Traditional Latin Liturgical Text

The words of Dona Nobis Pacem are not the work of an identifiable hymn writer. They come from the Latin Agnus Dei of the Western Eucharistic liturgy. The Agnus Dei is based on John 1:29, where John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Pope Sergius I, who served from 687 to 701, is traditionally credited with establishing the Agnus Dei as a chant during the breaking of the Eucharistic bread in the Roman Mass.

The familiar final petition developed later. Early forms repeated the plea for mercy, while liturgical evidence indicates that during the tenth and eleventh centuries the final repetition increasingly substituted the prayer meaning “grant us peace.” The complete Agnus Dei therefore has a much longer history than the short round commonly called Dona Nobis Pacem. The three-word petition has subsequently circulated independently in Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Protestant, ecumenical, educational, and peace-oriented settings.