The prayer and origins.
This prayer was first presented by Cardinal Dearden on October 25, 1979 and quoted by Pope Francis in 2015. This reflection is an excerpt from a homily written for Cardinal Dearden by then Fr. Kenneth Untener on the occasion of the Mass for Deceased Priests. Pope Francis quoted Cardinal Dearden in his remarks to the Roman Curia on December 21, 2015. Fr. Untener was named Bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, in 1980.
The Homily, October 25, 1979.