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From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 243-244.

The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina

Volume I.


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[243]

SERGIUS  III.

A.D. 904-911.

SERGIUS the Third, a Roman, son of Benedict, entering upon the pontificate, re-edified the Lateran Church, which was then ruined, and taking Christopher out of his monastery, put him in prison; and then settling his affairs, he took a journey to France; after his return from whence, being now strengthened with the favour and friendship of the French king, Lotharius, he totally abolished all that Pope Formosus had done before, so that priests who had been by him admitted to holy orders were forced to take new ordination. Nor was he content with thus dishonouring the dead Pope, but he drags his carcase again out of the grave, beheads it as if it had been alive, and then throws it into the Tiber, as unworthy the honour of human burial. It is said that some fishermen, finding his body as they were fishing, brought it to St Peter’s Church, and while the funeral rites were performing, the images of the saints which stood in the church bowed in veneration of his body, which gave them occasion to believe that Formosus was not justly prosecuted with so great ignominy. But whether the fishermen did thus or no, is a great question; especially it is not likely to have been done in Sergius’s lifetime, who was a fierce 244 persecutor of the favourers of Formosus, because he had hindered him before of obtaining the pontificate. And now, reader, pray observe how very much these Popes had degenerated from their predecessors: they, good men, refused this dignity when it was freely offered them, choosing rather to spend their time in study and in prayer; these, on the contrary, sought the papacy with ambition and bribery; and when they were got in, slighting the worship of God, pursued animosities among themselves with the violence of the fiercest tyrants; to the end that when no one should be left to animadvert upon their vices, they might the more securely immerse themselves in pleasures. It is my opinion that Sergius acted thus, by the instigation of Lotharius, because it was by Formosus’s means that the Empire was translated from the French to the Lombards. Sergius, leading his life after this rate, died in the seventh year, fourth month, and sixteenth day of his papacy, several fiery apparitions and blazing stars, with unusual motions, having been seen in the heavens a little before. Soon after, the Hungari invaded Italy with an army, and several defeats were on both sides given and taken.

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Previous Pope: 122. Christopher. 123. Sergius III. Next Pope: 124. Anastasius III.

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