Pope to visit town of saint next month

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is next month set to make what would be his first visit outside Rome since Italy was put under lockdown in early March, when it became the first country in Europe to feel the full brunt of the coronavirus pandemic.

The pope is to journey to Assisi, the birthplace in the central Italian region of Umbria of his namesake saint, to sign an authoritative papal letter to clergy and faithful worldwide, a document known as an encyclical, the Vatican said Saturday.

The encyclical is expected to stress the value of brotherly relations during and after the pandemic, a theme Francis evoked during the pandemic.

“Because of the health situation, it’s the desire of the Holy Father that the visit be carried out privately, without any participation by the faithful,” a reference to rank-and-file Catholics, the Vatican said.

The English-language title of the encyclical translates to “‘Brothers all’ on brotherhood and social friendship.”

Francis has stressed how the COVID-19 pandemic revealed how fragile existence can be and how vitally important it is for people to unite in helping each other, with special attention to the poor.

Francis’ last trip away from Rome was to the southern Italian city of Bari, in late February of this year, just as the COVID-19 outbreak was erupting in northern Italy.

This year seems set to become the first year in decades that a pope hasn’t made a pilgrimage abroad.

Francis will celebrate Mass near St. Francis’ tomb, which is under the lower level of the Basilica of St. Francis.

Francis issued his last encyclical, “Praised Be,” in 2015. In the document, Francis exhorted people to work together worldwide on healing and protecting the natural environment.