Editing Pope Stephen III (section)

==Election==
768 was consumed by the rival claims of [[antipope]]s [[Antipope Constantine II|Constantine II]] (a layman puppet forcibly installed by a faction of [[Tuscany|Tuscan]] nobles<ref name="d196">DeCormenin, 1857, pg. 196.</ref><ref name=ce>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14289a.htm Mann, Horace. "Pope Stephen (III) IV." The Catholic Encyclopedia] Vol. 14. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 18 September 2017</ref>) and [[Antipope Philip|Philip]] (the candidate of the [[Lombards]]), who were forced out of office by the efforts of Christophorus, the [[primicerius]] of the [[Notarius|notaries]], and his son Sergius, the treasurer of the Roman Church.<ref>Mann, pgs. 362–367</ref> With the capture of Constantine II, Christophorus set about organising a [[canon law|canonical]] election, and on 1 August he summoned not only the Roman clergy and army, but also the people to assemble before the Church of St. Adrian in the area of the old [[Comitium]]. Here, on 7 August, the combined assembly elected Stephen as pope.<ref name="m368">Mann, pg. 368</ref><ref>Chisholm 1911</ref> They then proceeded to the Church of [[Santa Cecilia in Trastevere]], where they acclaimed Stephen as pope-elect, and escorted him to the [[Lateran Palace]].<ref name="m368"/>

At this point, supporters of the Pope-elect Stephen began to brutally attack key members of Constantine's regime, including Constantine himself, who was hounded through the streets of Rome, with heavy weights attached to his feet.<ref name="m370">Mann, pg. 370</ref> Bishop Theodore, Constantine's [[vice-dominus]], was [[Blinding (punishment)|blinded]] and had his tongue cut out, while Constantine's brother, Passivus, was also blinded.<ref name="m370"/> Constantine was officially dethroned on 6 August, and Stephen was [[episcopal consecration|consecrated]] pope on the following day.<ref>Mann, pg. 371</ref> Retributions continued even after the consecration of Stephen; the town of [[Alatri]] revolted in support of Constantine, and after its capture, the key members of the revolt were blinded and had their tongues ripped out.<ref>Mann, pgs. 371–372</ref> Then on the orders of the papal [[chartularius]], Gratiosus, Constantine was removed from his monastic cell, blinded, and left on the streets of Rome with specific instructions that no-one should aid him.<ref name="d198">DeCormenin, pg. 198</ref> Finally, on a charge of conspiring to kill Christophorus and many other nobles, with the intent of handing over the city to the [[Lombards]], the priest Waldipert, who was the prime mover in the elevation of Philip, was arrested, blinded, and soon died of his wounds.<ref name="m370"/><ref>Partner, pg. 27</ref>

The role of Stephen III in these events is somewhat obscure. According to the historian Horace Mann, Stephen was an impotent observer, and that the responsible agent was in reality the chartularius, Gratiosus.<ref name="m370"/> However, according to Louis Marie DeCormenin, Stephen was the key person responsible for issuing the orders, and took great delight in destroying his rival and his rival's supporters.<ref name="d198"/> A middle position was taken by the historian [[Ferdinand Gregorovius]], who observed that Stephen, while he may not have instigated or ordered the atrocities, did not seek to prevent them either, either through self-interest or the weakness of his position.<ref>Gregorovius, Ferdinand, ''The History of Rome in the Middle Ages'', Vol. II, pg. 329</ref> What is clear, however, is that the recent creation of the [[Papal States]] had seen the traditional rivalries of the ruling families of Rome transformed into a murderous desire to control this new temporal power in Italy, dragging the papacy with it.<ref>Duffy, Eamon, ''Saints & Sinners: A History of the Popes'' (1997), pg. 72</ref>