Before the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, there had only been one man in the history of the papacy to abdicate the office. That man was Pope Celestine V in the Middle Ages.

This book is his story, and one that is not well known. Celestine, before he was pope, was a popular spiritual named Peter Morrone. He was an ascetic, and widely known in his day for his holiness.

Morrone became pope as a consequence of politics, and the author does a good job of sharing the full context with the reader. That being said, the book was mostly about the times of Peter Morrone, with his papacy having a minor role near the end of the book. I would’ve liked more meat on the subject, short as his reign was.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

ISBN: 9780385531894