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Born in Rome, the date of Stephen's birth is unknown. His father was named Hadrian. He was from a noble Roman family and received his education from a relative, Bishop Zachary, who was the librarian of the [[see]] of Rome. He was appointed a cardinal-priest of the Church of the Santi Quattro Coronati by Pope Marinus I in which position he gained a reputation for holiness, a reputation that helped in his being chosen pope.
Stephen was elected Pope of Rome on [[May 17]], 885, succeeding Pope [[Adrian IIIof Rome|Adrian III]]. Although he was consecrated on [[July 15]], he was not accepted by the Holy Roman emperor Charles III the Fat, who sent a legate to depose him. Finding Stephen's election was canonical, Charles acquiesced to Stephen becoming pope.
Following the policy of Pope Nicholas I, Stephen refused to recognize St. [[Photius the Great|Photius]] as patriarch of Constantinople and asked the Eastern Roman emperor Basil I the Macedonian to [[deposition|depose]] him. Upon Basil's death, Stephen repeated his request to the succeeding Byzantine emperor Leo VI the Wise, who exiled Photius in 886, as much as from domestic imperial intrigues as religious politics.
