The Cadaver Synod: When a Deceased Pope Was Put on Trial

During this macabre event, known as the Cadaver Synod, a deacon was appointed to speak on behalf of the nine-month-old corpse. Formosus was found guilty, his papacy declared null, and the three fingers he used for blessings were cut off. His body was then dragged through the streets of Rome before being thrown into the Tiber River. This bizarre episode reflected the intense political and theological factionalism prevalent in 9th-century Rome, leading to Stephen VI himself being imprisoned and strangled months later.