His pontificate occurred during the Saeculum obscurum, when the power of popes was diminished by the ambitious counts of Tusculum, and was marked by the conflict between his patron, Alberic II of Spoleto, and King Hugh of Italy.
In early 940, Stephen intervened on behalf of Louis IV of France, who had been trying to bring to heel his rebellious vassals, Hugh the Great and Herbert II of Vermandois, both of whom had appealed for support from King Otto I of Germany.
[2] Stephen dispatched a papal legate to the Frankish nobles, instructing them to acknowledge Louis, and to cease their rebellious actions against him, under threat of excommunication.
[7] After a failed attempt to assassinate him, which involved a number of bishops, Alberic cracked down on any potential dissent in Rome, with his enemies either scourged, beheaded or imprisoned.
[8] On 17 August 942, Alberic summoned a council in Rome, where he demonstrated his control over the papacy by making use of various papal officials, such as the primicerius, the secundicerius of the notaries, and the vestararius.