Yesterday, in a consistory planned in principle for approve the canonization of some saints, Pope Benedict XVI announced his intention purpose to resign from the Petrine ministry on February 28. Immediately, the news made an impact because of its truly exceptional character. Pope Withdrawal resigns. Much had been said about this possibility during the last years of Blessed John Paul II's pontificate, due to his deteriorating health. But, in the end, nothing happened. On the contrary, exercising a freedom of which he has given abundant proof throughout his eight years of pontificate, Benedict XVI communicated yesterday his decision to resign from the ministry of Bishop of Rome and, therefore, from the office of Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.

We are faced with a historical fact that has only one comparable precedent, that of St. Celestine V, who was pope for only five months, from July 7 to December 13, 1294, when he resigned. On that occasion, in addition to the pontiff's eighty-five years of age (an almost inordinate age for the time), his lack of preparation for the exercise of government weighed heavily in his decision, which certainly does not occur in the present case.

Venerable religious

Until the very moment of his election, Celestine V was a venerable religious who lived in retirement in a cell near Mount Morrone, near L'Aquila (Italy). After the death of Nicholas IV, a very long conclave was triggered that lasted more than two years due to the conflicting positions of two families, the Colonna and the Orsini. As there was no way to reach an agreement agreement, the Dean of the high school cardinalate proposed a consensus solution: to elect the elderly Pietro Angeleri, a Benedictine monk with a hermit's life and a reputation for holiness. The proposal was immediately successful and the blessed monk was elected, oblivious to all that was coming his way since he was not even a bishop. It was not easy to convince him to accept the pontifical tiara.
the pontifical tiara, but in the end he accepted. And his decision was greeted with rejoicing as it presaged a new way of governing the Church, less influenced by the politics of the day
and more concerned with the holiness of clergy and faithful.

What is certain, however, is that the old monk turned Pope, the tasks of the ministry and, above all, the diplomatic and curial activity far exceeded him. He did not master Latin, knew nothing of courtly intrigues or secular business; and unwittingly fell into the hands of the King of Naples, who exercised an undisguised influence over him, to the point that he never moved to Rome, but stayed in a palace provided by him.
Seeing that the government of the Church was beyond him, he asked the cardinalate high school the possibility of retiring during Advent to meditate and do penance, but he was advised against doing so. Finally, after consulting with the canonists as to whether it was possible to abdicate, on December 10, 1294, he published a bull by which he introduced the possibility of call the conclave after the Pope's Withdrawal , and not only after his death. Three days later, when the cardinals met in consistory, the certificate of Withdrawal was read. Ten days later the conclave met and with unusual speed - in a single day - his successor was elected: Boniface VIII.

The new Pope did not want his predecessor to be used against the unity of the Church, so he did not allow him to retire to the wilderness, as was the wish of the man who had regained the name of Pietro Angeleri, but confined him to Castel Fumone, in Lazio, where he died on May 19, 1296. He was canonized in 1313.
Celestine V will be joined this month by Benedict XVI in the small list of popes who have renounced their ministry as successor of Peter. Two personalities and two very different pontificates. History will judge the transcendence of the decision of Pope Ratzinger, a holy, wise, humble and free man.