Michael of Cesena

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Michael of Cesena (Michele di Cesena) (1270 – November 29 1342) was a Franciscan, general of that Order, and theologian, born at Cesena, a small town in Italy.

He was an advocate of ecclesiastical poverty, in which dispute he found himself ranged against Pope John XXII. The latter summoned him to Avignon in 1327 and Michael eventually agreed to go. He was detained there by the Pope, but managed to win over William of Ockham to his cause. In the following year, Cesena, Ockham, and a few other high-ranking Franciscans fled from the papal court. They had apparently wished to seek the protection of King Robert of Naples (who favoured their views), but a wicked storm on the Mediterranean forced their galley back to the port of Aigues-Mortes, where they transferred to another ship manned by agents of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor and were taken to Pisa, where John XXII was declared to be deposed by the Emperor. Cesena was excommunicated by the Pope.

In 1329 Cesena was deposed from the Franciscan leadership, now controlled by the Pope, and he left with his followers in the entourage of Louis for Germany. He continued to struggle for his understanding of evangelical poverty for the rest of his life, and issued an Appeal against Benedict XII, who had succeeded John XXII, in 1338. He died in Munich, and was buried there in the Franciscan convent. He was officially rehabilitated in 1359.

Michael de Cesena was one of the historical characters in Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose.

The story of Cesena's exciting flight from Avignon on May 26, 1328, and arrival at Pisa on June 8 is recounted in: G. Knysh, Biographical rectifications in Ockham's Avignon period, Franciscan Studies 46 (1986), pp. 61-91.

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