Update: The upper house of the Italian parliament approved the bill on Wednesday, October 1, meaning that St. Francis of Assisi's feast day will once again be a national holiday in Italy.
"The national holiday will be an opportunity to celebrate an extraordinary man and to remind us, each year, who we are and what unites us," said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in a statement published after the Senate's approval.
Meloni noted that the bills were approved with bipartisan and "virtually unanimous" support in parliament. St. Francis of Assisi, she said, is "a saint beloved by the entire Italian people and in whom all Italians identify."
The national holiday will return to Italy's calendar on October 4, 2026.
Original article below:
Italians might soon once again have October 4 off from work to honor St. Francis of Assisi, the country's patron saint.
On Tuesday, September 23, the Chamber of Deputies — the lower house of the Italian Parliament — overwhelmingly voted in favor of establishing October 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, as a national holiday. The bipartisan vote saw 247 members in favor, two against, and eight abstain from voting.
The bill now moves on to the Senate, the upper house of parliament, before it can be enacted into law.
"October 4 will once again be a national holiday dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Italy," said President of the Chamber of Deputies Lorenzo Fontana.
Fontana said he was "delighted" by Tuesday's vote, and added "rediscovering St. Francis also means reviving his message of peace, which is more relevant than ever."
Italy previously honored St. Francis of Assisi with a national holiday on his feast day until 1977, when the holiday was annulled due to austerity measures, said The Guardian. St. Francis of Assisi was named one of the patron saints of Italy in 1939, more than 700 years after his death.
The Italian Senate has not yet set a date to vote on the bill. Should the Senate pass the bill, October 4, 2026, will be the first time the new holiday is observed, the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi's death.
8 Religious holidays so far
Italy presently has 12 public holidays. Of the 12, eight — Epiphany, Easter Monday, Feast of the Assumption, All Saints' Day, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Christmas, St. Stephen's Day, and each municipality's patronal feast day — are religious in nature.
Franciscans living in Italy told local press they were excited at the possibility of their founder's feast day once again being a national holiday, and that they hope St. Francis' influence will spread over the entire country.
"We are pleased that the feast of St. Francis will likely return to being a national holiday. We hope it won't just be a red flag on the calendar, but will become an opportunity to reflect as a national community to increasingly embrace St. Francis's testimony of peace, brotherhood, and service to humanity," Fr. Giulio Cesareo, a spokesman for the Franciscan Friars of Assisi, told the Italian news agency Adnkronos.
