A Saint for Our Times

The decree emphasizes the enduring relevance of Saint Francis in today’s world. His radical Gospel life—marked by poverty, humility, peace, and love for creation—continues to speak powerfully to a humanity wounded by division, violence, and indifference. The Holy Father invites all Christians to “become saints in the contemporary world, following the example of the Seraphic Patriarch,” transforming hope into concrete charity and a sincere commitment to peace.

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In this jubilee, the Church calls the faithful to rediscover Francis not merely as a gentle lover of nature, but as a man conformed to Christ Crucified, whose life was a living proclamation of the Gospel.

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The Gift of a Plenary Indulgence

Throughout the entire Year of Saint Francis, the Apostolic Penitentiary grants the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence, applicable either to oneself or in suffrage for the souls in Purgatory.

 

The indulgence is granted under the usual conditions:

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• Sacramental Confession

• Eucharistic Communion

• Prayer according to the intentions of the Holy Father

• A heart truly detached from sin*

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*“The detachment from sin that is required is not an emotional sense of purity, but an act of the will that says, ‘Lord, I want no sin at all, not even the smallest,’” Bishop Krzysztof Nykiel said in an interview with Vatican News. He explained:

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It is not a state of sinlessness. A person may have weaknesses, recurring venial sins, and may even experience painful falls. What matters is the intention and the orientation of the heart: the sincere decision to break with sin here and now.

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If someone says to God: “I do not want sin, I hate it, even though I know I am weak,” then there is no attachment to sin in that person.

 

With pastoral sensitivity, special consideration is given to the elderly, the sick, and those unable to leave their homes. They, too, may obtain the indulgence by spiritually uniting themselves to the jubilee celebrations, offering their prayers and sufferings to God with trust and love.

 

The Apostolic Penitentiary also encourages priests to make themselves generously available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so that this jubilee may truly become a time of mercy and healing for the People of God.

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The indulgence may be obtained by all the faithful.  For more information about Plenary Indulgences click the link below.

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Plenary Indulgences Explained​​​

 

During the Jubilee Year, the faithful are invited to:

• Make a pilgrimage to a Franciscan church or to a place of worship dedicated to Saint Francis

• Participate in Jubilee rites, or pause for prayer and meditation

• Conclude with the Our Father, the Creed, and invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Francis, Saint Clare of Assisi, and the Saints of the Franciscan Family

• Mercy for All, Especially the Suffering

 

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A Time of Favor for the Whole Church

 

The Year of Saint Francis presents itself as a time of favor and grace, offered freely to all. As the Holy Father expresses his hope, may this jubilee awaken anew in hearts “feelings of Christian charity toward one’s neighbor and an authentic desire for harmony and peace among peoples.”

 

Eight centuries after his death, Saint Francis still calls the Church—and the world—to conversion. This Jubilee Year invites us not only to honor him, but to walk in his footsteps, rebuilding the Church through lives transformed by the Gospel.

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This Jubilee of Saint Francis is a time of grace, calling all Christians to grow in holiness, mercy, and peace by following the Gospel way lived by the Poverello of Assisi.​​