"Stephen VIII" redirects here. For the Moldavian ruler, seeȘtefan Răzvan.
In sources prior to the 1960s, this pope is called Stephen IX andPope Stephen VII is called Stephen VIII; seePope-elect Stephen for a detailed explanation.
After becomingpope, Stephen gave his attention to the situation inWest Francia. In early 940, Stephen intervened on behalf ofLouis IV of France, who had been trying to bring to heel his rebellious vassals,Hugh the Great andHerbert II of Vermandois, both of whom had appealed for support from KingOtto I of Germany.[2] Stephen dispatched apapal legate to the Frankish nobles, instructing them to acknowledge Louis, and to cease their rebellious actions against him, under threat ofexcommunication. Although the embassy did not achieve its stated objective, it did have the effect of removing the support of the Frankish bishops who had been backing Hugh and Herbert.[3]
Emboldened, Stephen sought to break up the alliance against Louis by offering Herbert's son,Hugh of Vermandois, the office ofarchbishop of Reims.[3] Along with thepallium, Stephen sent another legate, with instructions to the Frankish nobility, insisting that they submit to Louis.[4] This time they were informed that if the pope had not received their embassies byChristmas, notifying him of their intent to submit to the king, they would be excommunicated.[3] This time, there was a shift in support to Louis, as a number of the more important nobles declared for him, and by the end of 942, all of the nobility had affirmed their loyalty to Louis, and notified the pope of their intent.[5]
The continuing domination of thecounts of Tusculum was evident throughout Stephen's pontificate, and the period is thus known asSaeculum obscurum. Although Stephen was subject toAlberic II of Spoleto and did not in reality rule thePapal States, Stephen himself was not a member of that family, nor had he any relationship with Alberic's mother,Marozia, who had dominated Roman and papal politics during the preceding decades.[6] Stephen was, however, caught up in the ongoing conflict between Alberic and KingHugh of Italy, with Hugh besieging Rome in 940.[7] After a failed attempt to assassinate him, which involved a number of bishops, Alberic cracked down on any potential dissent in Rome, with his enemies either scourged, beheaded or imprisoned. If there is any truth toMartin of Opava’s account of the torture and maiming of Stephen VIII by supporters of Alberic, it must have occurred at this juncture, in the aftermath of the conspiracy, and just prior to Stephen's death.[8]
On 17 August 942, Alberic summoned a council in Rome, where he demonstrated his control over the papacy by making use of various papal officials, such as theprimicerius, thesecundicerius of the notaries, and thevestararius.[9] Stephen died in October 942, and was succeeded byMarinus II.
According to the late 13th century chroniclerMartin of Opava, Stephen VIII was described as being a German, who was elected pope due to the power and influence of relative Otto I. Martin states that Otto ignored the will of the cardinals in imposing Stephen upon them, and because Stephen was hated for being a German, he was taken by supporters of Alberic II, who proceeded to maim and disfigure him to such an extent that Stephen was unable to appear in public again.[10] This version of events has largely been discredited;[11] contemporary and near-contemporary catalogues state that Stephen was a Roman. Further, Otto's intervention in and influence over Italian affairs was still over a decade away, and during this period Otto was still trying to consolidate his hold on power in Germany, with major rebellions by the German dukes. Consequently, Otto would have been too preoccupied to concern himself over the papal succession at this juncture. Finally, Stephen's intervention on behalf of the Frankish king Louis IV (who was in conflict with Otto) would not have occurred had Stephen been a relative of the German king, and had Stephen received the papal throne through Otto's intervention.[1] The maiming of Stephen may have occurred, however, in the aftermath of the conspiracy against Alberic in the middle of 942.
^DeCormenin, Louis Marie; Gihon, James L. (1857).A Complete History of the Popes of Rome, from Saint Peter, the First Bishop to Pius the Ninth. p. 290.
