L'Aquila, a central Italian city which Francis visited briefly, is the burial place of Celestine V, who resigned as pope in 1294 after only five months to return to his life as a hermit, establishing a papal prerogative.
When the Vatican announced in June Francis' trip to L'Aquila—to inaugurate an annual "feast of forgiveness"—it fueled speculation that a conjunction of events—including the induction of new cardinals on Saturday and meetings starting on Monday on the Vatican's new constitution—could foreshadow a resignation announcement.
But Francis, who prayed silently before Celestine's tomb, said that by relinquishing power, Celestine showed the strength that comes from humility. Although Francis has quashed rumors that he plans to resign anytime soon, the visit underscored the Catholic Church's need to regulate the status of pontiffs who step down.