Editing Pope Celestine V (section)

==Papacy==
Shortly after assuming office, Celestine issued a [[papal bull]] granting a rare [[plenary indulgence]] to all pilgrims visiting [[Santa Maria di Collemaggio]] through its holy door on the anniversary of his papal coronation.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2001/august/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20010823_perdonanza_en.html | title = Address of John Paul II to the Jury Members of the 'Premio Internazionale Perdonanza' | author = Pope John Paul II | date = 23 August 2001 | access-date =19 May 2011}}</ref> The [[Celestinian forgiveness]] (''Perdonanza Celestiniana'') festival is celebrated in L'Aquila every 28–29 August in commemoration of this event.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abruzzoheritage.com/magazine/2002_05/f.htm|title=The Perdonanza|author=Abruzzo World Club|work=Abruzzo Heritage|date=Summer 2002|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826124003/http://www.abruzzoheritage.com/magazine/2002_05/f.htm|archive-date=26 August 2009}}</ref>

With no political experience, Celestine proved to be an especially weak and ineffectual pope.<ref>Clement V's bull of canonization noted his "marvelous simplicity and inexperience[] in everything belonging to the rule of the Church" Wood, Charles T. ''Joan of Arc and Richard III: Sex, Saints, and Government in the Middle Ages''. Oxford University Press, 1991, 100.
</ref> He held his office in the [[Kingdom of Naples]], out of contact with the [[Roman Curia]] and under the complete power of King [[Charles II of Naples|Charles II]]. He appointed the king's favorites to Church offices, sometimes several to the same office. One of these was [[Louis of Toulouse]], whom Celestine ordered given [[clerical tonsure]] and [[minor orders]], although this was not carried out. He renewed a decree of [[Pope Gregory X]] that had established stringent rules for [[papal conclave]]s after a similarly prolonged election. In one decree, he appointed three cardinals to govern the Church during [[Advent]] while he fasted, which was again refused.<ref name="mcbrien">McBrien, Richard P. (2000). ''Lives of the Popes''</ref>

Realizing his lack of authority and personal incompatibility with papal duties, he consulted with Cardinal [[Pope Boniface VIII|Benedetto Caetani]] (his eventual successor) about the possibility of resignation.<ref name="mcbrien"/> This resulted in one final decree declaring the right of resignation. He promptly exercised this right, resigning on 13 December 1294, after five months and eight days as pope.<ref>"Papal Resignations"', [[Olivier Guyotjeannin]], ''The Papacy: An Encyclopedia'', Vol. 3, ed. Philippe Levillain, (Taylor & Francis, 2002), 1305.</ref> In the formal instrument of renunciation, he cited as the causes moving him to the step: "The desire for humility, for a purer life, for a stainless conscience, the deficiencies of his own physical strength, his ignorance, the perverseness of the people, his longing for the tranquility of his former life".<ref>[[Jesse Walker|Walker, Jesse]] (11 February 2013) [http://reason.com/blog/2013/02/11/the-ones-who-walk-away-from-the-holy-see The Ones Who Walk Away From the Holy See], ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]''</ref> Having divested himself of every outward symbol of papal dignity, he slipped away from Naples and attempted to retire to his old life of solitude.{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}

The next pope to resign of his own accord was [[Pope Gregory XII|Gregory XII]] in 1415 (to help end the [[Western Schism]]), followed by [[Pope Benedict XVI|Benedict XVI]] in 2013, 719 years later.<ref>{{cite news|last = Alpert|first = Emily|title = Scandal, speculation surround past popes who resigned|url = https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2013-feb-11-la-fg-wn-scandal-speculation-past-popes-resign-20130211-story.html|date = 11 February 2013|newspaper = [[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date = 1 April 2019}}</ref><ref name=DeSouza>{{cite web|title = The Holy Father takes his leave|first = Raymond J.|last = de Souza|author-link = Raymond J. de Souza|url = http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/02/12/father-raymond-j-de-souza-on-the-pope-the-holy-father-takes-his-leave/|work = [[National Post]]|date = 12 February 2013|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://archive.today/20130411105316/http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/02/12/father-raymond-j-de-souza-on-the-pope-the-holy-father-takes-his-leave/|archive-date = 11 April 2013}}</ref>