The Porziuncola: Indulgence was lived with joy and with pilgrims on their knees in Assisi

The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels in Assisi (Italy) was the scene of emotional moments of reconciliation with the Lord, amidst candles and pilgrims who knelt before entering the Chapel of the Porziuncula, the origin of the plenary indulgence that Faithful from all over the world can receive in any Franciscan church between August 1 and 2.

The tradition It is said that Saint Francis of Assisi had a mystical vision of Christ and the Virgin in the Porziuncola. The saint asked the Lord for plenary indulgence for all those who came to this place and Jesus, encouraged by the intercession of his mother, accepted. Then the Catholic Church extended this indulgence to all Franciscan temples on the aforementioned days.

In this context, on Thursday evening, August 1, the traditional Prayer Vigil of Forgiveness was held in Assisi. According to broadcast images by the Minor Brothers of Assisi, a large number of consecrated persons and lay people stood in a long queue in the atrium of the Basilica carrying lit candles in their hands.

Between songs and prayers, little by little they entered the temple and sat on the benches that were placed in front of the Porziuncola chapel. The meditation was led by Father Gaetano La Speme of the Minor Capuchin Brothers of Sicily.

On Friday, August 2, the day of the great festival of Forgiveness of Assisi and Our Lady of the Angels of the Porziunculaa solemn Mass was held presided by Bishop Mauro Maria Morfino, Salesian Bishop of Allghero-Bosa.

In his homily, he highlighted that “in this ‘gate of heaven’, where Mary opens wide the throne of mercy for us, we learn that with the love with which we are loved, which is free, undeserved, unconditional and without defect. , precisely because we are loved like this, we can in turn love, with the same heart of God.”

In the afternoon, in an atmosphere of joy, the various marches arrived with thousands of pilgrims from Italy and other parts of Europe. The delegations stopped in front of the Basilica and knelt to kiss the floor.

Then they entered the temple and passed through the small door of the Porziuncula to gain indulgence. Inside, people knelt to thank God for the merciful gift of forgiveness.

According to the Friars Minor of Umbriaregion where Assisi is located, its provincial minister, Brother Francesco Piloni, highlighted on social networks that “the Forgiveness of Assisi still wants to arrive today as a door wide open that opens to hope, but even more, that it opens to possibility of a different way of life.”

“A true celebration of Forgiveness will then be to return to the depths, to remove from our hearts every root of hatred and indifference, to truly root ourselves in that greatest love that we all desire, which is the love of God,” he pointed out.