May 19th - Pope Saint Celestine V
Born: 1221
Died: 1303
Nationality: Italian
Vocation: Pope
Attributes: Benedictine Habit, Papal regalia
Patronage: Bookbinders
Canonization: 1313
Born to a devout family in Sicily, Italy, Pietro Angelerio never considered himself to be on a path toward greatness. One of eleven sons, Pietro was singled out by his mother for his piety, and she ensured that he had a literary education. While others noted his talent in the academic world, Pietro himself had only his own salvation in mind.
He became a Benedictine monk at the age of 17, and in 1239 received permission to live as a hermit. A small cave in the mountain became his home and refuge. Pietro lived in intense austerity, attempting to imitate the life of John the Baptist with fasting and prayers. Though at times tormented by the devil, he and three companions lived a life of holiness, copying books and interceding for souls.
Pietro was compelled by others to receive ordination, and ultimately founded the Celestine order, which received approval from Pope Gregory X in 1271. During his lifetime Pietro saw the order grow to 36 monasteries and 600 monks and nuns who lived under the Benedictine rule with all of its austerities. Though he acted as head of the order for a while, he ultimately abdicated the role to retire to pray.
When Pietro was 80-years-old, having already lived a very full life, he was confronted with a mission from the Lord. The most recent pope, Nicholas IV had died two years ago, and the 11 cardinals tasked with deciding on the next pope were at an impasse that lasted two long years. Pietro was inspired to command the cardinals to make a decision or God would punish them. When the saintly old man arrived, the Cardinals did indeed make their decision, and unanimously elected Pietro to be the next pope.
Though Pietro originally tried to run, he reluctantly took up his post, taking the name Celestine V, meaning ‘heaven – Celestine’s one true goal. One of his first acts as pope was to declare a new kind of plenary indulgence which was available to all and cost nothing but time and prayer. In an age where selling indulgences was the norm, this new kind of indulgence set Celestine apart. Though his life required him to now live publicly to shepherd his flock the Church, Celestine still desired the solitary life of a monastic.
After taking some time off during Advent to fast and pray, he realized that he was not cut out for the papal vocation. Celestine had a difficult time handling the political responsibilities of the papal office during the turmoil of the Italian state. He was also old, and began to look into creating abdication from the papal throne, a practice he initiated only a few months after his coronation.
It is thought that Pope Boniface VIII, his successor, imprisoned the elderly Pope Emeritus out of fear that Celestine’s supporters would attempt to reinstate the former pope. He died 9 months later in one of the papal palaces and is buried in the Basilica Santa Maria di Collemaggio in Aquila. It is at this holy man’s tomb that Pope Benedict XVI prayed before announcing his own decision to abdicate.
Pope Saint Celestine V, pray for us.