Tselestyn
Italy- Early Life and Ascetic Practices
- Founding the Celestine Order
- Election as Pope Celestine V
- Pontificacy and Resignation
- Imprisonment and Death
- Sainthood and Legacy
Early Life and Ascetic Practices
Pietro da Morrone was born in 1215 in the Kingdom of Naples, Italy. At the age of 17, he became a Benedictine monk. Drawn to a life of solitude, he retreated to the remote mountainous region of Monte Morrone, from which his surname originated. There, he practiced extreme asceticism, wearing a hair shirt and iron chains, and fasting every day except Sundays.
Founding the Celestine Order
Despite his desire for isolation, other hermits gradually gathered around Pietro. In 1264, Pope Urban IV approved the establishment of a new branch of the Benedictine Order under Pietro's leadership. This branch became known as the Celestine Order, and by the time of Pietro's death, it had 36 monasteries in Abruzzo with approximately 600 monks.
Election as Pope Celestine V
In 1284, Pietro retired from his leadership of the Celestine Order and lived in obscurity for ten years. In 1294, he received a delegation of cardinals who informed him that he had been unanimously elected as Pope, despite his advanced age and reluctance. Pietro accepted reluctantly and took the name Celestine V.
Pontificacy and Resignation
Celestine V's brief pontificate was marked by his unusual and controversial decisions. He insisted on residing in Naples rather than Rome and appointed many new cardinals, including several relatives. Amidst growing criticism from the cardinals, he made the unprecedented decision to resign the papacy in December 1294, citing his lack of experience and longing for a life of solitude.
Imprisonment and Death
Celestine V's successor, Boniface VIII, saw him as a potential threat and had him imprisoned in the castle of Fumone. The former pope spent nine months in captivity before dying in 1296 at the age of 91.
Sainthood and Legacy
In 1313, Pope Clement V canonized Pietro da Morrone as Saint Celestine V. The Celestine Order was dissolved in 1302, but the legacy of its founder continues to be celebrated in the Catholic Church. Celestine V remains an enigmatic figure, known for his extreme asceticism, unconventional papacy, and willingness to abandon the highest office in Christendom.
