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Issue #47January 23, 2026
The Pope Who Put a Dead Body on Trial
And other tales of medieval justice gone horribly, hilariously wrong.

In 897 AD, Pope Stephen VI did something that still makes historians do a double-take: he dug up the corpse of his predecessor, Pope Formosus, dressed it in papal vestments, propped it on a throne, and put it on trial.

Yes, you read that correctly. A dead body. On trial. With a teenager appointed to speak on the deceased's behalf (because apparently even zombie popes deserve legal representation).

The charges? Perjury, coveting the papacy, and violating church canons. The verdict? Guilty, obviously. The punishment? They cut off his blessing fingers, stripped him of his vestments, and tossed him in the Tiber River...

⏱️ 5 min read🏛️ Medieval History💀 Morbid Rating: 8/10
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