A macabre, one would say horrifying, a historical event concerning a dead pope and his successor, which goes beyond the most imaginative horror stories, took place in January 897 AD. in Rome.

This is the infamous “Summit of the Coasts”, also known as the “Council of the corpse”which took place in the Middle Ages, in January 897 AD. in Rome.

Pope Stefanos VI ordered the exhumation of his predecessor, Pope Formozos, months after his death. Then, she placed her, dressed in papal vestments and in decomposing body on a throne and put her … in trial.

The weird process

Formozos was accused of various offenses, including falsehood and “ambition for papism” while he was Bishop of Porto. These categories had political incentives, coming from the complex power struggles and fluids such as sand, alliances of the time.

Pope Stefanos VI himself presided over the trial, acting as a prosecutor and a judge. He was even appointed a deacon to respond to the Formozo fellow.

As expected, the dead Pontiff was found guilty.

The consequences of … condemnation were harsh. Formose’s papal vestments were torn, the fingers of his right hand (used for blessings) were also cut, and his corpse was thrown into the river Tiber.

It is a truly shocking episode in papal history that reflects the intense political intrigue and the violence that characterized the season. The Council of Curricanes was a reminder that even the supreme religious post was not unaccountable by the ruthless power games of the time.

Pope Stefanou’s motives

The actions of Pope Stefanos VI probably were due to a complex interaction of factors, based mainly on the unstable political landscape:

Stefanos VI was greatly influenced by the powerful Spoleto family, who were hard enemies of Formosu. Formozos had previously supported their opponent, Karinthia’s Arnulos, and Spoleto Fattening probably saw the Council of Countries as an opportunity for post -mortem revenge and defamation of the actions of the previous predecessor of the Catholic Church, including the coronation of the Catholic Church. Some historians even estimate that Spoleto’s Lampere himself may have pushed Stefanos to convene the meeting.

Cancellation of Formozos’ actions: Conquering Formos, Stefanos was intended to cancel all his papal acts of his predecessor, including the orders he made and, most importantly, the coronation of the noblel. This would serve the interests of Spoleto’s faction by undermining the legality and prestige of their opponents.

The legitimacy of Stephen VI himself as a Pope could be challenged by those who had supported Formos. Complaining his predecessor publicly, Stefanos could hop to consolidate his own position and prove his alignment with the dominant political forces in Rome.

Although political motives seem to be the main reason for his attitude, Stefanos VI would have some personal dissatisfaction with Formos. However, historians place greater emphasis on political pressures and alliances as the basic springs of his macabre decision.

Stefanos probably promoted the meeting as a matter of compliance with the ecclesiastical law to give it some apparent legitimacy.

In essence, the Council of the Coasts was a brutal and theatrical demonstration of political power in a dark age of lawlessness. Pope Stefanos VI, probably acting under the sovereignty of Spoleeto’s faction, used the macabre trial to avenge a deceased opponent, to annul his actions and to consolidate his own precious power in the papism in the hectic political environment of the 9th century.

The consequences

The Council of Curricanes caused strong reactions and had significant consequences.

Public abstraction

The macabre spectacle of a dead pope tried caused a horror to many people in Rome – and not only. It was regarded as a sacred and outrageous act against the dignity of papism and the Church.

Despite the political complications around his Papism, many people appreciated Formos to some extent, especially those who had appointed or who had benefited from his actions. His body desecration probably caused sympathy and anger.

Within a few months of the Council of Crusades, public opinion in Rome turned decisively against Pope Stefanos VI. A popular uprising broke out, fueled by the aversion to trial and probably by the ongoing political instability.

Falling and Death of Stefanos F ‘

The uprising led to the removal of Pope Stefanos VI. He was removed his papal discreetly and imprisoned him. In the summer of 897, just a few months after the briefing of the carcasses, Stefanos St ‘strangled in prison. This violent ending was a direct consequence of the reaction to his inferior act, which at the end of his boomerang turned.