Jan. 30, 2025

The Origin of Weird: Cadaver Synod

The Origin of Weird: Cadaver Synod

Prepare yourself for one of the most surreal and outrageous moments in church history with our latest episode on the Cadaver Synod. Ever wondered how far someone would go for power? Join Kate and Bradley as we promise to unravel the spectacle where the corpse of Pope Formosus was exhumed and put on trial, showcasing the chaotic and comedic lengths of ecclesiastical politics in 9th and 10th century Italy. With the backdrop of a rapidly changing papal lineup and power-hungry Roman factions, we explore how Pope Nicholas I's reforms set the stage for this bizarre event. Follow Formosus's journey from bishop of Porto, Santa Rufina, to a posthumous defendant in a courtroom unlike any other.

Brace yourself for a tale featuring political intrigue, shifting alliances, and the peculiar twist of a deacon speaking for a dead pope. As we navigate the tangled relationships between the papacy, the Spoleto dynasty, Lambert, and Arnulf of Carinthia, we shed light on the motivations behind the Cadaver Synod. Stephen VI's macabre trial backfired spectacularly, sparking public outrage and leading to his demise. Hear how successive popes worked to restore Formosus's reputation and reflect on the absurdity of medieval power struggles with a blend of humor and awe. Tune in for a captivating exploration of this jaw-dropping chapter in church history.

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Chapters

00:16 - The Origin of Cadaver Synod

14:21 - The Cadaver Synod

23:43 - The Bizarre Cadaver Synod Trials

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:16.190 --> 00:00:19.652
oh, hey, there oh hey, there how are you?

00:00:19.992 --> 00:00:20.373
I am well.

00:00:20.373 --> 00:00:21.314
How are you'm?

00:00:21.353 --> 00:00:21.833
good.

00:00:22.294 --> 00:00:23.295
What are we doing today?

00:00:23.355 --> 00:00:24.216
on the Origin of.

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Weird.

00:00:25.457 --> 00:00:27.358
Okay, this one's really weird.

00:00:27.358 --> 00:00:32.064
Okay, I hope so.

00:00:32.104 --> 00:00:34.789
I'm Kate by the way, hello, kate, I am Bradley.

00:00:35.511 --> 00:00:37.014
We are the History Buffoons Welcome.

00:00:37.014 --> 00:00:40.161
And this is the Origin of Weird.

00:00:40.161 --> 00:00:52.920
This is like our I don't know 27th go-around on episodes 28th, something like that, and we're still we're still fucking it up, but that's okay fucking it up since 2024.

00:00:53.402 --> 00:00:57.905
What up, what up yeah, I mean, we've literally been fucking it up for only what?

00:00:57.905 --> 00:01:01.667
Four months since the release of our first episode.

00:01:02.335 --> 00:01:07.608
That's alright, though okay, so this one is about cadaver synod.

00:01:08.680 --> 00:01:10.186
Cadaver synod.

00:01:10.186 --> 00:01:12.364
Yes, okay, I know what cadavers are.

00:01:12.364 --> 00:01:13.287
What's synod?

00:01:13.287 --> 00:01:14.150
You will find out.

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I cannot wait.

00:01:15.344 --> 00:01:16.825
That was part of my research.

00:01:18.381 --> 00:01:24.868
That's a phrase you don't say too, often Wow so this event actually happened to a pope.

00:01:31.323 --> 00:01:32.926
Oh, pope Formos formosis, does he shit in the woods?

00:01:32.926 --> 00:01:35.329
He is italian, well then, probably does so what's his name again?

00:01:35.329 --> 00:01:40.884
Sorry, formosis, pope formosis, that was his pope name.

00:01:40.884 --> 00:01:56.102
Yep, that's a unique one, because usually you get john and, well, all the other ones john, john john and john the second and john the third and john the johns lots of johns anyways.

00:01:56.121 --> 00:02:04.974
Um, okay, so moses the event that we're going to talk about, um, occurred during a big political upheaval in Italy.

00:02:05.275 --> 00:02:05.594
Okay.

00:02:05.594 --> 00:02:20.973
And this was around mid-9th and the mid-10th century, so like for a hundred years, what, what, what, what you said the mid-9th century and the mid-10th century.

00:02:21.013 --> 00:02:22.155
Yes, I'm sorry.

00:02:22.155 --> 00:02:24.048
For a hundred years I was like what are you talking about?

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Yes, wow.

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Well done.

00:02:25.106 --> 00:02:25.098
Yes, I'm sorry.

00:02:25.098 --> 00:02:25.647
For a hundred years I was like what are you talking about?

00:02:25.647 --> 00:02:25.695
Yes, wow.

00:02:26.180 --> 00:02:29.006
Well done on that one, jesus.

00:02:29.006 --> 00:02:34.606
Wow, sorry, I'm trying to recover from that.

00:02:34.606 --> 00:02:36.200
Oh, my word.

00:02:36.200 --> 00:02:38.082
Okay, go go ahead, keep drinking.

00:02:38.082 --> 00:02:39.283
I can't Go get a Modelo.

00:02:39.283 --> 00:02:39.883
What are we doing?

00:02:39.903 --> 00:02:40.925
Oh Jesus, go get a Modelo.

00:02:40.925 --> 00:02:41.945
What are we doing?

00:02:41.945 --> 00:02:49.752
Oh Jesus, go get a Modelo, hold it please, hold it please, and we're back.

00:02:49.752 --> 00:02:54.336
Hello, modelo, modelo.

00:02:54.336 --> 00:02:59.389
Okay, between the 9th century and the 10th century, things were changing.

00:02:59.588 --> 00:03:00.472
So for 100 years.

00:03:00.491 --> 00:03:02.167
Uh-huh, especially with popes.

00:03:02.167 --> 00:03:04.039
What was changing Specifically?

00:03:04.039 --> 00:03:12.969
Like their hat or design of that and the cape between 872 and 965.

00:03:12.969 --> 00:03:18.439
Okay, there were two dozen different popes that's a lot of fucking.

00:03:18.500 --> 00:03:20.062
Do you know how many two dozen is?

00:03:20.745 --> 00:03:25.694
and between 896 and 904.

00:03:26.382 --> 00:03:27.165
So eight years.

00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:32.143
They had a revolving door of popes, almost one every year.

00:03:32.143 --> 00:03:34.811
Seriously, yes, what the fuck.

00:03:34.811 --> 00:03:38.090
There was a lot of confusion going on Pope-ademic.

00:03:48.604 --> 00:03:49.706
Wow, wow, I will, I will.

00:03:49.706 --> 00:03:50.307
I am not.

00:03:50.588 --> 00:04:04.247
I am not disappointed in your response to me, saying that that was exactly what I was going for so a lot of powerful roman groups were actually constantly fighting for control, and that's what caused all this chaos.

00:04:04.247 --> 00:04:06.931
Okay, so roman groups were actually constantly fighting for control and that's what caused all this chaos.

00:04:06.931 --> 00:04:17.869
Okay, so roman groups were like um influential families and and nobles and even military commanders were like trying to gain control over italy um, unfortunately there wasn't a lot of records at the time, what?

00:04:18.028 --> 00:04:24.831
so it's kind of hard to get like a full picture of what's actually happening, but I'm gonna give you the the breadcrumbs to put it all together.

00:04:25.050 --> 00:04:28.086
Oh sweet, I look forward to the breadcrumbs.

00:04:28.300 --> 00:04:32.853
So Formosus' church career took off in 864.

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864, okay, he became bishop of Porto, santa Rufina.

00:04:37.509 --> 00:04:40.286
Oh yeah, it's a diocese in Rome.

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Sure is.

00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:42.483
Okay, so do you know it.

00:04:42.865 --> 00:04:42.985
No.

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Have you Okay, sure is.

00:04:44.747 --> 00:04:45.512
Okay, so do you know it?

00:04:45.512 --> 00:04:45.976
No, have you Okay.

00:04:46.117 --> 00:04:46.319
Gotcha.

00:04:46.980 --> 00:04:50.565
During Pope Nicholas's the first time.

00:04:51.742 --> 00:04:52.706
So was he also.

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It was a pope.

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Oh, okay, the way you worded it.

00:04:57.601 --> 00:04:59.329
I'm like, did he have a second time too?

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No, he's, never mind.

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He's Pope Nicholas the first Time.

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That's what threw me off.

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Sorry, my bad.

00:05:11.084 --> 00:05:12.146
Oh, this is.

00:05:12.146 --> 00:05:22.632
This is a very giggly origin, weird and we're not even drunk, okay, no you would think we were, but we're not, we're not okay, um sorry.

00:05:22.672 --> 00:05:27.848
So pope nicholas the first was a really strong leader who wanted to make the Pope even more powerful.

00:05:28.089 --> 00:05:28.951
Well, why wouldn't he?

00:05:28.951 --> 00:05:31.428
Because he's going to rule all of the world.

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So he basically said the Pope was the boss of all other bishops and he tried to limit the power of the kings in church matters.

00:05:39.661 --> 00:05:40.163
Which didn't?

00:05:40.163 --> 00:05:41.648
They pretty much, he pretty much.

00:05:41.648 --> 00:05:51.732
Well, I don't know if he did, but that was pretty much a thing because, like the Pope, he said a lot of shit and if you didn't like it he didn't fucking care.

00:05:51.833 --> 00:05:52.454
Yeah, yeah.

00:05:52.899 --> 00:05:53.985
He was, yeah, he was law.

00:05:53.985 --> 00:05:56.427
I mean, that's again like the whole King Henry thing.

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I always go back to him.

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He had to literally leave the church because the Pope's like fuck you man.

00:06:00.961 --> 00:06:01.843
Yeah, because the Pope's like fuck you man.

00:06:02.523 --> 00:06:10.848
Yeah, so Pope Nicholas, I also wanted to clean up the church and he was against things like selling church jobs.

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Okay.

00:06:12.329 --> 00:06:14.971
Like bringing in the public to do church jobs.

00:06:15.211 --> 00:06:18.033
Oh, so he wanted their own employees, kind of thing.

00:06:18.113 --> 00:06:21.295
Yeah, and then he was also against priests getting married.

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Why?

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Because he wanted them.

00:06:26.026 --> 00:06:27.473
Never mind, I won't even go there.

00:06:28.802 --> 00:06:30.968
So Nicholas was also a diplomat.

00:06:30.968 --> 00:06:39.245
He dealt with powerful rulers like the emperor of the Byzantine Empire Well done and the king of the Franks.

00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:41.386
The Franks, the Franks.

00:06:41.386 --> 00:06:45.079
I'll be honest, I did not expect you to get byzantine.

00:06:45.480 --> 00:07:01.266
I did not expect to get that on the first go if you listen to our last episode, not maybe, maybe not our last episode, but an earlier episode on um, the haymarket affair I said marzell, he say, like I was french yeah, and she.

00:07:01.607 --> 00:07:02.629
There's a couple other words.

00:07:02.629 --> 00:07:04.732
She also said that were not coherent at all.

00:07:04.752 --> 00:07:05.754
We're not going to talk about that.

00:07:05.754 --> 00:07:10.269
Okay, nicholas also had big problems.

00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:12.526
Yeah, because he had more money.

00:07:13.807 --> 00:07:16.879
He had a problem with the Sorry.

00:07:17.420 --> 00:07:19.487
Your laugh was just great, my bad.

00:07:20.302 --> 00:07:23.312
He had a problem with the leader of the Eastern Church in Constantinople.

00:07:23.312 --> 00:07:25.497
Oh yeah, do you know who in Constantinople?

00:07:25.517 --> 00:07:25.980
Yeah, do you know who?

00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:27.963
Constantinople is now Istanbul.

00:07:28.500 --> 00:07:29.887
Did you know who that's named after?

00:07:31.211 --> 00:07:41.899
constantine yeah, girl, yeah, well done so they disagreed about who was actually in charge the eastern church in constantinople or the pope so wait, what was the eastern church?

00:07:43.142 --> 00:07:45.997
it was in constantinople I get where it was.

00:07:45.997 --> 00:07:49.788
I asked what it was they were fighting over power.

00:07:50.069 --> 00:07:51.653
Essentially, it's a different.

00:07:51.812 --> 00:07:56.283
it's not roman catholic or catholic or or whatever, it's just a different church.

00:07:56.829 --> 00:07:58.898
It's the Eastern versus Western churches.

00:07:59.170 --> 00:08:00.536
Was this not part of your research?

00:08:00.536 --> 00:08:00.636
It?

00:08:00.656 --> 00:08:01.399
was not part of it.

00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:10.860
So Formosus was actually a really capable and respected guy, and so they put him in charge of the Porto Santa Rufina diocese right.

00:08:11.341 --> 00:08:11.562
Okay.

00:08:11.730 --> 00:08:13.978
Two years later, in 866.

00:08:13.978 --> 00:08:20.732
A year, I remember well he was sent to bulgaria as a special representative of the pope.

00:08:20.732 --> 00:08:38.854
He was he was pretty good at the job and he was a great diplomat, strong religious leader, and boris the first which was the ruler of bulgaria, okay was so impressed with formosis that he actually asked the pope to make Formosus the Archbishop of Bulgaria.

00:08:38.854 --> 00:08:40.620
Well, shit yeah.

00:08:41.356 --> 00:08:42.169
Quite the impression he made.

00:08:42.190 --> 00:08:43.576
They're going through the ranks too.

00:08:43.576 --> 00:08:45.917
Like hey, the Pope still has power, you know.

00:08:45.917 --> 00:08:49.157
Right, right, it's a huge deal and Formosus was highly regarded.

00:08:49.457 --> 00:08:49.698
Okay.

00:08:50.030 --> 00:08:53.759
But Pope Nicholas said no, what a dick.

00:08:53.759 --> 00:09:02.472
No, the Pope appointed.

00:09:02.472 --> 00:09:03.054
And said no, what a dick.

00:09:03.054 --> 00:09:03.556
No, the pope appointed.

00:09:03.556 --> 00:09:03.917
Um nope the pope.

00:09:03.917 --> 00:09:10.333
The pope pointed to an old church rule called the 15th canon of the second council of nicaea council of nicaea.

00:09:10.333 --> 00:09:14.681
Yes, it basically said a bishop couldn't run more than one church.

00:09:14.681 --> 00:09:18.836
Oh, and he was already in charge of the porto santa rufina diocese.

00:09:18.836 --> 00:09:20.100
Okay, yep yep.

00:09:20.100 --> 00:09:24.594
So the idea was to keep things fair and even and spread the power around and not keep.

00:09:24.714 --> 00:09:31.332
Let one bishop get too powerful yeah, because he didn't want the, the pope, didn't want this bishop to rise up against him.

00:09:31.352 --> 00:09:32.715
Basically, exactly so.

00:09:32.715 --> 00:09:37.419
He stuck to the rules and he kept the church quote unquote balanced, balanced.

00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:54.178
Now now, oh remember, I do revolving door popes okay yep, the popademic, that's amazing, amazing.

00:09:54.178 --> 00:09:59.563
Sorry didn't mean to derail that, I guess okay.

00:09:59.583 --> 00:10:06.554
Okay, the pope ademic go so during pope john, the eighth time, and it's okay.

00:10:06.554 --> 00:10:12.205
So it's written down as john pope v, I, I, I, and in parentheses I put eight.

00:10:12.205 --> 00:10:13.633
Did you have to?

00:10:13.633 --> 00:10:20.654
Really no, I know what it is, but to make it flow a little better, I put eight next to it and this is flowing fantastically.

00:10:23.160 --> 00:10:24.291
All right, pope.

00:10:24.311 --> 00:10:25.894
John Paul VIII.

00:10:25.894 --> 00:10:29.903
He was in charge in 872 to 882.

00:10:29.903 --> 00:10:34.860
Okay, so during his time Formosus was in trouble.

00:10:34.860 --> 00:10:35.601
Why?

00:10:35.601 --> 00:10:41.923
Because the Pope accused Formosus of conspiring to usurp the papacy.

00:10:42.450 --> 00:10:43.495
See, like I said, Mm-hmm.

00:10:44.509 --> 00:10:54.205
So essentially he believed Formosus was plotting to take his place as Pope and he accused Formosus of influencing the Bulgarians against other bishops.

00:10:54.509 --> 00:10:56.756
So basically, this pope was just fucking paranoid.

00:10:56.797 --> 00:11:08.518
Yeah, he was he was, and it was suggested that Formosus had gained significant influence in Bulgaria and was potentially undermining the authority of the pope and the church, and he was excommunicated.

00:11:08.889 --> 00:11:15.179
Yeah, just because this pope wanted to live the life he was living, because I'm sure he was taken very well, very well taken care of, I should say.

00:11:15.179 --> 00:11:20.344
And he was living because I'm sure he was taken very well, very well taken care of, I should say and he was there for 10 years yeah, so he's like I don't want to give this up, man.

00:11:20.344 --> 00:11:21.293
Yeah, fuck you.

00:11:21.312 --> 00:11:33.398
Formosa excommunicated so there are different stories about what happened next, right, some say formosis went to a council in troyes, which is a town in France.

00:11:33.618 --> 00:11:35.519
Okay, very far away from Rome.

00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:36.860
How is that spelled?

00:11:36.860 --> 00:11:37.721
T-r-o-y-e-s?

00:11:37.902 --> 00:11:39.864
T-R-O-Y-E-S.

00:11:40.043 --> 00:11:40.845
Oh, it is Y Okay.

00:11:41.346 --> 00:11:44.970
Yes, I mean, I could say Troyes, but I thought Troyes sounded better.

00:11:44.990 --> 00:11:45.250
I don't know.

00:11:45.250 --> 00:11:46.509
I was just curious, to be honest.

00:11:47.471 --> 00:11:52.143
So he supposedly promised to never be a priest again.

00:11:52.143 --> 00:11:57.873
Okay, to never be a priest again, okay.

00:11:57.873 --> 00:11:59.015
But we're not sure if that was actually true.

00:11:59.015 --> 00:12:03.227
We don't know right after pope john paul the eighth died, in 1882, so he could have ruled more, but he just died.

00:12:03.227 --> 00:12:03.830
What year?

00:12:03.830 --> 00:12:06.474
882?

00:12:06.474 --> 00:12:08.096
Did I say 18?

00:12:08.096 --> 00:12:08.316
Yes?

00:12:08.375 --> 00:12:10.980
like how do we fast forward a thousand years?

00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:24.932
god damn it he died in 882 okay, and formosus was able to return then to his job as bishop, and because basically just that pope was just fucking freaking out like man, this guy's coming for my job.

00:12:24.932 --> 00:12:31.969
Yeah, he's like wow what a dick, yeah so um in 891, something interesting happened.

00:12:31.969 --> 00:12:32.890
What was that?

00:12:32.890 --> 00:12:38.182
Formosus was elected pope you don't say I did.

00:12:38.182 --> 00:12:39.993
Actually, at the very beginning were you not there.

00:12:39.993 --> 00:12:40.855
I was there, I know.

00:12:40.855 --> 00:12:45.754
Okay, so huge turnaround considering he'd just been exiled.

00:12:45.754 --> 00:12:47.198
Well, yeah, no kidding.

00:12:47.539 --> 00:13:01.219
So his election really does show like he was respected in the church well, people liked him clearly, because for one douche pope to excommunicate or exile and whatever and then he comes back within a what?

00:13:01.219 --> 00:13:02.000
Two years?

00:13:02.101 --> 00:13:08.923
yeah um, so his problems didn't just disappear because he came back and he's pope now, right?

00:13:08.923 --> 00:13:17.484
Um, there were still accusations from the past pope john the eighth and his excommunication, and it kind of came back to haunt him, I'm sure.

00:13:17.484 --> 00:13:19.274
Yeah, that shit don't disappear.

00:13:19.274 --> 00:13:20.378
That's why it's called history.

00:13:20.378 --> 00:13:21.260
It's always around.

00:13:22.870 --> 00:13:26.000
As long as someone wrote it down at one point, you're fucked.

00:13:26.970 --> 00:13:28.797
Formosus was Pope for five years.

00:13:29.197 --> 00:13:29.298
Okay.

00:13:38.090 --> 00:13:41.417
So during this time, he formed an alliance with Lambert of Spoleto, which a italian nobleman, and he crowned him as king of italy.

00:13:41.417 --> 00:13:47.979
Oh wow, but he later saw him as a threat oh geez and shifted his allegiance to arnulf of carinthia, who is a frankish king.

00:13:47.979 --> 00:13:55.356
Okay, inviting him to invade italy, oh jesus, and challenge lambert's power it's like inviting someone to a party.

00:13:55.456 --> 00:13:57.000
I'd like to invite you to invade this.

00:13:57.260 --> 00:14:02.057
Yes, what the fuck yeah, there's somebody here I don't like, so I'm going to invite you to come to my house so you can get rid of them.

00:14:02.230 --> 00:14:05.615
Yeah, so if you could bring an army, yeah.

00:14:05.615 --> 00:14:09.863
Maybe some cakes, cake, cake I like cake.

00:14:09.863 --> 00:14:10.684
Cake is good.

00:14:11.190 --> 00:14:11.450
Lemon.

00:14:12.250 --> 00:14:13.152
I like lemon cake.

00:14:13.152 --> 00:14:14.894
Do you know what my favorite cake is?

00:14:16.034 --> 00:14:16.676
Lemon cake.

00:14:17.515 --> 00:14:20.458
No, my mom makes it for me every year on my birthday.

00:14:20.458 --> 00:14:26.284
Carrot cake, oh, carrot cake, so good, okay, cream cheese frosting.

00:14:26.885 --> 00:14:30.462
Stop, stop.

00:14:30.462 --> 00:14:32.634
I need my Skittle gummies.

00:14:32.634 --> 00:14:34.178
I just hit my microphone.

00:14:34.198 --> 00:14:35.765
Oh, don't do that, all right, anyways, okay gummies I just hit my microphone.

00:14:35.662 --> 00:14:37.058
Oh, don't do that, all right anyways.

00:14:37.058 --> 00:14:44.289
Okay, so the shift in allegiance angered lambert and led to increased tensions between the papacy and the spoleto dynasty.

00:14:44.289 --> 00:14:48.533
Sure, and then formosus died in 896.

00:14:48.533 --> 00:14:49.755
Do you know what he died of?

00:14:49.755 --> 00:15:03.855
Potentially a stroke, oh dear yes so thus came cadaver synod okay I've got my hands open as if I'm like jazz hands, I'm inviting you, okay?

00:15:05.379 --> 00:15:11.735
it's really strange okay, it sounds like it's strange so a synod is essentially a council or assembly.

00:15:12.177 --> 00:15:14.942
Um okay, of a christian denomination, gotcha okay.

00:15:14.942 --> 00:15:34.399
So held by pope stephen the sixth I didn't write it in parentheses pope stephen six in 897, seven months after formosis died, this synod dug up old accusations against him.

00:15:34.679 --> 00:15:35.441
Against Formosa.

00:15:35.441 --> 00:15:36.423
Yes, why.

00:15:36.523 --> 00:15:37.544
It's fucking dead.

00:15:37.544 --> 00:15:39.817
He was accused of lying under oath.

00:15:40.490 --> 00:15:40.852
Oh Jesus.

00:15:41.053 --> 00:15:43.235
Christ and illegally serving as bishop.

00:15:43.235 --> 00:15:45.381
How, how?

00:15:45.381 --> 00:15:53.163
These charges probably stem from the fact that the council from the council of Troyes in France?

00:15:53.163 --> 00:16:02.116
Yeah, because it was said that he promised under oath never to be a priest again, but he came back to be a bishop and then he became the Pope.

00:16:02.859 --> 00:16:05.897
Oh, so that means he would have broke his promise.

00:16:05.897 --> 00:16:06.820
Is the Pope a priest?

00:16:07.321 --> 00:16:09.548
Yes, Is that technically right?

00:16:09.629 --> 00:16:12.298
Yes, I guess I'd never really put that together for some reason.

00:16:12.359 --> 00:16:29.705
Yes, so it would mean he broke his promise by becoming a bishop and then the pope, and that's why he was accused of lying, illegally holding office essentially okay, all right, continue so the cadaver synod also wasn't just about the religious issues.

00:16:29.705 --> 00:16:44.456
Um, the pope's support meant a lot back then and it basically gave a ruler legitimacy and power and he had given that power at the time to lambert yeah but formosus got worried about lambert growing power and switched sides.

00:16:44.456 --> 00:16:55.576
And arnulf of carinthia, who invaded italy, became the emperor okay, okay so these political moves had serious consequences.

00:16:56.015 --> 00:17:07.027
Lambert and his mother became really powerful in Rome, and historians used to think that Formosus was strongly pro-Carolinian.

00:17:07.869 --> 00:17:07.950
Okay.

00:17:08.010 --> 00:17:11.320
Pro-Carolinian and only crowned Lambert because he was forced to.

00:17:11.320 --> 00:17:14.734
So the Carolinians are powerful.

00:17:14.734 --> 00:17:19.674
Frankish dynasty rose uh, rising from the prominence of the 8th century.

00:17:19.674 --> 00:17:21.121
Okay, charlemagne.

00:17:21.121 --> 00:17:29.563
If you've ever heard of charlemagne, he was probably like the most famous of the carolinian rulers can you say that word again, charlemagne?

00:17:29.823 --> 00:17:36.080
no, the other one you just said carolinian carol carol carol lingian.

00:17:36.561 --> 00:17:38.084
How is it spelled, carol?

00:17:39.010 --> 00:17:50.693
linian ing okay ian carol, because I know charlemagne, I, I might be just mixing up things in my brain, but okay, sorry, continue okay so.

00:17:51.295 --> 00:17:57.785
Um so, charlemagne united the Western Europe under his rule and was crowned emperor by the Pope.

00:17:57.785 --> 00:18:01.039
Okay, so he was a Carolinian.

00:18:01.039 --> 00:18:07.421
So they were suggesting that Formosus was pro-Carolinian.

00:18:07.421 --> 00:18:20.023
Okay, okay, so he was a little bit more flexible in his political dealings and he actually had good relations with Lambert for a while, up until what he did until he didn't until the thing until the thing.

00:18:20.023 --> 00:18:40.044
So things changed when lambert's cousin guy the fourth, of boleto guy the fourth, he got too powerful guy the fourth guy the fourth, um, he was aggressive, he liked conquering people and things and driving out people and that worried Formosus.

00:18:40.424 --> 00:18:40.724
Okay.

00:18:41.611 --> 00:18:45.118
Okay, so this likely made him seek help from Arnolf.

00:18:45.701 --> 00:18:46.603
There's a lot of names.

00:18:49.050 --> 00:18:53.856
And this suggested that his strategy was based on that changing political situation.

00:18:53.856 --> 00:19:06.623
So, they were just trying to essentially support, with potential evidence why Formosus were making these decisions with Lambert and Arnolf.

00:19:06.623 --> 00:19:21.384
So by reexamining Formosus' motives, we finally understand a little bit of the shifting alliances that were happening sure so the new perspective helps us see that the cadaver synod wasn't just religious.

00:19:21.384 --> 00:19:25.375
It was actually political and religious conflicts and tensions.

00:19:25.375 --> 00:19:34.981
Okay, so pope stephen the sixth and I did put that in- wow pope stephen's the sixth actions against the dead Pope.

00:19:35.063 --> 00:19:35.663
Is it Stephen or?

00:19:35.683 --> 00:19:35.983
Stephan.

00:19:35.983 --> 00:19:38.278
It's spelled Stephan.

00:19:38.670 --> 00:19:39.934
That's Stephen.

00:19:40.215 --> 00:19:40.778
Yes, I know.

00:19:41.653 --> 00:19:43.258
But you said Stephan and then you said Stephen.

00:19:43.258 --> 00:19:44.340
Sorry, I meant Stephen, okay.

00:19:44.769 --> 00:19:46.071
Pope Stephen VI.

00:19:46.071 --> 00:19:54.382
His actions against the dead Pope at the Catavra Synod were completely unheard of in the history of the Catholic Church.

00:19:54.382 --> 00:20:00.288
Okay, so Imagine this A trial.

00:20:00.631 --> 00:20:01.232
Paint me a picture.

00:20:03.387 --> 00:20:04.010
We're in Italy.

00:20:08.708 --> 00:20:09.972
That was well done.

00:20:10.925 --> 00:20:16.195
During the trial, they appointed a deacon to speak for Formosus because he's dead.

00:20:16.777 --> 00:20:17.419
That's horseshit.

00:20:17.419 --> 00:20:20.474
You can't have someone else speak for him, even though I understand he's dead.

00:20:20.474 --> 00:20:22.058
But that's not it.

00:20:22.058 --> 00:20:24.022
Oh God, have someone else speak for him even though I understand he's dead, but that's not it, oh God.

00:20:23.993 --> 00:20:26.031
Okay, they dug him up.

00:20:27.645 --> 00:20:28.810
I've heard of this.

00:20:29.526 --> 00:20:32.174
They dug up Pope Formosus.

00:20:32.586 --> 00:20:33.758
And they put him on a chair.

00:20:33.758 --> 00:20:38.195
Basically right, they propped him up on a throne, like some sort of creepy puppet.

00:20:38.195 --> 00:20:44.188
Yes, I've heard of this Now that you bring this up.

00:20:44.188 --> 00:20:47.056
I didn't know any of the details, though, but that's fucking fantastic.

00:20:47.096 --> 00:20:47.857
That is just so weird.

00:20:47.857 --> 00:20:53.009
This deacon was like talking for this dead pope did he get behind him and go like?

00:20:53.009 --> 00:20:54.513
I don't know what I'm doing.

00:20:54.534 --> 00:20:58.008
Move his arms move his head and talk behind him.

00:20:58.008 --> 00:21:03.178
Did he know his voice like, hey man, yeah, is she on pope for most years?

00:21:03.178 --> 00:21:05.407
It's like what the fuck I?

00:21:05.407 --> 00:21:10.298
Oh, that's so great, because I actually I don't remember where I saw this read.

00:21:10.298 --> 00:21:14.922
It was a brief snippet or something, but again, I didn't know any details.

00:21:14.922 --> 00:21:16.405
So this is fucking fantastic.

00:21:16.405 --> 00:21:18.029
Well, well done good.

00:21:18.150 --> 00:21:24.804
So one of the main charges was that dead Pope Formosus sitting on the throne.

00:21:24.903 --> 00:21:25.105
Yeah.

00:21:25.806 --> 00:21:28.392
He broke church law by leading more than one church.

00:21:29.114 --> 00:21:29.654
Oh Jesus.

00:21:29.654 --> 00:21:32.872
So, Doesn't the Pope lead all churches?

00:21:34.185 --> 00:21:34.868
Well, he was also.

00:21:35.269 --> 00:21:35.771
I get that yeah.

00:21:36.566 --> 00:21:37.588
I understand where you're coming from.

00:21:37.628 --> 00:21:37.890
Yeah.

00:21:37.910 --> 00:21:45.290
For sure, for sure, okay, yeah, the second charge was of perjury because they thought he lied about.

00:21:45.290 --> 00:21:56.212
Yes, he broke his promise um, if he actually did that, then became pope as, like a layman, like I'm just gonna have the title right and then finally pope.

00:21:56.212 --> 00:21:57.434
That's perjury.

00:21:58.015 --> 00:22:01.861
Okay, wow, that is staying in.

00:22:01.861 --> 00:22:04.413
That one was fantastic.

00:22:05.365 --> 00:22:11.066
The last charge was that he presented himself as bishop even though he wasn't so.

00:22:11.247 --> 00:22:12.592
then that was a huge deal, so.

00:22:12.972 --> 00:22:13.173
Right.

00:22:13.173 --> 00:22:21.976
People believe that Formosus shouldn't be Pope, couldn't have been Pope because he had broken his promise and was not a priest.

00:22:21.976 --> 00:22:25.441
Right, he wasn't, he wasn't, he just was a dude.

00:22:25.441 --> 00:22:32.349
He essentially like demoted himself Right and then pretended like he wasn't.

00:22:32.349 --> 00:22:34.375
Huh, so Okay.

00:22:34.375 --> 00:22:52.540
It would have been a major insult to the church, and the trial was like a crazy mix of the religion and the politics and in the end, formosis was found guilty even though he was already dead so did they hang the corpse?

00:22:52.641 --> 00:22:52.881
I mean?

00:22:53.987 --> 00:22:55.368
they did desecrate the body.

00:22:55.368 --> 00:22:57.833
Yeah, was he drawn and quoted.

00:22:57.833 --> 00:23:02.779
He was stripped of his Pope clothes that he was buried in.

00:23:02.779 --> 00:23:12.950
Well, yeah, because they're always buried in their final garb or whatever they cut off his fingers because he used those to bless people oh for fuck's sake.

00:23:12.950 --> 00:23:16.355
And declared everything he did as Pope was completely invalid.

00:23:17.165 --> 00:23:20.957
Do you think that someone made like a Formosa and finger necklace Ew?

00:23:23.346 --> 00:23:24.009
What the hell?

00:23:24.009 --> 00:23:26.971
Maybe you need to be on the origin of weird.

00:23:26.971 --> 00:23:29.111
You're weird, I'm pretty weird.

00:23:29.111 --> 00:23:31.704
They essentially wanted to erase him from.

00:23:31.724 --> 00:23:34.634
They wanted to erase Formosa and everything that he did.

00:23:35.286 --> 00:23:37.815
To make things worse, he didn't even get a proper burial.

00:23:37.815 --> 00:23:39.411
They buried him in a common grave, just like anybody else.

00:23:39.411 --> 00:23:39.932
Did they at least mark it?

00:23:39.932 --> 00:23:42.566
Well, they buried him in a common grave, just like anybody else do they at least mark it?

00:23:42.566 --> 00:23:51.910
Well, they dug him up again again after they reburied him they tied weights to his body and threw his body into the tiber river.

00:23:51.910 --> 00:23:55.076
What the fuck, wasn't that brutal?

00:23:56.318 --> 00:24:10.105
that is and he was so well respected well yeah, and then all these fuckers that thought they were gunning for his job, formosa was like we gotta this fucker's dead, but we gotta make him an example out of this guy.

00:24:10.105 --> 00:24:14.990
Yeah, so they tied weights to his body and threw him in the river.

00:24:14.990 --> 00:24:31.807
Yep, what the fuck so the cadaver synod was bizarre, yeah, disturbing, and people were horrified rightly they loved him that, and not only that, they dug the guy up and put him on a chair twice.

00:24:31.946 --> 00:24:33.109
They dug him up twice.

00:24:33.109 --> 00:24:43.406
No one could believe that stephen the six had done this, and the public outrage led to his downfall he was removed from power, thrown in prison and event.

00:24:43.406 --> 00:24:52.094
Eventually he was strangled to death oh good, yeah, fuck that guy so the pope who came after stephen vi tried to fix the damage.

00:24:52.094 --> 00:24:53.618
This was pope theodore ii.

00:24:53.618 --> 00:25:16.497
Okay, and he had held a council to officially overturn everything that happened at the cadaver synod okay so big step towards restoring formosa's reputation right right and then we have there's so many popes so many popes, popeademic, stop it pope john the ninth um condemned the synod and supported theater.

00:25:16.537 --> 00:25:24.518
The second's decision gotcha okay, so both pope theater, second, and and Pope John IX helped restore Formosa's honor.

00:25:24.518 --> 00:25:30.878
Okay, so they found his body in the river Formosa's yeah, which had been so horribly treated.

00:25:30.878 --> 00:25:36.297
Well, right, and they pulled him out and they gave him a proper burial at St Peter's Basilica as a pope.

00:25:36.805 --> 00:25:38.510
Well, I mean he was a pope.

00:25:38.510 --> 00:25:40.557
Well, I mean he was a pope.

00:25:40.557 --> 00:25:53.089
I get, like you got some dumb fucking bitches that are like this guy's gunning for my job, so I gotta fuck up his reputation and stuff.

00:25:53.089 --> 00:25:58.279
And the only reason why he was exiled or excommunicated or whatever was because this pope thought he was coming for him yeah potential threat.

00:25:58.464 --> 00:26:04.536
So then the only reason why they even got him on anything huge air quotes is because I won't be a priest anymore.

00:26:04.536 --> 00:26:13.798
But that's just because this dick of a pope fucking said oh man, this guy's gonna take my job and I like this job yeah what a fucking dick.

00:26:14.005 --> 00:26:22.175
Yeah, so unfortunately, so fortunately, pope sergius the third.

00:26:22.175 --> 00:26:22.916
What's his name?

00:26:22.916 --> 00:26:49.095
Sergius s-e-r-g-i-u-s that's a unique one, I don't know but he's three, he's three, he's the third oh my god, that was great he was actually one of the judges at the cadaver synod and he became pope and brought back all the or whole charges against formosis what is wrong with these people?

00:26:49.155 --> 00:27:06.528
just fucking let it go naturally it opened new wounds, old wounds showed how deeply the church was divided like I mean, believe what you want about religion, and to each your own who believe about religion.

00:27:06.528 --> 00:27:13.109
But these stupid fucks were just about the fucking position yeah, they did not actually care about the church.

00:27:13.109 --> 00:27:15.984
They just wanted that position because of the power that it came with.

00:27:16.005 --> 00:27:23.920
You know what a dick so the cadaver Senate is one of the most infamous and shocking events in the history of the Catholic Church.

00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:32.538
I've never heard about it, but it's fucking wild yeah and it just shows you how much people would go for power in the medieval church.

00:27:33.005 --> 00:27:36.075
Well, yeah, because again it was so respected.

00:27:37.185 --> 00:27:46.019
There were personal grudges and there were schemes and religious arguments, religious arguments and political arguments and just all ruckus.

00:27:46.365 --> 00:27:54.711
Yeah, they used Jesus and God's name and their benefit basically is all it was, so it's just weird.

00:27:55.133 --> 00:27:58.773
Yeah, so that's the cadaver, synod.

00:27:59.567 --> 00:28:00.473
That's just so weird, so weird.

00:28:00.473 --> 00:28:01.118
I've never heard of that before.

00:28:01.118 --> 00:28:01.804
That's just so weird, so weird.

00:28:01.804 --> 00:28:03.611
I've never heard of that before.

00:28:03.611 --> 00:28:05.991
I'm pro Formosa.

00:28:05.991 --> 00:28:10.573
Fuck Stephen and those other fuckers.

00:28:10.573 --> 00:28:11.916
I mean, what the hell?

00:28:11.916 --> 00:28:14.569
That's just fucking dumb, yeah.

00:28:14.569 --> 00:28:17.596
But wow, okay, I like that.

00:28:17.596 --> 00:28:19.131
That was definitely a weird one.

00:28:21.105 --> 00:28:22.992
Pope, formosa's and his cadaver trial.

00:28:22.992 --> 00:28:27.013
His cadaver was on the throne.

00:28:27.384 --> 00:28:32.758
It's just funny because, again, I don't remember where I heard of seeing this.

00:28:32.758 --> 00:28:34.049
I remember seeing a picture.

00:28:34.049 --> 00:28:35.810
I'll have to try and look for it after this.

00:28:35.810 --> 00:28:36.794
I don't know.

00:28:36.794 --> 00:28:38.556
Yes that's the one.

00:28:38.576 --> 00:28:39.365
Yep, that's the picture.

00:28:39.365 --> 00:28:41.051
It's got it all set up for social media.

00:28:41.152 --> 00:28:44.713
Perfect, because I don't remember how long ago it was, I saw this.

00:28:44.713 --> 00:28:46.230
I don't even remember what I was looking up.

00:28:46.230 --> 00:28:54.957
I was looking up something, obviously, and I saw that I'm like that's fucking wild, and all I knew was this pope was dug up to be put on trial.

00:28:55.224 --> 00:29:09.155
Yes, I knew nothing else about what you just said, so that's fantastic to actually have some context behind that picture do you think he was like up in heaven, like on a cloud, like on his belly with his hands under his, his chin and kicking his feet and just watching this bullshit?

00:29:09.155 --> 00:29:11.766
Go on and be like you know, this doesn't matter, right?

00:29:12.287 --> 00:29:16.674
pretty funny if you ask me oh shit, they threw my body in the river.

00:29:16.674 --> 00:29:18.076
What the fuck?

00:29:18.076 --> 00:29:20.268
I mean, what the hell?

00:29:20.849 --> 00:29:25.012
and they dug him up twice, twice, and then they took him out of the river.

00:29:25.865 --> 00:29:26.731
Oh, my word.

00:29:26.771 --> 00:29:27.054
Yeah.

00:29:27.164 --> 00:29:28.888
And finally properly buried him.

00:29:28.909 --> 00:29:29.249
Yeah.

00:29:29.450 --> 00:29:30.090
Good for him.

00:29:30.090 --> 00:29:34.078
Yeah, wow, go Formosa, formosis.

00:29:34.078 --> 00:29:37.849
I think Formosa needs a mimosa.

00:29:37.849 --> 00:29:41.477
Well, I suppose.

00:29:41.477 --> 00:29:42.439
All right, buffoons.

00:29:42.439 --> 00:29:43.851
That's it for today's episode.

00:29:44.525 --> 00:29:47.693
Buckle up, because we've got another historical adventure waiting for you.

00:29:47.693 --> 00:29:55.644
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