I will inform you about Pope Stephen VI. His life before becoming pope, the steps that led to him becoming pope, how he died shortly after his insurrection, and how he became known as a grave robber. Keep in mind as you read this that things were very different in the 800s than they are today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Stephen was born in Rome, Italy. People still don't know exactly when he was born, but they do know the day he died. Stephen was the son of a Roman priest named John. Stephen got into the family business when he came of age, and it was somewhat forced on him. Stephen was later promoted to bishop, without doing anything to contribute to the organizational structure of the Church. Stephen was later announced as Pope Boniface VI's successor. Rome was torn apart by factions led by Roman aristocrats. The separate factions were known as Naples, Benevento, Tuscany and Spoleto. As Stephen was part of the Spoleto faction, he reluctantly crowned Guy, Duke of Spoleto. The main reason why Pope Stephen VI is famous is when he put a dead pope on trial. The Spoleti hated the former Pope Formosa so much (he was part of their rival faction) that they ordered Pope Stephen VI to hold a trial against his corpse sometime in January 897. A deacon was appointed to mime the dead pope's voice . There were several accusations, including the pontification of John VIII. There were many other accusations, but unfairly against him because the Spoleto faction was biased. Pope Stephen VI decided that the corpse would be found guilty and that he would be stripped of his sacred vestments, mainly because at the time when they were appointed bishops, they had to stay in one place. Stephen had broken this rule and would still have been charged if Formosa had not been found guilty since Formosa had made him bishop, so this also worked in his favor. Three of his fingers were cut off on his right hand, then the corpse was reburied, only to be dug up again and thrown into the Tiber. At the end of the trial, both sides got what they wanted without having to fight. A few months after the trial and the dumping of the body into the Tiber, an insurrection (violent uprising against an authority or government) took place, removing Stephen from his position. Deprived of papal regalia (the Pope's vestments) and imprisoned. He died within a week or two of strangulation. His party had no qualms about his death and found a new murderer called Pope Sergius III. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay I just finished listing everything that led to becoming pope and why he is known as a grave robber. Yes, he met a brutal end shortly after throwing Pope Formosa into the Tiber, but hand it to him, his hand was somewhat forced because of the faction he belonged to..