Writen by sadataley 7:41 PM - 0 Comments

                Pope Francis Will Make First Trip to Assisi

Pope Francis will visit the birthplace of his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, on the saint’s feast day, Oct. 4.

The Vatican confirmed the trip May 23.

Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi said he was thrilled about the visit and that it was “a great sign” of the pope’s benevolence and consideration.

“It could be no other way,” he said, than a trip to Assisi “for someone who took the name of Francis.”

He told Vatican Radio that Pope Francis has never been to the small city in central Italy and that the pope “intends to have a very comprehensive visit that lets him walk in the footsteps of St. Francis, along his spiritual path, the path of his conversion.”

Just a few days after his March 13 election, Pope Francis told Italian pilgrims during his Sunday Angelus address that choosing St. Francis as his papal name “reinforces my spiritual tie with this land, where — as you know — my family origins lie.” St. Francis is the patron saint of Italy, and the pope’s maternal and paternal grandparents were born in Italy and later emigrated to Argentina.

Pope Francis has said that he chose his name because St. Francis of Assisi was so devoted to the poor, a virtue he wanted to be reminded of throughout his papacy.

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