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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Favorite Royal Images: The Cadaver Synod

A special image for Halloween, the infamous "Cadaver Synod" in which Pope Stephen (VI) VII had the Pope Formosus dug up, his putried corpse dressed in papal vestments and then put on trial at St John Lateran's Basilica. Believe it or not, this convinced many people that Pope Stephen was quite insane...
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 26, 2011 at 3:09 PM

    It's amazing how anyone went along with it in the first place... No doubt for the sheer fun of watching him be mad?

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  2. Eliza TurnerOctober 26, 2011 at 11:04 PM

    Dressing up dead bodies for mock trials is pretty much always a bad idea. Sure, it may seem like a great plan beforehand, but it just never seems to turn out well.

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  3. MadMonarchistOctober 27, 2011 at 12:59 AM

    I wonder how the issue was first brought up?

    Pope Stephen: Okay, now, I know this may sound a little crazy, but hear me out. We dig up Pope Formosus..."

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  4. Le Petit PrinceOctober 27, 2011 at 2:11 AM

    ... that's awfully bizarre. But then again, I've seen worse. I wonder why these people went along with the Pope's decisions.

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  5. DismasOctober 27, 2011 at 11:11 AM

    I don't get it, what's so wrong with Pope Stephen VI's devotion to the veneration of relics?

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  6. RobOctober 27, 2011 at 7:05 PM

    Fortunately, John IX banned any further trials of dead bodies.

    File that under laws you never would have believed would have even needed to be passed.

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  7. MadMonarchistOctober 28, 2011 at 12:37 AM

    Which in itself is a little weird. After all, if you're nuts enough to dig up a corpse for "trial" I doubt it being illegal would stop you.

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