On Sunday, Pope Francis commended the humility of one of the few popes in history to retire willingly rather
than reigning for life. Pope Francis has frequently stated that he may stand down in the future if poor health
prevents him from leading the Catholic Church.
Celestine V, who abdicated as pope in 1294 after barely five months to resume his hermit life, is buried in
L’Aquila, a city in central Italy that Francis briefly visited. His resignation established the papal prerogative.
Pope Benedict XVI visited L’Aquila four years before stepping down, becoming the first pope to voluntarily
retire in about 600 years in 2013. Francis has already lauded Benedict’s bravery.
When the Vatican revealed in June that Francis would be travelling to L’Aquila to inaugurate a yearly “feast of
forgiveness,” it stoked rumours that a series of occasions, including the induction of new cardinals on
Saturday and meetings beginning on Monday to discuss the Vatican’s new constitution, could portend an
announcement of his resignation.
Francis, 85, laughed at the notion in an interview with Reuters last month, claiming that “it never entered my
mind,” but he did leave open the possibility that he would resign in the future due to health issues.
pointed out that in “The Divine Comedy,” Dante Alighieri denounced Celestine for carrying out what the
mediaeval poet dubbed “The Great Refusal,” during the sermon at a Mass attended by thousands of people in
a busy city plaza.
Who prayed in silence in front of Celestine’s tomb, claimed that by letting go of his position of authority,
Celestine demonstrated the power that comes from humility.
“In the eyes of men, the humble are seen as weak and losers, but in reality, they are the real winners because they are the only ones who trust completely in the Lord and know His will,” Francis said.
The pope, who has been using a wheelchair and a cane recently due to a knee condition, sat during most of the Mass but read his sermon in a loud voice and frequently deviated from the script.
He described to the throng how the helicopter’s pilot had to circle for a while in the hilly terrain due to dense fog before locating a gap in the mist. The chopper had flown him there from Rome. He equated doing this to grasping a window of opportunity provided by God.
Francis has denied rumours that he will stand down anytime soon, but the visit highlighted the necessity for the Catholic Church to control the status of pontiffs who retire.
The terrible earthquake that struck L’Aquila in 2009 resulted in 309 fatalities, thousands of injuries, and the destruction of several structures.
Francis began his visit on Sunday by donning a grey firefighter helmet and seeing the city’s cathedral ruins, which are now undergoing reconstruction.
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