Overview

• Sergio Mattarella promulgated the law establishing Oct. 4 as a national holiday for St. Francis of Assisi and sent a letter to Senate President Ignazio La Russa and Chamber Speaker Lorenzo Fontana citing “aspetti critici.”
• The same date remains a civil solemnity for St. Catherine of Siena under the modified 1958 statute, creating two different legal regimes for one day.
• Mattarella asked lawmakers to choose a single framework, suggesting the likely abrogation of the civil solemnity or incorporating St. Catherine into the holiday.
• He noted practical contradictions such as schools being closed on a day when the statutes call for school initiatives, while allowing initiatives for St. Francis to extend to public administrations and third‑sector bodies.
• The law places Oct. 4 on the national holiday calendar with closures and holiday‑pay effects, with first application reported from 2026, and no corrective amendments have yet been enacted.