Formosus

· 891 – 896 · 4 yrs · died

Dug up nine months after death, dressed in vestments, and put on trial. He lost.

Did

Crowned Arnulf of Carinthia emperor in 896.
Served as a missionary bishop to the Bulgarians before any of this.

Didn't

Rest in peace: the Cadaver Synod of 897 annulled his acts, cut off his blessing fingers, and threw the body in the Tiber.

From the record

Pope Formosus was the pope and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 891 until his death on 4 April 896. His reign as Pope was troubled, marked by interventions in power struggles over the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Kingdom of West Francia, and the Holy Roman Empire. Because he sided with Arnulf of Carinthia against Lambert of Spoleto, Formosus's remains were exhumed and put on trial in the Cadaver Synod. Several of his immediate successors were primarily preoccupied by the controversial legacy of his pontificate, noting his desertion from the diocese in Portus to pursue personal ambition in Rome. Formosus was seen as failing to uphold the ideals of the Church, which is why Stephen VI judged him for moving into an elevated role while holding another. Due to these controversies, no other pope has ever taken on the papal name Formosus.

Summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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