Pope Leo recalls unique “Pardon of Assisi” indulgence
Pope Leo recalled the 810‑year‑old “Pardon of Assisi” on August 2, highlighting the indulgence granted by Pope Honorius III to Franciscan churches. The indulgence originated when St. Francis received a vision at the Portiuncula and requested forgiveness for all who visited the church. Pope Leo noted the indulgence is now extended to all Franciscan churches worldwide on that day, and can be obtained any day in Assisi. The article marks the anniversary year of St. Francis’ death and encourages pilgrims to visit the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi. Images and links guide visitors to the site and celebrate the feast.
about 2 months ago
Pope Leo XIV commemorated the 810th anniversary of the “Pardon of Assisi,” a Franciscan indulgence that began with Saint Francis’s 1216 vision and papal grant, and highlighted its historic development and present‑day availability in Franciscan churches worldwide. 1
In July 1216, while praying in the Portiuncula (the “little portion of land”) in Assisi, Saint Francis reported a vision of Jesus and the Virgin Mary surrounded by angels. Mary asked what grace he desired; he asked for the complete forgiveness of all sins for anyone who entered the church, and she instructed him to seek a papal indulgence. 1
Following the vision, Francis approached Pope Honorius III, who granted the indulgence—later known as the “Pardon of Assisi.” The original grant applied only to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels on August 2. 1
Over the centuries, the indulgence was broadened to include all Franciscan churches worldwide on August 2, allowing the faithful to receive the pardon beyond Assisi. 1
In the current “eighth centenary” year of Saint Francis’s death, the indulgence can be obtained at the Portiuncula on any day of the year, reflecting its status as a lasting spiritual treasure. 1
During his midday Angelus on August 2, Pope Leo XIV recalled the indulgence’s origin, thanked the Lord for the gift, and urged the faithful to cherish it, especially as the 810th anniversary of the “Transitus” of the Poor Man of Assisi is observed. 1
The “Pardon of Assisi” remains a unique devotional practice that links contemporary believers with the medieval spirituality of Saint Francis, offering a tangible reminder of the Church’s tradition of indulgences and the promise of forgiveness. 1*
Ponder the theological significance of Franciscan indulgences in Catholic doctrine
Franciscan “indulgences” are the Church’s teaching made concrete within Franciscan devotion—above all in the Porziuncola / Portiuncula indulgence (“Perdono d’Assisi”)—so that the mystery of Christ’s mercy and the healing work of the sacrament of Penance can overflow into daily conversion, prayer, and charity.
In Catholic doctrine, an indulgence is not a forgiveness of guilt (that comes through the sacraments), but a remission of “temporal punishment” due to sin whose guilt has already been forgiven.
The Catechism’s definition is explicit:
“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven… which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church… [dispensing and applying] with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.”
So the theological significance of any indulgence—Franciscan or otherwise—must be understood in the same key: God’s mercy works through the Church’s sacramental and pastoral ministry to purify the person still needing healing and reparation.
Among Franciscan indulgences, the best-known is the indulgence connected with the Portiuncula chapel, associated with St. Francis of Assisi and traditionally celebrated on 2 August.
The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that:
This matters theologically: the Church does not treat Franciscan indulgences merely as folklore or private spirituality, but as ecclesial mediation—a channel through which the faithful participate in the Church’s prayer and trust in Christ’s merits.
John Paul II explains that indulgences must be read against the “background” of humanity’s renewal through Christ. The “great indulgence” is Christ’s Cross, which offers forgiveness and a new life; indulgences then relate to the continued process of healing from sin’s effects after sacramental reconciliation.
In his audience reflection, he emphasizes two points that directly illuminate Franciscan devotion to indulgences:
Franciscan indulgences therefore carry a distinct spiritual “texture”: they concretize the Church’s mercy as a lived, penitential, hope-filled purification, not as a shortcut that bypasses conversion.
Paul VI’s Indulgentiarum Doctrina is clear that the aim of granting indulgences is not only to help expiate punishment, but also to urge the faithful toward works of piety, penitence, and charity, especially those that foster growth in faith and the common good.
That is why Franciscan indulgence practices align naturally with Franciscan emphases: repentance, prayer, and concrete charity. The indulgence is meant to shape the Christian life—leading the faithful back into the rhythm of Gospel conversion.
The Church teaches that indulgences are granted through the action of the Church using the “treasury” of Christ and the saints; indulgences can benefit the living or the dead.
Aquinas’ theological treatment highlights that works can be shared with others in different ways, and that indulgence effects belong properly to those with ecclesial authority over the Church’s spiritual good—because indulgences involve not merely “sharing,” but a specific ecclesial application.
Franciscan indulgences thus function as a pastoral pedagogy of a central Catholic truth: salvation is personal, but not solitary. The faithful are drawn into the Church’s communion—especially when charity extends beyond death through suffrage.
Because indulgences are attached to popular devotional life, the Church has repeatedly insisted on what indulgences are not.
For example, the US bishops’ guide states plainly:
It also explains the “medicinal” logic: sin creates disorder and requires purification, which can occur in this life or in Purgatory; indulgences are granted as the Church’s prayer that God reduce or eliminate the painful aspect “without the suffering that would normally accompany it,” in view of Christ’s merits and through the Church’s confidence in the Father’s hearing.
The theological significance here for Franciscan indulgences is that they should intensify the penitential and Eucharistic life, not replace it with an attitude of spiritual minimalism or transactional thinking.
Even where historical details about the Portiuncula indulgence are debated, the Franciscan tradition associates the indulgence with a place of conversion and a day marked in the Church’s life. St. Francis is presented as seeking a plenary indulgence for those who, after confession, visit the chapel; the practice becomes a recurring ecclesial moment for reconciliation.
That association matters theologically because it expresses the Church’s view of salvation as:
Franciscan indulgences—especially the Portiuncula “Perdono d’Assisi”—are theologically significant because they translate Catholic doctrine into Franciscan terms: Christ’s mercy becomes personally effective through the Church’s intercession, remitting the temporal effects of sin’s guilt already forgiven, and urging concrete works of repentance and charity within the communion of saints.