Stephen VI (VII)

Roman. The son of a priest named John. Stephen VI belonged to the Spolet feudal house of the Guidonides . The surnames Guido and his son Lambert, who led the pontiffs Stephen V (VI) and Formosa, crowned them emperors of the Holy Roman Empire . Formoz, however, led his own game and tried to contrast the Guidonides with the figure of Arnulf of Carinthia , in which he saw the rightful heir to the throne of Charlemagne .

After the death of Formosa, Guidonides supporters eliminated his successor Boniface VI and took possession of Rome. Stefan was elected pope, who then occupied the episcopal chair in Anagni . His pontificate was marked by an unprecedented Corpse Synod , initiated by Lambert Spoletsky, to please the Spoletans, Stefan VI staged a terrible trial of Formoz, whose corpse was ordered to be dug out of the grave, dressed in papal clothes and put on the dock. After the trial, Formosa was accused of violating church law. Papal clothes were removed from him and three fingers of his right hand were cut off to him, with which he blessed the people. Then the hacked corpse of Formosa was thrown into the Tiber . Stephen's action outraged the population of Rome. After several months, Papa was imprisoned, where he was strangled.

Stephen's death did not bring the church to the world. Over the next twelve years, civil war, bloodshed and terror reigned in Lateran .

• Konskiy P.A. Stefan, popes // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.