The Trial of the Dead Pope

The haunting tale of the Cadaver Synod

The Cadaver Synod as portrayed by Jean-Paul Laurens in 1870. Public Domain. Source: Wikipedia

Have you ever wanted to put a dead person you hate on trial? Well, one pope in the 9th century actually managed to hold a trial for an already dead pope! Yes, pope against pope, one living, one dead. This is what happened in the Synod Horrenda, commonly known as the Cadaver Synod.