Pope's who have Resigned

An illuminating view of Church history...



From thefirstparish:



"Popes Who Resigned (reprinted from America Magazine, February 28, 2005)



Historical evidence for papal resignations is limited, especially if one eliminates resignations that may have been forced.



1. Clement I (92?-101). Epiphanius asserted that Clement gave up the pontificate to Linus for the sake of peace and became pope again after the death of Cletus.



2. Pontian (230-235). Allegedly resigned after being exiled to the mines of Sardinia during persecution of Maximinus Thrax.



3. Marcellinus (296-304). Abdicated or was deposed after complying with Diocletian?s order to offer sacrifice to pagan gods.



4. Martin I (649-655). Exiled by Emperor Constans II to the Crimea. Before he died, the clergy of Rome elected a successor, whom he appears to have approved.



5. Benedict V (964). After one month in office, he accepted deposition by Emperor Otto I.



6. Benedict IX (1032-45). Benedict resigned after selling the papacy to his godfather Gregory VI.



7. Gregory VI (1045-46). Deposed for simony by Henry III.



8. Celestine V (1294). A hermit, elected at age of 80 and overwhelmed by the office, resigned. He was imprisoned by his successor.



9. Gregory XII (1406-15). Resigned at request of Council of Constance to help end the Great Western Schism.

Source: Patrick Granfield, ?Papal Resignation? (The Jurist, winter and spring 1978) and J. N. D. Kelly, The Oxford Dictionary of Popes (1986). "