The history of the papacy is filled with unusual, dramatic events. From a pope put on trial after death to a resignation that broke a 600-year tradition, the Vatican’s past is anything but predictable ...

Months after his predecessor, Pope Formosus, died, Stephen dug up the rotting corpse, dressed it in papal robes, and put it on trial. The dead pope was found guilty, stripped of his title ...

Pope Francis has said he faces a "period of trial" as he thanked well-wishers on Sunday for their prayers. The Argentine pontiff has been recovering in hospital from pneumonia, after he was admitted ...