a church council in Rome.

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Because nothing says reasonable legal proceeding like having to dress the defendant yourself.

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A deacon was assigned to stand beside Formosus and answer questions on his behalf.

 

Stephen accused the dead pope of several offenses, largely connected to the bitter political and religious power struggles surrounding the papacy.

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Not surprisingly, Formosus lost.

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The court declared his papacy invalid.

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His papal robes were stripped from his body.

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The three fingers he had used to give blessings were cut off.

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His corpse was buried again.

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You would think everyone could have gone home at this point.

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Nope.

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The body was dug up again and thrown into the Tiber River.

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The whole spectacle became known as the Cadaver Synod.

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And it didn't exactly work out well for Stephen.

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Public outrage over the trial helped turn Rome against him.

 

He was eventually imprisoned and, later that same year, strangled to death.

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Formosus, meanwhile, wasn't quite finished with his papal career.

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His body was recovered from the river, and later popes reversed the judgment against him and restored his acts.

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Which means Pope Formosus managed to lose a trial, get mutilated, get thrown into a river…

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and still have a better year than the guy who prosecuted him.