Catherine of Siena urged Pope Gregory XI to return to Rome 650 years ago

Pope Gregory XI left Avignon on September 13, 1376, to begin the journey that would restore the papacy to Rome. A young woman named Catherine of Siena, who held no official church office or political power, reportedly persuaded him to make this historic decision.

Gregory XI was the final pope of the period known as the Avignon Papacy. Since the beginning of the 14th century, successive popes had resided in Avignon on the Rhone River rather than in Rome. The decision to return was not straightforward. Italy was engulfed in conflicts, and some French cardinals and members of the papal entourage opposed the move. Gregory XI himself hesitated for a long time before making the final decision.

Catherine Benincasa, a Dominican tertiary and mystic from Siena, played a significant role during this period of hesitation. She wrote to Gregory XI with unusual directness, urging him to overcome his fears and return to Rome. She did not limit her efforts to letters. In June 1376, she traveled to Avignon to speak with the pope in person. She insisted that he return, framing the move not as a political calculation but as a necessity for the renewal of the church and the restoration of peace.

Subsequent popes have highlighted Catherine's influence. Pope Paul VI pointed to her role in overcoming Gregory XI's hesitation and the resistance of his entourage. Pope Benedict XVI noted that she urged the pope to return to Rome energetically and effectively. Gregory XI eventually arrived in Rome on January 17, 1377, after a journey of several months.

Catherine addressed the pope as the sweet Christ on earth, yet she spoke to him firmly, demanding courage and decisive action. Her love for the papacy did not mean silence regarding the church's problems. Instead, she called for reform and conversion. She was later declared a saint, a patron of Rome and Europe, and a Doctor of the Church.

Six hundred and fifty years later, a monument to Catherine stands near the Castel Sant'Angelo on the Via della Conciliazione. Recently, photographs taken from a specific perspective have become popular. In these images, the leaning figure of the saint appears to kiss the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. This photographic curiosity serves as a symbol of the woman who, centuries ago, convinced the successor of St. Peter that his place was in Rome.