Papal conclave, 1294

Papal conclave, December 1294
 	
Dates 	December 23–December 24, 1294
Location 	Castel Nuovo, Naples
Dean 	Hugh Aycelin
Vice Dean 	Gerardo Bianchi
Camerlengo 	Tommaso d'Ocra
Protopriest 	Benedetto Caetani
Protodeacon 	Matteo Orsini Rosso
Ballots 	Pope elected after 3 ballots
Elected Pope	Benedetto Caetani (took name Boniface VIII)
The papal conclave of December 23–24, 1294 was convoked after the abdication of Pope Celestine V in Naples. It was the first papal conclave after Celestine V restored the constitution Ubi periculum of Pope Gregory X, suspended by Pope Adrian V in July 1276. From that time every papal election has been a papal conclave. It was also the only papal conclave held during the lifetime of the preceding pontiffAlthough Pope Gregory XII also abdicated the papacy in 1415, the conclave for the election of his successor was held few weeks after his death (he died on October 18, 1417, and the conclave took place November 8 — 11, 1417).
==Abdication of Celestine V==
Celestine V, founder of the Order of Celestines, widely esteemed and venerated for his holiness, was elected to the papacy on July 7, 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, September 28, 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 new cardinalsSalvador Miranda: Cardinals created by St. Celestine V. Eventually, on December 13, 1294, Celestine V abdicated the papacy at NaplesCelestine V, three days after confirming the restoration of the institution of the papal conclaveSalvador Miranda: The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Guide to the events and documents, XIII century.
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.(The Catholic Encyclopedia: Pope Boniface VIII)
==List of participants==
All twenty-two living cardinals participated in the conclave; twelve of them were created by Celestine V, five by Nicholas IV, two by Nicholas III, one by Urban IV and one by Honorius IVF. Bourkle-Young: notes to the papal election of 1294 on The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church (by S. Miranda); and K. Eubel, p. 11–12. F. Bourkle-Young lists one additional cardinal Francesco Ronci, priest of the title of S. Lorenzo in Damaso, as the only absentee but he actually died on October 13, 1294, two months before the conclave was held (K. Eubel, p. 12):
Elector 	Place of birth 	Cardinalatial title 	Elevated 	Elevator 	Other ecclesiastical titles 	Notes
Hugh Aycelin, O.P. 	Billom, France 	Bishop of Ostia e Velletri 	May 16, 1288 	Nicholas IV 	Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals 	
Gerardo Bianchi 	Parma 	Bishop of Sabina 	March 12, 1278 	Nicholas III	Vice-Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals 	
Giovanni Boccamazza 	Rome 	Bishop of Frascati 	December 22, 1285 	Honorius IV 	 	Cardinal-nephew of Honorius IV; former archbishop of Monreale (1278–1286)
Matteo d'Acquasparta, O.F.M. 	Acquasparta 	Bishop of Porto e Santa Rufina 	May 16, 1288 	Nicholas IV 	Grand penitentiary 	Former minister general of the Order of Franciscans (1287–1289)
Simon de Beaulieu 	Beaulieu, France 	Bishop of Palestrina 	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	 	Former archbishop of Bourges (1281–1294)
Bérard de Got 	Villandrout, France	Bishop of Albano 	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	 	Former archbishop of Lyon (1289–1294); older brother of Bertrand de Got – future Pope Clement V (1305–1314)
Benedetto Caetani 	Anagni 	Priest of SS. Silvestro e Martino 	April 12, 1281 	Nicholas III	Protopriest of the Sacred College of Cardinals; Cardinal-protector of the Order of S. Guglielmo 	Elected Pope Boniface VIII
Pietro Peregrosso 	Milan 	Priest of S. Marco 	May 16, 1288 	Nicholas IV 	Cardinal-protector of the Order of Humiliati; Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals 	
Tommaso d'Ocra, O.Cel. 	Ocre, Abruzzi 	Priest of S. Cecilia 	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church 	
Jean Lemoine 	Crécy, France 	Priest of SS. Marcellino e Pietro 	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	 	
Pietro d'Aquila, O.S.B.Cas. 	L'Aquila 	Priest of S. Croce in Gerusalemme 	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	 	
Guillaume Ferrières 	Provence 	Priest of S. Clemente 	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	 	Crown-cardinal of King Charles II of Naples
Nicolas l'Aide 	Nonancourt, France 	Priest of S. MarcelloF. Bourkle Young lists Cardinal Nicolas l'Aide as priest of S. Lorenzo in Damaso, but he opted for that title only in 1295 and at the time of this conclave he occupied his original title of S.Marcello (K. Eubel, p. 43)	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	 	
Robert de Pontigny, O.Cist. 	France 	Priest of S. Pudenziana 	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	 	Crown-cardinal of kings Philip IV of France and Charles II of Naples; former Abbot General of his order
Simon de Armentières, O.S.B.Clun.	France 	Priest of S. Balbina 	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	 	
Giovanni Castrocoeli, O.S.B.Cas. 	Castrocielo 	Priest of S. Vitale 	September 18, 1294 (or October 1294)	Celestine V 	Vice-Chancellor of the Holy Roman Church; archbishop of Benevento; administrator of the see of Sant'Agata de' Goti 	
Matteo Orsini Rosso 	Rome 	Deacon of S. Maria in Portico 	May 22, 1262 	Urban IV 	Protodeacon of the Sacred College of Cardinals; archpriest of the patriarchal Vatican Basilica; Cardinal-protector of the Order of Franciscans	Relative of Cardinal Napoleone Orsini Frangipani and nephew of Pope Nicholas III (1277–1280); not to be confused with senator Matteo Rosso Orsini (1178–1246)
Giacomo Colonna 	Rome 	Deacon of S. Maria in Via Lata 	March 12, 1278 	Nicholas III	Archpriest of the patriarchal Liberian Basilica 	Uncle of Cardinal Pietro Colonna
Napoleone Orsini Frangipani 	Rome 	Deacon of S. Adriano 	May 16, 1288 	Nicholas IV 	 	Relative of Cardinal Matteo Orsini Rosso and nephew of Pope Nicholas III (1277–1280)
Pietro Colonna 	Rome 	Deacon of S. Eustachio 	May 16, 1288 	Nicholas IV 	 	Nephew of Cardinal Giacomo Colonna
Landolfo Brancaccio 	Naples 	Deacon of S. Angelo in Pescheria 	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	 	
Guglielmo de Longhi 	Bergamo 	Deacon of S. Nicola in Carcere 	September 18, 1294 	Celestine V 	 	
==Election of Pope Boniface VIII==
On December 23, 1294, the cardinals assembled in the Castel Nuovo at Naples for the election of the successor of Celestine V. In the first ballot of the evening of that day Cardinal Matteo Orsini Rosso was elected but he refused to accept the papal dignity. On the next day, Christmas Eve, Cardinal Benedetto Caetani, archpriest of the College, received the required majority and took the name of Boniface VIIIDr. F. Bourkle-Young: notes to conclave of 1294 on theThe Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church by S. Miranda . Soon after his election he returned to Rome, where on January 23, 1295, he was consecrated to the episcopate by Cardinal-Dean Hugh Aycelin of Ostia, and crowned by Matteo Orsini Rosso, who was archdeacon of the Sacred CollegeS. Miranda: Cardinal Benedetto Caetani (Pope Boniface VIII).
==Notes==
==Sources==
Konrad Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, volumen I, 1913
F. Bourkle-Young: notes to the papal election of 1294 (The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church by S. Miranda)
The Catholic Encyclopedia: Celestine V
The Catholic Encyclopedia:Boniface VIII
1294
Category:1294 elections
Category:13th-century Roman Catholicism
Category:13th century in Europe
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