Bishop Paolo Martinelli has written a letter to the faithful of the Vicariate on the 8th centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, which is being celebrated during this Jubilee Year according to the intention of Pope Leo XIV.

In his letter, the bishop encourages the faithful to rediscover Franciscan spirituality, which is so important in the Middle East, and to take part in the initiatives organized in the parishes.

Themes and celebrations
The bishop recommends deepening the Franciscan themes of peace and mercy. “For our religious context,” he writes, “it is also important to remember the meeting of Saint Francis with Sultan Malik al-Kamil in Damietta.”

In this regard, he recommends to the faithful the book by Fr. Stefano Luca, “Ten Franciscan Words.”

The faithful are invited to participate in the celebrations of the Pardon of Assisi on August 2; the Feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis on September 17; and the Transitus and Feast of St. Francis on October 3 and 4. These celebrations will be marked with particular solemnity in the churches of the Apostolic Vicariate.

Jubilee churches
The letter mentions the Jubilee Churches in the Vicariate: St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jebel Ali, St. Anthony of Padua Church in Ras Al Khaimah, St. Anthony of Padua Church in Sohar, Oman, the Church of St. Francis at the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi (currently closed).

An additional one is the church dedicated to St. Francis in Aden, which served as the first cathedral in the Gulf. Although it is now severely damaged because of the ongoing war and cannot be visited, “it still is a jubilee Church which knocks at our spiritual duty to pray for lasting peace in that country.”

The bishop invites everyone “to visit the Jubilee churches of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia” and encourages parishes, where possible, to organize pilgrimages to Assisi, to the Tomb of Saint Francis, and to the Porziuncola.

Indulgencies
The bishop reminds the faithful of the possibility of obtaining the Plenary Indulgence, under the usual conditions, by visiting in pilgrimage any Franciscan church, or any place of worship throughout the world named after St. Francis or connected to him.

A special word is dedicated to the elderly and the sick, who may not be able to reach a Jubilee place. They too can obtain the indulgence “if they join spiritually in the Jubilee celebrations, offering their prayers to the Merciful God, the pains or sufferings of one's life.”