The Cadaver Synod: When Medieval Politics Got Extra Petty
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The Cadaver Synod: Medieval Justice at Its Weirdest
The Middle Ages gave us jousting snails, farting monks, and killer bunnies — but in 897 AD, Rome outdid itself with one of the most infamous events in papal history: the Cadaver Synod. This was not a metaphorical name. A real corpse — specifically, the body of Pope Formosus — was exhumed, dressed in papal robes, propped on a throne, and put on trial.
Yes. A corpse.
Why Dig Up a Pope?
Politics. Always politics. The new pope, Stephen VI, had a deep grudge against his predecessor. Instead of just badmouthing Formosus from the pulpit, he decided to stage the most theatrical revenge in history: charging the dead man with perjury and violating church law.
With Formosus unable to mount a defence (for obvious reasons), a deacon was appointed to “speak” for him — an uncomfortable job if there ever was one.
The Trial’s Absurd Spectacle
Picture it: a rotting pope in full regalia, propped up as the court asked questions, then dramatically stripped of his vestments when found guilty. They even cut off the three fingers he had used for blessings, as if that would really stick it to him in the afterlife.
The Backlash
Shockingly, not everyone thought desecrating a pope’s corpse was a great look. Public outrage was so intense that Stephen VI was overthrown, imprisoned, and strangled to death not long after. Formosus’s body was fished out of the Tiber, reburied, and — in a twist of posthumous justice — declared innocent by later popes.
Why We Still Talk About It
The Cadaver Synod stands as a perfect example of how medieval politics could mix high drama, deep pettiness, and macabre theatre. It’s morbid, ridiculous, and utterly unforgettable — everything we love about the stranger side of history.
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