Papal Succession in the Middle Ages

[forthright]

I’ve been doing some reading on the Pope Formosus scandal as well as the Council of Nicea. It seems to me that the Council decided that the bishops, priests, and deacons should stay in their own diocese. Since Pope Formosus came from another diocese, before become bishop of the diocese of Rome, it was for this reason he was put on trial. (Am I right so far?)

Does this mean that for the centuries between Nicea and more recent times that the bishop of Rome was selected ONLY from the eligible members of the diocese of Rome (typically the priests of Rome)? Would a bishop of, say, Venice not even be considered? It seems odd that for centuries the pope would come straight from the local priesthood only. Just curious.

 

[stanley123]

forthright:

Since Pope Formosus came from another diocese, before become bishop of the diocese of Rome, it was for this reason he was put on trial.

Was he put on trial while he was alive?

 

[starrs0]

Pope Formosus was not alive at the time of his trial info can be found here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Formosus
and here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadaver_Synod

 

[Joe_Kelley]

It may not have been that he was from another diocese, but that he had been bishop of another diocese.

Throughout history there have been sporadic attempts to forbid the progression of a bishop from one diocese to another - a promotion system. While the rule has often been enacted, I don’t think it has ever been enforced - note current practice.

I suspect in the case of Pope Formosus it was a case of finding some legal grounds for doing what they had already decided to do. I think we have seen that occasionally in U.S. politics, e.g. the impeachment of Andrew Johnson.

 

[forthright]

I’m not so much concerned about the specifics regarding Formosus. It just seems that this example displays that bishops switching diocese used to not be allowed, even to go from one diocese to Rome to become Pope. Was the modern practices of “promoting” a bishop from somewhere else to become the Bishop of Rome really that taboo centuries ago?