THE FIRST RECORD OF THE MORRONE FAMILY:

I had trouble accessing the Italian governments records of the Morrone family for the longest time, but I eventually was able to find the first written record of a Morrone in Italy. And its a pretty important one. The story of Pietro da Morrone (Pope Celestine V) is one of the most fascinating and dramatic tales in the history of the Catholic Church. He is the reason the name "Morrone" is famous throughout Italy and a whole village is named after him.

Here is the life of the "Hermit Pope":

  1. From Cave to Crown

Pietro was born around 1215 in the Molise region (near where your family is from). He was a deeply spiritual man who wanted nothing to do with the politics of the world. At age 17, he became a monk and eventually moved into a remote cave on Mount Morrone.

• He spent decades living as a hermit, eating only bread and water, and praying in total solitude.

• His reputation for holiness grew so much that people began to follow him, and he eventually founded a religious order called the Celestines.

  2. The Accidental Pope

In 1294, the Catholic Church was in crisis. The Cardinals had been arguing for two years and couldn't agree on a new Pope. From his mountain cave, Pietro sent them a letter warning that God would punish them if they didn't pick someone soon.

• The Cardinals, perhaps out of desperation or divine inspiration, replied: "Fine, we pick you."

• Legend has it that when the messengers climbed the mountain to tell him, the 80-year-old Pietro tried to run away and hide in the woods. He was eventually persuaded that it was God’s will and was crowned Pope Celestine V.

  3. "The Great Refusal"

Pietro was a holy man but a terrible politician. He was overwhelmed by the corruption and greed of the papal court. He even had a small wooden cell built inside the grand palace so he could pretend he was back in his cave.

• After only five months, he did something almost unthinkable: He resigned.

• He issued a decree stating that a Pope has the right to step down—a law that wouldn't be used again for over 700 years until Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013.

  4. A Tragic End

Pietro wanted to go back to his cave, but his successor, Pope Boniface VIII, feared that people would try to put Pietro back on the throne.

• Boniface had the old man hunted down and imprisoned in a castle.

• Pietro died in a narrow cell in 1296. He was later declared a Saint in 1313.

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Yes, the Morrone family is related to a Pope. This is actually great news because we have 5 months of his life clearly documented within the Catholic church. Our family is likely originated from Morrone Del Sannio which is a small village in Italy. The reason why we thought Sicily is likely because at the time of the Morrone's immigration on the Dulio ship (listed on the immigration page) Sicily was the prominent nearby city and relatives of our likely moved to Sicily for more oppurtunity within Italy.

 

Birth records were not required by law until 1802, so we do not have Pietro's birth certificate but only what is on file within the Vatican. Pietro did not have children due to his life as a monk but had 11 brothers and sisters. Some of which their decedents immigrated to the US and we have record of those on the Family Tree.