Lentorama 2007: The Non-Canonized Catholic Person of the Day

Today's person is Pope Formosus, who was Pope from 891 to 896. Trouble seemed to follow him, as he ran into trouble before, during, and after his reign.

He was bishop of Portus (a suburban area of Rome), but left the city due to "political complications," and was ordered to return to Rome by Pope John VIII to face a variety of charges, from leaving his bishopric without permission to despoiling the cloisters of Rome, or be excommunicated. Formosus avoided excommunication by promising to never return to Rome and to not act as a priest again.

But then John VIII died, and Marinus I OKed Formosus to return to Portus. This favor seemed to last, as witnessed by Formosus being elected Pope.

That favor quickly turned, as Formosus was embroiled in struggled for the crowns of Rome and France, the usupration of the patriarchy of Constantinople, and a dispute by a couple of bishops over the see of Bremen.

You would think things would have quieted down for Formosus when he died, but Pope Stephen VI had his own plans. A year after he died, Formosus was exhumed, dressed in papal regalia, and tried on the charges leveled by John VIII. Formosus was found guilty, had his robes torn off, three of his fingers cut off his right hand, and his corpse was thrown in the Tiber (where it was recovered by a monk). Stephen nullified all of Formosus' acts and orders.

Then Stephen died, and Formosus was quietly reburied in St. Peter's. A few years later Sergius III reaffirmed the findings against Formosus, and demanded that the bishops consecrated by Formosus be reconsecrated. Which led to the question of whether or not they'd have to redo everything they'd done, like ordain priests and such. Confusion, as you might imagine, was widespread.

Eventually, Formosus would have his work reaccepted, and for good measure trying corpses was given an official stamp of disapproval. Just a little too late.

And no, Formosus wasn't Polish, but it's hard to pass up a story where a corpse goes on trial.