His pseudonym dates from his work with the French resistance during the Second World War, when he operated under several different names.
Emmaüs was started in 1949. Abbé Pierre has also the distinction of having been voted France's most popular person for many years, and in (2003) he beat a footballer into second place. Besides founding Emmaüs, he has also been somewhat controversial and has aroused of anti-semitism, though he denies this saying that he is only interested in the truth. He is a friend of the author Roger Garaudy.