Formosus

Formosus
/fawr moh"seuhs/, n.
A.D. c816-896, Italian ecclesiastic: pope 891-896.

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▪ pope
born c. 816, Rome?
died April 4, 896, Rome

      pope from 891 to 896, whose posthumous trial is one of the most bizarre incidents in papal history.

      In 864 he was made cardinal bishop of Porto, Italy, by Pope St. Nicholas I, who sent him to promote the conversion of Bulgaria. He was assigned missions to France by Pope Adrian II (869) and by Pope John VIII (875) but incurred the latter's mistrust in 876, fled from Rome, and was excommunicated. Pardoned in 878 in return for a promise to remain in exile, he returned to Rome in the 880s and was absolved under Pope Marinus I, who restored him to his see of Porto in 883. During the pontificates of popes Marinus, St. Adrian III, and Stephen V (Stephen V (or VI)) (VI), Formosus' influence grew, and he was elected Stephen's successor in October 891. Attempting to liberate Rome from the Spoletan Holy Roman coemperors Guy and his son Lambert, Formosus requested King Arnulf of the East Franks to invade Italy. In Rome in 896 Formosus crowned Arnulf emperor, but while preparing to attack Spoleto, Arnulf was seized with paralysis and was forced to return to Germany. Formosus died shortly thereafter, leaving the discord unresolved.

      At a Roman synod (popularly called the “Cadaver Synod”) conducted by Pope Stephen VI (Stephen VI (or VII)) (VII), Formosus' political enemies had his corpse exhumed, propped up on a throne, and subjected to a mock trial—during which a deacon answered for the corpse. His election was declared invalid, his acts were quashed, and his fingers of consecration were cut off. Formosus' corpse was then cast into a grave, but later thrown into the Tiber River. These acts divided Rome politically, provoking Stephen's imprisonment and his death by strangulation. Pope Theodore II reinstated Formosus' ordinations and solemnly buried his body; Pope John IX condemned Stephen's synod and burned its acts. Formosus' letters were collected in J.-P. Migne (ed.), Patrologia Latina, vol. 129.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Formosus —     Pope Formosus     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Pope Formosus     (891 896)     The pontificate of this pope belongs to that era of strife for political supremacy in Italy, which succeeded the disruption of the Carlovingian empire. Formosus was… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Formosus — (* 816 auf Korsika; † 4. April 896) war zwischen 891 und 896 Papst. Der zum Zeitpunkt seiner Wahl 75 jährige Formosus war zuvor Bischof von Porto gewesen. 864 übernahm er die Aufgabe eines Legaten bei den Bulgaren und sollte nach dem Willen von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Formōsus — Formōsus, vorher Bischof von Porto, ging im Auftrag des Papstes nach Bulgarien, um die Angelegenheit der dortigen neuen Kirche zu ordnen; unter Papst Johann VIII. beschuldigt, an einer Verschwörung gegen Karl den Kahlen u. den Papst theilgenommen …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Formōsus — Formōsus, Papst, vorher Bischof von Portus im Kirchenstaat, wurde 867 von Papst Nikolaus I. als Missionar zu den Bulgaren gesandt, von Johann VIII. 876 als Gegner Karls des Kahlen seines Bistums beraubt und gebannt, von Marinus II. aber 883 oder… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Formosus — Formōsus, Papst 891 896, geb. um 816, 866 Missionar bei den Bulgaren, von Papst Johann VIII. aus polit. Gründen gebannt, von Marinus II. rehabilitiert, als Papst streng, krönte Arnulf als Kaiser; gest. 4. April 896 …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Formosus — Formosus, Papst von 891–896, früher Bischof von Porto (Ostia) und 876 als Anhänger der deutschen Partei einmal gebannt. Nach seiner stürmischen Wahl mußte er Lamberten, den unmündigen Sohn des italien. Kaisers Guido von Spoleto 892 zum Mitkaiser… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Formosus — Formosus,   Papst (891 896), * Rom (?) um 816, ✝ ebenda 4. 4. 896; wurde 864 (865?) Bischof von Porto; machte sich unter Nikolaus I. und Hadrian II. um die Christianisierung der Bulgaren verdient; von Johannes VIII. der Beteiligung an der …   Universal-Lexikon

  • FORMOSUS — 109. Romanorum Ep. A. C. 890. quo monstra horrenda in sedem Angelis reverendam, ut Baron. in Ann. inquit, intrusa, cum Sergio de Papatu contendit: Guidonem, et Arnolphum coronavit, obiit A. C. 896. Eius cadaver a Stephano VI. refossum, qui illud… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Formosus, Pope — • Reigned 891 896 Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Formosus — Formose (pape) Formose Pape de l’Église catholique romaine …   Wikipédia en Français

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