“The Peace Prayer of St. Francis” in four main languages
of the Congress
The Origin of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis
The first appearance
of the Peace Prayer occurred in France in 1912 in a small spiritual magazine called
La Clochette (The Little Bell). It was published in Paris by a Catholic association
known as La Ligue de la Sainte-Messe (The Holy Mass League), founded in 1901 by
a French priest, Father Esther Bouquerel (1855-1923). The prayer bore the title
of 'Belle pričre ą faire pendant la messe' (A Beautiful Prayer to Say During the
Mass), and was published anonymously. The author could possibly have been Father
Bouquerel himself, but the identity of the author remains a mystery.
The prayer was sent
in French to Pope Benedict XV in 1915 by the French Marquis Stanislas de La Rochethulon.
This was soon followed by its 1916 appearance, in Italian, in L'Osservatore Romano
(the Vatican's daily newspaper). Around 1920, the prayer was printed by a French
Franciscan priest on the back of an image of St. Francis with the title 'Pričre
pour la paix' (Prayer for Peace) but without being attributed to the saint. Between
the two world wars, the prayer circulated in Europe and was translated into English.
Its has been attributed the first time to saint Francis in 1927 by a French Protestant
Movement, Les Chevaliers du Prince de la Paix (The Knights of the Prince of Peace),
founded by Étienne Bach (1892-1986).
The first translation
in English that we know of appeared in 1936 in Living Courageously, a book by Kirby
Page (1890-1957), a Disciple of Christ minister, pacifist, social evangelist, writer
and editor of The World Tomorrow (New York City). Page clearly attributed the text
to St. Francis of Assisi. During World War II and immediately after, this prayer
for peace began circulating widely as the Prayer of St. Francis, specially through
Francis cardinal Spellman's books, and over the years has gained a worldwide popularity
with people of all faiths.
The Peace Prayer
of St. Francis is the most famous prayer which embodies the simplicity and poverty
of spirit of St. Francis of Assisi.