Pax Et Bonum

"Pax et bonum!" This is a familiar Franciscan greeting. You may still hear it in the streets of Assisi. Its origin is somewhat of a mystery but its message is something that all the world needs to hear.

In his Testament St. Francis mentions a greeting that the Lord gave to him. This greeting was: "May the Lord give you peace". He used to begin his preaching with this greeting to the people.
But The Legend of Three Companions mentions another greeting. It tells of a certain mysterious man who – like John the Baptist to Jesus – preceded St. Francis. He went through out Assisi greeting people with "Pax et bonum ." He seems to have disappeared after St. Francis’s conversion when he started to preach. Ironically, it was this that became the traditional Franciscan greeting and not St. Francis’s own greeting.

But the greeting of "Pax et bonum" is very Franciscan. "Pax" is the Latin word for peace, while "bonum" means good. Both peace and goodness are strong elements in the life and spirituality of St. Francis. Throughout his life, St. Francis was an agent for peace and reconciliation. He preached to the people to repent and make peace with God. He also worked to establish peace between warring factions and families. He reconciled, for instance, a bitter dispute between the Bishop of Assisi and the Mayor of Assisi. And in the legend of the Wolf of Gubio, St. Francis established peace between the citizens of Gubio and the wolf.

There are many references to St. Francis as a peacemaker but the most poignant is found in his own words. Near the end of his life, while in great pain, and while the Bishop and Mayor were locked in strife, he penned these words from his famous Canticle of the Creatures:

Praise be You, my Lord, through those
Who give pardon for Your love,
and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most high, shall they be crowned.

St. Francis was a man of peace but he was also caught up in the sheer goodness of God. There are many places where St. Francis refers to the goodness of God. This comes out, however, most overtly in many of his prayers. God is often addressed with such titles as "Most High, all-powerful, good Lord" or "You are good, all good, the highest good". In his Salutation to the Blessed Virgin Mary he refers to God as one "in whom there was and is all fullness of grace and every good." The prayer that most powerfully emphasises the goodness of God, however, is the prayer that concludes The Praises To Be Said at All the Hours:

All-powerful, most holy, most high, supreme God:
all good, supreme good, You who alone are good,
may we give You all praise, all glory, all thanks,
all blessing, and all good. So be it! So be it! Amen.

For the translation used, see:
Francis of Assisi; Early Documents; Vol.1. Edited by Regis Armstrong, J.A. Wayne Hellmann, William Short. New City Press, New York, 1999.

Francis of Assisi; Early Documents; Vol.2. Edited by Regis Armstrong, J.A. Wayne Hellmann, William Short. New City Press, New York, 2000.


Compiled from the Email of:



Bro. Leonard Kirk Galanza
Office of the President
Philippine Government
Email Address: lkirkgalanza@yahoo.com
Website: www.op.gov.ph