The Cadaver Synod: The Night a Dead Pope Was Put on Trial

THE CADAVER SYNOD: The Night a Dead Pope Was Put on TrialRome. January 897 AD. The torches are lit. The bishops have taken their seats. And at the far end of the Lateran Basilica, propped upright on a throne in full papal vestments, sits a corpse.He has been dead for nine months.He is about to stand trial.In one of the most shocking events in two thousand years of Church history, Pope Stephen VI had his predecessor Formosus exhumed, dressed, and dragged before an ecclesiastical court to answer for crimes against the papacy. A terrified deacon was appointed to speak on the dead man's behalf. The verdict was never in doubt. And what followed — the mutilation, the river, the riots, the revenge — would shake Rome to its foundations.*The Cadaver Synod* is a short, cinematic retelling of the real events of 897 AD — a story of obsession, political ruthlessness, and the terrifying medieval belief that even death could not protect you from the powerful.**What you'll discover:**- The brutal papal politics that turned a church into a battlefield- Why controlling a corpse meant controlling history- How one man's hatred outlived its target — and ultimately destroyed him- The earthquake, the river, and the miracle that changed everything**Perfect for fans of:** *SPQR* · *The Name of the Rose* · historical true crime · medieval history⚡ *A gripping short read. Approximately 5,000 words — finished in one sitting.*