Helpers gently guide visitors, requesting silence and discouraging photography as they approach the glass sarcophagus in the right aisle of Santa Maria Maggiore. Inside rests Carlo Acutis (1991-2006), a teenager dressed in jeans, Nike sneakers, and a tracksuit, appearing to sleep peacefully.
Despite his young age, Acutis was canonized by Pope Leo XIV last fall, and his tomb has since become a major pilgrimage site. Visitors receive prayer cards bearing the message, “To Jesus with Francis of Assisi and Carlo Acutis,” and many also visit the tomb of Saint Francis in the nearby Basilica of San Francesco, a ten-minute walk away.
“Divine Providence”
Joachim Vater, who traveled with a group of German-speaking pilgrims, described the opportunity to view the relics of Saint Francis as “divine providence.” For the first time in centuries, the Franciscan order is displaying the remains of Saint Francis, normally kept in the basilica’s crypt. Vater was waiting for a guided tour of the basilica when he spoke.
He noted that the way Acutis is displayed – in a glass sarcophagus – is “a bit typically Italian,” but added, “It’s impressive that a 15-year-old made such profoundly spiritual statements.” Acutis, he believes, is a relatable figure for young people. “I’ve recommended him to my grandchildren,” he said with a smile.
A stark contrast to the bustling exterior
Pilgrim leader Brother Thomas Freidel, who has worked in Assisi for 18 years, then led the group into the lower church of the magnificent basilica. The atmosphere inside offered a stark contrast to the lively scene outside, where volunteers, security personnel, and visitors from around the world mingled.
“Francis lives,” Freidel began his introduction in a side chapel. “He lives through the message of his life and the witness of his faith; you can encounter him here.” He prepared the visitors for the simple plexiglass sarcophagus, positioned intentionally before the altar as a symbol of Christ, describing it as “the humble, weak, mortal remains of a minor man.”
The heart of the order
“The goal is not Francis, but the goal is God and completion with Him,” Freidel explained, referencing a famous depiction by Giotto above the altar, which shows Francis achieving eternal life with God. “His tomb should be a place of life, proclaiming a message of hope and confidence. The place of the tomb becomes a place of life.” He said the display of Saint Francis’s remains feels as though the heart of the Franciscan order has been opened.
The pilgrims then walked in silence through the basilica’s central nave. Ropes guided their path, and screens along the sides displayed images from the frescoes created around 1260, depicting the life of Saint Francis and the Passion of Christ.
Pilgrim’s guide and renewal of baptismal vows
At the front, the eye is drawn to dark bones and fragments assembled into a human skeleton within the glass shrine. “Do not stop, do not speak, do not photograph,” a voice repeated. Many touched the cool surface of the sarcophagus, but the moment felt too brief for overwhelming emotion.
The group then paused to the right of the altar, contemplating the frescoes on the ceiling and walls, or quietly reading through a pilgrim’s guide featuring the image of the patron saint of animals and the environment. Brother Thomas then led them down into the Bonaventura Chapel, where he offered a blessing for the renewal of baptismal vows after a prayer.
Visitors could also confess, request a Mass, obtain a stamp for their pilgrim’s certificate, or visit an exhibition on the history of Saint Francis’s tomb in the upper cloister.
“Peace and Goodness”
As a parting gift, each pilgrim received a packet of wheat seeds in a biodegradable pot. Brother Thomas explained that, in line with the biblical parable of the wheat grain that must fall to the earth and die to bear fruit, the seeds symbolize “that God gives life, and we too are called to grow in faith.” He then bid farewell with the greeting attributed to Saint Francis: “Pace e Bene, peace and goodness.”
For Joachim Vater, it was a deeply spiritual experience. “When you consider that Saint Francis walked this land 800 years ago!” he said. “I brought my concerns to him.”
More information about the Franciscan order in Assisi can be found at https://sanfrancescovive.org/en/home/
