The Pope Who Put a Corpse on Trial

While October 28th is often celebrated as National Chocolate Day, history reminds us of a much more bizarre event that occurred in the annals of the Catholic Church. In 897 AD, Pope Stephen VI decided that death was simply not a valid excuse to avoid a court summons. He ordered the exhumation of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, who had been dead for several months. In an event now famously known as the 'Cadaver Synod,' the rotting remains of Formosus were dressed in full papal vestments, propped up on a throne, and subjected to a formal trial before the Roman public in the Basilica of St. John Lateran. A deacon was even appointed to stand behind the corpse and answer on its behalf! It remains one of the most surreal and macabre moments in history, proving that some grudges truly do last beyond the grave.