The Year of Saint Francis

By decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary issued on January 10, 2026, at the request of Pope Leo XIV, the Church has solemnly proclaimed a special Year of Saint Francis of Assisi, running from January 10, 2026, to January 10, 2027.

This Jubilee Year commemorates the 800th anniversary of the passage into Heaven of Saint Francis of Assisi (†1226), the Seraphic Patriarch and one of the most beloved saints in Christian history.


More than a remembrance of the past, this jubilee is offered as a gift of grace for the entire Church—not only for the Franciscan Family, but for all the faithful—so that this anniversary may become a moment of authentic spiritual renewal in our own time.


Saint Francis remains deeply relevant today. His Gospel life of poverty, humility, peace, and love for creation speaks to a world wounded by division and violence. The Holy Father calls Christians to follow his example by turning hope into charity and working for peace. In this jubilee, the Church invites us to rediscover Francis not only as a lover of nature, but as a man conformed to Christ crucified, whose life proclaimed the Gospel.

The Gift of a Plenary Indulgence


The indulgence is granted under the usual conditions:

-Sacramental Confession

-Eucharistic Communion

-Prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father

-A heart truly detached from sin


How the Faithful May Obtain the Indulgence

-Make a pilgrimage to a Franciscan church or to a place of worship dedicated to Saint Francis

-Participate in Jubilee rites, or pause for prayer and meditation

-Conclude with the Our Father, the Creed, Hail Mary, and prayer to Saint Francis, Saint Clare of Assisi, and the Saints of the Franciscan Family


Mercy for All, Especially the Suffering

With pastoral sensitivity, special consideration is given to the elderly, the sick, and those unable to leave their homes. They, too, may obtain the indulgence by spiritually uniting themselves to the jubilee celebrations, offering their prayers and sufferings to God with trust and love.

Pope Leo's Prayer for the Year of Saint Francis of Assisi


Saint Francis, our brother, you who eight hundred years ago

went to meet Sister Death as a man at peace,

intercede for us before the Lord.


You recognized true peace in the Crucifix of San Damiano,

teach us to seek in Him the source of all reconciliation

that breaks down every wall.


You who, unarmed, crossed the lines of war

and misunderstanding,

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. Amen