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Papal Authority Grew From Peter Succession
- Papal authority developed from the Bishop of Rome claiming succession from St Peter and gradually became a universal office by the 3rd–5th centuries.
- By late antiquity the title pope narrowed to Rome's bishop and claims of spiritual primacy underpinned later political power.
Charlemagne Coronation Exposed Papal Weakness
- The 800 coronation of Charlemagne by Pope Leo III symbolically tied imperial legitimacy to papal blessing while revealing papal political weakness.
- Leo sought Charlemagne's help to reclaim control of Rome before crowning him emperor on Christmas Day 800.
The Cadaver Synod Put a Dead Pope On Trial
- The Cadaver Synod saw Pope Stephen VI exhume and try the corpse of Pope Formosus, dressing it in papal robes and interrogating it with a deacon speaking for the corpse.
- The corpse was found guilty, stripped of vestments, had blessing fingers removed, and reburied in a common grave.