The 23rd annual “Con il Cuore, nel Nome di Francesco” [With the Heart, in the Name of Francis] solidarity concert/telethon returns. The event is organized by the friars of the Sacred Convent of St. Francis in Assisi, and benefits people in need, both in Italy and worldwide. The charity concert, hosted by Carlo CONTI, will be broadcast live from the upper square of the Basilica of St. Francis on Saturday, May 24, 2025, prime time on Rai1, [Italian public broadcasting] Rai Radio1, and streaming on RaiPlay.
This year’s event is supporting twenty projects in eleven countries, including Franciscan soup kitchens in Italy and people affected by war and famine around the world, from Brazil to Haiti, and particularly war-torn Syria, which was dear to Pope Francis. To participate in the solidarity telethon, simply send an SMS or call from a landline to 45515, from May 22 to June 22, 2025.
The Coordinator for this year’s telethon is Friar Enzo FORTUNATO, President of the Pontifical Committee for the World Day of Children.
The event will also see the participation of people engaged on the front lines in welcoming and caring for people in difficulty.
“We want to be a tool for dialogue and peace in a world at war,” said Friar Enzo, “This year again, through the TV event and the fundraising campaign of Con il Cuore nel Nome di Francesco, we want to offer hope and support, to help make real the desire for peace that Pope Francis so often called for.”
The evening will be streamed on RaiPlay and made accessible through Rai Public Utility with subtitles for the hearing impaired via Teletext page 777 in Italy, and audio-video description for the visually impaired on Rai1’s dedicated channel and RaiPlay streaming, fully translated into Italian Sign Language (LIS).
To support “Con il Cuore nel Nome di Francesco di Assisi”: from May 22 to June 22, 2025, you can donate two euros by sending an SMS to 45515 from the WINDTRE, TIM, Vodafone, Iliad, PosteMobile, Fastweb, Coop Voce, and Tiscali mobile phone networks. Alternatively, you can donate five or ten euros by calling from a landline operated by TIM, Vodafone, WINDTRE, Fastweb, Tiscali, and Geny Communications. Or you can donate five euros using Convergenze and PosteMobile landlines.
To attend the event in person, you can reserve your seat on the lawn in front of the Basilica of St. Francis starting Monday morning, May 12, 2025, at this link:
https://registrati.conilcuore.info/
Reservations are free, with an option to make a donation in support of the projects promoted by the solidarity telethon.
Andrea Rossi – Press Office
Sacred Convent of St. Francis
