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Feast Day: May 19  Also
known as
Peter
Celestine; Pietro del Morrone
Profile
Eleventh of
twelve children. His
father died when he was quite young. When his
mother would ask, "Which one of you is going to become a saint?"
little Peter would answer "Me, Mama! I'll become a saint!".
At 20 Peter became a
hermit, praying, working, and reading the Bible. He followed the
Benedictine rule, and so many other hermits came to him for guidance,
that he founded the Holy Spirit Community of Maiella (Benedictine
Celestines).
Following a two year conclave during which the cardinals could not decide
on a pope, Peter came to them with the message that God was not pleased
with the long delay; the
cardinals chose Peter as
Pope.
The primary objective of his pontificate was to reform
clergy, many of whom were using spiritual power to obtain wordly
power. Celestine sought a way to bring the faithful to the original Gospel
spirit, and he settled on "Pardon" - he called for a year of forgiveness
of sins, and return to evangelical austerity and fidelity.
He reigned a mere five months, and the members of the Vatican Curia took
advantage of him. This led to much mismanagement, and great uproar in the
Vatican. Knowing he was responsible, Celestine asked forgiveness for his
mistakes, and abdicated on
13 December
1294, the only pope to do so. His successor, Boniface VIII, kept
Celestine hidden for the last ten months of his life in a small room in a
Roman palace. Celestine may have appreciated it - he never lost his love
of the hermit's life, and spent his last days in prayer.
Born
1210 at Isneria, Abruzzi, Italy as Pietro del Morrone (Peter
Celestine)
Papal Ascension
5 July
1294
Died
19 May
1296; buried in the church of Saint Agatha, Ferentino,
Italy; re-interred in the Church of Saint Maria di Collemaggio,
Aquila,
Italy
Canonized
1313
Patronage
Aquila, Italy,
bookbinders
Images
Gallery of images of Pope Saint Celestine V
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