Who was the last Pope to resign?

Have you noticed an inconsistency in the news about how long it has been since a Pope resigned?  This is because a distinction must be made: the last one to resign freely and the last one to be forced to resign.

The last Pope to resign freely was Celestine V in 1294. Gregory XII on the other hand was forced to resign in 1415.  I have written a brief history connecting both Popes since they are both connected by a century of upheaval in the church.

Pope Celestine was a Benedictine hermit named Pietro who lived in the wilderness of Monte Morone in the Abruzzi region of Italy.  Pietro led a strict, penitential life.  By the mid thirteenth century, the hermit had attracted followers so he founded the Celestine Order with Papal approval as an extension of the Benedictines.

After a century of enjoying great power not only in Italy but throughout Western Europe, the Papacy was in disarray at the end of the thirteenth century.  Tensions between supporters of the Pope and the German Emperor and factions between the cardinals had made it impossible to elect a new Pope for two years.  Finally in 1294, Pietro the hermit sent a letter to the cardinals threatening them with divine punishment if they did not elect a new Pope soon.  The cardinals opted for unanimously electing the hermit as the next Pope.  A commission traveled to the 79 year old’s hermitage bearing the news.  Pietro reluctantly agreed and was crowned Pope Celestine V on July 5, 1294.

The poor hermit was not able to manage the bureaucratic machine that was the thirteenth century church nor was he able to confront the many external pressures inflicted on the church by secular power.  Having proved to be an incompetent administrator, he resigned by the end of the year.

The very competent and ambitious nobleman Cardinal Benedetto Gaetani was quickly elected Pope after the resignation.  Rumors tell that Gaetani manipulated and encouraged Celestine to resign that way he could ascend to the Papal throne as Pope Boniface VIII.  Boniface imprisoned Celestine in a castle until he died a few years later.

Though he believed himself to be astute, Boniface’s fate was similar, if not worse, than Pope Celestine’s fate.  Believing to still wield the great power of past thirteenth century Popes, Boniface led a fight against King Phillip IV of France which resulted in his capture by French forces in Anagni, Italy in 1303.  Reports state that Boniface was slapped in the Papal Palace by the troops.  He died shortly after beaten and humiliated.

The chaos in Rome and the political situation which Celestine was unable to control eventually led to the Popes abandoning Rome for Avignon, France in 1309.  In 1378 an attempt to return the Papacy to Rome was made resulting in the election of two Popes and eventually three.  After a few decades of various Popes claiming to be the legitimate Pope, in 1414 the Council of Constance forced the antipope John XXIII to resign, excommunicated the Avignon claimant Benedict XIII, and the recognized Roman Pope, Gregory XII, resigned.

Though Gregory XII had been legitimately elected, he resigned to allow the  newly elected Martin V to consolidate power and establish himself in Rome.  Pope Martin V is now buried under the high altar of Rome’s cathedral, the Basilica of Saint John Lateran.

Both Celestine V and Gregory XII reigned during times of upheaval in the church.  Celestine resigned due to his inability to be an effective leader and Gregory resigned hoping his action would bring harmony and stability to the church.

Pope Benedict XVI has truly made history by resigning since the number of Papal resignations can be counted in one hand.  He has made his decision after much prayer, and in his own words, “The Lord is calling me to climb the mountain, to devote myself even more to prayer and meditation. But this does not mean abandoning the Church, indeed, if God is asking me to do this, it is so I can continue to serve the Church with the same dedication and the same love with which I have done thus far, but in a way that is better suited to my age and my strength. We will always be close in prayer!”

May he continue to be a source of inspiration and strength for us all!

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