Pope to visit Assisi

On 4 August of this year, the Pope will make a private pilgrimage to Assisi, a small medieval town in the Italian region of Umbria known for being the birthplace of the Franciscan order. While there, he will pray in the Porziuncola chapel, where the feast of the Pardon of Assisi originated eight centuries ago.

According to new details released on the local website for the Franciscan order, the Holy Father will arrive in Assisi by helicopter at 3:40pm. At 4pm, he will arrive at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, where the small Porziuncola chapel is located. There, he will take a moment of silent prayer in the chapel, before offering a reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 18:21-35.

Afterwards, Pope Francis will meet with Franciscan bishops and superiors, and then will greet pilgrims gathered in the piazza outside the basilica. At 6pm, the Pope will be taken by car to the Migaghelli sports field, before travelling back to the Vatican via helicopter.

Over the course of his short visit, the Pope will be received by several local religious authorities, including Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi-Nocera, Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, Father Michael Anthony Perry, and Provincial Minister of the Friars Minor of Umbria, Father Claudio Durighetto.