A victory for faith and identity: St. Francis' feast day re-established in Italy
Italy’s Senate has given final approval to re-establish October 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, as a national holiday starting in 2026. The bill returns a deeply Christian symbol to the public calendar after nearly 50 years.
A victory for faith and identity
The decision passed with overwhelming bipartisan support — only two votes against in the Chamber of Deputies. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who backed the legislation from the start, hailed the outcome as “a sign of unity around one of the most representative figures of our national identity.”
Meloni described St. Francis — Italy’s patron saint — as someone “beloved by all Italians and in whom all Italians identify.” She emphasized that reinstating the holiday gives the country an annual occasion to remember “who we are and what unites us profoundly.”
The Church and values celebrate
Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, welcomed Senate approval, calling it an opportunity to rediscover a saint who shaped Italy’s spiritual and moral character. He noted that in times of division, conflict, and rising global tension, Italy needs reminders of its Christian heritage.
The cardinal also emphasized how St. Francis’ message of peace, care for creation, and solidarity with the poor speaks directly to our era. Celebrating him annually, he said, reaffirms that politics must serve the common good, not power or polarization.
Restoring the feast of St. Francis as a public holiday is more than symbolic. It signals a reassertion of Italy’s Christian soul after decades of secular drift. In elevating a saint whose life embodied humility, charity, and faith, Italy is reclaiming a piece of its moral foundation.
For those who believe Europe’s strength flows from its spiritual heritage, this is a hopeful moment: a nation formally choosing to re-anchor public life in the Christian memory that shaped its identity.
