The Making of Popes
Intriguing and Little-Known Facts About Popes and The Papacy
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest of the three major branches of Christianity, with nearly one billion Roman Catholics worldwide. The leader of the church, the Bishop of Rome or the pope, is one of the most powerful men alive. More than 260 people have held the office of the papacy since the times of St. Peter, who is traditionally viewed as the first pope. Over the ensuing 2,000 years, the pope and the papacy have been a source of curiosity and fascination to the world.
Scandal, controversy, and conspiracy theories have always surrounded the church. Here, we’ll examine some interesting moments, odd traditions, and unusual facts about the pope and the papacy.
First up is one of the most bizarre moments in papal history:
The Cadaver Synod: The Time a Pope Dug Up His Deceased Predecessor
One of the most macabre events in the history of the papacy occurred in 897. Pope Stephen VI claimed that Pope Formosus, who had been the pontiff two leaders earlier, had committed perjury and had acceded to the papacy illegally. Stephen demanded that Formosus be put on trial for these accusations.
But there was one small hitch — Formosus had died a year earlier. Stephen didn’t see this as a problem. He had Formosus’ remains exhumed and brought to court. A deacon was selected to answer for Formosus, whose corpse was propped up on a throne during the trial. The former pontiff was deemed guilty and as a result, his papacy retroactively declared null. The papal vestments were torn off his body and three of his fingers were severed before he was buried in a graveyard for foreigners.
The First Pope To Be Photographed
n addition to holding the record for the longest papacy of any pope since St. Peter, St. Pius IX has another special distinction: he was the first pope ever to be photographed. The introduction of photography caused a controversy within the Church, which had been a patron of fine arts for centuries. The question arose: did this new medium count as art?
Although some of his cardinals disagreed, Pius IX decided that photography did indeed qualify as an art form and allowed a photograph to be taken of himself. The exact year is unknown, but it was around 1850.
There are only seven women in the world who are allowed to wear white when meeting the pope in an official capacity .
The Sedia Gestatoria
Before the motorized popemobile was developed, the bishop of Rome was carried on a sedia gestatoria, also known as a gestatorial chair. This was an elaborate, richly decorated ceremonial throne: a silk-covered armchair set atop long rods, which twelve footmen carried on their shoulders.
The sedia gestatoria was used for nearly a millennium. The last pope to use it was John Paul I, although he was initially opposed to it. No pope after him chose to travel this way, and the practice was discontinued in 1978.
