Superstition and faith: The prayer against the plague attributed to Saint Vincent Ferrer

Abstract

The present study examines the written history of the 'Oración contra la peste' (Prayer against the plague) attributed to Saint Vincent Ferrer, from its uncertain origins related to superstitious uses rooted in medieval religiosity to its full legitimation in the Modern Age as a devout prayer; and we will see how due to a mistaken interpretation of the documentary records, the prayer was even given a historical context to explain its genesis. This journey takes us beyond mere anecdote and allows us to approach the problem of unregulated prayers in early Modernity, and we will observe the efforts of the ecclesiastic authorities (inquisitors and hagiographers) to turn this superstition towards orthodox devotion.