Religion

St. Francis of Assisi's Remains on Public Display After 800 Years

Is this a weird, pseudo-Christian practice or an ancient tradition rooted in scripture?

Published FEB 23

St. Francis of Assisi's Remains on Public Display After 800 Years

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Above: St. Francis of Assisi's bones at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy, on Feb. 21, 2026. Image credit: Juliette Rabat/Getty Images

The Facts

The remains of St. Francis of Assisi went on public display for the first time on Sunday, marking 800 years since the saint's death in 1226. The bones are contained in a bulletproof Plexiglas case in the lower Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy.
National Catholic Reporter
Daily Mail
Nearly 400,000 people registered in advance to view the relics during the monthlong exhibition, which runs through March 22. Visitors, the number of which has been estimated to reach half a million, are scheduled in 30-minute timeslots, 750 people at a time.
Catholic Arena on X
EWTN News
National Catholic Reporter
St. Francis was born in 1181 or 1182 to a wealthy merchant family in Assisi. After being taken prisoner during war at age 20 and becoming seriously ill, he underwent a spiritual transformation and renounced his family's wealth to embrace radical poverty.
Daily Mail
CNN
Following St. Francis' death, his aide, Brother Elias, secretly buried the body in the basilica, fearing it would be stolen during the medieval fight over relics. The remains remained hidden until excavations discovered them in 1818.
The New York Times
Daily Mail
The bones were briefly shown to a very limited audience in 1978, but the 2026 exhibition marks the first time they have been made available for widespread public viewing. Security measures include metal detectors, sniffer dogs and plain-clothed police.
Fox2Now
CNN
Assisi has experienced a 30% increase in pilgrims, partly due to Carlo Acutis, who was canonized in 2025 as the Catholic Church's first saint from the millennial generation and is also buried in Assisi. Mayor Valter Stoppini expressed concern about managing a monthlong influx of visitors.
Daily Mail
The Associated Press

Sources Split

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RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

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ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Putting a saint's bones on display for veneration is not just strange, but blurs the line between reverence and idolatry. Scripture repeatedly warns against attaching spiritual power to physical objects and calls believers to worship God in spirit and truth. Relic practices resemble pagan shrine culture and have a history of fueling corrupt commercialization of religious artifacts. By directing devotion toward the remains of the dead, they risk shifting trust away from Christ.

Rebuild Spirit - Michelle Hayman

Sub-Creations - Amy Mantravadi

Narrative B

Venerating relics is not morbid superstition but a timeless expression of an incarnational faith. From the earliest Christians who treasured Polycarp's remains, believers saw the bodies of saints as destined for resurrection, not as taboo. Scripture shows God, not idols or magicians, working through material things. The Church distinguishes veneration from worship, guards against abuse and treats relics with rigor and reverence, as signs of communion and hope in eternal life.