Cardinal Zuppi and President Mattarella mark Feast of Saint Francis in Assisi

National holiday celebrations in Assisi

Italian President Sergio Mattarella attended the Feast of Saint Francis in Assisi on 4 October 2026, marking the return of the day dedicated to Italy's patron saint as an official national holiday. The ceremony in the Umbrian city coincided with the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis in 1226. Government Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano, Umbria Regional President Stefania Proietti, members of the regional executive committee, Assisi Mayor Valter Stoppini, and Sacred Convent Custodian Father Marco Moroni greeted Mattarella upon his arrival. Moroni described the presidential presence as a gift extended on behalf of the entire country.

President Mattarella gives us a great, great gift, we truly desired his presence and he gives it to us in the name of all of Italy.

Critique of nationalism and armed power

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, led the mass and delivered a homily centered on international conflicts and political choices. Zuppi addressed a global landscape marked by warfare, describing armed conflict as a destructive madness where justice and peace remain the only valid objectives. He warned that modern societies are increasingly enticed by power structures driven by commercial interests and nationalism that manufacture adversaries rather than fostering unity. The cardinal argued that warfare is not an inescapable fate and urged leaders to reject the notion that military instruments can secure lasting stability.

In this season we are tempted and seduced by the culture of power, vulgar and intrusive, deceptive, the fruit of misplaced emphasis and brazen, enormous economic interests, of nationalisms that ruin nations, of campaigns that create the enemy instead of seeking what unites.

Lessons from Francis and the strength of law

In his address, Zuppi cited Saint Francis disarming himself by renouncing worldly goods, explaining that such a stance does not represent weakness, accommodation, or irrelevance. He recalled the historical episode of Francis reconciling the town of Gubbio with a predatory wolf by addressing the animal as a brother and negotiating a solution for both parties. Zuppi emphasized that Francis engaged with others through dialogue rather than the sword, showing no arrogance or distance. He urged contemporary society to rely on the strength of the law rather than imposing the law of force, calling for humble builders of peace who can foster coexistence in threatening times.

Francis reminds us that war is not a destiny. There is no time to lose, the divider deceives and makes people believe that we find peace with weapons and not with dialogue and law.

Appeals to national rulers and diplomacy

Zuppi also referenced historical writings in which Saint Francis appealed directly to rulers of nations to choose peace over conflict. The cardinal noted that the scale of human suffering across contemporary battlefields demands immediate diplomatic action without falling prey to divisive rhetoric. He argued that peace must encompass everyone to be genuine, warning against superficial definitions of love that demand nothing and merely reassure individuals seeking self-preservation. Instead, Zuppi advocated for practical, committed reconciliation based on international law, mutual dialogue, and shared responsibility among nations.