Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

“ Hold fast to the memory of our father and brother, Francis, for the praise and glory of Him who made him great among us and glorified him in the sight of the angels. Pray for him, as once he asked us, and pray to him that God may make us sharers with him of his holy grace ”. [1]

While the fruits of grace of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025, which has just ended, in which we have all been urged to become pilgrims of that hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rm 5:5), are still present and effective, a new occasion for jubilation and sanctification is added to it as an ideal continuation: the eighth centenary of the happy passing of Saint Francis of Assisi from earthly life to his heavenly homeland (3 October 1226).

In recent years, other important Jubilees have concerned the person and the words of the Saint of Assisi: the eighth centenary of the creation of the first Nativity Scene in Greccio, the composition of the Canticle of the Creatures, hymn to the holy beauty of creation, and the impression of the Holy Stigmata, which took place on Mount Verna, almost a new Calvary, two years before his death. The year 2026 will mark the culmination and fulfilment of all the preceding celebrations: indeed, it will be the Year of Saint Francis and we are all called to become saints in the contemporary world, following the example of the Seraphic Patriarch .

If it is admirably true that “there is no other name under heaven given among men” (cf. Acts 4:12) except Jesus Christ, Redeemer of humanity, it is equally extraordinarily true that between the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, in an era of so-called holy wars, relaxed morals and misguided religious fervour, “a sun was born into the world” [2]: Francis, who, as the son of a wealthy merchant, became poor and humble, a true alter Christus on earth, providing the world with tangible examples of evangelical life and a real image of Christian perfection. Our times are not very different from those in which Francis lived, and precisely in light of this, his teachings are perhaps even more valid and understandable today. When Christian charity languishes, ignorance spreads like bad habits, and those who extol harmony among peoples do so more out of selfishness than out of a sincere Christian spirit; when the virtual takes precedence over the real, social discord and violence are part of everyday life, and peace becomes more uncertain and distant every day; may this Year of Saint Francis urge us all, each according to our own possibilities, to imitate the Poverello of Assisi, to mould ourselves as much as possible on the model of Christ, to not let the intentions of the Holy Year just passed be in vain: may the hope that saw us as pilgrims now be transformed into zeal and fervour of active charity.

“And in this I want to know if you love the Lord and love me, his and your servant, if you will do this, namely: that there may never be any friar in the world, who has sinned as much as he could sin, who, after seeing your eyes, may go away without your merciful forgiveness, if he asks for it” [3] .

With these extraordinary words, given in the Epistola ad quendam ministrum , Saint Francis at the same time not only dispenses consolation and advices to an anonymous confrère, but above all outlines and emphasizes the fundamental concept of mercy, which is inextricably linked to that of forgiveness and indulgence. And it is precisely forgiveness, the well-known “Pardon of Assisi” or “Indulgence of the Portiuncola”, that Pope Honorius III granted directly to Francis as an exceptional privilege for those who, having confessed and received communion, visited an ancient church near Assisi on 2 August, built 800 years earlier on a “small portion of land” (hence the name “Portiuncola”).

With the same generous enthusiasm and joy that the Saint radiated to the crowd present at the consecration of the Portiuncola when he announced the grace granted, upon seeing his prayer answered by the Vicar of Christ, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Minister of our faith and our joy, establishes that, from 10 January 2026, coinciding with the closing of the Ordinary Jubilee, until 10 January 2027, a special Year of Saint Francis shall be proclaimed, in which every faithful Christian, following the example of the Saint of Assisi, shall become a model of holiness of life and a constant witness of peace.

For a more perfect achievement of the intended aims, the Apostolic Penitentiary, through this Decree issued in accordance with the will of the Supreme Pontiff, on the occasion of the Year of Saint Francis, grants a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father), also applicable in the form of suffrage for the souls in Purgatory:

1)    to members:

-    of the Franciscan Families of the First, Second and Third Orders Regular and Secular;

-    of Institutes of Consecrated Life, Societies of Apostolic Life and public or private associations of the faithful, male and female, who observe the Rule of Saint Francis or are inspired by his spirituality or perpetuate his charism in any form;

2)    to all the faithful without distinction

who, with a heart detached from sin, participate in the Year of Saint Francis by visiting, in the form of a pilgrimage, any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship anywhere in the world dedicated to Saint Francis or connected to him for any reason, and there devoutly follow the Jubilee rites or spend at least a reasonable period of time in pious meditation and raise prayers to God so that, following the example of Saint Francis, feelings of Christian charity towards their neighbours and authentic vows of harmony and peace among peoples may spring forth in their hearts, concluding with the Our Father, the Creed and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Clare and all the Saints of the Franciscan Family.

The elderly, the sick and those who take care of them, and all those who are unable to leave their homes for serious reasons may also obtain a Plenary Indulgence, provided they detach themselves from any sin and intend to fulfil the three usual conditions as soon as possible, if they unite themselves spiritually to the jubilee celebrations of the Year of Saint Francis, offering to the Merciful God their prayers, the pains or sufferings of their lives.

In order that this opportunity to obtain divine grace through the Power of the Keys of the Church may be more easily realised, this Penitentiary firmly requests all priests, regular and secular, who have the appropriate faculties, to make themselves available, with a ready, generous and merciful spirit, for the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

This decree is valid for the Year of Saint Francis, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary.

Given in Rome, from the seat of the Apostolic Penitentiary, on 10 January 2026, the eve of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

Angelo Card. De Donatis Major Penitentiary

His Reverend Excellency Msgr. Krzysztof Józef Nykiel Titular Bishop of Velia, Regent

 

 

 

[1] Encyclical Letter of Brother Elias, to all the Provinces of the Order, on the Transitus of Saint Francis , 7 (FF 311).

[2] Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy, Paradise, Xl, 50.

[3]Francis of Assisi, Letter to a minister, 7-8 (FF 235)

On Tuesday 20 January 2026, at 11.30, a press conference will be held at the Holy See Press Office, Via della Conciliazione 54, to present the Message of the Holy Father Leo XIV for the 34th World Day of the Sick 2026, to be celebrated on 11 February 2026 , on the theme: “The compassion of the Samaritan: loving by bearing another’s pain” .

The panel will be composed of:

- Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J. , prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; official delegate of Pope Leo XIV for the World Day of the Sick in Chiclayo, Peru;

- Fr. Michel Daubanes , rector of the Shrine of Notre Dame of Lourdes;

- Dr. Giulia Civitelli , physician responsible for the Caritas Clinic – Rome (Scalabrinian Secular Missionary);

- Marina Melone , of “Casa Gelsomino” in the parish of San Gregorio XII, centre for hosting and helping the families of children admitted to Bambino Gesù Hospital.

The press conference will be livestreamed in the original language on the Vatican News YouTube channel, at https://www.youtube.com/c/VaticanNews

Remote participation

Journalists and media operators who wish to participate remotely in the press conference must apply, no later than two hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event: CS Messaggio Giornata Mondiale del Malato 2026.

During the request phase, select the option “Sì” in the box “Partecipazione da remoto”.

Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system and, at the same time, the link to access the virtual platform and to participate actively in the press conference, with the possibility to ask questions.

Participation in person

Journalists and media operators who wish to participate in the press conference in person must apply, no later than 24 hours before the event, via the Holy See Press Office online accreditation system, at https://press.vatican.va/accreditamenti , selecting the event: CS Messaggio Giornata Mondiale del Malato 2026.

Journalists and media operators who are admitted will receive confirmation of participation via the online accreditation system.

Simultaneous translation

Both by connecting to the respective Vatican News linguistic YouTube channels and by using the virtual participation platform indicated in the paragraph “Remote participation”, it will be possible to access the simultaneous translation channels and to listen to the press conference in Italian , French , English and Spanish .

Simultaneous translation will also be available to those present at the Holy See Press Office.

* * *

Journalists and media operators accredited for the press conference are requested to arrive 30 minutes before the start time.

This morning, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Bishops from Slovenia, on their “ad Limina Apostolorum” visit.

1. The State of Kuwait and the Holy See welcome the official visit of His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, which is taking place from 14 to 16 January 2026. During the visit, an official round of talks will be held with His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait.

2. This visit comes as part of the celebrations marking the proclamation of the Church of Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi, Kuwait, as a Minor Basilica. As the oldest Catholic church in the State of Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf region, this title was conferred by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on 28 June 2025, in recognition of its historical and spiritual significance in the Arabian Gulf.

3. This historic designation–the first of its kind in the Arabian Peninsula–underscores the unique role of the Church of Our Lady of Arabia as the mother church of Kuwait, being the first Catholic church ever built in the country. The original chapel was constructed in 1948, and the present church was completed in 1957 as a generous gift of the local donors, whose care and support for the church complex continue to this day.

4. The State of Kuwait reaffirms its steadfast principles of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among religions, which are values that are enshrined in its ideals from its inception and were later codified in its Constitution.

5. This is an occasion also to recall the historic visit paid by the late Amir   of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may God rest his soul, to the Successor of Peter on 6 May 2010, which constituted an important milestone in the course of relations between the State of Kuwait and the Holy See. This visit took place as part of a series of high-level official exchanges, underscoring the Kuwaiti leadership’s commitment to strengthening communication and dialogue with the Holy See, having been preceded in 2009 by the visit of the former Prime Minister, His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and followed in 2015 by the visit of the former Prime Minister, His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, may God have mercy on him.

6. The solemn celebration of the proclamation of the Minor Basilica will take place in Ahmadi on Friday, 16 January 2026, at 10:00 a.m., and will be presided by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

7. Furthermore, His Eminence's visit aims to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation that the Holy See and the State of Kuwait have maintained since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1968, when Kuwait became the first country of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf to establish such relations with the Holy See. The visit also intends to bear witness to the longstanding tradition of religious coexistence that has consistently characterized the State of Kuwait within the Arabian Gulf.

Appointment of the vicar of the Cardinal Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major

The Holy Father has appointed Monsignor Luís Manuel Alí Herrera, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, as vicar of the Cardinal Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.