis of Assisi on Feb. 21. The saint’s remains were removed from their crypt before carrying them in procession through the Lower Church while praying the Litany of the Saints.

Bishop Martin is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, founded by St. Francis in the early 13th century and dedicated to living the Gospel as St. Francis modeled.

Franciscans from across the world participated in a solemn vespers with the exposed relics beneath the basilica's frescoed ceiling on the evening before the relics opened to the public.

Friar Ignacio Ceja Jimenez, a Franciscan friar from Mexico, called it a historic moment of fraternity for all branches of the Franciscan family "because we all recognize ourselves as children of St. Francis, heirs to his charism."

"Seeing and praying before the body of St. Francis also means that we must commit ourselves to living what he lived," he said.

"St. Francis reminds us that the Gospel can not only transform human beings, hearts, but that the Gospel can also transform the structures of our world and help us build a fraternal, peaceful world."

Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, the pontifical delegate for the Papal Basilicas of Assisi, presided over both the vespers and the inaugural Mass Feb. 22.

The cardinal recalled St. Francis' final hours on Oct. 3, 1226, in his homily for the Feb. 21 vespers.

"When St. Francis felt his death approaching, he asked a friar to read the Gospel to him. Not just any passage, but chapter 13 of John: ‘Before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come ... having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end,'" Cardinal Artime said.

"His life had been this: a constant listening to the Word, a burning desire to conform himself to the poor and crucified Christ. Service and self-sacrificing love are the heart of Francis's spirituality."

Brother Jimmy Zammit of Toronto, now based in Rome as general definitor for the Franciscan order, shared his advice for Catholics unable to make the trip to Assisi who want to live out the special Jubilee Year of St. Francis in a particular way.

"If our heart becomes more Franciscan, we become makers of peace," Brother Zammit said. "We seek out to help those who are less fortunate than we are to help the poor, but also to help those who are suffering because they're feeling isolated and maybe even shunned in some way."

Approximately 370,000 people from five continents have registered to venerate the relics, with Italians making up 80% of registrants. International registrations include 5,000 from the United States, 3,100 from Croatia, 2,000 from Slovakia and 1,500 each from Brazil and France. Some 400 volunteers from dozens of countries are giving of their time to make the monthlong historic event possible.

Entry to view St. Francis' relics is free, but it requires advance registration at saintfrancisliveson.org. The exposition will close with Mass on March 22 in the Upper Church, to be presided over by Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

"We are experiencing an event of extraordinary grace: For an entire month, in this holy land where St. Francis of Assisi lived and was buried, the exposition of his body is offered for the veneration of the faithful, on the eighth centenary of his death," Cardinal Artime said.

"This body, fragile and poor, reminds us that the Gospel is also lived with the body, with real choices, with daily gestures. Francis did not love an idea of ??Christ: He loved Christ, poor and crucified, to the point of bearing his marks in his flesh."

— Courtney Mares, OSV News. Photos provided