Ambition and revenge give rise to stupidities like exhuming a corpse to stand trial. The Pope Formosus I he was the one who suffered in his flesh, rather in his bones and the remains of his putrid body, this farce at the end of the 9th century.
Formosus I a Pope who, for the time, could be classified as capable and fair-minded. Precisely these "qualities" served him to win very powerful enemies, such as the Spoleto . After five years fighting against all odds, he died in 896. He was succeeded by Boniface who died 15 days after occupying "Peter's throne".
In May 896, supported by Lamberto Spoleto , Stephen VI (VII) is named Pope , the great enemy of Formoso. Now they had their hands free to take revenge and discredit poor Formoso, but with what arguments and for what?
The Popes could not be appointed bishops of Rome (requisite to be Pope) being bishops of another diocese, a case that occurred with Formosus. With this "technicality" they staged the "trial of a corpse «. In addition, Esteban, who also failed to comply with this technicality, would be free of guilt if they managed to annul his actions, since Formoso consecrated him as a bishop.
All kinds of hoaxes were spread and, after nine months, the pantomime was mounted. But the surprise would be great for the bishops/judges when they contemplated that the trial would not be in the absence of the accused, but rather that he would be present. The body of the Pope was exhumed - it is even said that someone located behind the dead man acted as a ventriloquist - and, logically, he was found guilty.
What else could happen to him? He was buried, rediscovered, after the process was annulled in 897, and buried again in St. Peter's Basilica with full honors.
Source:Great Untold Episodes in History – Joseph Cummins