Saturday, February 21, 2026, the solemn transfer of the remains of St. Francis from the crypt of the tomb to the lower church of the Basilica was followed by the celebration of Vespers, presided over by Cardinal Ángel Fernandez Artime, whose homily is reproduced in full below: "Dear brothers ...

Saturday, February 21 starting at 9:00 a.m., in the presence of several friars from the community, among others, the mortal remains of St. Francis were exhumed from the sarcophagus in which they rest. Placed on a table prepared specifically for this purpose in the crypt of the Basilica, at 4:00 ...

Next month will be particularly intense for the Sacred Convent of St. Francis in Assisi, whose community of friars is preparing to welcome the hundreds of thousands of people who will arrive in Assisi during the month of the first public and prolonged display of the mortal remains of St. Francis. ...