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Cardinals: the old man Jacobo Colonna, patron of the Order of Spiritual Friars, and his nephew,
Peter Colonna. The older brother of Peter, John Colonna, in the same period, was Senator and
Governor of Rome. It is evident to mention that this family constituted a powerful Clan, that
formed party with other Lords, Knights and Bishops; such party was faced, with great strength,
against the second important Clan, the one of the Orsini’s or Ursinos, who were decidedly
Guelph and were controlled by the Golems. Both groups dominated the rest Cardinals that had
to decide the papal election; until that moment, the positions were drawn, the Colonna’s trying
to hinder the Golem attempts and to propose, in turn, members of their own Clan.
But the Catholic Church was in that Age, an organization extended through the whole
world, with thousands of Churches and vassal Seigniories that directed considerable amounts
of money and valuable merchandises; its administration could not remain too much time
adrift. Hence, after two years and three months of discussions, the situation turned quite
unsustainable as to demand the election without delay. Then, once they realized that no
accordance would emerge to name any of the present Cardinals Popes, they agreed to designate
a non-cardinal. Both groups thought in a strawperson, a weak Pope whose will could be guided
in secrecy. Therefore, in July 5 of 1294, is obtained the unanimously of votes, opting all for
Peter de Morrone, a Saint hermit of eighty five years who lived retired in Cavern of Abruzzo.
The Spiritual Franciscans, leaded by Jacobo Colonna, had retaken the ancient monastic
tradition inspired in the Rule of Saint Francis and in the apocalyptic vision of Joachim of Fiore.
Thirty years before, Peter was guide of many communities of Spiritual Franciscans, but,
not satisfied yet with the extreme rigor of the Order, he founded his own, which later would be
remembered as the «Order of the Celestines». Nevertheless, even though the Celestines
monasteries were extending continuously through the region of Abruzzo and the meridional
Italy, Peter had retired to the Cavern of the Motagne del Morrone to devote himself to a
contemplative life; was in that retirement when he had news about his nomination for the
charge of Pope: he doubted of the convenience to accept but he was convinced by Charles II the
Lame, son of Charles of Anjou, who, liberated from the Catalan prison was reigning in Naples.
Finally, Peter accepted the papal investiture and took the name of Celestine V: all the
Christianity saluted merry the enthronement of the Saint, from whom was expected to put end
to the regnant materialism and immorality in the ecclesiastic hierarchy and to open the Church
to a spiritual reform. It is understood then, that for the Colonna, and for Philip IV, such
election had taste of triumph.
But Peter de Morrone lacked of every instruction and the necessary knowledge to
administrate an institution of the dimensions of the Catholic Church; his unique experience of
government came from the conduction of small communities of Friars. Moreover, the Saint
was not interested those mundane matters but all was related with the practical religion: the
evangelization, the prayer, the salvation of the Soul. Hence, he delegated, amongst the
Cardinals, and in a group of legists Bishops, the temporal issues, forming a corrupt
environment and interested that in four months plunged the Church in a great economic
disorder.
The Golems, as is logic, were also expecting to control Peter de Morrone; they relied above all,
in the King of Naples, for whom Peter professed special affection: they supposed that Charles II
would not support the intrigues of his cousin Philip the Fair and he would prosecute the
Guelph policy of Charles de Anjou; with the help of the King would be easy to achieve that the

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