Eight hundred years after the death of St. Francis of Assisi, why does his life continue to speak so powerfully to the world?

In this special Vaticano documentary, journey through the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of St. Francis of Assisi—from his dramatic conversion and encounter with Christ to the stigmata, the Canticle of the Creatures, and the Franciscan mission that continues today.

We begin with the young Francis and the call he received while praying before the crucifix at San Damiano: “Francis, rebuild my Church.” Discover the importance of the Portiuncula, the Pardon of Assisi, his encounter with a leper, and his radical decision to abandon wealth and embrace a life of poverty centered on the Gospel.

We also explore one of the most mysterious moments of his spiritual life: the stigmata St. Francis received at La Verna in 1224, traditionally making him the first person known to bear the wounds of the crucified Christ.

Eight centuries later, Francis continues to draw pilgrims from around the world. During the Franciscan Jubilee Year, his mortal remains were placed on extended public display in Assisi in an extraordinary moment for the Catholic Church. More than 370,000 pilgrims traveled to Assisi to venerate the saint’s relics.

The documentary also explores the story behind the Canticle of the Creatures, one of the earliest great works of Italian literature. Composed as Francis suffered from illness and blindness near the end of his life, the Canticle praises God through Brother Sun, Sister Moon, the stars, water, fire, earth and even Sister Death.

That Franciscan vision of creation would continue to influence the Church centuries later, inspiring Pope Francis and his teaching on care for our common home, as well as Pope Leo XIV.

Finally, we travel to Rome and San Francesco a Ripa in Trastevere—the place where St. Francis is traditionally believed to have lived and prayed during his visits to the Eternal City. There, the friars preserve remarkable memories of the saint, including the stone traditionally associated with where he rested his head and an ancient image of St. Francis dating to shortly after his death.

Today, the Franciscan mission continues in the same place as friars welcome young people forced to leave their homelands because of war and poverty.

Eight hundred years later, St. Francis lives—not only through his relics and the places he touched, but through Christians who continue his call to simplicity, peace, fraternity, care for creation and radical fidelity to the Gospel.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:02 St. Francis of Assisi: “Rebuild My Church”
01:31 The Portiuncula and the Pardon of Assisi
02:20 The Conversion of St. Francis
03:37 St. Francis Receives the Stigmata
05:22 Why St. Francis Still Inspires the World
06:28 Pope Leo XIV and the Jubilee Year of St. Francis
08:43 St. Francis Lives: 800 Years of an Extraordinary Legacy
09:48 The Relics of St. Francis of Assisi on Public Display
11:58 370,000 Pilgrims Venerate St. Francis’s Relics
14:48 The Canticle of the Creatures: St. Francis’s Great Poem
17:52 How St. Francis Inspired Popes to Care for Creation
18:48 From Pope Francis to Pope Leo XIV: Caring for Creation
21:22 The Church in Rome Where St. Francis Lived
22:52 Inside St. Francis’s Room: Relics and Treasures in Rome

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