When Benedict XVI abdicated in 2013, the world held its breath. But he was not the first pope to give up his leadership of the Church himself.
When Benedict XVI renounced Peter's throne in February 2013, the world held its breath. How is that? Abdication in the Holy See? Meanwhile, the decision of the venerable pope was nothing new in the Catholic Church . Yes, Benedict was the first in history to become a retired pope, but a model for his renuntiatio he could have been looking 700 years earlier. At a time when the Church, shaken by political games, seemed to be standing - not for the first time and not for the last time - over the historical abyss.
“I met a few between bezcechową / Ciżba; among them was the death of a man, / Who, out of great fear, was tainted by refusal "- we read in Divine Comedy Dante. And although many researchers see Pilate himself or the last emperor of ancient Rome in this figure, the vast majority of dantologists see him Celestine V. The first pope who - horrifyingly - resigned himself from the leadership of the Church.
All against all
After the sudden death of Pope Nicholas IV in 1292, almost all of Italy was engulfed in fights between the provinces and cities. And within their walls it was not at all calmer. Everyone fought everyone. However, anyone who saw the source of these conflicts in the unique personality and achievements of the former viceroy of Christ would be wrong. None of these things. The deceased was just another unremarkable church official. However, he held an extremely important position, the cast of which each of the powerful of the world at that time wanted to influence.
Celestine V was the first pope in history to renounce Peter's throne
This time, the King of Naples, Charles II of Anjou . The unexpected death of the pope meant that he did not manage to amicably end Anjou's dispute with the ruler of Aragon, James II the Righteous over Sicily. And the 10-year-long war over the island, all sides (including the papacy) had had enough. As a result, both monarchs agreed that Jacob will return Sicily to the king of Naples for short-term benefits in the future . However, it was to be conferred by the papacy and that is why Charles was so keen on the efficient and, most importantly, correct choice of the future head of the Church.
Family fights
Royal expectations alone were not enough to bring the sede vacante period to an end quickly . For this, unity was needed among the cardinals, and there was no such thing at the time. For years in Rome, the influence of the Orsini and the Colonnas - two powerful families whose representatives influenced the election of the new pope.
The cardinals set to work relatively quickly, but the effects of their actions had to be waited for a long time. The mutual dislike of the Colonnas and the Orsini meant that the subsequent votes did not bring about a result for several months . Both parties were strong enough to block their rivals' candidates, and at the same time did not intend to compromise. If we add to this the open war on the streets of the Eternal City between their followers and the failure of the crusade movement in the background (Akka, the last stronghold of the Crusaders in the Holy Land, had fallen a year earlier) - the picture of the Church on the precipice seemed complete.
Charles II was concerned about the prompt (and proper) election of a new pope
As if that were not enough, at the beginning of the summer of 1292, an epidemic of plague broke out in Rome one of the cardinals fell victim and several others had barely survived. As a result, some of the electors left the inhospitable walls and the sessions were suspended. They were resumed only in September, but this time they did not help. Worse still, the ranks of the plague victims were joined by two more cardinals.
In this situation, in the spring of 1293, the city was broken up again, and only the Roman cardinals remained in the city. These, in turn, although they considered themselves full-fledged electors, finally reported to Perugia, fearing the schism, where further deliberations were convened. But even those started in October 1293 did not give rise to optimism. The cardinals argued fruitlessly, and each of them, hoping to be elected himself to the throne of Peter, plotted against his fellow companions of "misery."
Holy Caveman
When winter still did not bring even a hint of agreement, the impatient king of Naples came to Perugia. The prolonged period of seduction did not serve Charles's plans . But - surprisingly - some of its cardinals were not impressed by the royal majesty. Moreover, Charles's interference caused their stiff opposition. They sent the monarch away empty while arguing that the election of a pope is theirs and that no one - not even the king - has the right to put pressure on them. In this situation, the inconsolable and probably offended Charles had no choice but to return to Naples. Before he got there, however, he visited a well-respected hermit on the way.
The king's guest was Peter of Morrone . Coming from a peasant family with many children, from birth he was destined by his parents for a career as a clergyman. At the age of 17, he entered the Benedictine Order, where he was ordained a priest. He quickly decided that monastic life was not for him . So he went to the Abruzzo mountains and settled there in one of the caves in Morrone, near Naples. He spent his time praying and asceticism, and he distributed the gifts he received to the more needy. He read a lot (although it is suspected that he knew Latin poorly), copied books, dealt with weaving and ... healing.
The news of the saintly hermit soon joined him with many followers . Their number grew so quickly that Peter, with the papal consent in 1264, created a male congregation within the Benedictine Order, later called the Celestines. Shortly thereafter, despite his plans to live in isolation, he agreed to become the abbot of his mother monastery, and then even the parish priest of one of the churches near Sulmona.
The Pope involuntarily
But the nature of the loner soon made itself felt. Around 1286, Peter relinquished his functions and once again took up residence in a mountain cave . However, he was not allowed to complete his days there. The fame of his pious life spread widely throughout Italy. And since the stalemate in the election of the pope seemed to be endless, it was to him who the king of Naples came to propose to take the throne of Peter.
It is not known how and with what Charles II persuaded the elderly (about 80-year-old) hermit to be a candidate for the position of the vicar of Christ. Suffice it to say that in July 1294 the cardinals received a letter from Peter himself - probably written after the dictation of the ruler of Naples - in which the author threatened the undecided church governors with God's punishment for their indolence in choosing a new pope. Although, of course, Peter did not expressly express his will to become pope, his letter proved to be of salutary effect. Surprised by his eloquence, the cardinals, also taking into account the halo of holiness surrounding the hermit, chose him on July 5 as the successor of St. Peter.
Around 1286, Peter relinquished his functions and once again took up residence in a mountain cave.
Immediately a delegation headed by the king of Naples, his son and one of the cardinals went to the elect. But the news that was joyful for the Church reached Peter even before her arrival and filled him with… despair. Perhaps he did not care about being elected, and only now did he realize how much responsibility this entailed. He quickly decided that refusing to be elected would be an act of disobedience to God. As a result, when the royal-cardinal delegation climbed into the mountain seat of the hermits, the hermits accepted the decision of the electors, whether they like it or not.
Joy?
Almost everyone was enthusiastic about choosing Piotr. It was seen as the finger of God and the fulfillment of prophecies heralding a new era in the history of the Church under the rule of a truly angelic and spiritual pope. And when the nominee took the name Celestine V (heavenly from Latin), the joy seemed complete. The cardinals were especially happy - firstly, at the end of sedisvacance, and secondly, at the hope of easily manipulating the aged pope.
It soon turned out that the pope could indeed be controlled, but it was not the cardinals who influenced his actions. It began with the August enthronement, which took place not in Rome or in Perugia, as the cardinals had wished, but in Aquila near Neapolitan. As you can guess, this choice was greatly influenced by Charles II, who very quickly obtained the papal ratification of the treaty with the Aragonese in the matter of Sicily. Moreover, under the pressure of Anjou, the Pope did not set foot in the Eternal City at all, trying to manage the Church from the property of the King of Naples.
On December 10, 1294, Celestine issued a bull about his abdication, and three days later he read it to the public.
As a man completely unfamiliar with politics, easily succumbed to the suggestions of his protector, recklessly distributing donations, privileges and ecclesiastical dignities . Yes, he did take care of his congregation by making numerous donations. He also led to the reform of the Franciscan Order. He restored the institution of a conclave, abandoned when he was elected - that is, the election of the Pope by the group of cardinals sitting in one closed place, with decreasing food rations for greater motivation to work. However, this did not change the fact that he became increasingly entangled in dependence on secular authority, while harming the authority of the Church.
First time
Although Celestine was a simple man, he probably realized that big politics and independent rule were not his domain. He longed for his cave and loneliness. For some time he tried to save himself with ascetic life in a wooden cell specially built at his request in one of the castles of the king of Naples, but that did not help either. Finally after five months of struggle, he decided that he should resign from his position . After consulting the canonists as to whether such an act was possible, on December 10, 1294, he issued a bull about his abdication. and three days later he read it to the public.
Although the situation was unusual, because for the first time in history the pope resigned from office on his own, the cardinals quickly accepted the will of Celestine. The latter, having deposited the papal insignia, wished to return to his former hermit life. His successor, Boniface VIII, elected after only one day's conclave, had other plans. Fearing the possibility of using the position of the former pope to create a schism, ordered the capture of Celestine on his way to the mountains and secretly imprison Fumone in Castle near Ferentino. Celestine died there on May 19, 1296.
Bibliography
- Dante Alighieri, Divine Comedy , crowd. E. Porębowicz, Wrocław 1977.
- Gryczyński M., Pope's collection , Poznań 2006.
- Kowalski J.W., Pope's collection , Warsaw 1986.
- Kulcsár Z., Secrets and scandals of the Middle Ages , crowd. A. Mazurkiewicz, Warsaw 1993.
- Piazzoni A.M., The History of the Election of Popes , crowd. M. Lehnert, Krakow 2004.
- Stadler H., Lexicon of Popes and Councils , crowd. M.L. Kalinowski, M. Struczyński, B. Tarnas, Warsaw 1992.