 Le Pape Formose et Étienne VI ("Pope Formosus and Stephen VI") by Jean-Paul Laurens, 1870 | |
| Date | January 897 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Basilica of St. John Lateran |
| Location | Rome, Papal States |
| Type | Posthumous ecclesiastical trial |
| Cause | Alleged perjury and illegal accession of Pope Formosus |
| Outcome | Pope Formosus' papacy declared null |
The Cadaver Synod (also called the Cadaver Trial; Latin: Synodus Horrenda) is the name commonly given to the ecclesiastical trial of Pope Formosus, who had been dead for about seven months, in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome during January 897.[1] The trial was conducted by Pope Stephen VI, the successor to Formosus' successor, Pope Boniface VI. Stephen had Formosus' corpse exhumed and brought to the papal court for judgment. He accused Formosus of perjury, of having acceded to the papacy illegally, and illegally presiding over more than one diocese at the same time.[2] At the end of the trial, Formosus was pronounced guilty, and his papacy retroactively declared null.[2]
- ^ For the date cf. Joseph Duhr, "Le concile de Ravenne in 898: la réhabilitation du pape Formose", Recherches de science religieuse 22 (1932), p. 541, note 1.
- ^ a b Harper, Elizabeth (3 March 2014). "The Cadaver Synod: When a Pope's Corpse Was Put on Trial". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 13 December 2021.