From the poetry of the Canticle of the Creatures to the challenges of artificial intelligence, from rap music to peacebuilding, from civil economy to vocation: young participants prepare the Missionary Charter that will accompany their encounter with Pope Leo XIV.
ASSISI, 5 August 2026 — A common thread ran through the first full day of the GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting: the desire to listen. To listen to the story of Saint Francis, to the cry of today’s world, and to the deepest questions of the human heart, preparing to become protagonists of a journey that will continue through tomorrow’s workshops and culminate on 6 August with the meeting with Pope Leo XIV.
From the early hours of the morning, young people made their way to the symbolic places of Assisi and Saint Mary of the Angels, choosing one of the nine workshops held in basilicas, shrines, theatres and other Franciscan sites. Despite the intense summer heat, every session was marked by enthusiastic, attentive and active participation. The programme was designed to provide young people with practical tools for interpreting both reality and their own lives in the light of the spirituality of the Poor Man of Assisi. The entire day revolved around one central question: How can the charism of Saint Francis still speak to young people today?
At the workshop dedicated to the Canticle of the Creatures, Professor Franco Nembrini guided participants in rediscovering the extraordinary poetic and spiritual richness of Saint Francis’ masterpiece, showing how beauty remains a privileged path to encounter God and better understand the human person.
The workshop “Francis and Our Common Home,” promoted by the Laudato Si’ Centre, focused on ecological conversion as a conversion of the heart. Drawing inspiration from both the Canticle of the Creatures and Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’, participants reflected on how caring for creation begins with learning to care for relationships, rediscovering themselves as “cultivators and guardians” of our common home. The journey, structured around five simple steps, will continue with practical workshops dedicated to personal and community commitment.
A large number of participants also attended “Identity – Vocation – Mission”, held in the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels. Through the Gospel account of Peter’s calling, young people were invited to reflect on three fundamental questions: Who am I? What does God desire for my life? For whom am I called to live? The workshop emphasized that vocation is not primarily a profession or a particular state of life, but the discovery of a personal mission entrusted to each individual. One of the key messages delivered by Fr. Francesco Piloni, OFM, was: “God does not call the capable; He makes capable those whom He calls.”
At the Sanctuary of the Spoliation, the workshop “Sister Economy” addressed one of today’s greatest challenges: rethinking the economy by placing the dignity of the human person at its centre. Fr. Marco Asselle, OFM, invited participants to reflect on the contradictions of the current economic model in dialogue with Pope Francis’ vision of integral ecology, proposing instead a culture based on relationships, gratuitousness and care. The invitation was to move beyond individualism and rediscover an economy capable of generating authentic community.
The reflection was further enriched by three key expressions proposed by Fr. Claudio Burgio as a compass for living in today’s world: “wisdom from the margins,” “Christians in the public sphere,” and “dialogue and encounter.”These themes encouraged young people to live their faith not as a refuge from the world, but as a presence capable of building relationships and contributing to the common good.
The theatrical workshop “Francis’ Way of Loving: The Three Vows,” led by actor Jacopo Trebbi, adopted a completely different language. Through theatre, storytelling and rap, participants retraced Francis’ human journey—from the search for success to the discovery of authentic freedom. Combining spoken word, music and artistic performance, the workshop conveyed a powerful message: holiness is not about perfection, but about daily conversion, one day at a time.
Other workshops offered equally enriching experiences. At the Basilica of Saint Clare, “From Art… to Life” invited participants to contemplate the San Damiano Crucifix as a key for interpreting their own lives, while in the Upper Basilica of Saint Francis, the frescoes of Giotto became a living narrative through which young people rediscovered the enduring relevance of the Saint’s life and message.
In “Francis, Peace and the Peripheries,” Fr. Sergio Massironi encouraged participants to reflect on building peace beginning from the peripheries of the heart and of society. Through an open dialogue on today’s social challenges, young people were invited to rediscover fraternity as a concrete way of life, learning to give voice to those living on the margins and to “get their hands dirty with history.” The workshop demonstrated that the Gospel does not distance believers from reality but calls them to become protagonists of justice, reconciliation and peace.
At the Domus Pacis Theatre, journalist Alessandro Sortino, author and correspondent for the Italian television programme Le Iene, explored the relationship between communication and truth in an age dominated by algorithms and polarization. Beginning with the Gospel, he reminded participants that truth is always transmitted through encounter and personal witness, encouraging them not to settle for simplistic narratives but to embrace the complexity of reality. “Journalism today means defending the complexity of reality,” he said, concluding with Saint Francis’ example of building fraternity not by identifying enemies, but by recognising the humanity of every person.
The day concluded in the Porziuncola Square, once again transformed into a place of fraternity, music and shared celebration. The evening was animated by the Logos Art group, whose songs and performances created an atmosphere of joy and communion. During the event, the winners of FraGOspel, the international music competition promoted within the GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting, were announced. The group Diorama received first prize from Davide Scavolini, coordinator of the competition. Once again, the square became the beating heart of the Meeting, preparing participants for the next stage of their journey and for the long-awaited encounter with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
Following this day of listening, the Meeting now enters its participatory phase. During today’s laboratories, young people will be invited to share reflections, proposals and concrete commitments that will be gathered into the GO! Missionary Charter. This final document, the fruit of the entire Meeting, will be presented to participants after their encounter with the Holy Father as a missionary mandate to bring back to their local Churches and communities. Because GO! is not simply an event, but the beginning of a journey that is meant to continue far beyond Assisi.
The GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting is promoted by the Seraphic Province of Saint Francis of Assisi of the Order of Friars Minor, the Province of the Immaculate Conception of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, the General Custody of the Sacred Convent of Saint Francis in Assisi of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, and the Diocese of Assisi – Nocera Umbra – Gualdo Tadino, in collaboration with the City of Assisi, with the support of the National Committee for the Celebration of the Eighth Centenary of the Death of Saint Francis, chaired by the poet Davide Rondoni, together with the University of Perugia, and with the support of ENI, the event’s official sponsor.
For further information and press materials:
Official website: https://www.goassisi.org/it/
Programme: https://www.goassisi.org/it/programma/
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Link to the folder where media professionals can find photos, videos, and info related to GO! and the Holy Father’s visit https://bit.ly/CartellaStampaGOePAPALeone
