Editing Pope Sergius III (section)

==Early life and career==
Sergius was the son of Benedictus,<ref>{{cite book | last=Platina | first=Bartolomeo | author-link=Bartolomeo Platina | title=The Lives of the Popes From The Time Of Our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII | publisher=Griffith Farran & Co. | location=London | pages=243–244 | volume=I | year=1479 | url=https://archive.org/details/thelivesofthepop01platuoft | access-date=25 April 2013}}</ref> and traditionally was believed descended from a noble Roman family, although it has been speculated that he was in fact related to the family of [[Theophylact I of Tusculum]]. He was [[ordained]] as a [[subdeacon]] by [[Pope Marinus I]], followed by his being raised to the [[diaconate]] by [[Pope Stephen V]].<ref>Mann 1910, p. 119</ref> During the pontificate of [[Pope Formosus]] (891–896), he was a member of the party of nobles who supported the [[Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor]] [[Lambert II of Spoleto|Lambert]], who was the opponent of Formosus and the pope's preferred imperial candidate, [[Arnulf of Carinthia]].<ref>Mann 1910, pp. 51–53</ref> Formosus consecrated Sergius as [[Bishop of Caere]] ([[Cerveteri]]) in 893, apparently in order to remove him from Rome.<ref>Mann 1910, pp. 119–120</ref> Sergius ceased to act as Bishop of Caere with the death of Formosus in 896, as all of the ordinations conferred by Formosus were declared null and void,<ref>Mann 1910, pp. 81 & 120</ref> although Formosus' ordination of Sergius was later reconfirmed by [[Pope Theodore II (Catholic)|Theodore II]].<ref>Mann 1910, p. 88</ref> He also actively participated in the farcical [[Cadaver synod]] that condemned the pontificate of Formosus.<ref>Norwich, John J., ''The Popes: A History'' (2011), pg. 74</ref>

With the death of Theodore in 898, Sergius, with a small following of Roman nobility led by his father Benedictus, attempted to have himself elected [[pope]], contrary to the wishes of [[Emperor Lambert]], who was also [[duke of Spoleto]]. Although Sergius was actually elected, a rival candidate, [[Pope John IX]] (898–900), was also elected.<ref>Mann 1910, pp. 92–93</ref> With Lambert's support, John was successfully installed as pope, and one of his first acts was to convene a [[synod]] which  [[excommunicate]]d Sergius and his followers.<ref>Mann 1910, p. 93</ref> Sergius was then forcibly exiled by Lambert, fleeing to his [[Episcopal see|see]] at Caere, where he placed himself under the protection of Margrave [[Adalbert II of Tuscany]].<ref>Mann 1910, p. 120</ref>