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by Dr. Christian Renoux, Associate Professor of the University of Orleans, France
Original Text of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis
Belle prière à faire pendant la Messe Seigneur, faites de moi un instrument de votre paix. Là où il y a de la haine, que je mette l’amour. Là où il y a l’offense, que je mette le pardon. Là où il y a la discorde, que je mette l’union. Là où il y a l’erreur, que je mette la vérité. Là où il y a le doute, que je mette la foi. Là où il y a le désespoir, que je mette l’espérance. Là où il y a les ténèbres, que je mette votre lumière. Là où il y a la tristesse, que je mette la joie. Ô Maître, que je ne cherche pas tant à être consolé qu’à consoler, à être compris qu’à comprendre, à être aimé qu’à aimer, car c’est en donnant qu’on reçoit, c’est en s’oubliant qu’on trouve, c’est en pardonnant qu’on est pardonné, c’est en mourant qu’on ressuscite à l’éternelle vie.
a Clochette Source: L , n° 12, déc. 1912, p. 285.
Origin of this Prayer The first appearance of the Peace Prayer occurred in France in 1912 in a small spiritual magazine called L a Clochette (The Little Bell). It was published in Paris by a Catholic association known as L a Ligue de la SainteMesse (The Holy Mass League), founded in 1901 by a French priest, Father Esther Bouquerel (18551923). The prayer bore the title of ‘elle prière à faire pendant la messe’ B (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 P’rière 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, L es Chevaliers du Prince de la Paix (The Knights of the Prince of Peace), founded by Étienne Bach (18921986).
iving Courageously The first translation in English that we know of appeared in 1936 in L ,a book by Kirby Page (18901957), a Disciple of Christ minister, pacifist, social evangelist, writer and editor of The World Tomorrow (New York City). Page clearly attributed the text to
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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.
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End of preserved source document.
