The Cadaver Synod: Putting a Dead Pope on Trial
In 897, the Vatican held one of the most bizarre court cases in history. Pope Formosus, stood trial against his successor Pope Stephen VI.
But the kicker was Pope Formosus had been dead for the past few months…
That didn't deter Pope Stephan to continue his pursuit in the court of law. He had the former Pope, the corpse, clad in papal vestments, removed from the sarcophagus and seated on a throne to stand trial.
A deacon was also appointed to speak on the corpse's behalf.
How strange!
Stephen accused the former pope of various crimes, but the response was dead silence. To make things a tad more interesting, an earth quake happened right in the middle of trial.
As you can suspect, this was believed to be a sign from God.
"Oh, that man was no lawful Pope; he got the Popedom by tyranny or bribery, or even by worse means, and, of course, the powers of a true and lawful Pope are not to be expected in him."
Irregardless of the earth quake, it didn't shake Pope Stephen's pursuit of criminal justice.
All his hard work paid off, the dead pope was found guilty of usurping (taking a position of power) the papacy.
What can you expect from someone who is literally just a decomposing corpse though?
Strange isn't it.
Guilty Verdict
The former Pope, Formosus, was stripped of all his clothing, dressed in rags, and any contribution he made during his papacy was considered null and void.
Three fingers of Formosus, the ones he preformed blessings with, where cutoff and his body was pushed in the Tiber River.
Fate, as it often does has a way to come back to you though. Call it fate or call it karma.
Pope Stephan within just a few short months was prosecuted and sent to prison himself. In prison he ultimately met his demise. He was strangled to death.
All-in-all, Stephan's reign of the church's lasted just over one year.
Seeking the job of Pope, was one of great challenges and risks. This was largely because popes had the power to crown the Holy Roman Emperor, which means that any new pope was immediately plunged into a high-stakes game of intrigue with their life on the line.
For instance, Stephen’s successor, Romanus, lasted only ninety-two days. Romanus’ successor, Theodore II, lasted less than three weeks.
It was a such a risk to be the Pope, yet the title and traditions are still being practiced today.
Minus the dead corpse trials.
Going back to Formosus, his body was eventually found by a local fisherman and he was sent back to a tomb in St. Peter’s Basilica.
"[W]hen he was afterwards found by fishermen and carried to the Church of the blessed Prince of the Apostles, certain images of the saints, with veneration, saluted him, placed in his coffin; for this I have very often heard from most religious men of the city of Rome."
The Tiber River was historically used in Ancient Rome to cast away the bodies of criminals.
It was where you threw anyone you wanted to permanently exile, from life, from society, even from memory.
Pope Stephen therefore, partook in this old tradition of exile at the Tiber River, which supposedly Pontius Pilate also met his end.
Why Kill an Enemy Who's Already Dead?
The question you are probably asking yourself is why did Pope Stephan try to kill an enemy who's already dead..
To really understand this, we need to look into the meaning of relics in the Medieval Era.
When someone who was considered holy died, they believed death transformed their body into a holy relic, which held not only power but miraculous power.
Relics such as these were the very centre of religious beliefs.
Every church, every altar, every nobleman, every king, every monastery, had relics, sometimes in great quantity. They were brought out to authenticate the work of justice; they were carried out with the armies; they were borne in procession to encourage the drooping crops; they were instruments of state, of law and order, of personal well-being. Even the pope, whatever theoretical claims were made for him, in practice owed most of his authority to the fact that he was the guardian of the body of St. Peter.
Saints through relics, relied on them to be members of the community.
By participating with people in their lives, responding to peoples needs, pleas with divine intercession… they were in this sense still alive.
It was this continued drive that Stephen VI wanted to deny his predecessor.
With his body lost at sea, no one could venerate (regard with great respect) Formosus relics.
Final Thoughts
Oddly enough, it was by treating Formosus as if he were still alive, propping him up on a throne, putting him on trial and subjecting him to this must have been pure hatred.
Imagine going that far to prove your point in today's day and age. You would be put into the psychiatric hospital.
Human civilization has evolved since that time, but still we see horrific atrocities committed by certain individuals today.
At the end of the day, try to live a life of happiness, laughter, and spending time with loved ones.
That is how we get the relics of today!
