Pope Gregory VI (1044-1048) was under a great threat by robbers who had taken much church property and weren’t shy about stealing from churches even in Rome. Since neither pleas, warnings, threats or anathemas helped, the pope wrote the Emperor and asked him to take to arms to stop the terrible state.
The Emperor answered that he must march against a foreign foe and so gave the pope permission to take action in his name. Gregory called out a large number of people to fight, killed the evildoers and again restored safety. But as this was done, a murmer went amongst the cardinals that the pope had bloodied his hands and so was unworthy of the holy seat. At first, they avoided stepping forward with this sentiment, but as Gregory lay on his deathbed, a cardinal was sent to him to inform him that he was unworthy of being buried in St. Peter’s Basilica.
The pope defended himself, pointing to points of law and referring to the holy writings; finally, he ordered that after his death that St. Peter’s should be locked. If at the presence of his body the doors do not open themselves, the cardinals’ verdict should stand and they may dispose of his remains wherever they please.
After Gregory’s death, all of the locks and bars of St. Peter’s sprang open and his body was interred with great honor.