Celestine V, a hermit who founded the religious order that bears his name, was later canonized.
WSJ: Tale of Two Popes: Pontiff's Exit Could Challenge Vatican
It seems, like Celestine V and maybe even Paul VI, that Benedict was never quite comfortable as pope.
Boniface eventually imprisoned the now ex-Pope Celestine and kept him under close watch until he died two years later.
Boniface spent his early career undoing all of Celestine's acts and trying to restore the papacy to political prominence.
Are the parallels even stronger than Celestine and Benedict being the two popes to resign on account of age?
The last Pope to resign willingly was Celestine V, who stepped down in 1294, while Gregory XII reluctantly abdicated in 1415.
In 1294, former hermit Celestine V resigned after five months as pope.
Celestine V, a hermit elected at age of 80, stepped down at the end of the 13th century because he felt exhausted by the office.
With hindsight, his visit to the tomb of 13th century Pope Celestine V, a Benedictine monk who resigned from the papacy eight centuries before, becomes poignant.
Did his two visits to Celestine's tomb and words of admiration for the saint, hermit and pontiff convey a secret message that Benedict was contemplating retirement?
In 1294, Pope Celestine V, only five months after his election, issued a solemn decree declaring it permissible for a pope to resign and then did so.
In the 13th century, Pope Celestine V resigned under pressure and was imprisoned by his successor, who feared the previous pope could become a rival, said Father Cito.
WSJ: Tale of Two Popes: Pontiff's Exit Could Challenge Vatican
In 2009, on a visit to Aquila, Italy, Benedict left at Celestine's tomb the pallium, a stole-like vestment that signifies episcopal authority, that Benedict had worn for his installation as pope.
Historians regard Celestine's claim of "personal infirmity" with considerable skepticism, focusing instead on "the malignity of the people" and pressure from his eventual successor as the real reason for his unprecedented resignation.
Celestine Babayaro, Daniel Amokachi and Mido are some of the names already engraved on the stylish trophy, which was created 12 years ago by African students who were tired of deserving African players being overlooked in mainstream Belgian awards.
But he was so miserable as Pope Celestine V that he abdicated after five months, returned to the Majella region and was later arrested by his successor, Boniface VIII (presumably to get rid of him) and died in prison less than a year later.
Dan Petrescu looks to have recovered from a foot problem which means Vialli has two major decisions - whether to play a three-man central midfield with Gus Poyet in a free role or a normal 4-4-2 formation and also whether to field Jon Harley or Celestine Babayaro at left-back.
应用推荐