On This Day December 13 1294

Remembering the First Pope to Resign

Khen Lim

Coronation of Pietro da Morrone as Pope Celestine V (Image source: telegraph.co.uk)

Following the death of Pope Nicholas IV in April 1292, the two rivalling Roman factions of the Vatican could not break the impasse to name his successor. Naming a pope of their choice was crucial as it underpins the perks and political clout that came with one of theirs being elected.

However since the deadlock had lasted 27 straight months, a breakthrough was becoming increasingly bleak until they received a message from Pietro da Morrone, the hermit-founder of the Celestines, a strict Benedictine sect, who warned the cardinals that if they delayed for another four months, God would outpour His wrath upon all of them. It is then said that the dean of the College of Cardinals, the frail Latino Malabranca had cried out, “In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, I elect brother Pietro da Morrone.”¹

In the midst of the cardinals’ desperation, it dawned on all of them that their solution could be staring in their face. And when they began to look at Morrone, they realised he could well be their answer especially after Malabranca’s pronouncement. The hermit wasn’t just eligible; he was an agreeable choice even between the two warring factions and so in an ensuing vote, a miraculous result was announced. They had indeed found their new pope.

They next set about meeting Morrone. When they found him up the Mountain of Maiella (in the Abruzzi region of Italy), the hermit was not pleased at the news they brought. If he took up the post, he would have to leave his ascetic life behind. That meant he would not be able to do the things he had been accustomed to such as fastidious fasting and being bound in heavy chains and spending endless nights in prayer at the expense of proper sleep.

For someone who was more into emulating the life of John the Baptist, life as a pope was probably unthinkable and so, being his obstinate self, he would probably have knocked the offer back. In fact he did attempt to flee if not for his friend, King Charles II of Naples whose insistence had successfully overcome his reluctance. In the end he acquiesced and on August 29 1294, became known as Pope Celestine V.

Once he became the pope, it was all downhill for Morrone but for the church, his naïveté made him the perfect victim to exploit. Firstly he was too trusting. Secondly being new to such a complex leadership position meant he seemingly made an unacceptable number of errors. Thirdly he was unaccustomed to the political manipulations and therefore proved gullible. The staff at the Vatican had even made him sign blank bulls from which they would sell profitably.

Of a more serious nature, church affairs and business had grounded to a halt mainly because in the many decisions required, Morrone took too long to deliberate over. Eventually everything had become a bottleneck and troubles began to pile up, compelling the new pope to consider annulling his papacy. But then there was a problem – can a pope really resign?

Spotting an opportunity of a lifetime, a treacherous Cardinal Benedetto Caetani plotted to exploit Morrone’s vulnerability. He deviously suggested to the pope to issue a constitution wherein any sitting pope would have the authority to resign and with that, he had set into motion an irreversible fate.

One night while in the hut he built within his office in the Kingdom of Naples (so he could simulate a hermetical life), a reed was ‘mysteriously’ thrust through the cracks in the wall and just as Morrone spotted it, Caetani pretended to be the voice of God, ordering him to resign from his papacy.

Given his innocence, it isn’t surprising that he was taken in by Caetani’s trap. Convinced – and summarily tricked – Morrone made up his mind to surrender his position and on December 13 1294, Pope Celestine V stepped down and ended his leadership after only five months and eight days.

In renouncing his papacy, Morrone, according to Jesse Walker, understandably gave the following as his reasons:

“The desire for humility, for a purer life, for a stainless conscience, the deficiencies of his own physical strength, his ignorance, the perverseness of the people, his longing for the tranquillity of his former life.”²

Pope Boniface VIII (Image source: biografieonline.it)

Having ridded himself from all links to life at the papal office, he left Naples and sought quickly to resume his past life of solitude. With Morrone gone for good, Caetani quickly moved into position and wrestled the papacy, calling himself Pope Boniface VIII. Following his ascendancy, he destroyed all the records he could get to that documented Morrone’s brief papacy. He also annulled most of his other official acts but what he could not unmake were the cardinals because his powers did not allow him to do that.

However what Caetani feared most was Morrone whom he suspected could be a source of trouble for him since there were various parties that had disapproved of his resignation. His fear was so consuming that he not only stopped Morrone from assuming his old life but commanded the hermit to accompany him to Rome.

Eremo di S. Onofrio al Morrone, Sulmona (Image source: parks.it)

Smelling trouble, Morrone somehow managed to break away and escaped via the mountains and forests, looking to return to Sulmona where he sought to recommence his monastic life. When that proved implausible (given the new pope’s orders to have him caught), he decided to sail to Dalmatia (now Croatia) on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. Unfortunately an ill-timed tempest drove his ship back ashore and into the hands of the papal guards.

Morrone was then imprisoned in the castle of Fumone near Ferentino in the Campagna region. There he spent the final ten months of his life in deep prayer despite being badly mistreated by his prison guards.

Pope Celestine V (Image source: en.wikipedia.org)

Pietro Morrone, formerly Pope Celestine V, finally died aged 81, May 19 1296 in Ferentino, Italy, with strong allegations by his supporters that Caetani was firstly, his torturer before ultimately becoming his murderer.

In his death, Morrone leaves behind a legacy that would be repeated 717 years later when Pope Benedict XVI shocked the Vatican and the world by tendering his resignation on his own accord.

¹ Loughlin, James. (1908) Pope St Celestine V, The Catholic Encyclopaedia, Vol. 3 (New York: Robert Appleton Company)

² Walker, Jessie. (Feb 11 2013) The Ones Who Walk Away from the Holy See in Hit & Run Blog, Reason at https://reason.com/blog/2013/02/11/the-ones-who-walk-away-from-the-holy-see (last accessed on December 12 2015).