Pope Formosus
Head of the Catholic Church from 891 to 896
Why this is trending
Interest in “Pope Formosus” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-25.
Categorised under History, this article fits a familiar pattern. History articles often trend on anniversaries of notable events, when historical parallels are drawn in the news, or following popular media portrayals.
GlyphSignal tracks these patterns daily, turning raw Wikipedia traffic data into a curated feed of what the world is curious about. Every spike tells a story.
Key Takeaways
- Pope Formosus was the pope and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 891 until his death on 4 April 896.
- Because he sided with Arnulf of Carinthia against Lambert of Spoleto, Formosus's remains were exhumed and put on trial in the Cadaver Synod.
- Formosus was seen as failing to uphold the ideals of the Church, which is why Stephen VI judged him for moving into an elevated role while holding another.
Pope Formosus was the pope and ruler of the Papal States from 6 October 891 until his death on 4 April 896. His reign as Pope was troubled, marked by interventions in power struggles over the Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Kingdom of West Francia, and the Holy Roman Empire. Because he sided with Arnulf of Carinthia against Lambert of Spoleto, Formosus's remains were exhumed and put on trial in the Cadaver Synod. Several of his immediate successors were primarily preoccupied by the controversial legacy of his pontificate, noting his desertion from the diocese in Portus to pursue personal ambition in Rome. Formosus was seen as failing to uphold the ideals of the Church, which is why Stephen VI judged him for moving into an elevated role while holding another. Due to these controversies, no other pope has ever taken on the papal name Formosus.
Content sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0
