By Sr. laurencila, FSSA
Vatican City, 7 January 2026 — Pope Leo XIV has called on the Franciscan Family and the wider Church to rediscover the enduring message of peace embodied by Saint Francis of Assisi, as the Church prepares to mark the VIII Centenary of the Saint’s death.
In a letter addressed to the General Ministers of the Conference of the Franciscan Family, released on the occasion of the opening of the centenary celebrations, the Pope reflected on the spiritual legacy of the Poverello of Assisi, who died on 3 October 1226 at the Porziuncola.
Recalling Saint Francis’ famous words, “Our sister death,” spoken as he approached the end of his life “as a man finally at peace,” Pope Leo XIV described the Saint as one who “incisively wrote Christ’s saving word in the hearts of the men of his time.” Eight centuries later, the Pope said, Francis’ witness continues to offer a powerful message for today’s world.
At the heart of that legacy, the Pope noted, is peace — a gift that comes from God and must be received and lived daily. Citing Saint Francis’ own testimony, “The Lord revealed to me that we should say this greeting: ‘The Lord give you peace,’” the Holy Father emphasized that peace is not the product of human effort alone, but a divine gift flowing from Christ’s victory over death.
The Pope linked Francis’ greeting of peace to the words of the Risen Christ to the disciples — “Peace be with you” — and to the angels’ proclamation at Christ’s birth. In this sense, he said, Francis did not invent a new message, but allowed the peace of Christ to “resonate between heaven and earth.”
Addressing the contemporary context, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged a world “marked by so many seemingly endless wars” and deep social divisions. Saint Francis, he explained, remains relevant not because he offers political or technical solutions, but because his life points to the true source of peace.
The Pope also highlighted the Franciscan vision of peace as extending beyond human relationships to include all of creation. Referring to Francis’ fraternal language toward the sun, moon, and all creatures, Pope Leo XIV stressed that peace with God, peace among people, and peace with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation — a message of particular urgency in an age of environmental crisis.
In the concluding part of the letter, the Holy Father encouraged the faithful to draw inspiration from Saint Francis’ faith, hope, and active charity, urging renewed trust in the Lord and fidelity to the Gospel in every circumstance of life.
To mark the centenary year, Pope Leo XIV offered a prayer asking Saint Francis to intercede so that Christians may become “unarmed and disarming witnesses of the peace that comes from Christ,” capable of building bridges where the world erects borders.
The Pope concluded by extending his Apostolic Blessing to all members of the Franciscan Family and to those who will commemorate the anniversary of Saint Francis’ dies natalis in various ways.
