Pope Francis in the city of Francis

Pope Francis, who chose the name of Saint Francis on being elected Pope, made a pilgrimage to the town of Assisi on the saint’s feast day. The day was an intense encounter with Pope Francis in the city of Saint Francis. The Holy Father prayed at the tombs of Saint Francis and Saint Clare.

We publish here links to a series of video clips that cover the visit:

- The Pope arrives in Assisi and greets children and youth with severe physical and mental handicaps – see here

- In the place where Francis stripped himself of his worldly goods, the Pope encouraged Catholics to shed all kinds of worldliness including spiritual worldliness. He also mourned the death of over a hundred asylum seekers who drowned off the coast of Lampedusa – see here

- Pope Francis celebrated mass, calling for respect for the environment and an end to war, especially in Syria and the Holy Land – see here

- He met with lay people and youth who work in the Church and encouraged them to understand more deeply the meaning of the sacraments, particularly baptism and marriage – see here and here

- He met with the cloistered nuns of Saint Clare and underlined their vocation to be a joyful sign of the presence of Christ – see here