May 19 | Pope Saint Celestine V

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine you are 80 years old, living in a tiny freezing cave on the side of a remote mountain. You wear a rough habit, eat practically nothing, and spend your days fasting and battling the devil. You gave up the world decades ago because your only goal is your own salvation and getting to heaven.

But down in the city, the most powerful men in the world, 11 high-ranking church cardinals, are in a panic. They haven't had a leader in two long years. Frustrated, you send them a fiery message. Pick a leader now, or God will punish you. You expect them to do their jobs, but instead, they climb up your mountain, find your cave, and deliver the most shocking news in history. You, the ragged 80-year-old hermit who just wants to be left alone, have been unanimously elected as the new pope.

So, who was this guy before he became the unexpected pope? Well, he was born Pietro Angiolario in 1221 to a very devout family in Sicily, Italy. Pietro was one of eleven sons. Out of all those boys, his mom noticed something incredibly special about his piety.

She made sure he got a really good literary education. Because of his schooling, he was a very good writer. He was a very good writer. He was a very good writer. People started noticing how smart and talented he was in the academic world. But Pietro didn't care about being famous, getting good grades, or being popular. He only cared about one thing, his own salvation.

At the age of 17, Pietro became a Benedictine monk. By 1239, he got permission to take things to the extreme and live as a hermit. He moved into a small cave in the mountains, making it his home and refuge. Pietro lived an intensely strict and austere life, trying to imitate John the Baptist by fasting and praying constantly.

It wasn't easy. He was even tormented by the devil at times. He and three companions lived out this extreme holiness, spending their time interceding for souls and copying books. Because he spent so much time carefully copying these texts, he is officially the patron saint of bookbinders.

Eventually, people realized how holy he was, and compelled him to become an ordained priest. He even started a whole new religious community called the Celestine Order, which Pope Gregory X approved in 1271. Over his lifetime, Pietro saw his order explode in popularity, growing to 36 monasteries, with 600 monks and nuns, Who all lived by strict, difficult Benedictine rules. He led them for a while, but eventually, he stepped down because he just wanted to go back to praying in peace.

Now, fast forward. Pietro is 80 years old, having already lived a very full life. The pope at the time, Nicholas IV, had died two years prior. The eleven cardinals in charge of picking the next pope were totally stuck in an impasse that lasted two long years.

Pietro felt inspired by God to send them a harsh warning, make a decision or face God's punishment. When the cardinals got this message from the saintly old man, they finally made a decision, unanimously electing him to the papacy.

Pietro panicked. He actually tried to run away. But eventually, he reluctantly took up the post and took the name Celestine V. He chose Celestine because it means heaven, which had always been his one true goal. As pope, he did some pretty amazing things. In an age when people were actually selling spiritual pardons called indulgences, Celestine created a new name for himself. Completely free plenary indulgence that was available to everyone, costing nothing but time and prayer. This really set him apart from the corrupt politics of his day.

But Celestine hated living in the public eye. He still longed for the solitary life of a monastic. Plus, the Italian state was in political turmoil, and he had a really hard time handling those heavy, stressful responsibilities. After taking some time off during Advent to fast and pray, the elderly pope realized something huge. He just wasn't cut out for the papal vocation.

So, just a few months later, he initiated the practice of abdicating the papal throne, and he stepped down. You'd think he'd get to go back to his cave, right? Wrong. The next pope, Pope Boniface VIII, was terrified that Celestine's supporters would try to reinstate the former pope. So, Boniface had the elderly Pope Emeritus imprisoned. Nine months later, in 1303, Celestine died in one of the papal palaces. He was buried in the Basilica Santa Maria di Colomaggio in Aquila, and was canonized a saint shortly after, in 1313.

Hundreds of years later, another pope who decided to step down, Pope Benedict XVI, went to pray at Celestine's tomb before announcing his own abdication. So, what can you learn from an 80-year-old hermit pope who lived 800 years ago?

Pietro knew who he was, and more importantly, he knew who he wasn't. In your life today, it's so easy to get caught up in wanting to be the most popular, or feeling pressured to do a million extracurricular activities just because everyone else is doing them. Sometimes, you need to find your own cave. Your challenge today is to find a quiet spot, maybe your bedroom or a corner of your backyard. Leave your phone behind. Unplug from the noise and spend just five minutes in quiet prayer.

Ask God what He wants for you, not what the world expects of you, just like St. Celestine did. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.