St. Francis’ Remains, Rarely Seen, Go on Display in Assisi

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Elisabetta PovoledoFebruary 22, 2026 at 02:10 PM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

To mark the 800th anniversary of St. Francis' death, his remains are on public display for a month at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. The bones, usually kept in a crypt, were moved to the upper church in a solemn procession. This is only the second time the remains have been shown to the public, the first being in 1978. Hundreds of thousands of people have already registered to view the relics of the patron saint of Italy. The influx of pilgrims is causing logistical concerns for the town's mayor, who must balance the needs of visitors with those of Assisi's residents. The basilica has long been a pilgrimage site, drawing visitors to see art and now to pray to Carlo Acutis, the Church's first millennial saint.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Carlo Acutis 30% Florence 40% Roman Catholic Church 40% Brother Marco Moroni 50% Brother Marco Borgioli ×260% Valter Stoppini ×260% Italy 80% Assisi ×590% St. Francis ×695%

Keywords

st. francis 100% 800th anniversary 90% assisi 80% relics 70% basilica 70% pilgrimage 60% patron saint 60% religious tourism 50% franciscan 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Positive

Score: 0.40

Source Transparency

Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Assisi

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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st. francis 800th anniversary assisi relics basilica pilgrimage patron saint religious tourism franciscan

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