As every year, from noon on August 1st until midnight on August 2nd, the Franciscan family celebrates the Pardon of Assisi. For the Order of Friars Minor, it is one of the deepest and most symbolic expressions of the spirituality of St. Francis. And it certainly is in the Holy Land as well, where the Custody is visible proof of the commitment of the Poverello of Assisi, who reached these Places in 1219.
According to tradition, in 1216, in the small church of the Porziuncola, the Saint had a vision of Jesus and the Virgin Mary surrounded by angels, who asked him what he desired for the salvation of souls. Francis thus asked for the gift of plenary indulgence for anyone who went to pray, reconciled with the Lord and repentant. At that point, he went to Pope Honorius III to receive the Church's approval. And from that moment on, the tradition of the Pardon of Assisi was born, an invitation to conversion, reconciliation, and peace. For Francis, the Porziuncola was the center of the Pardon.
But Franciscan spirituality immediately extended to the whole world, reaching the Holy Land as well. And in these Places, the sense of forgiveness and mercy offered by Jesus in his earthly experience are made even more vivid by the testimony of the Gospel. From preaching in the streets of Jerusalem to Calvary, mercy characterized Christ's entire life in the Holy Places. And so, every year, the Franciscan communities of the Holy Land also participate spiritually in the Pardon of Assisi, ensuring that the gift of indulgence belongs to those who enter the churches entrusted to the Custos.
However, to receive it there are conditions. Indulgence is not "automatic", but requires a true path of conversion. Thus, from noon on August 1st until midnight on August 2nd, the faithful can participate in the Pardon by visiting the Porziuncola or a Franciscan church or a parish church anywhere in the world.
In addition to the place, other conditions established by the Church must also be observed. These are: receiving sacramental Confession within eight days before or after, participating in Holy Mass and receiving Eucharistic Communion, reciting the Creed and the Our Father, and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father.
And the current Supreme Pontiff, Leo XIV, decided to embrace the Franciscan family on the VIII centenary of the death of its Holy founder, traveling to Assisi on August 6th, the solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord. A feast that holds a special place in the Holy Land as well, which will celebrate it at the shrine of Mount Tabor and confirms the link between Rome, Assisi, and the Places of Christ's passage.
Lorenzo Vita
