Episode Description:

In the year 897, Pope Stephen VI ordered the rotting corpse of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, to be dug up, dressed in papal robes, propped up on a throne, and put on trial.

Yes, this actually happened.

This bizarre and macabre moment in church history—known as the Cadaver Synod or Synodus Horrenda—is one of the most infamous (and grotesque) episodes of the medieval papacy. In this episode, John Williamson dives deep into the political chaos of 9th-century Rome, explains how the corpse trial came to be, and breaks down why the church literally put a dead pope on the stand.

Get ready for a tale of revenge, power, posthumous punishment, and one of the most unhinged trials in recorded history.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Who Pope Formosus was, and why his enemies hated him

• Why Pope Stephen VI risked total scandal to hold the corpse trial

• What actually happened during the Synod—from propping up the corpse to cutting off its fingers

• How this event caused riots, a papal overthrow, and a historical backlash that shaped future church policy

• How the corpse trial symbolizes the violent politics of the medieval church

Sources & Research References:

1. Duffy, Eamon. Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes (Yale University Press, 1997).

2. Norwich, John Julius. Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy (Random House, 2011).

3. Mann, Horace K. The Lives of the Popes in the Early Middle Ages, Vol. IV (1902).

4. Partner, Peter. The Pope’s Men: The Papal Civil Service in the Renaissance (Oxford University Press, 1990).

5. Collins, Roger. Keepers of the Keys of Heaven: A History of the Papacy (Basic Books, 2009).

6. De Rosa, Peter. Vicars of Christ: The Dark Side of the Papacy (Crown, 1988).

7. Catholic Encyclopedia (1913 edition) – “Pope Formosus” and “Cadaver Synod” entries

8. New Advent: “Synod Horrenda” entry

9. History Extra – BBC History Magazine: “The Cadaver Synod: Why a Pope Went on Trial After Death”

10. JSTOR Daily – “The Time the Catholic Church Put a Dead Pope on Trial”

11. Atlas Obscura – “The Cadaver Synod: The Time a Dead Pope Was Put on Trial”

Listener Questions & Reactions:

Have thoughts on the corpse trial? Theories? Favorite pope gossip?

Drop John a message at historyonthemarginspod@gmail.com, or join the conversation online using the hashtag #CorpseSynod or #HistoryOnTheMargins