The Cadaver Synod, a notorious ninth-century event, involved Pope Stephen VI putting the corpse of his predecessor Pope Formosus on trial. While often viewed as insanity or revenge, recent scholarship suggests it was a calculated act influenced by political and religious turmoil. Formosus's papacy from 891 to 896 took place during the decline of the Carolingian Empire, facing threats from Viking and Muslim forces. The trial exemplifies the intense struggles within the church and the weakened state of the empire, as various factions competed for power and influence during this chaotic period.
And thereafter Stephen put Pope Formosus out of his tomb, and placed him in the Apostolic throne, and a deacon was delegated to answer for him, and his apostolic vestment was stripped off, and dragged across the basilica; and blood was flowing from his mouth, and he was thrown into the river.
His tenure coincided with the waning days of the Carolingian Empire. In the late ninth century, Western Europe was splintering.
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