Daily
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| St Peter in A.D. 67 |
| Pope Pius XII in 1948 |
| Pope Celestine V in 1294 |
| Pope Paul VI in 1964 |
Your answer was: Pope Pius XII in 1948. |
Answer: Pope Celestine V in 1294 decreed that the head of the Roman Catholic Church may abdicate if he so chooses. Celestine V was chosen to succeed Nicholas IV by cardinals who wanted to break a two-year electoral stalemate. He only served as pontiff for five months before resigning citing “deficiencies of physical strength” and “longing for the tranquility of the former life.” Rather a hermit, and never wanting to be Pope in the first place, he decreed in December that a Pope may resign, and then he promptly did so. Celestine V was succeeded by Boniface VIII. Boniface ordered Celestine’s imprisonment because he believed that two living popes might create a division in the church. When he heard about the order, Celestine went on the run and evaded capture for nine months. He was eventually caught and held captive in the castle of Fumone, where he died in May of 1296 – 18 months after he stepped down. 'The Mystery Surrounding Pope Celestine V’s Skull' On StrangeRemains.com  Religious Hermit, Pietro del Morrone Became Pope Celestine V 1020 (1996) |
