Fact: The Peace Prayer was not written by St. Francis

The Peace Prayer of St. Francis first appeared around 1915, and embodies the spirit of simplicity and poverty, that is associated with St. Francis of Assisi.

Father Kajetan Esser, author of “The critical edition of St. Francis’ Writings, the prayer first appeared during World War I, written on the obverse of a holy card of St. Francis, found tucked within the pages of a Norman almanac. While the prayer bore no name, due to its appearance on this holy card, it came to be The Peace Prayer of St. Francis. (source: Franciscan Archive)

Who was its author? Is it possible that the Great Spirit of all mankind allowed its anonymity in hope that each of us would claim it as our own? -KH

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