Celestine V, founder of the
Order of Celestines, widely esteemed and venerated for his holiness, was elected to the papacy on 7 July 1294, as a compromise choice after an
over two-years long sede vacante. It quickly became clear that this saintly
eremite was wholly incompetent and unsuited for a job as pope. Admitting his own incompetence soon after his election, Celestine expressed the wish to abdicate and return to his solitary cave in the
Abruzzi Mountains. However, before doing so he issued two
bulls. The first bull established the regulations concerning the
abdication of a pope. The second bull (
Quia in futurum, 28 September 1294) restored the constitution
Ubi periculum, which established the papal conclave; the constitution had been suspended by Pope Adrian V in July 1276. During his short papacy, he also
created 13 cardinals. Eventually, on 13 December 1294, Celestine V abdicated the papacy at
Naples, three days after confirming the restoration of the institution of the papal conclave. It has been widely stated that the alleged great influence of the ambitious Cardinal Benedetto Caetani and the pressure he applied on Celestine V were important factors in Celestine's decision to abdicate, but it seems nearly as certain that it was an entirely voluntarily step of the Pope, with the role of Caetani limited to participation in the solution of the legal problems connected with the resignation of a pope. In particular, there were doubts whether a pope could resign at all, and who would be authorized to accept such a resignation. ==List of participants==