On the occasion of the Transitus and Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, shares a message with the faithful of the Vicariate during the Extraordinary Franciscan Jubilee.

Eight hundred years after the passing of the Saint of Assisi from this world to heaven, Bishop Paolo invites the faithful to rediscover the heart of Francis’ witness: his encounter with Christ, his peace of heart, his love for fraternity, and his praise of God in every situation.

The Bishop also recalls the special meaning of St. Francis for the Church in the Gulf, where Capuchin Franciscan friars have served for almost two centuries, witnessing to the Gospel and fostering dialogue and fraternity in these lands.


Dear brothers and sisters,
On the evening of October 3, 1226, at the Porziuncola, Saint Francis of Assisi completed his earthly journey, placing himself in God’s hands with the trust of a son.

Eight hundred years later, we remember that passage from this world to heaven with a special joy.

This anniversary is at the heart of the Extraordinary Franciscan Jubilee proclaimed by Pope Leo XIV, which we have been living throughout this year. 

This celebration has a special meaning for us in the Gulf.

Saint Francis is known as a man of peace and reconciliation, a man of universal fraternity, and a man who loved creation. But at the heart of his life was the encounter with Christ, whom he chose to follow with all his being, leaving everything behind. From Christ he learned how to love: the lepers, his friars, every brother and sister, and every creature. 

Saint Francis was a man of peace because his heart was at peace with God. He was so united with God that he could even call death “sister”.

The spirituality of Saint Francis remains relevant for us today.

From him, we can learn to be peacemakers, to build fraternity, and to praise God in every situation, in joy and in sorrow.

His presence also has a special meaning for us here in the Arabian Peninsula.

For centuries, Franciscan friars have served in the Middle East. For almost two centuries, Capuchin Franciscan friars have shared in the life and mission of the Church in the Gulf, witnessing to the Gospel, and fostering dialogue and fraternity in these lands.

Dear brothers and sisters, I invite you to celebrate this feast of Saint Francis with greater zeal and commitment during this Jubilee year.

May this great and humble saint inspire us to live always the joy of the Gospel.

To all of you, I offer the greeting that Francis himself loved to give: “May the Lord give you peace.”