After the last few class and the hit movieConclave , you probably have a rough melodic theme of how the Catholic church building deals with the destruction of aPopeand the process afterwards . But the process has acquire somewhat , as foreground by case in 897 CE , when a new appointed Pope dug up his predecessor ’s remains and put it on trial for crimes , before abridge off its fingers and hurling it into the Tiber River .
Formosus was elected as pope on October 6 , 891 cerium , during a especially turbulent time for the papacy , and political instability in Italy . During what is sometimes bear on to as the " Iron age of the pontificate " , faction vie for control of the papacy and all the power that brought .
" The Chair of St. Peter became the prize of tyrants and bandit and a throne clog up by fierce tides of crime and wantonness [ and ] the pontificate became the self-possession of great Roman families , a ticket to local dominance for which human beings were inclined to assault , execution , and steal , " historian Eamon Duffy explains inSaints and evildoer : A History of the pope .
" All real power was at this metre in the hands of the smashing families who , through their joining with the local reserves , had become much a feudalistic nobility . These families were all envious of one another , and were perpetually fighting for supremacy . The one aim of each party , pursued by every imagination of violence and intrigue , was to get control of the Chair of St. Peter . Its occupier must be one of theirs at all costs . "
As coveted as the place was , it did n’t do capital thing for your life expectancy . In fact , it was pretty much a riotous lane to exile or sainthood .
" During the Fe long time of the papacy pope succeed pope with bewildering quickness , " Donald E. Wilkes Jr , former professor of law at the University of Georgia School of Law , explains in anarticle . " In the 94 years from 872 through 965 there were 24 Bishop of Rome ; and during the nine long time between 896 and 904 there were no less than nine Alexander Pope . ( By contrast , there was a sum of only nine popes in the entire 20th hundred , and one of them , John Paul I , reigned only 33 years . ) "
Formosus was very much involved in political sympathies and the game of whack - a - Vicar of Christ , and had been forced to flee to France after the nominee for Holy Roman Emperor he supported lost out to Charles the Bald . ( Side billet , but it show an telling want of other features to be left with the suffix " the bald " ) . But after returning to Italy and being restored to his episcopate , good manners of Pope Marinus I , Formosus was elected pope on October 6 , 891 , the start of a fairly short stint as head of the Catholic church .
Formosus worked against Holy Roman co - emperor Guy II and his boy Lambert , encouraging King Arnulf of the East Franks to infest Italy , before crown him as emperor in896 CE . Arnulf was forced to return to Germany due to ailing health , and Formosus die before long after that in April . But we ’re only getting to the kickoff of why he is remembered so well , amongst the many popes of the time .
In January 897 CE , Formosus ’s successor Pope Stephen VI grasp up his corpse from St. Peter ’s Basilica , in society to put him on trial . His cadaver , which was likely not in striking condition all those months by and by , was dress inecclesiastical robesbefore being propped up on the papal throne for questioning , with a Protestant deacon appoint to advocate on behalf of the cadaver .
Disappointingly , no transcript of the trial was recorded , though we know that the remains was accused of bearing false witness , covet the papacy , and violating church service canon when he was elect pope . The adolescent deacon prefer to represent the bushed pope timidly did his line , while the live Alexander Pope yelled accusations at the clay .
" The trial was completely dominate by Stephen VII , who overawe the assemblage with his frenzied tirades , " Wilkes Jr explains . " While the frightened clergy silently learn in horror , Stephen VII screamed and raved , hurling insult at and mocking the rotting stiff . from time to time , when the savage deluge of execrations and maledictions would die down momently , the Protestant deacon would stammer out a few words weakly denying the charges . When the antic farce reason , Formosus was convicted on all counts by the court . "
" When he was afterwards found by fishermen and carried to the Church of the consecrate Prince of the Apostles , certain range of the saints , with veneration , salute him , put in his coffin ; for this I have very often listen from most religious men of the city of Rome , " a present-day chronicler , Liutprand of Cremona , wrote .
Formosus was returned to his burial topographic point after his unusual post - death trial and swim . Unfortunately for Stephen VI , he did n’t get much luck to dwell on his court profits . His unearthly reign did not last much longer , as he was incarcerate before being strangle to death . His own cadaver was not capable to any vicious proceedings .
