The Chamber of Deputies granted its approval to the measure that designates October 4th, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, as a national holiday, with 247 favorable votes, 2 opposed, and 8 abstentions. The initiative, proposed by Maurizio Lupi and other members of the Noi Moderati party, has received broad bipartisan support and is currently being evaluated by the Senate. The decision comes ahead of the saint's eighth-century death anniversary celebrations in 2026. Saint Francis, the patron saint of Italy, together with Saint Catherine of Siena, are regarded as a worldwide emblem of peace, brotherhood, and the care of creation, which speak to both believers and non-believers.