Formosus, Pope, 891–896

Formosus, Cardinal – bishop of Portus, ascended S. Peter's Chair in September 891. This ambitious man, whose significant past is already known to us, was, as it appears, a Roman by descent! Excommunicated by John the Eighth, he had sworn never to return to Rome or his bishopric, but had been released from his oath by Marinus and reinstated at Portus. He lived in quiet under the pontificate of two Popes until, upon the death of Stephen the Fifth, he was, like Marinus, summoned directly from his bishopric to the Papal chair. Promotion such as this was at this time reckoned uncanonical. Formosus had undoubtedly aspired to the tiara, and, in order to attain it, appears to have made promises to the national party, and to have thus acquired their votes.

His party meanwhile assembled under the banner of Arnulf of Germany and his protegé Berengar; their opponents under the Spoletan flag of Guido, of his son Lambert and of Adalbert of Tuscany. Into these opposing factions the two former parties of Franks and Germans in Rome were now transformed.