Description: Sweeney chronicles the true story of Peter Morrone, a hermit who in the Middle Ages found himself the most powerful man in the Catholic Church--and who would be the only pope in history to abdicate.
Review Quotes: "I'm not embarrassed to say that I knew very little about the remarkable story of Peter Morrone, the monk turned pope. But I'm delighted to say that the tale, as exciting and compelling as any novel or film, is beautifully told by Jon Sweeney. This long-forgotten saga is rightly restored to its place as one of the most unusual episodes in the entire history of the church." --James Martin, SJ, author of Between Heaven and Mirth
"Jon M. Sweeney's loving portrait of Celestine V is that rare work of history that also feeds the soul. Anyone interested in the collision of hope, despair, and faith will come away nourished." --John L. Allen Jr., author of A People of Hope "I have read several of Jon Sweeney's books, always with pleasure. He is a conscientious researcher, and a fine storyteller, with a wonderful gift for creating a sense of place and time. This time he tells the story of Celestine V, a hermit who was elected pope, then abdicated five months later. In The Pope Who Quit, Sweeney gives us a vivid snapshot of a tumultuous period in the history of the Catholic Church and Western Europe." -Thomas J. Craughwell, author of Saints Preserved: An Encyclopedia of Relics