Pope Francis (R) leads a mass outside the St Francis Basilica in Assisi on October 4, 2013. Pope Francis visits Assisi for the first time today to honour the saint whose name he adopted for a papacy aimed at promoting peace and helping the poor, the Vatican said. The pope will attend the feast of St Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) on that day, praying at the tomb of a saint who is widely loved in Italy. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE